
ADVANCED COASTAL NAVIGATION COURSE

The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Advanced Coastal Navigation (ACN)
course is a comprehensive course to prepare the advanced boater with the
knowledge needed to safely pilot a boat.
Topics include:
- INTRODUCTION TO COASTAL
NAVIGATION -- course overview; names and definitions of various types of
navigation; steps of voyage planning and underway navigation; earth's
coordinate system and its use to specify location; how direction can be
measured on the surface; conversion of direction (true, magnetic, compass
and relative) to another.
- THE MARINE MAGNETIC COMPASS
-- parts and principle of operation of the marine magnetic compass; concept
of deviation and distinctions between compass north, magnetic north, and
true north; "swinging ship" and deviation table preparation;
rapidly and reliably solving TVMDC and/or CDMVT computations.
- THE NAUTICAL CHART --
characteristics of nautical charts, particularly Mercator and polyconic
projections; plotting positions in terms of latitude and longitude; various
chart types/scales and their appropriate uses; basic knowledge of chart
symbols; rapid and reliable measurement of direction, distance, and location
on Mercator and polyconic nautical charts.
- THE NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS AND
INSTRUMENTS -- navigator tools used in everyday practice; basic skills
and familiarity with the use of plotting instruments; use of other
instruments and equipment used in the practice of navigation.
- DEAD RECKONING --
working knowledge of dead reckoning methods including plotting, labeling,
measuring, and determining DR positions; speed, time, distance formulas and
problem solving; speed estimation, tachometers and speed curves.
- PILOTING -- Line of
Position (LOP) concepts; bearing use in LOPs; running fix by advancing or
retiring an LOP; danger bearings; estimated positions when the data are
lacking for a FIX.
- CURRENT SAILING --
understanding current and the motion of the vessel; current problems on both
the nautical chart and maneuvering board including determination of EP given
set and drift, course steered, and speed maintained; determination of actual
set and drift given course steered, speed maintained, and a FIX;
determination of course to steer and resultant SOA given set and drift and
intended track; determination of course to steer and speed to maintain given
specified track and speed of advance and current set and drift.
- TIDES AND TIDAL CURRENTS
-- understanding tidal phenomena, causes, and typical variations; appreciate
the practical reasons why tides are important to the mariner; know how to
use the Tide Tables to estimate the height of the tide at any time; know how
to use the Tidal Current Tables to estimate the strength and direction of
the current at any time.
- RADIONAVIGATION --
understanding the basics of RDF, Loran-C, Radar, and GPS, their respective
advantages, disadvantages, limitations and how they can be used to fix
position; radar use for collision- avoidance CPA and target course and
speed.
- NAVIGATION REFERENCE
PUBLICATIONS -- Acquaintance with the U.S. Coast Pilot, the Light
List, and the Notices to Mariners; computation of visibility of
lights given height of light, observer, prevailing visibility and nominal
ranges; importance of up-to-date charts and other publications.
- FUEL AND VOYAGE PLANNING
-- Understand the basics of fuel planning, including the definitions of fuel
efficiency, fuel reserves, endurance, and range; fuel consumption affects of
such factors as hull design, engine horsepower, throttle settings, condition
of bottom etc.; developing a fuel consumption curve; effects of current in
fuel planning; preparing and using a "Howgozit" chart for a
voyage.
- REFLECTIONS -- Examples
of 10 principles of navigation learned the hard way.
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