Tag Archives: Chart Reading

Building an Aids to Navigation Demonstration Display

Posted on December 11, 2016 by captnmike

This is an Aids To Navigation (ATON) display demonstration board I made, there are flashing LED’s to demonstrate selected ATON’s in the Elliot Bay area around Seattle Washington. There are 27 Aids represented from just south of the Alki Lighthouse … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

New autonomous surface vehicles to deliver shoaler depth measurements for NOAA nautical charts

Posted on August 27, 2015 by captnmike

Great news from NOAA for anyone boating in shallow water. If you look closely at any U.S. coastal nautical chart, you’ll likely find that the areas closest to the shore, shoals, and rocks do not have updated depth measurements. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Safety Thoughts | Tagged | 3 Comments

Navigators Piloting and Charting Reference Card

Posted on August 23, 2014 by captnmike

The Navigators Piloting and Charting Reference Card puts the commonly used coastal navigation formulas and symbols on one handy card for easy reference.  This card helps prevent mistakes when tired, or when doing your Navigation Class homework. Even with today’s use … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Coast Survey improves access to data on thousands of wrecks and obstructions

Posted on July 8, 2014 by captnmike

Knowing the locations of shipwrecks and other obstructions has always been important for safe navigation ‒ but mariners are not the only people who want to know about wrecks. They are also important for marine archeology, recreational diving, salvage operations,…

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Free NOAA Charts!

Posted on February 2, 2013 by captnmike

NOAA  now has over 1,000 Free BookletCharts™ available for free  download in PDF format for printing  yourself.  BookletCharts™ are 8.5 by 11 inch reduced scale nautical  charts designed for recreational and small boats.  NOAA has been developing these charts that … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

U.S. Aids to Navigation

Posted on January 7, 2012 by captnmike

Understanding what an Aid to Navigation (ATON) means is a very important part of Safe Boating.  One of the problems understanding what each Aid to Navigation means is visualizing what a specific ATON looks like and match it to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boating Safety, Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills, seattle | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Introduction-to-Marine-Charts-Part 1

Posted on September 29, 2011 by captnmike

A short PowerPoint Introduction to Marine Charts showing different scales and explains some basic information that is found on a chart and a few hints on what to look for on a chart and points out some often overlooked tidbits … Continue reading →

Posted in Navigation, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Chart 18446 Lab Exercise – Crew Class–Part 1

Posted on September 28, 2011 by captnmike

Chart familiarization Lab Exercise done by the sailing crew class in the Fall of 2011.  This has examples of common questions encountered by small boat operators.  The Exercise was worked as a group effort by the students at each table. … Continue reading →

Posted in Navigation, Safety Thoughts, Sailing and Boating Skills | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment