Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 3: Getting from Point A to Point B: Marine Navigation
Cruising Day
On the day of the planned cruise, the skipper should get up early and check the weather,
both from The Weather Channel on television and on the WX station on the boat’s VHF.
If the weather is iffy, it might be best to let everybody sleep in and wait until another day.
It’s good to drop off a “float plan” (see Chapter 18, “The Best Defense Is Common
Sense”) with someone ashore, so that people will come looking if you don’t return as
planned. Run a quick check of all gear. Make sure the boat is gassed up, the sandwiches
made, the coolers full of ice and drinks, the PFDs aboard, and the charts and navigational
tools handy, and head for the dock.
Finding a protected and private
beach you can access
safely may take a bit of chart
study and a careful watch on
the depth finder, but it’s time
well spent.
(Photo credit: Chris Craft
Boats)
At the ramp or dock, check the chart, note the shape and direction of the channel, and
look out across the water to locate the markers that correspond to the route as shown on
the chart.
Follow the markers to open water (red ones go on the left or port as you head out to sea,
remember) and from marker 1 you punch in your first GPS waypoint toward your destination,
or take a compass course in that direction. You’re on your way!
Most cruises are straightforward and without problems if you’ve done your homework.
You’ll want to keep an eye out for landmarks as you travel—points of land, radio towers,
and tall buildings—noting them on the chart as you pass so that you confirm what your
GPS is telling you.
It’s also prudent to turn on your depth finder the minute you leave the dock and leave it
on until you return. Keep an eye on it—any time there’s a steady upward trend, you may
want to slow down and check what’s ahead according to the chart and your position.