Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 3: Getting from Point A to Point B: Marine Navigation
In general, dark-green water
is deeper than light-green
water, and water shading
toward white is water too
shallow for your boat. A pair
of polarized sunglasses is a
great help in noting color
changes.
(Photo credit: Frank Sargeant)
Understanding water colors will serve you well, even when you’re just buzzing out to wet
a line before sundown. And in many areas with extensive shallows, such as the Florida
Keys and the Bahamas, it’s essential for safe navigation.
In general, that’s about all there is to it. Ninety-nine trips out of 100, you’ll have a completely
enjoyable trip without the slightest glitch, particularly after you get the first trip or
two behind you. However, there’s always that hundredth trip—so it’s best to do your
homework before setting out.
Murphy Rules
It is true that, occasionally, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. In fact, on my boat, it’s
true that sometimes things that can’t possibly go wrong go wrong. You have to expect a
few problems now and then.
Suppose you’re motoring happily along toward your third waypoint, a sea buoy over the
horizon off the coast of Maine, when suddenly the GPS goes blank.
Now what?
If it’s a long run and your target is small and in danger of being missed, stop the boat and
break out the chart; otherwise, you may wind up out on St. Georges Bank eating raw cod.
You can figure about how far along the leg you were when the electronics went kaput
using an ancient art known as “dead reckoning.”