ASA 105, Coastal Navigation covers the navigational theory, chart reading, passage-planning, and course plotting skills necessary to safely navigate a vessel in coastal and inland waters.
This course uses paper charts and manual plotting tools to teach important concepts such as true vs. magnetic north, latitude & longitude, aids to navigation (ATONs), set and drift, time, speed and distance, etc., and applies them to modern electronic navigation charts (ENCs) and chartplotters.
NEW! - Thanks to a recent partnership between the ASA and the StarPath School of Navigation, ECSS students are now eligible to earn ASA 105 certification by successfully completing an ASA-approved interactive online course offered by StarPath. A special code is required, please contact us for more information.
We strongly encourage students to complete all navigation and theory training prior to their first session. This allows them to spend more time developing practical skills. Completion of all precourse assignments are essential.
Prerequisites:
ASA 101, Keelboat 1, ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising and ASA 104, Bareboat Cruising are recommended but not required.
Course objectives include:
- Chart terminology
- Aids to navigation (ATONs)
- How to use navigation tools to plot courses
- Rules of the Road, (COLREGS) interacting with other vessels
- True north and magnetic north
- Compass variation and deviation
- Determining your position using various techniques such as dead reckoning, running fixes and triangulation
- How to use your present GPS position to get you to your destination
- Set and drift from wind, tides and current
- How to determine your heading based on set and drift
On the water practical instruction includes:
- Use of navigation tools- GPS chartplotter, dividers, parallel rules and plotters
- Reading and use of paper charts
- Identification of navigation aids, paper and electronic charting, and the use of a hand-bearing and the ship's compass
- Call for availability.
- Reservations are required.
- Full tuition payment is due at the beginning of the first class.