Description

This book was written to meet the demands laid down by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) of 1978 and 1995, and is intended to provide the theoretical basis necessary to attain knowledge, understanding and skills within the following aspects of navigation:

At an operational level:

• Electronic systems of position fixing and navigation
  • The ability to determine the ship's position by use of electronic navigation aids.
• Radar Navigation.
  • Knowledge of the fundamentals of radar and automatic radar plotting aids (ARPA). The ability to operate, interpret and analyze information obtained from radar. The principal types of ARPA, their display characteristics, performance standards, and the dangers of over-reliance on ARPA. The ability to operate, interpret and analyze information obtained from ARPA.

At management level:

• Position determination using modern electronic navigation aids, with specific knowledge of their operating principles, limitations, sources of error, detection of misrepresented information and methods of correction used in order to obtain accurate position fixing
• An appreciation of system errors and thorough understanding of operational aspects of modern navigation systems, including radar and ARPA
• Evaluation of navigational information derived from all sources, including radar and ARPA, in order to make and implement decisions on the bridge with a view to avoiding collision and carrying out the safe navigation of the ship
• Maneuvering and handling a ship when using techniques to maintain a constant rate of turn

Contents

An Introduction to Electronic Navigation Systems
1.1 Alternating Current and and Alternating Voltage
1.2 Radiation and Range
1.3 Geodesy for Navigational Purposes
1.4 Hyperbolic Navigation
1.5 Accuracy
1.6 The Doppler Effect
1.7 The Cathode Ray Tube
1.8 The Antenna

Satellite-Based Navigation Systems
2.1 History and Background
2.2 The GPS System
2.3 Positioning with GPS
2.4 Categories of Accuracy When Using GPS
2.5 The GPS Satellites
2.6 GPS Reception
2.7 Sources of Positioning Error
2.8 Differential GPS
2.9 Possible Areas of Use for GPS

Terrestrial Hyperbolic Navigation Systems
3.1 The Decca System
3.2 The Loran System

Radar and ARPA Equipment
4.1 Radar
4.2 ARPA Equipment

Electronic Charts
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Different Types of Computer Charts
5.3 System Types
5.4 Updating Electronic  Chart Data
5.5 Positioning Your Own Ship on a Computer Chart
5.6 Connecting to Other Navigation Systems
5.7 Depth Information
5.8 The Production of Computer Charts

Integrated Navigation Systems
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Unmodulated, Integrated Systems
6.3 Modulated Integrated Systems
6.4 The NMEA Standards
6.5 The Mutual Effect of the Instruments

Making a Turn with a Constant Radius
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The Fundamentals of a Turn with a Constant Radius
7.3 The Turn-Rudder Line
7.4 The Distance F
7.5 Equipment Necessary to Plan a Turn with a Constant Radius
7.6 Using Plastic Plates to Determine the Turning Circle
7.7 Sketch of the Planned Maneuver
7.8 Determining Your Own Ship's Position in Relation to the Turn-Rudder Line
7.9 Range to a Target Ahead
7.10 Verifying a Turn with a Constant Radius
7.11 Equipment for Implementing a Turn with a Constant Radius

Words, Abbreviations and Symbols