| Do you know the three fastest ways to take a | | | | Remove any magnetic materials from yourself (metal |
| bearing in a small cruising boat? Are you backing up | | | | rimmed glasses, cell phones, jewelry). Put the compass |
| your electronic sailing navigation with the best | | | | around your neck, hold it up to your eye, and level it. |
| technique? Add these tips to your skipper skill-set | | | | When the numbers are in focus, you have the |
| today. | | | | compass level. |
| In familiar waters, the sailing navigator relies on | | | | 2. Sailboat Compass Turn and Shoot |
| navigation by eye and his or her nautical GPS to keep | | | | Choose an object off one side of the bow and |
| in safe water. But you will need a lot more once you | | | | another close to the beam. Turn the boat for a few |
| sail outside of the jetties or into an unfamiliar harbor. | | | | seconds, line up with the bow object and read the |
| Object Selection and Shooting Priority | | | | bearing in dictated by the sailboat steering compass. |
| Take two or more bearings to objects ashore. | | | | Write this down. Repeat this method with the object |
| Choose prominent, charted objects like tanks, towers, | | | | close to the beam. |
| church spires, or lighthouses. Select objects close to 90 | | | | 3. Sailboat Compass Cut Bearings |
| degrees apart for the strongest fix. Use one of these | | | | Choose an object off one side of the bow and |
| methods for bearings: | | | | another close to the beam. Hold your dominant hand in |
| Shoot the object closest to the bow or stern first. | | | | a "karate chop" position over the middle of your |
| These objects change bearings the slowest. Next, | | | | sailboat compass. Bend down behind your hand, site |
| shoot the object closest to the beam. These change | | | | over the top, and point at the object off the bow. |
| the fastest. Take these last to reflect the most recent | | | | Read the compass bearing. Repeat this method with |
| position of your vessel. Plot both bearings onto your | | | | the second object. |
| chart with a protractor or parallel rules. | | | | As a sailing skipper, you will need to know all three of |
| Use on of these three methods in the order shown (1 | | | | these chart navigation backup methods to add to your |
| being the strongest method to 3, being the weakest | | | | ditty-bag of sailing skills. Practice them to build your |
| method). | | | | accuracy, boost your confidence, and give yourself |
| 1. Hand Bearing Compass | | | | peace-of-mind wherever you choose to cruise. |
| Stand in the cockpit away from metal dodger frames. | | | | |