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This is a three night course from 7 PM to 9 PM.

The cost is 50.00 per person and includes all materials including charts. Please bring any charting tools you have such as rulers, protractor, etc. Please call the number below for more information on what you should bring and what we have available.

BASIC COASTAL NAVIGATION COURSE

 The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary's Basic Coastal Navigation (BCN) course is a comprehensive course to introduce the advanced boater to the methods needed to safely pilot a boat.

 Topics include:

 INTRODUCTION TO COASTAL NAVIGATION -- course overview; names and definitions of various types of navigation; steps of voyage planning and underway navigation; earth's coordinate system and its use to specify location; how direction can be measured on the surface; conversion of direction (true, magnetic, compass and relative) to another.

 THE MARINE MAGNETIC COMPASS -- parts and principle of operation of the marine magnetic compass; concept of deviation and distinctions between compass north, magnetic north, and true north; "swinging ship" and deviation table preparation; rapidly and reliably solving TVMDC and/or CDMVT computations.

 THE NAUTICAL CHART -- characteristics of nautical charts, particularly Mercator and polyconic projections; plotting positions in terms of latitude and longitude; various chart types/scales and their appropriate uses; basic knowledge of chart symbols; rapid and reliable measurement of direction, distance, and location on Mercator and polyconic nautical charts.

 THE NAVIGATOR'S TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS -- navigator tools used in everyday practice; basic skills and familiarity with the use of  plotting instruments; use of other instruments and equipment used in the practice of navigation.

 DEAD RECKONING -- working knowledge of dead reckoning methods including plotting, labeling, measuring, and determining DR positions; speed, time, distance formulas and problem solving; speed estimation, tachometers and speed curves.

 PILOTING -- Line of Position (LOP) concepts; bearing use in LOPs; running fix by advancing or retiring an LOP; danger bearings; estimated positions when the data are lacking for a FIX.

The state of Connecticut requires 8 hours of classroom instruction and a proctored exam to issue a boating certificate. THIS COURSE DOES NOT FULFILL THAT REQUIREMENT. If you need a boating certificate you need to take the BOATING SAFELY course.

Call 203-488-5349 and leave a message. Please include your name, telephone number and an address to send the application or print one yourself by clicking above. You may also email our FSO-PE MARK HAINES