Description

This course is a composite of CPS seminars on Navigation with GPS,  Electronic Charting and Radar for Pleasure Craft.

It is advisable that students planning to take this course are familiar with Chart Reading and Position Plotting, as taught in our Boating Course.

This course will introduce you to the versatile Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers that are now common in everyday life
GPS is one of the technical marvels of the space age which has put exceptional accuracy into the hands of anyone who will take the short time needed to learn about its pros and cons. Within this course you will find simple explanations of the system which makes GPS so effective as a navigational aid, and methods of extracting the maximum navigational information from your equipment. Improved position information, course planning and real time speed/direction data improves your boating safety and cruise enjoyment but reduces transit time and fuel consumption.

This course also teaches the more advanced features of Electronic Charting (EC). You learn about the different kinds of EC, how they were developed, their advantages and disadvantages, how to use them in a practical manner. You learn about connecting your GPS to a laptop, desktop, PDA or tablet computer. There is information about the use of navigational programs for computers. 

This new course also teaches the use and capabilities of Marine Radar. You learn how to interpret the screen, how to use the various controls, how to measure distance and bearing to other boats and to hazards.