Course shaping, course to steer, visual and electronic fixes, DR/EP, and waypoint strategies.
Course shaping along a coastal or offshore passageCourse to steer with tidal stream and leewayMulti-hour CTS with changing tidal streamsUse of waypoints and confirmation by an independent source
13 guided lessons · 23 practice questions · 19 flashcards
3 outcomes · self-guided revision
Explain course shaping, course to steer, visual and electronic fixes, DR/EP, and waypoint strategies.
Apply Course shaping along a coastal or offshore passage to a realistic onboard situation.
Recall the core check: chartwork = practical navigation using charts and instruments.
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What Is Chartwork?
Chartwork is the practical skill of plotting courses, shaping a passage, fixing positions, and solving navigational problems on a nautical chart. At Yachtmaster Offshore level the problem...
Chartwork = practical navigation using charts and instruments
Dead Reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating your position based solely on your course steered and distance run through the water — without accounting for tidal stream or leeway. It g...
DR = course + distance only (no tide, no leeway)
EP = DR plus estimated tidal stream and leeway; keep an uncertainty allowance
A fix is a position determined from observations — it is more reliable than a DR or EP. Common methods include: visual bearings (take compass bearings of two or three charted objects and...
Fix = position from observations (more reliable than DR/EP)
A running fix allows you to fix your position using a single landmark observed at two different times. You take a bearing of the landmark, continue on your course, and then take a second...
Running fix = two bearings of the same object at different times
Transfer the first position line forward by DR/EP movement
The course to steer is the compass course you need to follow to make good a desired ground track, after allowing for tidal stream, leeway, and compass errors. It involves constructing a v...
CTS accounts for tide, leeway, and compass errors
Vector triangle: tidal stream + water track = ground track
On longer passages the tidal stream changes direction and rate each hour. At Yachtmaster level you must construct a multi-hour CTS by stacking tidal vectors end-to-end for the passage dur...
Stack hourly tidal vectors end-to-end for multi-hour passages
Swing total distance through water from the end of stacked vectors
Assume a required ground track of 090°T for two hours, a boat speed of 6 kn through the water, and a steady tidal stream setting 180°T at 2 kn. Ignore leeway for this training example. Th...
Worked DR to EP: Coordinates, Uncertainty and Verification
Start from a fix at 50°00.0′N 001°00.0′W. Steer 090°T at 6 kn for two hours, with no leeway: the DR displacement is 12 NM east. At latitude 50°N, one minute of longitude spans approximate...
DR coordinate after 12 NM east: 50°00.0′N 000°41.3′W
Four nautical miles south changes latitude by 4.0′
A waypoint is a position defined by latitude and longitude, used to mark turning points or destinations on a passage. Modern GPS and chart plotters navigate between waypoints and display...
Waypoint = a Lat/Long position used for navigation
GPS gives bearing, distance, XTE (cross-track error) to waypoints
Leeway is the sideways drift caused by wind pushing the boat off course. A yacht sailing in strong winds will make leeway — the boat slides sideways to leeward. The amount depends on wind...
Leeway = sideways drift from wind (typically 3–10°)
A clearing bearing is a pre-plotted compass bearing of a charted object that defines a safe boundary. As long as your observed bearing of that object stays on the safe side of the clearin...
Clearing bearing = bearing you must not cross to stay safe
Draw on chart during passage planning, note on cockpit card
Chartwork at Yachtmaster level is not just recall. The answer has to show command judgement, evidence quality, margin, and a fallback if the first plan stops being safe.
State the evidence you trust and the evidence you distrust.
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