The Weekend Navigator, 2nd Edition - Softcover

Sweet, Robert J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071759964 ISBN 13: 9780071759960

Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2011

Synopsis

Read what the the U.S. Power Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard trust as the definitive authority on electronic navigation, now updated with the latest electronic technologies and methods

The Weekend Navigator teaches you how to navigate using today's tools and methods, including the latest technologies such as smart phones. While electronic navigation is here to stay, author Bob Sweet recognizes that they are still based on traditional charts and piloting skills, and he combines the two to pass along to you a solid understanding of all the principles of marine navigation.

In addition to its continued ground-breaking instruction for the now-digital process of navigation on board power- and sailboats, Sweet helps you understand recent options for chartplotters, less expensive handheld GPS units, smart phones, and the navigation possibilities presented by phone apps. New to this edition is a section entitled "Ooops," which provides an insightful collection of boating accident tales resulting from common GPS and chartplotters no-nos. Using The Weekend Navigator, you can get on the water right away and learn to navigate in an afternoon with GPS; master chart-and-compass piloting while, not before, he or she departs; plot courses and fix positions on paper or electronic charts; and more.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The Fast, Easy Way to Master Boat Navigation

Thanks to modern electronic navigation tools, getting from one place to another on the water has never been easier or safer. And thanks to The Weekend Navigator, learning to use these tools quickly and correctly is now easier than ever! This completely practical, step-by-step guide gets you out on the water quickly and lets you perfect your navigation skills as you enjoy precious hours afloat.

Ideal for inland and coastal cruisers, sportfishers, and aspiring recreational boaters, this innovative handbook features an easy-to-use, quick-reference format that helps you operate your GPS, depth sounder, and radar and interpret what they tell you. With the help of over 300 full-color illustrations, you’ll learn how to use your electronics to navigate safely in all conditions, and you'll discover waypoint navigation techniques that let you choose a destination, plot a course, and monitor your progress as you go. You’ll also learn how to:

• Plot GPS positions on paper and digital charts
• Determine the precise range and bearing of your destination
• Evaluate and compensate for wind and current effects
• Avoid reefs and other underwater hazards
• Integrate GPS information with compass courses, visual bearings, dead reckoning, and the other techniques of traditional piloting
• Make a seamless transition to chart-and-compass navigation if your electronics fail

The Weekend Navigator provides a strong foundation in the time-honored skills of piloting, and with this book you can practice those skills on the water, using GPS to keep you pointed in the right direction.

Praise for Bob Sweet's GPS for Mariners:

"[Sweet] has the solid and fundamental mastery of the subject that lets him guide the reader step by step through the entire system. . . . Nothing is left out, and nothing is wrong."—Good Old Boat

"Useful for those looking to buy a GPS, as well as current owners who want to use theirs more efficiently. . . . The information is tailored specifically for boaters and boating uses."—Soundings

Adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for its GPS seminars

Bob Sweet has more than thirty years’ experience in boating and the electronics industry. He is a former systems engineer and senior executive who helped develop GPS for the U.S. Air Force. Now a business advisor to high-tech companies and a navigation instructor, Bob holds a Senior Navigator rating with The U.S. Power Squadrons. He is the author of GPS for Mariners.

About the Author

Bob Sweet has more than 30 years of experience in the technology and electronics markets and 30 years of boating experience. He has held engineering and senior executive management positions with a number of companies including GTE, Harris, ABA Industries, Inframetrics and Elbit Systems - the last three at the President and CEO level. He has both BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Penn State. He started his career as a radar and communications system engineer and, throughout his career, gained extensive experience with GPS including managing a corporate business unit that developed major portions of GPS for the Air Force. More recently, Bob was instrumental in the boating education for the Power Squadrons in Southeastern New England.HOMETOWN: East Falmouth, MA

Edition details

• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0071759964
• ISBN 13: 9780071759960
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 288