Advanced Piloting (AP) – Advanced Marine Navigation
ADVANCED PILOTING (AP) continues to build coastal and inland navigation skill, allowing the student to take on more challenging conditions – unfamiliar waters, limited visibility, and extended cruises. GPS is embraced as a primary navigation tool while adding radar, chartplotters, and other electronic navigation tools. As with Piloting, the course includes many in-class exercises, advancing the student’s skill through hands-on practice and learning. Topics covered include:
- Review of skills learned in Piloting
- Advanced positioning technique such as advancing a line of position
- Other electronics: radar, depth sounders, autopilots, chartplotters, laptop computer software, etc.
- Hazard avoidance techniques using electronics (e.g., “keep out” zones in GPS)
- Collision avoidance using radar and GPS
- Working with tides: clearances, depth, effects of current
- Piloting with wind and currents
- The “Seaman’s Eye” – simple skills for checking that one is on course.
