Overview

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. Enclosed CD for Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP

Full Product Details

Author:   Robert Sweet
Publisher:   McGraw-Hill Education - Europe
Imprint:   McGraw-Hill Professional
Dimensions:   Width: 21.60cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 27.40cm
Weight:   0.762kg
ISBN:  

9780071430357

ISBN 10:   0071430350
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   16 September 2004
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Awaiting stock  

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Part I--Introduction Chapter 1--About this Book Navigating this Book Chapter 2--What Is Navigation? The Three Steps of Navigation Piloting without Electronics Chapter 3--Fundamentals of Waypoint Navigation Sample Cruise Revisited More on GPS Other Uses for Waypoints Chapter 4--The Tools of Navigation Nautical Charts Plotting Tools Other Navigation Tools Part II--Prevoyage Planning Chapter 5--Planning with GPS and Paper Charts Planning and Paper Charts Plotting on a Chart Entering Waypoints into Your GPS Chapter 6--Planning with Digital Charts Digital Charts Cruise-Planning Software Chart-Planning Software Features Working with Digital Charts Chartplotters PDAs Planning for Sailing Chapter 7--Planning to Avoid Danger Define the Area Mark the Obstacles Mark Landmarks Part III--Navigating Underway Chapter 8--Underway with GPS and Paper Charts Steps in Waypoint Navigation Staying On Course Navigating a Route with GPS Navigating in a Region Marking Objects Keeping Track Chapter 9--Underway with Digital Charts Using the Chartplotter Underway Using a Computer and GPS Underway PDAs and Pocket PCs The Future of Onboard Computers Part IV--Double-Checking Your Navigation Chapter 10--Double-Checking Using Instruments Quick Observations More Accurate Bearings Chapter 11--Eye of the Mariner Headings Ranges Bearings Collision Bearings Part V--Responding to Changing Conditions Chapter 12--What to Do If the GPS Quits Stop and Regroup Plan Before Proceeding Navigating without GPS Chapter 13--Planning as You Go with GPS Find Where You Are Plot a Safe Path to the New Destination Chapter 14--Tides, Winds, and Currents About Tides and Tidal Currents Adjusting for Tides and Tidal Currents Ocean Currents Wind, Waves, and Other Unpredictable Effects Part VI--Other Electronics Chapter 15--Navigating with Radar Range Settings for Recreational Boaters Radar Display Collision Avoidance Radar Navigation Tracking Weather Chapter 16--Using Depth in Navigation Depth Sounders versus Sonars and Fishfinders Navigating with a Depth Sounder Chapter 17--Using Radio in Navigation In an Emergency Weather Radio Fixed versus Handheld VHF Chapter 18--Using an Electronic Compass Types of Electronic Compasses Using the Electronic Compass for Navigation Chapter 19--Using an Autopilot in Navigation Navigating with an Autopilot Part VII--Special Techniques Chapter 20--Navigating While Tacking into the Wind Getting the Most Out of Each Tack Chartplotters and Navigation Software Chapter 21--Navigating Harbors and Channels with Electronics Good Visibility Limited Visibility Chapter 22--Navigating under Adverse Conditions Limited Visibility Wind and Sea Chapter 23--A Last Word on Avoiding Danger Electronic Alarms Visual Observations Using Radar Chapter 24--Advanced Topics in Radar How Marine Radar Does Its Job Installation and Alignment Radar Controls Chapter 25--Other Instrumentation Instruments Chapter 26--Connecting It All Together Basic Interconnections Higher-Speed Connections Chapter 27--Electronic Navigation Tools and Rules--A Summary Equipment Priority List Checklist Chapter 28--Measuring Compass Deviation Using GPS Accurate Compass Navigation Determining Deviation Measuring Deviation While You Cruise Appendix 1--Using the Maptech Digital Chart CD Appendix 2--GPS Display Overview--A Side-by-Side Comparison Appendix 3--Resources and References Index

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Author Information

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

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