a Practical manualeSSeNTIAL kNOWLeDGe FOR finding your way at sea

Sea kayak

navigationnavigationFranco Ferrero

2nd edition

a Practical manual

Sea kayak

navigationFranco Ferrero

First published 1999

Second edition 2007

Published in Great Britain 2007 by Pesda Press

Unit 22, Galeri

Doc Victoria

Caernarfon

Gwynedd

LL55 1SQ

Reprinted with minor corrections 2009

© Copyright 2007 Franco Ferrero

ISBN: 978−1−906095−03−1

The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by

any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Printed and bound in Poland. www.polskabook.pl

4

the author Franco Ferrero

Franco began sea kayaking at the age of fifteen, and was

lucky enough to be brought up in the Channel Islands. The

small scattered islands, fast tidal streams and summer

fogs ensured that navigation was a key skill learnt at an

early age.

In 1978 he was one of a team of three Jerseymen who

completed the first circumnavigation of Ireland by sea kayak.

In 1989, with Kevin Danforth, he made a record breaking

unsupported crossing of the North Sea. Since then he

has paddled in many parts of the world including Nepal,

Scandinavia, the coast of Brittany in France, the European

Alps, Peru and Western Canada.

He is the managing director of Pesda Press and still

occasionally manages to fit in some freelance coaching (as

a BCU Level 5 Coach). He lives in Wales, escaping the office

to go sea and whitewater kayaking, rock and ice climbing,

and ski-mountaineering. His current passion is a twenty-

nine foot yacht called ‘Firebird’.

the authorFranco Ferrero

Franco began sea kayaking at the age of fifteen, and was

lucky enough to be brought up in the Channel Islands. The

small scattered islands, fast tidal streams and summer

fogs ensured that navigation was a key skill learnt at an

early age.

In 1978 he was one of a team of three Jerseymen who

completed the first circumnavigation of Ireland by sea kayak.

In 1989, with Kevin Danforth, he made a record breaking

unsupported crossing of the North Sea. Since then he

has paddled in many parts of the world including Nepal,

Scandinavia, the coast of Brittany in France, the European

Alps, Peru and Western Canada.

He is the managing director of Pesda Press and still

occasionally manages to fit in some freelance coaching (as

a BCU Level 5 Coach). He lives in Wales, escaping the office

to go sea and whitewater kayaking, rock and ice climbing,

and ski-mountaineering. His current passion is a twenty-

nine foot yacht called ‘Firebird’.

5

introduction

The aim of this book is to provide a concise manual of navigation

aimed specifically at sea kayakers. In this respect this second

edition is no different from the first.

The devil is in the detail. Feedback from readers of the first edition

has changed my views on ‘what sea kayakers need to know and

are likely to use’. I have added to several topics, but have taken

care to keep it short and simple.

Using the book

Each chapter ends with a number of suggested exercises. Make

use of them – they will help to ensure that what you have read is

understood and remembered.

The ultimate test of whether or not the lessons have been ab-

sorbed is the first time you plan and execute a trip relying on your

own navigation. Be cautious; plan simple trips and aim for big

targets to start with.

Ask someone more experienced to check your calculations the

first few times. Get someone else on the trip to make independ-

ent plans and compare your results. If they are a near match, carry

on – if they disagree, start again!

Always take into account the weather forecast, and base your

planning on the abilities of the weakest members of your group.

Build up slowly.

Enjoy the book and enjoy your paddling.

There is no glossary of terms

as things are explained as I go

along. To compensate there

is a comprehensive index.

e x e r c i S e S

Check your answers to

each of the exercises at:

pesdapress.com/answers

The illustrations and

diagrams throughout the

book are available to

download as a teaching

resource for use in your

slideshow presentations at

pesdapress.com/

presentations

6

acknowledgementS

I would like to thank Danny Finton, Danny Jones, Joan

Ferrero, Trys Morris, Nigel Robinson, Olly Sanders and Bob

Timms for their help with the first edition.

For their help with the second edition, I would like to

thank: Nigel Robinson for suggesting and giving examples

of the exercises that are now to be found at the end of

each chapter; Andy Stamp, with his impressive knowledge

of both the theory and practice of navigating using GPS,

who suggested numerous improvements to that chapter;

Kevin Mansell, whose practical experience of GPS led to a

number of improvements; Gordon Brown who, drawing on

his vast experience, suggested numerous improvements

throughout the book; Mike Mclure and Oisin Hallissey

whose work on developing a BCU Coastal Navigation and

Tidal Planning modules pointed out a couple of omissions.

Peter Wood for help with the photography and the new

design of this edition.

Finally, a special thanks is due to Bill Ayles who introduced

me to the delights of navigation theory and Dave Thelland

who first helped me to use it for sea kayaking.

Photographic Acknowledgements

A special thank you is due to the people who allowed me to use

their photographs. I’d also like to thank those people who sent

photos that I didn’t end up using. Unless indicated below, all

photos were taken by Franco Ferrero or Peter Wood.

Jeff Allen p14; Doug Cooper, p51, p96 (title); Joan Ferrero p42;

Derek Hairon p13; Laurie Bell iStockphoto.com p15; Howard Jeffs

p96 (inset); Kevin Mansell p77; Mark Rainsley p36, Douglas Wilcox

p29, p67, p90.

contentS

1 keePing it SimPle 9

Handrails 9

EyEball navigation 10

2 decktoP navigation 11

PassagE Planning 11

EqUiPmEnt 12

3 tideS 15

HigH & low watEr 15

Flood & Ebb 18

tidal movEmEnt 18

tidal rangE 19

tidal strEam bEHavioUr 20

4 maPS & chartS 22

CHarts 22

maPs 23

sCalE 23

symbols & abbrEviations 26

5 BaSic navigation 29

dirECtion 29

distanCE, sPEEd, timE takEn 30

kEEPing traCk oF ProgrEss 31

6 Buoyage & lightS 36

latEral bUoys 38

Cardinal marks 39

otHEr marks 39

ligHts 40

7 the comPaSS 42

magnEtiC variation 43

no CHart work aPProaCH 46

tyPEs oF ComPass 46

CHart work 48

8 PoSition 51

latitUdE & longitUdE 52

bEaring & distanCE 53

9 Predicting tideS 55

tidE tablEs 56

tidal strEams on CHarts 58

tidal strEam atlasEs 59

Pilot books 61

sEa kayaking gUidEs 65

EyEball mk1 65

10 allowing for wind & tide 67

allowing For tidE 67

CorrECting For tidE 71

allowing For wind 72

CorrECting For wind 75

11 handheld gPS 77

sEttings 78

Position 79

dirECtion 82

distanCE 82

sPEEd 82

PUtting wayPoints into yoUr gPs 83

on tHE watEr 84

roUtEs 86

CHart Plotting gPs rECEivErs 88

12 oPen croSSingS 90

simPlE stratEgiEs 90

CorrECting For tidE ovEr morE tHan an HoUr 91

13 Poor viSiBility 96

PrEParation 96

nigHt vision 98

UsEFUl taCtiCs 98

gPs & Poor visibility 100

organisation & lEadErsHiP 100

14 Planning a triP 102

8

Following the coast and using

obvious features to keep track

of your position on the chart.

9

1 keePing it SimPle

Ask yourself if you need to do any chart work. If you are paddling

across to a small island that is out of sight, your chart work will

need to be precise. On the other hand if you are 10 nautical miles

out to sea off the west coast of the United States, it may be quite

accurate enough to head due east (090°) until you sight land; and

then work out precisely where you are when you get there.

Handrails

Let’s not forget that “turn left and follow the coastline until you get

there” is often quite appropriate! The coastline itself provides the

‘handrail’ for you to follow. Keeping track of your position is done

by simply ‘ticking off’ prominent features as you pass them by.

These features are anything that is easy to recognise on the chart

and in the real world. They could be natural features such as sea

stacks, isolated rocks, inlets and prominent points, or man made

features such as buoys, radio masts and prominent buildings.

100 m Can identify people by facial recognition.

200 m Can make out faces and colours of clothing.

500 mCan identify people by movement and mannerisms, small buoys are visible, paddle blades visible.

1 kmPeople are dots, can count individual windows on houses, large buoys can be seen.

1.5 km Can count individual trees, can see ‘paddle flash’.

2 kmCan count individual houses, identify cars from bigger vehi-cles, almost at limit of kayak to kayak visibility.

3 kmlimit of kayak-to-kayak visibility, may see ‘paddle flash’, can separate trees from other greenery.

m a P & c h a r t S y m B o l S

Maps and charts aimed at

leisure users have a ‘legend’

or ‘key’ that shows you

what symbols are used to

indicate various features.

We will look at maps and

charts in detail in Chapter 4.

A simple way to estimate distance is to gauge how much

detail you can make out. Below is the resolvable detail

method from Sea Kayak by Gordon Brown.

j u d g i n g d i S t a n c e

22

4 Maps & Charts

In order to navigate in strange places and over large distances

we need to use some form of map. The two choices are nautical

charts or land maps.

Charts

Nautical charts only show the land detail that is visible from the

sea. This is great when you are on the water, but useless when

you have to make an unforeseen landing because of changing

weather and are trying to find the quickest way back to your

vehicle. They do, however, have several definite advantages:

1. They show the shape and depth of the seabed, which may enable you to make educated guesses about sea conditions or tides where there is not much information available.

2. They show the position of buoys and details of any lights (useful on night paddles, planned or accidental).

3. They give tidal information.

An Ordnance Survey Landranger

(1:50,000) map in use at sea;

note that I’ve added tidal

information in pencil.

23

British Admiralty and US National Ocean Service charts are simi-

larly colour coded which makes things easy. Yellow areas are dry

land, green bits are covered in water at high tide and dry (or very

shallow) at low tide. White and blue bits are always underwater.

Standard charts for shipping are large and unfolded but there are

also more convenient ‘Leisure Series’ charts designed for use

by yachtsmen. These are often in useful scales, so that you only

need one chart instead of three or four overlapping charts, and

they come in folded and unfolded versions.

Maps

Land maps have the advantage of showing all land details, in-

cluding such essentials as pubs, public toilets, access roads and

paths. They show all coastal features, including anything that

shows at low water. On the other hand, they don’t show buoys,

lights (except lighthouses) or any features of the seabed (below

the low water mark).

Scale

Small Scale (1:1,000 where 1cm on the map = 1,000cm or 10m

on the ground). A small ratio means lots of detail but you’ll need

an awful lot of maps. These are usually used to provide detail of

harbours and are seldom of use to kayakers.

Large Scale (1:1,000,000 where 1cm on the map = 1,000,000cm

or 10km on the ground). A map of this scale would cover the

whole west coast of Ireland (great for planning, but no use for

day-to-day navigation).

I find the most useful scales to be between these two extremes

1:50,000 or 1:100,000 for both charts and land maps.

Yachtsmen’s charts produced

by firms such as Imray may

differ in colour coding, but the

principles are the same.

The main advantage of land

maps is that many people are

already familiar with them.

U N I t sA nautical mile (NM) is slightly

greater than one land mile

(1.15 to be precise), and is

roughly equivalent to 2km.

1 knot (kn) = 1 nautical mile

per hour. It is easier to work

in nautical miles, rather

than miles or kilometres,

because all tidal information

is given in knots.

24

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

Comparison of Ordnance Survey Landranger map and Admiralty Leisure Series chart styles

(both 1:50,000 scale). OS maps also have a latitude scale along the outer edge of the sheet.

25

Measuring distanceTo measure a distance on a map or chart, I suggest either a pair of

dividers (looks professional, especially the expensive brass ones,

preserves mystique, are slightly more accurate and are easier to

use on the kitchen table), or a piece of string (cheaper and easier

to use when afloat). Simply open the dividers to the required

distance and then measure off against the latitude scale which

you will find at either edge of the chart.

1 minute (1’) of latitude = 1 nautical mile (NM)

1° = 60 minutes or 60NM

Consequently, on the example chart opposite, the distance from

Blood and Sludge Bay to Port Epic is 4NM (or 4’ of latitude).

L a t I t U d e a N d L o N g I t U d e

The earth is a sphere. (It’s actually slightly squashed at the

poles but for the purposes of navigation we can ignore that).

Lines of Latitude begin at 0°, bisecting the globe around

the Equator and slice the globe into rings at regular intervals

toward each of the poles. Degrees of latitude are measured

from the centre of the Earth, north and south of the Equator.

Lines of Longitude are drawn bisecting the globe from pole to pole

at angles east or west of what is known as the Prime Meridian, or

0° of longitude (this could be anywhere but historically the line

runs through the Greenwich Observatory, Great Britain). Lines

of longitude converge at the poles (think of the segments of

an orange). Thus a minute of longitude becomes progressively

smaller in terms of distance as you go towards the poles. For

this reason we do not use longitude for measuring distance.

A pair of dividers or a piece

of string will be useful for

taking measurements from

the diagrams in this book.

1 minute (1’) of latitude = 1 nautical mile (NM)

1° = 60 minutes or 60NM

26

Chart No 1 (above right) is now out of

print and available as a download only.

M a p p r o j e C t I o N s

In order to make a map, a 3D shape has to be projected onto a flat surface. Most maps

and charts use one of the variants of the Mercator projection. The advantage of this map

projection is that it preserves angles. A constant course heading is shown as a straight

line. To keep the proportions needed to achieve this, minutes of latitude have to be drawn

proportionally bigger as we move towards the poles. This is only really obvious on charts

that cover large areas. The way we cope with this is to measure distances on the latitude

scale as close to the latitude of the location we are measuring as possible.

With problems towards the poles in the Mercator projection, map makers turn to one or

other form of polar projection, which you may encounter when planning trips within the

high arctic.

For ocean crossing voyages, large scale gnomonic projection charts are used (find out

more about this if you plan such a voyage!) You may encounter the gnomonic projection

on some detailed charts of harbours but at such scales the differences between

projections are negligible for the kayaker.

Symbols & abbreviations

Maps and charts aimed at leisure users usually have a key (or

legend) which show the symbols and abbreviations used.

Booklets describing in detail all the symbols used on nautical

charts are available. Admiralty charts are covered by the publica-

tion ‘Symbols and Abbreviations used on Admiralty Charts 5011’.

US charts are covered by the pamphlet ‘Chart No 1, Nautical Chart

Symbols and Abbreviations’. Any yacht chandlers will have these

and publications listing all the charts that these agencies produce.

Chart No 1 (above right) is now out of

27

Commonly used chart symbols and abbreviationsBlood and Sludge Bay is marked with the abbreviation S. This

means that the bottom consists of sand. Port Gunge, however, is

marked with an M which stands for mud so, although a useful

escape route, Port Gunge is not a desirable landing place. Port Epic

has the abbreviation S Sh, sand and shells, nice place for a picnic.

The shore between Blood and Sludge Bay and Port Gunge is

marked by a symbol that indicates a rocky foreshore, whereas

between Port Gunge and Port Epic the symbols indicate cliffs.

Port Gunge is to the south of a rock islet that is always uncov-

ered. The two crosses further out to sea represent rocks which

are always (but at low water only just) covered by water. These

represent a danger to shipping, though not normally to kayakers,

so they are marked by a buoy which is distinguished by its top

mark, in this case two cones pointing inwards and coloured yel-

low, black, yellow. Buoyage is covered in detail in Chapter 6. For

navigational purposes, in a kayak, all we need is to make sure we

have identified the right one. Buoys are distinguished from one

another by their colour, shape, or top mark. Important ones will

also have a name or number painted on them. All this information

is on the chart.

These rocks could be a danger (or fun depending on your skill

level) if a big swell is running, as the waves may build up and

break over the submerged rocks (reef breaks). The point south of

Port Epic has a light at its end; the structure on which the light is

raised is usually painted white so you can see it in daylight.

The figure ·128 tells us that the hill above Port Epic is 128 metres

above sea level, (MHWS).

The rock off Blood and Sludge Bay is coloured green and marked

with a drying height. We are told that it is a drying height by the

fact that the 4 is underlined. For a detailed explanation of the

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

For this section

it is vital that you

constantly refer to

the chart on page 24.

S M S Sh

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

lighthouse

YBY

Mouse Point

Port Epic

Port Gunge

Blood &Sludge Bay

Settlements

Well

Port Epic

Blood &Sludge Bay

Port Gunge Port GungePort Gunge

99 00 01 02 03 04

59´

43°

01´

02´

03´

04´

58´

00´

27´26´ 28´00 01 02 03

1 2

S Sh

4 5

12

18

S

M

8

8

19

4

∙128

Weekly ‘Notices to Mariners’

appear on the Hydrographic

Office website and should be

used to update your chart. For

example a light may change

or a buoy may be moved.

28

difference between heights, drying heights and depths study

the illustration below. The larger figure indicates metres and the

smaller one by its side tenths of metres. So 4 5 indicates a drying

height of 4.5 metres. This means it would be covered at high water

but, as the tide went out, it would dry out, in this case when the

tide was 4.5 metres above chart datum. A mark like an asterisk

indicates a small isolated drying rock. The figures offshore tell us

the depths below chart datum (the lowest possible tide).

e x e r C I s e s

1 Find on a land map an example of as many of the symbols shown on the key (legend)

as you can find.

2 Do the same for a chart that has a key.

Heights and depths.

Profile of the sea bed with

inset of chart symbols.

S

3 8M S Sh

4 5 •2·11 215 7

MHWS

CHART DATUM

5m COUNTOUR

SEABED

15m

7m

5

1m 4.5m

2.1m

50/90 Rule 63, 64, 68

A

aiming off 98

allowing for wind & tide 67

atmospheric pressure 21

attack point 99

B

basic navigationdistance, speed & time 30orientating the map 29

bearingsgiving a position 53laying-off 48 – 49magnetic 50true 50

Beaufort scale 74

bezel 47, 50

boat speed 68

British Admiralty 23, 61

British Summer Time 56

BST 56

buoyage & lights 27, 36, 37

buoys 37 – 39

C

cable 31

cardinal marks 37, 39

chart datum 19, 28, 56

charts 22colour coding 23, 27, 28depth 19, 28symbols 26 – 28, 37, 40, 41, 58, 59

compass 42 – 50

counter current 63

course to steer 46, 47, 50

cross tides 69

Cross Track Error see XTE

crosswinds 73, 75

D

dead reckoning 31 – 33, 67

decktop navigation 11

degrees 25

depth 19, 27, 28

deviation 45

direction of buoyage 37, 38, 40

distancedaily average 30estimating 9measuring 25units of 23

drying height 28

E

ebb 18, 59, 61

eddy 63, 102

Equator 25, 52

equinox 20

equipment 12, 97adapting 11charts & maps 12compasses 46, 47dividers or string 25plotting instruments 13

estimated position 67

extended line recall 99

‘eyeball’ navigation 10, 65, 66, 77

F

fairway marks see safe water marks

ferry glide 71, 88, 90

fix 33, 34, 51, 67, 80

flood 18, 59, 61

fog 46, 96

following sea 73

G

Global Positioning System 77

GMT 56

gnomonic projection 26

GPS 77boat speed & tidal rate 83chart grid 52chart plotting receivers 88direction 82distance 82errors 81Galileo 89homing in 85, 90mapping software 84misuse 85Navstar 89on the water 84operator error 81plotting symbols 80position 79position format 78routes 86settings 78

shaping a course 85speed 82using a computer 84, 88waypoints 83, 86

GPS induced accidents 85

Greenwich Mean Time 56

Greenwich Meridian see Prime Meridian

grid reference 53

ground speed 68

ground track 67

H

handheld GPS 77

handrail navigation 8, 9, 80, 98

headwinds 73, 75

heat haze 96

high water 15, 19, 55, 57, 62, 63

I

IALA 37region A 37, 38, 40region B 37, 38

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities see IALA

interpolate 68

isolated danger marks 37, 39

K

keeping it simple 9

knot 23

L

Landranger 24

lateral marks 37

latitude 25, 52

laying-off 48, 49

leeway 73

leisure series 23, 44

lightsflashing 40isophase 41occulting 41very quick 40

local time 56

longitude 25, 52

lowest astronomical tide 19

low water 15, 19, 62, 63

InDEx

M

magnetic deviation see deviation

magnetic variation see variation

map datum 78

maps & charts 22projections 26scale 23symbols 9, 26, 27, 28units 23

mean neap range 57

mean spring range 57

Mercator projection 26

minutes 25

n

National Ocean Survey 23

nautical almanacs 55, 57

nautical charts 22, 55, 58

nautical mile 23, 25, 31

neap tides 19, 20, 55, 57

night-time navigation 96

night vision 98

northcompass 45converting 44, 45grid 43magnetic 43, 44, 45true 42, 43, 44, 45

Notices to Mariners 27, 81

O

open crossings 90GPS 90, 91, 92, 93, 94simple strategies 90timing 91

Ordnance Survey 24, 43, 53

overfalls 59

P

passage planning 11, 31, 48

perches 36

pilot 55, 60

pilotage 10

pilots 61

planning a trip 102

planning sheet 102, 103

plotter 48, 49

plotting 48, 49less than one hour 70more than one hour 72, 91, 92, 93

plotting symbols 33, 80

poor visibility 80, 96equipment 97GPS 100group control 100preparation 96useful tactics 98

port 38

port marks 38

position 51

predicting tides 21

Prime Meridian 25, 52

R

ready reckoner 32

rescue services 53

resolvable detail method 9

Rule of Thirds 68

Rule of Twelfths 64, 65

S

safe water marks 37, 39

secondary port 57

set 59, 62

shape a course 69, 71

shape a course for GPS 85

shipping channel 61

Silva 48

slack water 63

spars see perches

special mark 37, 39

speed 68average boat speed 82boat speed 68ground speed 68knots 23

spiders web 80

spring tides 19, 20, 55, 57

standard port 57, 60

starboard 38

starboard marks 38

T

tail winds 73, 75

tidal atlases 55, 57, 59 – 61, 68

tidal diamond 68, 69

tidal drift 67, 68

tidal movement 18

tidal patterns 16

tidal range 19

tidal set 59, 62

tidal streams 18, 20, 55, 58 – 61, 66calculating speed 63interpolation of 60set & rate 59, 60, 62

tide races 59

tides 15allowing for 67anomalous 17, 65average 58correcting for 71, 91diurnal 16equinoctial 20high & low water 15interpolation of 68mixed 16oscillation 16, 18predicting 55, 64semi-diurnal 16, 17weather conditions 21

tide tables 56, 57

topmark 36, 37, 39

transit 33, 34, 35, 71, 75

true bearing 42

U

US National Ocean Service 23

V

variation 43, 44, 50

W

wake 73

water track 33, 67, 104

waypoint 80, 83, 84

WGS 84 78, 79

windallowing for 67, 72correcting for 75

wind over tide 59

working the tide 93

x

XTE 78, 87, 88, 90, 91, 94

A short and simple explanation of how to find your

way at sea, with practical tips for the kayaker.

This edition includes up to date information on

the use of handheld GPS receivers – as well

as other improvements throughout, such as

exercises at the end of each chapter to help you

test your knowledge.

Recommended by the British Canoe Union as

supporting material for their navigation courses

– this book will be useful to everyone paddling on

the sea, with a kayak or sit-on-top.

The Bl ack arT DemysTifieD

Sea KayaK NavigaTioN a Pr ac Tical maNual

9 7 8 1 9 0 6 0 9 5 0 3 1

ISBN 978-1-906095-03-11 0 0 0 0

PlaNNiNg a TriP

charT work

The comPass

Buoys & lighTs

TiDes & curreNTs

PracTical gPs

oPeN crossiNgs

TioN