What you need to know about navigation on electronic maps?

SOLAS - the foundation of the foundations

Perhaps this is the main and most important document, which will explain in sufficient detail and intelligibly the main aspects of being on the high (and not only) sea. For the uninitiated - SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) it is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. It lists the most important international agreements regarding the safety of life and safety at sea. 

What is one of the fundamental rules (even the law) of being at sea? Rule 34 of Chapter V "Safety of Navigation" will help us answer this question. It says that regardless of the size of your dinghy, yacht or merchant vessel, the skipper (captain) is obliged to draw up a passage plan. 

Such a seemingly understandable and quite reasonable rule would not exist if it were not for dozens (if not hundreds) of cases when daredevils decided that rules were created in order to break them. Your duty as a skipper is to ensure the maximum safety of the crew, yourself and the boat. 

Basic planning is something without which any self-respecting skipper cannot go on a trip. The ideal would be to write down your plan. This is necessary so that in case of an unforeseen situation you can prove that you went to sea prepared. Now let's move on to the methods of planning and how electronics have made their own adjustments to this process.

Electronics of the XXI century

Recall that distant time when GPS did not yet come to navigation. Then it was in the order of things to use visual landmarks on maps to determine your location. This worked well in estuaries or close to the coast, but in coastal waters (when the coast is not yet visible) this method was problematic.

Sextants, astralabies and other interesting analog devices came to the rescue. But for more than a decade, we have been using much more advanced methods of navigation. Today, you can almost accurately find out your location at any time of the day or night. To do this, just look at the screen of the chartplotter or GPS receiver. 

Despite the simplification of life, this brought additional difficulties to the lives of sailors. What should you pay attention to first of all? Modern navigation equipment is quite reliable and long-lived, but still depends on electricity, and specifically on your battery on board. Also, the device can be powered by a built-in battery. This does not change the essence - you need to monitor the level of charge and, if possible, avoid the option in which you will be left without electricity on board. 

It is always possible to play it safe and have several GPS receivers with you, but laptops, tablets and smartphones will still be dependent on the outlet. Moreover, a laptop that can be loaded with maps is unlikely to have a good degree of protection against moisture. Keep all "delicate" electronics in a protected place.

From this follows the main and probably the only serious drawback of electronic navigation devices - they, like any equipment, can fail. Therefore, relying only on the electronics on the yacht is not very prudent. The best option would be to combine the use of electronics and paper maps. This way you will definitely have at least one fallback option.

Travel plan - three easy steps

The more voluminous and comprehensive your plan is, the better. To do this, you can and should collect as much information about the route as possible. The Internet, digital transition planning programs, almanacs, tide tables, paper maps will come to the rescue. Here it is possible and necessary to combine electronic and paper navigation.

The next step is to process the received data. Clarification of unverified information, data ordering and structuring. This will help create a completely feasible and workable cruise plan. 

The third step is to write down all the information about the plan in a way that you can easily refer to and use when you travel. This is not the easiest task, but planning ahead can help avoid a lot of problems during the cruise.

What I want to add is that part of the data can be applied and fixed in advance. On the Internet, you can find a map in good quality and plan your route a month before leaving the marina. At the same time, the weather and tidal current calculations need to be kept as up-to-date as possible.

But these simple and understandable steps have their own aspects that cannot be ignored. Let's find out more!

Data Acquisition and the Importance of SOLAS

As we have already understood, data collection for planning can be carried out both electronically and in the old fashioned way. Some people prefer the first way, others prefer the second. But one thing can be said for sure, that electronics have made life easier for yachtsmen. The Internet and a laptop will solve a number of tasks much faster and easier than paper charts and ship's logs. At the same time, young and novice yachtsmen are shown to use both electronic and paper versions of maps and books. Why? Because it will be easier to gain the necessary experience this way - there are two options for obtaining a wide range of knowledge at hand. Experienced skippers have probably already made their choice.

As for SOLAS, the convention lists the most necessary and important topics (7 in total) that relate to cruise planning. All of these seven topics can be explored with or without electronics. The choice is yours.

Weather

Needless to say, that two identical weather forecasts simply do not exist? Here people are usually divided into two camps - the first will rely on the forecast that they like best, and the second (much wiser) on the one that is the least favorable.

Basically, there are two main types of weather forecasts. The first one relies entirely on the computing power of the computer and makes a forecast accordingly. The second uses a computer as a base, but the final report is produced by a live meteorologist. 

Both options have their pros and cons, but now is not about them. The bottom line is that most often when viewing weather forecasts on sites, you do not know exactly which of the two options listed above you are currently studying. There is a difference between a fully computer model and a finished one, but it is not always significant. Keep in mind that the indicated wind speed according to the forecast on the website can be one and a half times stronger in reality.

When planning, you need to study weather maps and long-range forecasts for the next week or two. The next step is to carefully study short-term weather forecasts. Immediately mark the line: “At such and such a temperature or with such and such a wind, I do not go out to sea.” Don't forget that you are probably traveling in a team. It makes sense to clarify their weather preferences. 

Most of the forecasts will show you the average values of wind, temperature, etc. Keep this in mind and keep in mind that it is best to rely on the worst prognosis available. Don't forget that your weather apps can be useless without a stable internet connection on board. 

Tide Forecasting

These forecasts are usually available in both digital and paper form. There are at least a dozen applications on the phone that will detail all the important data about the upcoming tide.

The accuracy of the data of such an application may be a little lame, but it is clearly no worse than the paper versions. Yes, paper versions are relatively cheap and don't take up much space on board, and it would be nice to have a few copies just in case. 

And yet, these tide forecasting is a rather complicated thing. The choice is yours - a universal application or paper maps. Applications are convenient because you can quickly find all the necessary information there, and paper versions usually have a small and not the most convenient font. The accuracy of the information received, as we have already said, is approximately the same. If you have a long route, then you need serious atlases of tidal currents on a large scale, several of them may be needed.

Yacht restrictions?

The SOLAS Convention requires that planning takes into account the capabilities and limitations of your yacht. Here, of course, not everything is clear either. Most boats on the market today are Category A, indicating that the boat is capable of making an ocean crossing. But there are also class D boats - they must travel through protected waters.

But it is unlikely that anyone will follow the fact that you will go to cross the English Channel or the Adriatic in a three-meter boat. This part of the convention is more about the need for life-saving equipment and equipment on board. Your boat must be ready to cruise and have enough fuel, water and food. Also, the yacht must be in good working order and free from defects that may directly or indirectly endanger the safety of the crew.

Command

There are no specific recommendations regarding the number or quality of the crew. At the same time, it is impossible to go on even a short and simple cruise without crew training. 

You need to know the capabilities and experience of your team. Yachting is about a safe holiday - therefore, all crew members must have an idea about this very safety. Basic boating skills or at least a distress call are a must.

Route, dangers, programs

You stocked up with everything you need, gathered a reliable team, prepared the boat. Something is missing… You need a specific route. Yes, you made a plan a month ago, but the sea is not the most permanent place, your plans can change in an instant.

To facilitate the task, it is possible and necessary to break the route into parts, which can be finalized and changed in the process. Special navigation programs can come to the rescue in such macro-planning. They will lay out the route for you - enter the point of departure, arrival and data about your boat (dimensions), and the program will build the route itself.

The advantage of such programs is also that they can take advantage of weather forecasts and tidal currents. Thanks to this, the program can offer several routes at once, which will be interchangeable - they got lost in one place and went to another route.

The downside of the program is that it calculates the road by the shortest distance on the water. However, in reality, the shortest mathematical path does not always (very often, in fact) correspond to the shortest physical path. An obstacle can be an unmapped strand, a sudden storm, and much more.

Ideally, the program should plot a route in such a way as to take you away from danger, but the program is not a person and relies on data entered into it in advance. Therefore, there is a place to be a careful study of the route on your own. The program can give you the shortest path through a narrow passage where, purely mathematically, your boat will pass, but in reality you will have to repaint the sides. Is it possible to follow this route? Yes, why not. Is it worth it? Look at the situation.

The most important part of this point is that such programs and applications can, and sometimes should, be used. This will speed up the process and make it easier. However, this route must be carefully studied and be able to rebuild it at the right time.

Raster and vector maps

Almost everyone has heard of raster and vector graphics. Maps can also be made in raster and vector. What is the difference? A raster electronic map is simply a copy of a paper map. When you zoom in, the picture will simply increase and blur. 

Vector maps do not consist of images in the usual form, but of entire layers of information. For a more detailed image of a secluded bay, you need to zoom in - the picture will not be blurry, but still maintain clarity and new data about the bay will appear.

Both of these types are actively used, but with reservations. A vector map may not show a conditional shallow and not carry data about it. At the same time, a fresh raster map will clearly show that the depth in a particular area is less than what is needed for the yacht to pass.

If your program uses vector maps, then revalidation with a raster map or larger zoom is required. This is also true in the case of a raster - they can be double-checked using vector ones. The most important thing is that both cards are up to date. You need to check your maps for any inaccuracies or changes. 

Paper and electronic cards

In fact, it is convenient to have both kinds of cards. Electronic ones can be used to plot the basic and initial version of the route in automatic mode using programs. Some programs allow you to overlay layers from AIS or other systems for even more important information. 

Paper maps can be used to take notes and fix the route already being implemented. You will need maps that cover the entire region of your cruise, but it doesn't have to be one huge map. Several maps of the same region and different parts of it are a good and reliable option. To go on a journey in the 21st century only with paper or only with numbers, in our opinion, is not prudent.

Map makers such as Imray often release "upgrades" for their paper maps. They can be downloaded and printed, and then compared with the one you already have.

Force Majeure

No matter how much you prepare, something can still happen. Bad weather, seasickness, a sudden breakdown, or perhaps your crew will mutiny on board against the unborn skipper - anything can happen. In this case, you need to have at least several alternative plans. 

Basic alternatives include additional marinas, ports, or quiet coves that will shelter you from the weather. You will probably need to change the route completely - the sea is an unpredictable place. Have multiple options for problem solving.

Communication and shore

It is best to record the frequencies of radio stations and weather forecasts while still on shore. You also need to find all the relevant communication channels that may be required during the cruise. Among them are port radios, marinas, harbors, coast guard channels, etc. This information is most often freely available on the Internet. However, it is also in the almanacs. It is faster to search for the desired channels there than on the network.

Well, do not forget to warn people on the shore that you are going to conquer the sea. Acquaintances, relatives or friends - it does not matter. These people need to know when and where you went, when you should get to the point of arrival, as well as what they will need to do if you do not get in touch for more than a certain time or are delayed. 

To prevent your chosen confidant from being constantly under stress, inform the person upon arrival at a safe place and if there is a connection.

Write down your plan!

This is not just a loud slogan, but a direct guide to action. Firstly, it is useful for unloading the brain - all the accumulated information about the route cannot be fit in the head. Secondly, this is correct from the point of view of the law - in the event of an accident or breakdown, it will be easier for you to prove to the authorities that you are not involved and that you are not responsible. 

The written plan will indicate that you have met the requirements of SOLAS (have you met these requirements?). Suitable for both electronic and paper submission. However, preference should be given to paper. 

Remember that yachting is about a safe holiday! Don't forget to rate the content. You can find other interesting articles on the links below or in the "News" section!

01.02.2023