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BC Notary Masters
Techno-Navigation
Home port for the Andersons’ 27’ Boston Whaler
is Pender Harbour, BC. Their two sons enjoy their
own 15’ Boston Whaler.
arine navigation is the
blending of science and
art. Today’s skipper—
whether aboard an oil tanker or
a small runabout—must
evaluate his ship’s position,
anticipating dangerous situations
before they arise, and he always
navigates ahead of his ship.
M
The methods of navigation have
changed drastically throughout history.
Each new method of navigation has
increased the navigator’s ability to safely
complete his voyage.
My introduction to navigation was
aboard the family’s boat as we travelled the
BC coast in the late 1950s and early ‘60s.
The tools available then were a compass,
paper chart, depth-sounder, and watch.
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The compass was developed about
1000 years ago. Not until the 1870s was a
reliable dry-card compass created. Today’s
fluid-filled compass became the standard in
1906.
Nautical charts have existed since at
least 600 BC. In 1569, Gerardus Mercator
published charts that now bear his name;
we use his format to this day.
My memories concerning navigation
consist of my father hunched over paper
charts at the galley table, plotting the
courses, marking the compass bearings,
and measuring the distances. From this he
would calculate, without the benefit of a
calculator, the time for each leg of the
course, using the known speed of the boat
and the distance to travel.
At that point, he would pull out the
Tides and Currents publication for the BC
coast and adjust his time for each leg, using
his best guess about the effects of the
currents we were to encounter along the
way. We kids were invited to calculate our
The Scrivener
own predictions for the times it would take
to travel a known course and more often
than not, be disappointed by Dad’s more
accurate calculations.
Over the years, the tools available
changed drastically. Affordable Radar,
Loran C, depth-sounders, sonar, GPS, and
electronic charts all arrived on the scene.
And over the years, they have dropped in
price to where they now are affordable to
virtually all who ply the waters.
Volume 13 Number 1 March 2004
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William Anderson
The art of navigating has become an
electronic process. Electronic integrated
bridge concepts are driving future
navigational system planning. Integrated
systems take inputs from various ship
sensors, electronically displaying
positioning, course, speed, current, etc.
The first application of electronic
navigation involved the sending of
telegraphic time signals to check time at sea
in 1904. Radio broadcast of navigational
warnings began in 1907. By the later part
of World War I, the directional antenna
had been developed, which facilitated the
invention of the radio direction-finder. The
US navy was first to develop the echosounder, the predecessor of our current
depth-sounder.
Today, the science of electronics
touches every aspect of navigation. Satellite
systems and electronic charts, when
coupled to the computer, are now the
valuable tools a navigator uses. It is no
exaggeration to state that with today’s
computer-driven navigational tools, the
mariner is able to navigate from port to
port using electronic equipment only.
Where it once took Dad a few hours to
plot the course and time for a trip from
Electronic chart
Volume 13 Number 1 March 2004
Vancouver to Pender Harbor, I can now fire
up the laptop, request the chart program to
show the course, input the speed we plan to
travel, and almost simultaneously have the
program give Lat Longitudes for all
waypoints, lay the course on the electronic
chart, and show currents to be encountered
along the way. It also provides fuel
consumption, time to go, course to steer,
cross-track errors, current tide height, etc.
The list of available information is
endless. Having planned the trip to a
favourite fishing hole, I simply walk down
the dock and plug the computer into the
GPS, radar, and sounder. With GPS, I can
know within 30 feet our position at any
point in the day; with radar, what is around
my vessel; and with the sounder, know the
depth below the keel. All this information is
displayed on the screen of my laptop.
Satellite systems and
electronic charts, when
coupled to the computer,
are now the valuable
tools a navigator uses.
A recent trip to Big Bay on Echo Bay is
a prime example of the ease with which we
can preplan a trip. On our annual son/dad
fishing trip, we overnighted at Big Bay.
With the laptop and electronic charts, it
took a matter of moments to plan the trip.
It would be an 82.160 nautical-mile trip
lasting 2 hours and 49 minutes, involving
32 course changes to steer and two sets of
rapids with a maximum velocity of 4.5
knots. The boat would burn 649 litres of
fuel and we would have 250 litres remaining
aboard when we arrived at our destination.
During the entire trip, our position
was never more than 30 feet from the
position shown on the electronic chart.
When we encountered fog in Upper
Johnston Straights and had to reduce the
boat’s speed, the computer automatically
recalculated the information in an instant.
The radar overlaid on the electronic
chart showed us the other vessels along the
way, as well as the shoreline. The sonar
indicated the depth, fishes, and structures
surrounding the boat—both below the
boat and ahead (forward-looking).
All this modern wizardry begs the
question: what happens when the
computer goes south? Well, at that point,
we all rely upon the trusty old compass,
paper chart, depth-sounder, and watch! ▲
An avid boater since 1960, Bill
Anderson is a Burnaby Notary Public
and insurance agent. He is a Director of
The Society, a member of the Board of
Governors of The Notary Foundation,
and Chair of the Insurance Committee.
Voice: 604 434-5936
Fax:
604 434-8599
[email protected]
“Motley”
Bill and Sandy with sons Michael and David (R)
The Scrivener
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