Follow these chart navigation depth secrets to keep your small cruising boat safe and sound. With th

Did you know that you can use depth curves for safer sailing navigation anywhere in the world? Or that one super simple calculation could help keep you from grounding on a dangerous last minute travel bargain uk rocky shoal or coral reef? Read on to discover three simple navigation techniques the pros use to sail safer on the waters of the world! Enjoy this exclusive excerpt from the upcoming eBook 101 Sailing Navigation Secrets You Need to Know , to be released later this summer from Captain John.
Do you know those nautical chart symbols and abbreviations that signal depth contours? Calculate your small sailboat s navigational last minute travel bargain uk draft and set your sailing last minute travel bargain uk course to keep your keel clear of rocks, wrecks and other hazards to sailing navigation. Follow the steps below to boost sailing safety aboard your small sailboat.
Look over any nautical chart or chart plotter software and you will note curved lines or enclosed circles. These depth contours show areas of equal depth. Check along the line or circle for a break that shows a number.
Depths are written in numbers divisible by 6. For example, the line closest to shore might be 6 feet, the next line 12 feet, the next 18 feet, and so forth (illustration to the left). But never assume that contour lines follow a consecutive pattern of 6 foot increments or that the cartographer has indicated the depths in breaks along the contour line.
Note in the illustration to the right, depths are not shown along the contour lines. All hands aboard must know how to interpret these contour lines. Follow these steps along with the right illustration.
Look on each side of a contour line at the depths. Remember that each contour line will often be an increment of 6. So, on the outermost contour line, you see depths on one side greater than 30 feet and depths on the other side greater than 24. So this outermost line will be the 30 foot contour curve.
last minute travel bargain uk We determine the next contour line to show depths of 18 feet not 24 feet. We know this because on one side, you see depths between 21 feet and 27 feet and on the other side depths between 13 feet and 17 feet.
This gives you an idea of why you do not want to assume that cartographers always plot contour lines at 6 foot intervals. Look to either side of the line in question to determine the depth along that specific contour line.
The third contour line shows a 12 foot contour, with depths of 13 feet to 17 feet on one side and 11 feet to 7 feet on the other. The final contour line of 6 feet shows depths of 7 to 11 feet on one side and 5 feet or less on that side closest to the beach.
Use clear annotations to mark your nautical chart. Realize that charts are not just to look at, but to work on and customize to fit your needs. Avoid colors such as yellow or red. These tend to disappear in red night-lights often used in nighttime chart work. Favor blues, magenta (a nautical purple color) or geometric outlines that stand out (circle, square, hexagon).
Make your chart readable to you and your sailing partner or crew. All hands aboard must understand basic chart plotting, annotation, symbols and abbreviations before they assume the watch alone! It makes good sea-sense to be able to flow smooth and easy from one chart to another without confusion.
Give yourself extra time to react if you sail into shallow water. Use the little-known last minute travel bargain uk secret of navigational draft to keep your small sailboat in safe water and lower your stress in tough navigational conditions like fog or squalls encountered while coastal sailing.
In the US Coast Guard, we were required to plot courses in water equal or greater than the ships navigational draft . This was not the actual loaded draft of the ship, but a built in safety factor of 1.5 to 2.
It was the Captain s call on which safety factor to use, but it was always there. For example, on the 210 foot cutters, which carried a loaded draft of 12 feet aft, we used a minimum of 18 feet as navigational draft (1.5 X 12).
Aboard the square-rigged ship Eagle , her draft of 17 feet required a navigational draft of 26 feet (1.5 x 17). Note that the final figure should always be rounded up for safety (1.5 x 17 = 25.5 = 26 feet).
Decide what your navigational draft might be. You may choose to use an even more conservative navigational draft of 2 X or 3 X loaded displacement draft. Make a permanent entry in your log when you decide the navigational draft for your small sailboat. Pass it along to your sailing crew or partner.
Highlight those contour curves or depths on your nautical chart. Do this  before  you plot your sailing courses. After plotting, scan all four sides of the course (start, finish, right, left) to insure that each leg of the sailing route passes over good water.
Set your GPS alarm in the proximity waypoint last minute travel bargain uk feature to trigger if you tough a curve that defines your navigational draft. This should give you time to take action; fall off, tack, gibe, or whatever steps necessary to get back into deep water to avoid grounding. Set the alarm on your depth sounder (if equipped) in the same manner. Now you have taken those steps to keep your small sailboat in safe water from start to finish.
Be wary of any big void area on a chart or plotter. These areas indicate spotty or non-existent surveys. Find a different route to avoid the possibility of grounding or damage to your keel, rudder, propeller or propeller shaft.
Chart plotters fall far short of nautical charts when it comes to detailed soundings. Their small screen real estate forces the manufacturers to sacrifice detail in order to keep the screen uncluttered. This reason alone should be enough to convince any prudent skipper to carry navigational charts.
Scan your chart for signs of inconsistent or scattered soundings. Large gaps between soundings warn that this area hasn t been surveyed last minute travel bargain uk well enough for safe sailing navigation. Note the area to the west of Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortugas. Soundings are spaced far apart from one another. This means surveys are unreliable and sketchy in this area. Better go around and find a better anchorage with soundings closer together!
We ve just touched on the hundreds of nautical chart symbols and abbreviations that can be found in the nautical gold mine called Symbols and Abbreviations . Find more symbols on depths, dangers, wrecks, rocks, aids to navigation and more. SkipperTips Members can download a free, high resolution copy of this valuable sailing navigation last minute travel bargain uk tool in the download area or click here = Nautical Chart Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms
Follow these chart navigation depth secrets to keep your small cruising boat safe and sound. With these tried and true techniques, you will gain the confidence to sail over the horizon wherever in the world you choose to cruise!
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