| Author | Message | ||
     Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 401 Registered: 01-2004 |
Greetings Navigators, one thing that a navigator would normally be thinking about at this stage of our cruise preparation is obtaining current Local Notices to Mariners to make sure they have any last minute navigation-related info that may affect the cruise. In addition, one should be thinking of applying any needed chart updates. For more info on LNTM's see my October 29, 2004 post in All Aspects of Sailing » Navigation » Navigation Publications. For more info on obtaining chart updates see my March 06, 2004 post in All Aspects of Sailing » Navigation » Paper Charts | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 384 Registered: 01-2004 |
From the Fagan book:  | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 383 Registered: 01-2004 |
Doctor's Cove:  | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 382 Registered: 01-2004 |
Actually I should have said above:  | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 381 Registered: 01-2004 |
Greetings Gerri, as part of route planning you should be thinking of sources of information for the stops along your route in terms of recommended routes and anchorages, weather patterns, facilities available, local knowledge, etc. Most people start with cruising guides published either by commerical sources or an official government source such as the U.S. or the United Kingdom. In our particular case I'm using the U.S. Coast Pilot published by NOS, supplemented by "Boating and Diving Catalina Island" by Dick Wicklund and "The Cruising Guide to Centeral and Southern California" By Brian Fagan. Let me know if you would like to borrow them Wednesday to help with famiiliarization of our route. Below are from the Wicklund book: | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 374 Registered: 01-2004 |
Hello Jerri, some suggestions for your particular situation. Since you have Garmin's GPSMAP 76 you might entertain the idea of moving off of your Mapsource chart plotting application to Maptech's Navigator chart plotter application for planning purposes. If you don't take a laptop on board you can sitll use the Bluechart charts in the GPS while navigating... Reasoning is that both the Navigator chartplotter application and all Maptech raster charts (updated daily!) are now free for the download. You can use Navigator to download routes and waypoints into your GPS and use the BlueCharts in the GPS while navigating, although you should keep an updated set of paper charts available for reference as well. Maptech Navigator is available at: http://www.maptech.com/support/doc.cfm?docid=172&plid=17 You can download current Maptech raster charts at: http://www.freeboatingcharts.com/ YOu register, pick the charts and/or regions you want, and they send you an email with a link to the charts you picked. It comes as a self extracting archive that asks you to where you would like to expand the archive and voila, you have charts! You can then use Chart Navigator to download routes and waypoints to your GPS for use while sailing. Let me know if you have any questions... T. | ||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 369 Registered: 01-2004 |
Navigators (and those just following along), to assist you in your planning process I'd like you to be think about the following and be able to answer the questions prior to departure. For the purposes of these plans use a speed (called Speed of Advance or SOA) of 5 knots through the water and a luminous range of 5 miles initially, until you get actual visibility data from your weather forecast (which will be updated with current estimated visibility on board). If this doesn't make sense to you at this point, not to worry just do what you can and Susie or I will be happy to fill in the holes... 1. What is our point of departure each day? 2. What is our destination each day? 3. If weather or other unforseen circumstances preclude using our planned itinerary, what would be two alternate destinations we could use as backups? 4. Based upon our departure and arrival plans (both primary and backup), what charts will you need to bring on this trip? Where would you find this information? What charts are provided on Campbell's Sloop and are they current in terms of edition and corrections applied? Which charts are still needed? (Note this information would normally be picked up in the Navigation of the pre-trip checkout, but in this case you will need to get this information outside of the checkout process. I suggest contacting Susie to see what she already has) Which charts need correcting? 5. Ditto for navigation publications 7. What tools will you need to bring on this trip? What tools will be provided on Campbell's Sloop? What tools are still needed? 8. What will be the course (magnetic), distance over ground and estimated time enroute for each leg (don't forget the effects of current and leeway)? 9. Plot a track for each leg on the largest scale chart covering our entire trip. This will allow us to guage our progress. 10. Given that it is prudent to arrive at an unfamiliar anchorage during daylight hours, what would be an acceptable departure window each day? 11. What is the planned departure time? Is it within the departure window calculated above? 9. What would be the expected wind direction and velocity each day? 10. For discussion purposes plot a the most efficient course each day that would allow us to sail with apparent wind between 45 and 150 degrees relative. At this time do not use this information for the rest of the excercises unless the most efficient course is also the most efficient course under sail. 11. What will be the ETA of entering the shipping lanes? ETA exiting the shipping lanes? 12. What navigation aids will we be seeing during the cruise? What are their characteristics? At what distance should we be able to see them? Plot ranges for these distances on the chart containing the tracks plotted above. During the cruise we will determine our ETA at these ranges based on our current DR plot and current estimated visibility. 13. Also during the cruise you will need to provide the deck watch with light characteristics for their reference. For bouys, provide the deck watch with instructions as to which side to pass them on. 14. At what distance should we be able to see Santa Catalina Island during the day? Santa Barbara Island? Dana Point Harbor? If these ranges cross our track, plot them so we know when to expect to be able to see them. As with lights we will calculate the ETA at these ranges based on our current DR plot and current estimated visibility. 15. What will be the expected level of water under our keel in the harbor using our planned departure time? 16. What will be the expected level of water under our keel at Santa Barbara using our estimated arrival time and plan to anchor at the the vessel 5 fathom line near the mooring bouy on the East side of the island? |
