Navigation Workbook

[welshdecky]

I only started a Navigation Workbook on my penultimate trip in Phase 4.
College didn't really give much guidance on what to include and there really isn't a great deal of help within the MNTB portfolio.

This is the stuff I've managed to do so far.

Really the only thing I think I'm missing are a few simultaneous star sights unless if anyone else has any ideas?

Be nice to hear how other Cadets or from other Officers how they set out their Navigational Workbook to help out people like myself!

I've set out mine in an A4 hardback note book although I wish I did the whole thing on loose A4 sheets as I've made a few mistakes and have had to glue in bits of graph paper, would have looked a lot tidier in a folder I think.


Navigation Workbook :
1.) Time for sunset and sunrise on board
2.) Speed required / ETA calc
3.) ETA to Sunrise and Sunset Calc
4.) ETA to Sunrise and Sunset Calc
5.) Amplitude ? Sunrise
6.) Parallel Sailing (Example from college course papers)
7.) Plane Sailing (Example from college course papers)
8.) Plane Sailing (Example from college course papers)
9.) Plane Sailing (Example from college course papers)
10.) Plane Sailing (Example from college course papers)
11.) Mercator Sailing (Example from college course papers)
12.) Mercator Sailing (Example from college course papers)
13.) Great Circle Sailing (Example from college course papers)
14.) Meridian Passage
15.) Amplitude ? Sunrise
16.) Amplitude ? Sunset
17.) Azimuth ? Sun
18.) Principle of the sextant (Notes copied from Course Papers)
19.) Marcq St Hilaire Intercept Method (Notes copied from Course Papers)
20.) ETA to Sunrise and Sunset Calc
21.) Amplitude ? Sunset
22.) Met Obs
23.) Amplitude ? Sunset
24.) Venus ? Azimuth
25.) Sun Sight ? Intercept Method
26.) Sunset ETA
27.) Amplitude ? Sunset
28.) Amplitude ? Sunset
29.) Amplitude ? Sunset
30.) Azimuth - * Nunki
31.) Speed Required Calc
32.) Speed Required Calc
33.) Sun Sight ? Intercept Method
34.) Tides & UKC - Notes
35.) Polaris Method - Notes and an example
36.) Amplitude - Sunrise
37.) Speed & Revs required
38.) Sun sight
39.) Amplitude - Sunrise followed by time to go to next waypoint
40.) Amplitude - Sunset followed by time to go to next waypoint
41.) Compass Error from leading beacons to a harbour
42.) Amplitude - Sunset

[YoungMariner]

Don't worry about mistakes, they actually look good in the workbook as it shows its authentic and that your really trying, as long as you point out your mistakes (i.e big red pen on it).

Plenty of compass errors always looks good. and all the calculations listed above will all look very good.

If you can do a few different stars that always looks good. Good luck with it all.

[Randomist]

I shouldn't worry too much welshdeckie, from what I can see you may well have more in your book than I did in mine when I went for my orals. Definetly keep banging gyro errors and amplitudes in there, they're good for padding lol.

As AM says don't worry about mistakes, in actual fact what the MCA like to see is you attempting something, getting it wrong, attempting it again, getting better and attempting again and getting it nearly all right. Progression is the key.

There is one requirement that I can remember. In order for your sextant work to be proficient you need to have at least one full run in there. By this I mean, for example but not limited to, a morning EP with star sight at civil twilight and an observed position, a course line drawn on and an EP worked out for local time of merpass. Then actually at merpass a sun sight calculation for meridian passage latitude and an observed position. Following that another course line with EP for calculated time of civil twilight in the evening. Lastly a star sight at civil twilight (eg simultaneious fix) with observed position. Additionally you could put an altitude of the sun in there in the morning and afternoon to refine your EP based on the days progress.

This is advanced stuff, I wouldn't expect you to be doing it until your final sea phase.

I remember coming back for my final college phase and although some of my class mates had done sextant work (altitudes, merpass, simultaneious fixes etc) they hadn't 'joined them together' they then had to do an extra exercise to join calculations up to complete a run, otherwise their workbook would not have been accepted by the MCA.

Sun-run-suns are the easiest to do, you could also do star-run-sun-run-star or if you're feeling nautical star-run-sun-run-sun(merpass)-run-sun-run-star.

The choice is up to you, but remember the MCA want to see neatness, proof that you're human (ie errors occasionally) re-attempting stuff you got wrong, progression, learning and a slap of colour here and there can't hurt.

You can put anything in you think is relevant, I would suggest that copying out the entire code of signals flags and colouring them all in with your coloured pencil set is probably a huge effort wasted and only a slight smile by the examiner who reads your book gained.

Good luck matey =]

[welshdecky]

Thanks for the comments - good to know that I'm on the right track, hopefully this will help a few others who are wondering which way they should be putting their efforts.

Randomist - will try and do full run in the way you suggested, I enjoy the challenge! It's really satisfying after all that effort you manage to obtain a position.

It does sound like a lot of work but it will be worth 'joining them together' like you say to do a complete run. Will try my best!

Thanks for the comments guys :]

[Randomist]

Don't worry WD. It sounds like more work than it is. The only bits that takes time are the calculations and working out civil twilights.

It is satisfying obtaining your position but remember, if you're not where you think you are, it's ok no-one's perfect. If you know where you went wrong and identify you're mistake, that's as good as getting it 100%.

My final star sight ended in a ample sized cocked hat that i had to find the exact centre of. Not the best fix but it's still ok lol.