Question for deck officers r.e. position plotting on a chart

[Rtaylor]

I'm doing a page in my nav workbook on the different symbols we use on a chart to denote different kinds of plots. So far I know how to indicate a DR position, GPS position, Loran-C, sight and waypoint. However I have been unable to find anywhere in the mariners handbook, bowditch, admiralty manual of navigation etc. that actually gives these in written/pictoral form as they seem to just assume knowledge. Any clues as to where to look? More so I can double check/add any I have missed than anything else.

Robert

[alistairuk]

The symbology varies slightly depending upon teaching college.

Your company may have the symbology they expect to be used specified in the SMS / masters standing orders.

[EH75]

Yeah I was told one thing by one lecturer at college, another thing when I was on board, and then something else during orals prep. Yet to start my new job as a qualified OOW but no doubt when I do they will tell me something different and I will look like a dafty.

[YoungMariner]

Haha yes, I remember as a cadet and junior officer having several bollockings as I wasn't using the 'correct' position fix symbol... I've read various books with opposing symbology, so have to come to realise there are more important things in life then worrying about whether I draw a square, diamond or triangle for a fix...

[Steve]

Are you sure it isn't in the current edition of the Admiralty Manual of Navigation? I copied the attached page of chartwork symbology from an older edition.

[size4riggerboots]

Cross boxed by a diamond shape = waypoint

Crossed lines of any type circled = position fix

Triangle with a dot in the middle = EP (Estimated position)

I've never understood the need to do fancy things with position fixes derived by the various different means, if it's a + then to me it's perfectly obvious that its a GPS fix anyway, as opposed to ranges and bearings (range arc gets an arrow on each end, bearing line gets an arrow pointing away from the object) so why do you have to turn the circle into a G?

Sailed with an officer recently who just did a cross for waypoints and did squares around his GPS fixes... I found it a bit odd but it wasn't the end of the world!

[laura]

I'm with size4! What she said!

Badly done plots/ passage planning drive me insane, when it comes to Navigation I'm so pedantic!

[YoungMariner]

You'll be happy to know I conform! I'm square when it comes to waypoints and circlular when it comes to plotting! Happy days.

[bobofinga]

Im pretty much the same as S4 as well , have seen some wild and wonderful things on charts tho

[EH75]

The company I did my cadetship with insisted GPS fixes were square, waypoints circles and radar/visual fixes triangles. Not sure where they got that system from....

[size4riggerboots]

That's just FUBAR ^

[EH75]

Yeah, I didn't trust a lot of the stuff they taught me tbh.

[alistairuk]

Waypoints should be diamonds :-)

[Rtaylor]

Sounds like there is no 'official' way to do it but what I have been taught tallies pretty much with the general concensus. Thanks all.

[Lewis]

Surely as long as another officer can pick up the chart and understand what's written on it, it shouldn't matter whether you use squares, diamonds or smiley faces