Page 14: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2017)

The Art of Navigation

There are countless examples of how an over reliance of GPS navigation and the electronic charting systems, as well as the use

About the Author

Matthew Bonvento is the Senior Man- of dead reckoning without a known ? xed starting point – instead ager for Safety, Security, Regulatory, “eyeballing” the situation – are leading vessels in to danger. and Quality Compliance for Vanuatu

Maritime Services Ltd. He is also a li- censing instructor in Long Island. Hold- ing a Masters in International Transpor-

August 21, 2017 was the Great Ameri- tive means of navigation that every ves- it is not evident that any bearings, run-

INSIGHTS: NAUTICAL SAFETY tation Management, and an Unlimited can Eclipse, and the science ? ction fan- sel is supposed to carry. In recent histo- ning bearings, or range and bearings

Chief Of? cers License as well as a 1600 tasy fan in me wondered if this is when ry that alternative meant Radio Direction were done as a method of determining ton Master license.

I would get my superpowers back. The Finders or LORAN. However with the position. navigator in me pondered if I was in the discontinuation of LORAN in the U.S., Another example is the use of the depth zone of totality and took a sight of the and only a smattering of LORAN in Eu- ? nder for navigation. On May 4, 2013 sun and moon, at the moment of total- rope, the only truly alternative means the harbor tug Kaleen McAllister ran ity would it count as two lines of posi- of navigation are celestial and piloting, aground in NY during a simple undock- tion on my chart. As I sat in the park neither of which is dependent upon the ing and getting underway procedure, a and watched some clouds pass by, I was GPS. Independence from the little magic routine procedure done many times by curious if I would see the eclipse at all. box accomplishes two things: ? rst, you the mate and the captain. The captain al-

Luckily I did, but sadly no superpowers have a secondary means of knowing ways proceded along the most cautious were awakened. your location should that box fail; sec- route, while this mate did not, and this

The event reminded me of recent con- ond, of? cers are using their hard-learned transit was in between a dolphin and col- versations on how navigators and sail- skills and keeping sharp as navigators. lapsed pier. ors of the past were better than modern My recent vacation on board a popular There are countless examples of how mariners at reading the weather and cruise ship here in NYC surprised me an over reliance of GPS navigation and computing navigation sights, a senti- greatly. After speaking with the cap- the electronic charting systems, as well ment echoed by former instructors and tain I learned that the Navigation Of? - as the use of dead reckoning without contemporaries. Many owners, however, cers could not even use a sextant on the a known ? xed starting point – instead have proven reluctant to spend money bridge, instead required to go one deck “eyeballing” the situation – are leading on simple pieces of equipment required up since the bridge wing is completely vessels in to danger.

Remco Hageman is Project Engineer to get and keep these skills. Sextants, enclosed. The often leaves gyro correc- What can be done to remedy the situa-

Hydro-Structural Services at MARIN, chronometers, magnetic compasses, tions to the occasional amplitude, veri- tion?

the Maritime Research Institute Neth- nautical almanacs and sight tables all ? cation by range, and comparison to the Part of the problem is one of industry erlands. prove to be such a burden on owners that GPS. culture. As an industry we must remem-

E: [email protected]

I realized the only way to convince them One example of improper navigation is ber to reinforce the use of skills and was to show the value of such purchases: the case of the freighter Roger Blough hone them over years of practice. Look- “Prudent mariners will not rely solely on on 27 May 2016 in Gros Cap Reefs, ing quickly at a screen to see where you any single aid to navigation” is in almost Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada. will be in 30 seconds or 2 minutes does every notice to mariners. The ? nal NTSB determination is that the not take much effort. But it also allows

STCW Table II/1 speci? es that a Navi- of? cer of the watch did not use all avail- the navigator and their watch team to gation of? cer is to be able to determine able means to determine the position of become complacent. Master’s should their position and compass errors by the vessel, and Roger Bloug ran aground be monitoring how the vessels are being use of celestial navigation. As any deck while trying to overtake another vessel navigated and ensure that watch of? cers of? cer worth their salt knows, this is a on the port side. Had they used alternate are doing their jobs properly. skill that comes with practice and is means of position ? nding, it may have Companies should institute policies to maintained through even more practice. been realized that the vessel was in ac- internally review navigation and vessel

The problem is complacency. Although tuality already outside of the channel, as handling, and not simply to save time the general maritime public is aware of the NTSB report stated that the marking and money. Through review of voyage the problems caused by GPS spoo? ng, buoys were off station at the time. plans and their implementation, possible many refuse to acknowledge that celes- The watch of? cer failed to have another hazardous scenarios and trends can be tial navigation is a suitable alternative navigation of? cer on the bridge at the caught early before a problem arises. means of navigation. SOLAS, Chapter time, which was company policy. Al- From Chapter 1 of Bowditch : “ The sci-

V, Regulation 19 no longer requires the though the ECDIS was on, it was not ence of Navigation can be taught, but carriage of a sextant and a chronometer. being monitored. Additionally the watch the art of navigation must be developed

These do however, fall in to the alterna- of? cer was “looking out the windows” from experience. “

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