AY Honors/Navigation/Answer Key

2. Know at least 20 nautical terms used in navigation.

a. Aboard

on board, or being present on a boat.

b. Aft of after

toward or near the rear of a boat.

c. Amidships

halfway between the front and rear of a boat.

d. Astern

behind the boat or backwards.

e. Binnacle

protective box for a compass.

f. Bollards

short, heavy posts on a pier for securing boats.

g. Cuddy

small space under the foredeck for storage.

h. Galley

marine name for kitchen.

i. Hatch

an opening through the deck through an area below.

j. Heave

marine name for throw.

k. Helmsman

pilot of the boat, the person who steers.

l. Hull

the main body of the boat.

m. Keel

the backbone of the boat that extends from bow to stern.

n. Knot

a measure of marine speed or a nautical mile.

o. Leeward

the direction the wind is blowing.

p. Port

left side of a boat when looking toward the bow.

q. Starboard

the right side of a boat when looking toward the bow.

r. Stern

back end of the boat.

s. Swab

marine name for a mop.

t. Underway

when a boat is moving through the water.

3. Name at least three aids to navigation and their functions. By whom are these maintained?

An aid to navigation is any device external to a craft that is designed to assist in determining the location of the craft, a safe course for the craft, or to warn of dangers. Most aids to navigation are established and maintained by the government. In the U.S., this is done by the Coast Guards.

a. Lighthouse

are located along the seacoast and at important harbor entrances. They operate automatically without a full-time lighthouse keeper.

b. Beacon

miniature, unmanned, lighthouses that are placed along banks and ledges to mark isolated dangers. Horns and mechanical bells are sometimes used in beacons during times when visibility is low.

c. Buoys

floating navigational aids that are divided into 3 categories- unlighted, sound, and lighted.

d. Radio beacons

by use of radio signals, this system is designed to meet at least 3 objectives: to give a nearly continuous 2 position line capability to a distance offshore of at least 50 miles: to give working ranges up to 160 miles at certain key locations for approaching from far offshore and to provide continuous, low-powered guidance for inshore navigation.

4. Name six types of buoys. What do they mean and how are they used? Give the colors of the six you named. How are buoys numbered? How do they mark channels?

Buoys used to mark the edges of channels:

a. Nun buoys

painted red with even numbers.

b. Can buoys

painted black with odd numbers.

c. Spar buoys

are painted red with even numbers and black with odd numbers. When entering a harbor, keep red buoys to starboard, and black buoys to port.

Buoys used to mark obstructions, anchorage, fishing nets, and fairways:

a. Mid-channel buoys

have a white light and have white and black vertical stripes. They show the direction to the harbor.

b. Fairway buoys

may be of any shape. They are painted black and white vertical stripes. These buoys mark the center of a channel or fairway and should be passed close aboard on either hand.

c. Anchorage buoys

are always white and mark where an anchorage may be made.

5. Box a compass with eight cardinal points. Why is it so important in navigation? Where is it mounted in the vessel, and why?

The compass is used along with a geometry compass, dividers, parallel rules, a straightedge, and a protractor to find the boat’s position on charts. When the sky is overcast and there is no land in sight, it is very easy to get disoriented. The compass will keep you on course and help you find your way back to port. Compasses are meant to be mounted on bulkheads, atop consoles, gimbals, or brackets. Some are flushed and mounted. Flush mounts are better because they transmit less vibration than a bracket-mount compass. The compass should have a guard to protect it from damage and a hood to eliminate sun glare.