AY Honors/Navigation/Answer Key
1. Have the Weather Honor
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.
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.
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.
