Basic Coastal Navigation

Excerpted from Sailing & Yachting (SA), August 1998:

“This book is an introduction to Piloting for Sail and Power, and is a clearly written, easy to understand introduction to coastal navigation, outlining most of the techniques of piloting that are still fundamental to safe navigation, even with today's electronic navigation aids.

“Step-by-step, the reader is guided from simple to more complex piloting solutions and soon learns to plot a complete day trip. In addition to dead-reckoning techniques, the author covers tides and currents and explains how to use Loran C and GPS. There are numerous illustrations throughout the text and practice problems at the end of each chapter.”

Ocean Navigator, September/October 1998:

“In this age of electronic navigation it is still the obligation of the navigator to maintain certain basic navigational practices. A good DR plot, for example, should always be kept, but few mariners still employ the practice.

“Frank Larkin’s Basic Coastal Navigation reminds us of the importance of these basic skills and presents the material as tradition dictates. But Larkin brings the material up to date by factoring in the benefit of electronic position-finding tools. Every navigator would benefit from having this comprehensive reference book available as a refresher or for new skills.”

Reference & Research Book News, September 1998:

“New edition of a text aimed at small boat operators and written with an emphasis on English rather than nautical terminology. Covers charts, navigational reference publications, instruments, plotting latitude and longitude, military time, converting true courses to compass courses, and dead reckoning. Appends information on checking compasses for errors, plotting deviation, Coast Guard districts, and several navigation forms.”

From The ENSIGN, September 1996:

“An excellent self-teaching textbook written by a master mariner with years of experience, this basic volume introduces novices to the tools, vocabulary, procedures and techniques of coastal navigation.

”Using an abundance of examples, diagrams, drawings and illustrations, the author logically structures this volume, beginning with an introduction to the nautical chart and proceeding through 16 chapters on topics from navigational aids to taking and plotting bearings. Loran-C and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are covered, as are using tide tables and compensating your course for current. For review, each chapter includes practice problems as well as a set of questions and answers.

“I recommend this text to all boaters, novice or experienced. His approach is straightforward and his sense of humor refreshing.”

Excerpted from Coastal Cruising, December/January 1994:

“In the introduction to this new book, Mr. Larkin, a Master Mariner and former District Staff Officer with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, confesses, ‘When I bought my first boat, the only instruction I had was how to operate the engine and steer the boat. Off I went with wife and kids into the wild blue yonder.’ Sadly, this is still the norm. Currently there are no requirements for operating a boat other than a registration for a powered vessel. With the increase of traffic on the waterways and the incremental increase in mishaps, accidents and fatalities only time stands between now and more regulation, and the probable licensing of boat operators. With the thousands of boats plying our waters today, it is incumbent upon us to be competent pilots and navigators.

“While most Coastal Cruising readers are experienced boat operators, Mr. Larkin’s words on that subject are also appropriate. “Asking people with boats led to extremely bad advice… People don’t seem to be afraid to express their nautical ignorance before they buy a boat. However, once they put their foot aboard a boat, they immediately become experts, and from that point on are opposed to taking any basic boating courses again.” He goes on to say, ‘I hope this book will be of help to you. If you are one of those so-called ‘experienced’ boaters, you may want to wrap it in a plain paper wrapper.’

“Whether you wrap it in plain brown paper or keep it on the coffee table, this is a good book to have, it’s even better if you study it.

“Don’t be put off by the word basic in the title. While this book will serve the uninitiated very well, there is much that is useful to the experienced mariner. For example, do you know the difference between the information printed in slanted (italic style) lettering and vertical (roman style) lettering on a chart? Do you know what the exception to this convention is? “Slanted lettering is used to label all information about objects that are affected by tidal changes or current.” The exception is bottom soundings. While this may seem like nautical trivia, it’s a very useful and a significant guide when trying to distinguish different aids to navigation.

“Basic Coastal Navigation covers all the essentials beginning with nautical charts, the different types, and a wealth of useful information about all the data they contain. Having given you the grand tour of the chart, he then shows you how to use them, from the basics of compasses, dividers and rulers to plotting courses and making proper notations on the chart.

“There are chapters on navigational publications and their uses, buoyage systems, measuring and plotting latitude and longitude, converting true courses to compass courses, bearings, dead reckoning, electronic navigation systems including LORAN and GPS, and compensation for current. Eight appendices have useful information on: how to check the installation accuracy of your compass, plotting deviations and other information including a list of Coast Guard Districts with addresses and telephone numbers.

“The format is that of a text book, with work sheets that can be copied to use for the exercises and finished examples to check your work. Each chapter has a simple review quiz with answers following it to help you check your progress. The net result is a very helpful book, which takes you through a complicated subject in a one-step-at-time manner making it seem simple and painless.

“With a firm knowledge of the material covered in Basic Coastal Navigation you can become more skillful in navigating. The result can be safer voyages which are more fun for you and your shipmates.”

Soundings, December 1994:

“A master mariner with 25 years of experience, Larkin offers an introduction to coastal navigation outlining safe piloting methods to complement modern electronic techniques. Using step-by-step instructions and illustrations, the author covers plotting courses, dead reckoning and figuring and accounting for tides and currents. In addition, the major features of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Loran are examined. The review questions and practical problems at the end of each chapter are intended to make the book useful as a study tool for those preparing for Coast Guard and similar navigation courses.”