| If you are anything like me, you find chart navigation to | | | | small anchor symbols in areas off the main course line |
| be a challenge on a small sailboat. Wind, spray, and foul | | | | that you might use for emergency anchorages. Now, |
| weather can cause big headaches for any small boat | | | | you have a customized chart that will be easy to read |
| skipper. Use these five easy tips to make a cockpit | | | | at-a-glance. |
| navigation tool that's a snap to use. | | | | 3. Pencil-in Each Compass Course |
| Forget the nautical charts--go electronic! Unfortunate | | | | No need to make permanent course lines on your |
| as it sounds, lots of sailors do this--recreational and | | | | nautical chart. Instead, draw light pencil lines to mark |
| professional skippers, too! Nothing could be more | | | | each course line. Cover each line with transparent tape |
| dangerous than this practice. Have you read the | | | | (the kind you can mark on). |
| disclaimer on that black box when you fire it up? It tells | | | | 4. Draw Bold Course Lines |
| you right away that you should not rely on a single | | | | Make those light lines beneath the tape stand out. Use |
| source for navigation information. | | | | a black, waterproof fine-tip marker and straight edge |
| Paper navigation charts give you the best detail for | | | | to make each course bold and easy to see. Write the |
| close coastal or inside navigation. GPS receivers and | | | | course on top and distance on the bottom. Keep your |
| chart plotters are wondrous, but you still need the | | | | writing on top of the tape to protect your navigation |
| paper stuff aboard to back them up. In a small | | | | chart. |
| exposed cockpit, use these five tips to make your | | | | 5. Band and Bag It |
| charts fun, easy, and practical. | | | | Snap a few rubber bands around the base of your |
| 1. Buy a Clipboard | | | | clipboard or sketch-board. For a more waterproof |
| Purchase an artist sketch-board or large clipboard. You | | | | affair, buy one of those giant ziplock bags, put your |
| can fold or cut your chart to size to fit the board. This | | | | board inside, and zip it shut. Now you're ready to face |
| makes for a compact, portable chart table that can | | | | wind, spray, or any other marine weather that comes |
| take a licking and keep on ticking. | | | | your way. |
| 2. Highlight the Chart | | | | Use these five tips to make chart navigation fun, easy |
| Grab your highlighters, colored pencils. Enhance | | | | and portable. This will boost the safety and reliability of |
| dangerous shoals or wrecks with yellow or blue. Circle | | | | your sailing navigation wherever in the world you |
| major aids to navigation so that they stand out. Put | | | | choose to cruise. |