This course takes you through the fundamentals of navigation. We’ll take you through the path by planning, and plotting, a practical journey. 

Important Information: Make Your Navigation Tools Your Own

Your navigation book and Port Phillip Bay chart are personal tools you'll rely on again and again especially if cruising or ocean racing is in your future. We highly recommend purchasing your own kit so you can mark it up, refer back to it, and build your skills course after course.

Cost of the kit: $185 (including Port Phillip chart, a course plotter, a pair of dividers, a soft pencil and eraser, and a nautical chart learning book). 

If you can't afford the full kit right now, rental is available at $50 for the entire course. If you take your rental kit home to study, please return it afterward. Otherwise, you will be charged the full replacement cost ($185).

You will have the opportunity to choose between the purchase or rental option on the first day of your course, and will be invoiced accordingly afterward.

Duration: This course runs for 12 hours. 

Course Overview:

What is navigation? (A method of getting from one place to another, without mistakes or surprises)

What is Pilotage? (Not running into things or running aground – leaving, travelling and arriving.)

Resources we can use

•      Charts

•      Local knowledge

•      Electronic aids

•      Your senses

•      Weather services (e.g. BOM)

•      Weather apps

•      Navigation plot, and Deck log, templates (will be provided in hard and soft copy).

The sphere we live on

Why nautical miles? Why degrees and minutes? 

We need to know a bit about Buoyage and Rules

•      IALA A, IALA B.

•      Lateral marks

•      Cardinal marks

•      Other buoys

•      Lighthouses

•      Light patterns

•      International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea (COLREGS)

We need to look closer at Charts

•      Paper, electronic, or both?

•      What does a chart tell us?

•      Electronic – the good, the bad and the ugly

Plotting your course

•      Big Picture

•      Finer detail

•      Tools to use

•      Measuring distance and bearing

•      Preparing a navigation plot

Understanding anchoring

It’s all about technique

Understanding tides and currents, They can be very nice, or very nasty!

Course Prerequisites: No prior knowledge or experience is assumed or required.

Who should do this course?

A stand alone course designed to enable the offshore mariner to safely navigate extended passages using traditional methods. It includes practical navigation exercises and sample chartwork calculations.

After the final day of your course, join your instructors and fellow participants for a relaxed social catch up. Enjoy a complimentary drink and shared snacks at our historic and welcoming Olympic Bar.

How to Register and Book Your Course

After clicking "Register", if you don't already have a free Australian Sailing account, click "Sign Up". Select "New Member", enter your details, and then complete your course booking.

Creating an Australian Sailing account is completely free. Please register using the name of the person attending the course.

Special Requests?

For any inquiries, information, or special requests (such as enrolling in a course that is currently in progress), please contact us by email, to training@rmys.com.au. Since we are often out of the office, emailing our training department ensures a quicker response. 

Cancellations and Rebooking

Please note that courses cancelled by email with at least 5 days notice will not incur a rescheduling fee. Cancellations made with less than 5 days notice will incur a $75 charge. If cancelling due to illness, this charge may be waived upon provision of proof.

Minimum Attendance Requirement

This course requires a minimum of 3 participants to proceed. If this number is not met, we will contact you in advance. You will then have the option to be rebooked for a future session at no extra cost, or to receive a credit or voucher

Weather Notice

Please note that sailing is heavily influenced by weather conditions. There may be instances where training needs to be cancelled or postponed at the last minute. The instructor may also decide to alter the program during the course, not to go on the water, or shorten the course due to weather conditions. However, we will be more than happy to be flexible with any cancellations on our end and find the best solution to reschedule your sailing session.

Important Information

In accordance with Victorian regulations, our sailing academy does not offer refunds. However, we will be more than happy to be flexible with any cancellations on our end and find the best solution to reschedule your sailing session.