Navigational Mathematics & The Sailings

Navigation is applied trigonometry. Plane trigonometry handles short distances; spherical trigonometry handles the Earth as it actually is.

Most navigational blunders are arithmetic or unit blunders. Mastering the speed-time-distance family and the conversion factors eliminates a large class of errors.

Every position is an estimate with an uncertainty. Professional navigation means quantifying that uncertainty and planning margins around it.

The sailings are the computational methods for relating course, distance, and change of latitude and longitude — from simple plane sailing to great-circle work.

A passage plan covers berth to berth and is built in four stages. Its purpose is that the whole bridge team shares one agreed intention that can be monitored.

When electronics, power or steering fail, navigation reverts to first principles. Preparation and improvisation keep a casualty from becoming a disaster.