IV. ADVANCED COASTAL NAVIGATION (Nov. 6-27, 2000)

Navigation is all classroom, which is fine with me since it's pretty cold out on the water about this time of year. Steve Card is our instructor for this class; he is easy and enjoyable to learn from, and keeps the coffee coming during the weeknight classes, which are on four consecutive Monday nights, from 6:30 pm til 10:30 or so. (Steve stays as long as we need if we have questions on the material, and always drives us back to the train station in Pelham Bay so we don't have to wait in the cold for a bus.)

Our course materials include "Coastal Navigation" by Mike Pyzel, the Official ASA Coastal Navigation manual, as well as Plotting Tools, in this case Dividers and Walking Parallel Rules, and a nautical chart of Martha's Vinyard to Block Island. We learned how to measure Magnetic Bearing using the inner circle of the Compass Rose, and how to chart that by walking the parallel rules to any position on the chart. We also learned to measure nautical miles using the latitude scale at the sides of the chart, and to chart a Dead Reckoning course (which evolved from "Ded. Reckoning," which was sailor's shorthand for "deduced" reckoning), and to use the Speed-Time-Distance formula to solve for either variable when the other two are known. We learned to take bearings and fixes, including running bearings, and to correct course for current and leeway. There is a lot of detailed material to learn, but it's exciting to me, as without a firm background in the science of Navigation you're not going to get very far in a sailboat or any other seagoing vessel.

Just another note regarding this enterprise, and the Thanksgiving Holiday we have just observed: every year I play in my high school's alumni football game, aptly called the Turkey Bowl, in Spring Valley, New York. This year the word was circulating about 2 Idiots In A Boat, and after the game everyone gathered around to talk about sailing, children, and charity. There was a great feeling of good will in the air, and it was clear that the spirit of our efforts were being shared by everyone on that field. One of the mainstays from the other team, a great guy named Ralph that we've been playing with for years, stepped through the crowd and asked how much money we had collected. None yet, I told him. "I want to be the first to contribute," he said, and handed me a $5.00 bill. I have substituted a different bill for that one, because that particular bill is going on the boat that sails for children. Thank-you Ralph, and all kind-hearted friends who share our vision.