Sea Kayak Navigation - Lecture

Lecture: Sea Kayak Navigation

Sea Kayak Navigation - Lecture - Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center

Lecture workshop for the Sea Kayak Navigation course

  • Easy

Please arrive by 8:45 AM and help set up.  Class will start at 9 AM sharp. We will likely end around 4 PM.

The classroom session will be all day at the Tacoma Program Center.  We will cover tides, currents,  compass use, navigational tools, and chart reading in much more detail than the Basic Class. We will show you how to plan a trip involving currents. We will teach the concepts of piloting and dead reckoning but not cover electronic (GPS) navigation. You will be working problems much of the day.

Those who have already had sea kayak navigation class training may be "bumped" if there is a wait list of participants who have not. 

Look for on-street parking restrictions.

This two-day course will meet the Tacoma requirements for the Intermediate Sea Kayaker Badge navigation course. You must attend both days for sign-off.

Route/Place

Mountaineers Tacoma Program Center


Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

For the lecture portion, you will need

  •  MapTech Chart no. 100, Puget Sound. These are waterproof, and cover a good portion of the Puget Sound.
    1. A hand-held compass with a lanyard- do NOT purchase one with the declination adjustment screw. (If you already have one and want to use it, remove the correction.) We will use an inexpensive baseplate compass, such as a Brunton 7DNL, Silva Explorer,  Suunto A10, or similar. Don't use one with a mirror. A deck mounted compass is very handy as well.  Talk with the instructor about deck compasses before you buy one.
    2. string- maybe 18-24" or so. Dental floss will work.  Paracord is too thick.
    3. Smartphone with tide/current app (or a laptop or tablet to access this data on a website). We won't be using smartphones while on the water.
    4. A basic calculator (or smartphone).
    5. Ruler that doubles as a straight edge.
    6. Recommend you bring a pair of binoculars if you have them, but DON'T BUY A PAIR FOR THE CLASS!

Bring your lunch and liquids, as it will take too long to go to a local restaurant. 

No alcohol or recreational pharmaceuticals, please.

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