navigation and piloting

[wearrepair]

I will be presenting the material on inland navigation to a ship. I can use various nautical publications but wondered if there is a course outline already.

[RememberSchiff]

Firing a flare to @mashmaster.

[SSScout]

I would start here:  http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Orienteering    

The resources at the bottom of the page include teaching materials.    When we teach the Map and Compass requirements for 2nd and 1st class in IOLS, we use a standard USC&GS topo map of our area, and a compass course that basically leads the student out from a starting point, thru three compass turns to a known ending point.  With some intention, one can do any number of turns and end up (surprise ! ) back at your start point.  This can be done in a field or open woods of about two or three acres.   

When I was a Scout, my Troop would stretch a rope thru the woods, exactly north and south (or east - west)  marked off every twenty feet (A, B, C, etc.) with a 3x5 card taped on.  You drew a card out of a bag with compass bearings and distances listed.  Some trigonometry student had worked the angles on graph paper so that by starting at card "G"   and taking bearings and sighting your line of travel, and pacing off that distance (how many paces to a hundred yards?  Or should we do meters?) , and then taking the next bearing, and so on....  you ended up at … what next letter?   Hopefully, you measured and sighted correctly.   If you ended at the wrong letter,  your instructor helped you understand your error, and gave you a NEW direction card.. Try again.   

GPS, Schmarty phone,  that's another thing....  Do not try either thing close to a gigavolt power line ! 

[wearrepair]

Thank you. I did check out the link etc. I was more looking for what you have but over water. I will use what you presented.

[mashmaster]

I have lesson plans and materials for all the ordinary requirements that are talk about during IOWLS course.  I will share it with you.  Any else need it, send me a mesage.

It has Piloting and Navigation very well covered for exactly this purpose.

 

 

[mashmaster]

BTW IOWLS = Introduction to On the Water Leadership Skills.   It is a class for Skippers and Mates to learn how to teach the Ordinary requirements.  It is a weekend course along the lines of IOLS for Troop leaders.

[mrkstvns]

Do Sea Scouts have any requirements to learn navigation using a sextant?

Seems like a cool skill to learn, even if it is unlikely to ever be needed in a world where ships can rely on GPS.

[mashmaster]

33 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

Do Sea Scouts have any requirements to learn navigation using a sextant?

Seems like a cool skill to learn, even if it is unlikely to ever be needed in a world where ships can rely on GPS.

That is an elective is listed below, the core requirements call for understanding how to plot a course with a compass, ruler, and charts and make a dead reckoning table.:

Celestial Navigation:
	i) Explain how the sextant works. Show how to use it and demonstrate measuring horizontal angles and altitudes.
	ii) Find latitude by the altitude of Polaris or by the sun’s altitude at local apparent noon. Demonstrate how longitude is determined.
	iii) Demonstrate finding error in the boat’s compass by the sun’s azimuth.

[wearrepair]

Sextant - the only sights they probably would want to learn would be a noon sight and taking the altitude of the north star. Neither need much calculation.