Learn to navigate over the Winter! Take ANSA's Coastal Navigation class and earn ASA 105 certification. Get a Fix, plot a course, dead reckon, understand set and drift, leeway, and plan accordingly. Understand the impact of tides and currents and when it matters on the Chesapeake Bay. Where are Bloody Point, Love Point, Cinnabar shoal? Avoid shoals and locate anchorages. Use local charts generated with the new NOAA Custom Charts application!
Included: How to use your instrumentation and chart plotter and understand AWA, TWS, STW vs SOG, WPT ETA, VMG, Laylines (optional)
We are planning two Saturday all day work sessions and three optional introductory Zooms.
The fee for this class is $350.
There are no ASA course prerequisites for this class, however it is helpful if you have some sailing or motoring experience. In addition students must have a current ANSA membership ($55 - $75), renewed as of Jan 1, 2026. Become a member.
We will use a combination of Zooms and two Saturdays at the Hartge Yacht Harbor cottage.
Zoom 1 - Jan 20 19:00 - Intro, basic topics, compass, math, plotting tools
Zoom 2 - Jan 21 19:00 - follow up, definitions, tides/currents
Saturday 1 - Jan 24 - chart work, symbology, plotting, problem solving, practical navigation
Zoom 3 - Jan 28 - Q&A, additional topics as needed
Saturday 2 - Jan 31 - plotting and problem solving review, afternoon - written exam
Zoom sessions are optional and will be used to provide an introduction for new navigators and tips on math and necessary computations, as well as definitions of variation, deviation, tides, currents, etc. Access to ANSA's previous navigation topic videos will also be provided in case you miss anything.
Following registration, ANSA will provide our training materials that provide a complete tutorial and guide to all of the navigation skills and requirements, practice problems, and links to previous class videos.
