COURSE: CHIEF MATE (F.

G) - PHASE – I

DETAILED TEACHING SYLLABUS

SUBJECT: PRACTICAL NAVIGATION

TOPICS Teaching method/hours

Lectures Exercise Practicals
Competence No. 1: Plan a voyage and conduct navigation
1.1 Voyage Planning and Navigation for all Conditions
1.1.1/ 1.1.2 Coastal Navigation / Ocean Voyages : 8 20
Describe
- Ocean passages for the world, and Sailing
directions,
- Routeing charts, and routeing in accordance with
general provisions of ship’s routeing
- Reporting procedures in accordance with general
principles for ship reporting systems and with VTS
procedures.
- Planning navigation and plotting courses taken
into account restricted waters, meteorological
conditions, Ice, Restricted visibility, Traffic
separation schemes, vessel traffic service (VTS)
areas, and Area of extensive tidal effects.
Explain
- Various stages of Passage Planning (Appraisal,
Planning, Execution, Monitoring)
Define:
- Current, leeway, tidal stream, set, drift.
Explain:
- Effect of wind and current and determine course
and distance made good.
- Course to steer allowing for tidal stream or
current or wind.
- How to determine distance off by vertical sextant
angle
Exercises:
- Determine position by bearings and ranges.
- Determine position by plotting astronomical
position lines.
- Transferring of position lines
- Determine position by running fix with leeway and
current.
- Plan a passage between two ports from berth to
berth using the procedures for passage planning.
(No questions on resolution of cocked hat)
Competence No. 2: Determine position and the accuracy of resultant position fix by any
means
2.1 Position Determination
2.1.1 Terrestrial navigation: Ability to use appropriate 2 15
charts, errors in position lines, notices to mariners
and other publications.

Chief Mate- Phase 1- Detailed Teaching Syllabus- Navigation Page 1 of 2

Explain
- How errors may occur in position fixing and how
they are minimized.
Exercises on
- Chart correction and other nautical publications
including T&P notices using information from
Notices to Mariners and corrections using
tracings.
- Mercator Sailing
2.1.2 Great-circle sailing: 5 15
Explain
- Spherical triangle
- Napier’s Rules
- How to transfer GC course to Mercator chart
Describe
- Gnomonic, Mercator, Transverse Mercator and
Universal Transverse Mercator Chart Projections
Calculate
- Position of vertex of GC track
- Initial course, final course, distance with the
stated limiting latitude
2.1.3 Celestial navigation: 5 20
State
- Kepler’s laws of motion
Define
- Civil, Nautical and Astronomical Twilights,
Explain
- Conditions necessary for twilight all night,
continuous daylight or continuous darkness
- Influence of latitude on duration of twilight
- Relationship between time and longitude
- Relationship between time and hour angle
- Magnitude of Star
- How to identify stars by means of star chart and
star finder
Calculate
- Time of meridian altitude of sun
- Position lines by means of observations of:
Sun, Planets and Stars including Pole Star
- Stars suitable for observation in the twilight
period
- Position based on staggered / simultaneous
observations
(No questions on resolution of cocked hat. No calculations shall be
based on ambiguity of time or date, incorrect application of
chronometer error, index error or dip, etc.)
Total duration (hours): 20 70

Chief Mate- Phase 1- Detailed Teaching Syllabus- Navigation Page 2 of 2