RYA Day Skipper

Exercise 3
Position Fixing

All times are in DST, unless shown otherwise.

1. a) What is the magnetic variation on Chart 3 south of Namley

Harbour, in 2007 and 2012, to the nearest degree?

b) Is the variation the same on both RYA Training charts, to the

nearest degree?

2. a) 090°(T) variation 7°W = °M

b) 090°(T) variation 15°E = °M

3. a) 270°(M) variation 7°W = °T

b) 270°(M) variation 15°E = °T

4. What is compass deviation and what

are some of the possible causes?

USE RYA CHART 4, Plan F

Use variation 7° W

5. While passing south of Rozelle Cove the navigator sees that the radio tower on Plover
Hill and the observation tower at West Point will come into transit and plots the transit
line on the chart. The transit occurs at 1050 and at the same time the bearing on the
Range Head south cardinal buoy is 094°(M) and the log reading is 14.7.

Plot the fix at 1050.

6. At 1524 the following bearings were taken to the south west of Rozelle Cove:

Observation tower, West Point 057°M

Skerries west cardinal buoy 308°M
Radio tower, Plover Hill 012°M

At the time the bearings were written in the logbook, the depth was 10.3m and the log
reading was 38.2.
Plot the fix at 1524.
How can you check this position?

7. At 1458, log 23.8, the GPS gives the position as 46° 15'.30N 005° 51'.40W. The
skipper writes the position, time and log reading in the logbook and then plots the fix on
the chart.

©Skippers Online 2015. Source materials licensed from the RYA. Page 1 of 2
 RYA Day Skipper
Exercise 3
Position Fixing

How can this position be confirmed?

8. A skipper is navigating on passage using GPS. The centre of the compass rose south
of Rozelle Cove has been put into the GPS as a waypoint to make plotting positions
quicker than using latitude and longitude. The GPS gives a continuous display of the
direction and distance to the waypoint.
Latitude Longitude
a) What is the latitude and longitude of the
waypoint?

b) At 0905, when the log reads 18.3, the

direction and distance to the waypoint is
given as 098°(T)
1.2 miles.

Plot the position on the chart.

How can this be verified?

©Skippers Online 2015. Source materials licensed from the RYA. Page 2 of 2