Coastal Navigation
On-Line Classroom
(ASA - 105)

Coastal navigation - the art and science of traveling near or within sight of land - consists of two parts.  The first part is preparation, the second is operation.  Many people do well at the operation part, especially with the assistance of a GPS-enabled chart plotter.  However, the devil, as they say, is in the details and that where good preparation comes in.

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Our Coastal Navigation course is designed to give you the theoretical basis and the practical skills to plan a coastal cruise of anywhere from an afternoon to several days.  It focuses on the how and why of using paper charts to determine your desired route from your current location to your ultimate destination.  It will also teach you how to use the additional resources available to you to update the information provided to you by the government and other sources, how to create your own charts of the cruising grounds and when and how to coordinate this information from your planning phase to your operational one.

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In this course, taught over five weeks by Captain Tom Tursi, you will learn how to use the plotting tools that sailors have devised over the centuries to plan and maintain their logs and charts.  The class is held over five consecutive Saturday mornings, from 9:00 to 13:00, using a Zoom classroom.  You will be live with Captain Tursi as he explains the material using books that he wrote, which American Sailing uses as their core material.  If you can't make it on a Saturday morning, the class session is recorded and made available to students for the following week, ensuring that you can stay up-to-date despite disruptions in your schedule.

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Once you have completed the course and feel comfortable in your knowledge, you can take the final exam at home, at your own speed.  After completing the test, you will send it, and your American Sailing logbook, if desired, in a prepaid envelope, directly to Captain Tursi, who will grade it and send it back to you with detailed feedback on anything that you did not quite master.

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Many people ask why they should take a course in "paper charts" when "everyone is going electronic".  The answer is personal, but can be summed up as this - the skills that this course will provide form the basis for all electronic navigation and knowing what is going on "inside the black box" will benefit you if and when you need them.  Whether you do the course for personal enjoyment, as a foundation for learning more advanced navigational techniques or simply for peace of mind, just in case..., you will come away with a set of skills and a depth of knowledge that will serve you well as you go further in your cruising endeavors.

COURSE FEATURES

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• 20 hour course, plus homework and test

• Taught live on-line Saturday mornings for five weeks

• Recordings are available for one week to allow review and catch up

• All texts and shipping materials provided

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In 2026, the Coastal Navigation On-Line class

will be held on these dates:

• January 10

• January 17

• January 24

• January 31

• February 7

 

Prerequisites:

• None

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PRICE: $595