Marine Compass

A device indicating heading relative to magnetic north, essential for navigation in open water or low visibility; boater education covers basic usage and error compensation (variation and deviation).

Related Terms

Navigation Rules

The “rules of the road” for waterways, dictating right-of-way, overtaking procedures, and collisi...

Safe Speed

A velocity that allows adequate time to avoid collisions, considering visibility, traffic density...

State Regulations

Laws established by individual states concerning boater education, vessel registration, equipment...

Chart Reading

The skill of interpreting nautical charts, including water depth (soundings), contours, and navig...

Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)

A sophisticated navigation system integrating GPS data and digital charts; typically used on larg...

Chartplotter & GPS Integration

Electronic navigation aids combining GPS data with digital charts, increasing situational awarene...

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