NAVIGATION & PILOTING

In this 2-day course you’ll learn sea kayak-specific navigation and piloting on and off the water and plan your own day and weekend trips.

To plot a course in your kayak is different from plotting a course while sitting at the chart table. So let’s discover the specific practical competence required.

This course is designed for paddlers carrying out coastal journeys in winds of up to force 4. The aim is to give the student the tools to enable them to plan and navigate effectively on coastal journeys in moderate sea conditions. This will include the following aspects: to find the sources of information including charts, pilot books, almanacs and tide tables, to give visual references and simple pilotage techniques like transits and dead reckoning techniques, to help interpret and apply a weather forecast to the marine environment.
By the end of the course each kayaker should have planned at least 2 coastal journeys to be used as a reference for further trip planning.

Some sea kayaking experience required. You should be in good physical shape, have already paddled in a 6 NM trip, be confident paddling for a few hours at a relaxed rate in a force 4 wind. Roll is not required but you should be confident performing self and assisted rescues.

Each kayaker should carry:

  • 1 fitted compass
  • 1 bearing compass suitable for chart work
  • 1 waterproof chart case with deck fixing feature
  • 1 head torch (best if provided with red light for nautical chart reading)
  • 1 notebook
  • 2 3B pencils and a rubber

Tuilik provides all further equipment to use indoors: Breton plotter, divider, pilot books, nautical charts, tide tables, IALA light rules and road rules, etc.

Find the next course in our CALENDAR and please check AVAILABILITY

Location: Scuola di Mare Santa Teresa (Lerici), Liguria, Italy
The course starts on saturday at 8:30 and closes on sunday around 17:00.
Fees

  • Check-in on friday evening 340€
  • Check-in on saturday morning 315€
  • Single room supplement +25€ per night
  • Discounts for couples

Included:

  • full board in shared room or single room on request. Recently renewed, the building is part of a charming old navy fortification
  • charts, pilot books, almanacs and tide tables, and all necessary for plotting exercises (in classroom).

+ extra equipment if you need some (rent by Tuilik)
kayak compass – 28,00€
bearing compass – 15,00€