METHODS
There are several different branches of navigation, including but not limited to the following. Click on terms to see individual entries:
• Celestial navigation --- using observed positions of the sun, moon, stars, and sometimes planets to navigate at sea
• Pilotage --- using visible natural and man-made features such as human-made sea marks and beacons, sometimes with the aid of a nautical chart, or map of marine and coastal areas
• Dead reckoning --- using course and speed to determine position
• Off-course navigation --- deliberately aiming to one side of the destination to allow for variability in the heading (direction)
• Electronic navigation --- using electronic equipment such as radios and satellite navigation systems to follow a course; e.g., Electronic chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), an electronic alternative to printed nautical charts
• Position fixing --- determining current position by visual and electronic means
• Collision avoidance using radar