THE HOME OF NAVAL RESERVISTS IN THE SOUTHEN LUZON

MILITARY SCIENCE 2
 CHAPTER
Chapter 1 6

Navigation

Semaphore Signaling

Flag Hoist Signaling

Flashing Lights
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Chapter 1
After the class discussion, the
students are expected to:
• Be able to know what is navigation and its
branches
• Know the various terms in navigation
• Know the different navigational aids and
equipment
• Know what is a nautical chart and basic
marine plotting and getting bearing and fixes
 FOUR BRANCHES OF NAVIGATION
1. Piloting – near-shore navigation
method by which the movement of a ship is
directed by reference to landmarks, navigational
aids or soundings.
2. Dead Reckoning (DR) – a method of
navigation by which the position of the ship is
calculated from the direction and rate of
progress through the water from the latest well-
determined position.
3. Electronic Navigation – a method of
navigation which employs the use of various
electronic devices. It differs from piloting
primarily in the manner of collecting
information.
4. Celestial Navigation – the position of the
ship is determined by the observation of
celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, planets
and stars.
 Nautical terms
1. Earth - the planet with which we
are most familiar, although it is
approximately an ablate spheroid,
for navigational purposes, it is
assumed to be a true sphere.

DIAMETER OF THE EARTH:

a. Polar Diameter – 6,864.57
nautical miles
b. Equatorial Diameter – 6,887.91
nautical miles
c. Difference of 23.34 nautical
miles
 Nautical terms

2. Axis – the diameter about

which the earth rotates. The
north end is the north pole while
the south end is the south pole.
3. Great Circles – a circle on
the surface of the earth, the
plane of which passes through
the center of the earth.
4. Small Circle – a circle
on the surface of the earth, the
pale of which does not pass
through the center of the earth.
 Nautical terms

5. Equator – the great circle which

is equidistant to the poles. The plane
is perpendicular to the surface of the
earth’s axis.
6. Prime Meridians –
meridians used as the origin of
measurement of longitude, the
meridian of Greenwich England.
7. Meridians – great circles on
the surface of the earth that passes
through the poles.
 Nautical terms
8. Latitude – the angular
distance between the position and
the equator measured northward
or southward from the equator
along a meridian and labeled as
appropriate N or S.
9. Longitude – the angular
distance between the position and
the prime meridian measured
either eastward or westward from
the prime meridian along the area
of the equator to the meridian of
the position in degrees from 0 –
180 deg and labeled E or W.
 Nautical terms
10. Direction – angular inclination of that line to the meridian
measured right or counter clockwise from the north point of the
meridian and expressed in three digits.
11. Course – as applied to marine navigation, is the intended
direction of travel of a ship through the water
12. Heading – the direction in which the ship point or heads at a
given time.
13. Bearing – the direction of a terrestrial object from the observer;
azimuth as applied to the celestial bodies.
14. Speed – the velocity of travel and is expressed in knots. One (1)
knot is equal to 6,080.2 feet per hour. One (1) minute of angular
measurement in great circle for navigation purpose, is also equals to
2,000 yards
 Navigational aids

Aids to Navigation: - any device external to a vessel or

aircraft intended to assist a navigator to determine his
position or safe course or to warn him from danger or
obstruction to navigation . to a vessel or aircraft intended
to assist a navigator to determine his position or safe
course or to warn him from danger or obstruction to
navigation.
 TYPE OF BUOYS:

1. Can Buoy – built up of steel

plates having the shape of a tin
cylinder used to mark left side of the
channel from seaward

2. Nun Buoy – built up of steel

plates, the above water portion
having the shape of truncated cone,
cone in shape used to mark right
side of the channel from seaward
 TYPE OF BUOYS:
3. Bell Buoy – steel floats with
a flat top on which a framework
containing a bell is mounted.
Most bell buoys are sounded by
the motion of the sea and struck
by compressed gases or
electrically operated hammer.

4. Spar Buoy – slightly tapering

pole or spar frequently used to
mark side of channel. May
replace the nun or can buoys
 TYPE OF BUOYS:
5. Gong Buoy – similar in
construction to bell buoy but has
four (4) gongs each of different
tones.

6. Whistle Buoy – provides a

sound signal which is useful at
night and also during fog and
low visibility; cone in shape with
a whistle, sounded by the
motion of the sea.
 TYPE OF BUOYS:
7. Lighted Buoy – having batteries
or gas tanks. Framework supports
the light. A metal float on which is
mounted a short skeleton tower.
8. Combination Buoy – lights and
sound signals are combined, such as
lighted bell buoys, lighted gong
buoys and a lighted whistle buoy.
9. Radar Reflected Buoy – radar
reflectors which return a strong echo
to the radar screen are fitted on
many buoys of all types
 AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Lighthouses – it is a man
made permanent fixture having
a light of certain characteristics
and is usually watched

Lighted Beacons – similar

to lighthouses and generally
unwatched.
 AIDS TO NAVIGATION
Characteristics of Lights:
a. Fixed light (F) – continuous steady light.
b. Flashing Light – shows single flash at regular interval,
the duration of light always shorter than the duration of
darkness not more than 30 flashes per minute.
c. Group Flashing (GP FL) – shows groups of two or
more flashes at regular intervals.
d. Quick flashing (QK FL) – shows not less than 60
flashes per minute.
e. Interrupted Quick Flashing (I QK FL) – shows quick
flashes for about 4 seconds followed by a dark period of about
4 seconds.
 AIDS TO NAVIGATION
f. Short Long Flashing (S L FL) – shows short
flashes of about 0.4 second followed by a long flash
of about 4 seconds in duration.
g. Group Occulting (GP OCC) – a light with a group
of 2 or more eclipse.

Standard Colors of Lights:

•White, Red, and Green

 Brilliancy – range of visibility.

 AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Light List in Philippine Island: (Information

Contained)
•In the Philippines, the number starts from North to
south in their approximate order (Geographical)
b. Name and Location
c. Position by Latitude and Longitude
d. Characteristics and Power
e. Height of light in feet above the water
f. Visibility in miles
g. Structure description
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Gyrocompass; a non magnetic type

of compass

Compass; a device that

always points towards
magnetic north, used for
navigation.
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Radar: It is used to determine the
distance of the ship from land, other
ships, or any floating object out at
sea
ARPA: Automatic Radar Plotting
Aid displays the position of a ship
and other vessels nearby. The
radar displays the position of the
ships in the vicinity and selects the
course for the vessel by avoiding
any kind of collision
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Echo Sounder: This instrument is

used to measure the depth of the
water below the ship’s bottom
using sound waves.

Magnetic Compass: The

magnetic compass work in
conjunction with the magnetic field
of the earth. It is used to get
planned direction for the voyage
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

Radar: (Radio Detection

and Ranging) It is used to
determine the distance
of the ship from land,
other ships, or any
floating object out at sea
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Barometer; an instrument
for measuring atmospheric
pressure.

Compass; a device that always

points towards magnetic
north, used for navigation.
Gyrocompass; a non magnetic
type of compass.
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

The Navi-Trainer
simulates NavAids
manufactured by such
companies as Litton
Marine, Trimble,
Simrad and Furuno.
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
•The fishing features of the Navi-
Trainer simulator include models
of fishing vessels, fishing gear, and
deck machinery used exclusively
for fishing. Computer-based
simulators of deck machinery
controls and fish-finding tools,
including sonar and sounder, as
well as hands-on controls of deck
machinery, form an integral part
of the simulator.
 NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Ship’s Flag & Pennants:
Various types of ship flags
with different colors and
signs are used to indicate a
ship’s position. Signal flags
are they are commonly
known, have been used
since the ancient times and
are still used on all vessels
 END of
presentation