NAVIGATION TRAINING

Section 8

Position Lines and Fixes

Table of Contents

Section 1 Types of Navigation

Section 2 Terrestial Coordinates
Section 3 Charts
Section 4 Compass
Section 5 Nautical Publications
Section 6 Navigational Aids

Table of Contents

Section 7 Buoyage
Section 8 Position Lines and Fixes
Section 9 Tides
Section 10 Currents
Section 11 Weather

Position Lines and Fixes

Position Lines
Position Lines (P/L) - A single observation that does
not establish a fix, but does mean that ships position is
somewhere along that line.
Label - After the position line is drawn from a charted
object, a four digit time must be written above and
parallel to the position line.

Position Lines
All Compass bearings that are to be plotted on the
chart, must be corrected to True Bearings, allowing for
any compass error, including deviation and variation,
before plotting.

All True bearings/ courses taken from the chart, must

be corrected for any compass error to obtain Compass
Bearings/compass before use on radar or vessels
magnetic compass.

Sources of Position Lines

A visual position line can be taken, using
charted fixed navigational aids such as tanks,
water towers, church steeples, spires, radio
and TV towers, day marks, fixed navigation
lights, flagpoles, or tangents to points of land.
In general fixing off floating objects,
especially buoys, should be avoided, if there
are fixed charted objects available.

Visual
Position
Line

1000

Radar
Range
Position
Line

Position Line Measurement

Visual Bearings can be measured in:
1. Degrees Relative ( # # # 0R )
2. Degrees per Gyro Compass ( # # # G )
3. Degrees Magnetic ( # # # 0M )
The navigator must convert any of these types of
bearings to True before they can be plotted on the
chart.
Degrees True ( # # # 0T)

Plotting and Labeling a Fix

Fix - The point where two or more position lines, taken
at the same time, cross. This indicates the ships
position on the chart.

Label - Use the four digit time next to the fix,it should be
parallel to the bottom of the chart. The times of the
individual position lines are not written.

Visual Position Fix

Visual
Position
Fix 1
Compass bearing
of Abode Island
bearing
009Compass,
deviation 1W,
variation 23E,
gives 030 True
Bearing

Visual
Position
Fix 2
Compass bearing
of Grebe Island
Light bearing 058
Compass,
deviation 1W,
variation 23E,
gives 080 True
Bearing

Visual
Position
Fix 3
Compass bearing
of Pt. Atkinson
Light bearing
098Compass,
deviation 1W,
variation 23 E,
gives True
Bearing of 120 T

Visual
Position
Fix 4
Insert fix circle
on intersection
of position
lines, and time
of fix

1230

Cocked Hats
In a perfect world, with due allowance made for
compass error, the three position lines will cross at one
point.
However depending on the speed of the vessel, the
proximity of the object from which a vessel is being
fixed, and the accuracy of the bearing when taken, and
other factors, it is far more likely that a cocked hat will be
obtained.

The larger the cocked hat, the larger an error on one,

two or all of the position lines is likely to be.

Cocked
Hat
In this example
there is an error
of 3E on the
compass
bearing of Point
Atkinson Light
and a cocked
hat is formed.

1230

Cocked Hats
Where a plotted position is a cocked hat, and
there is no obvious error (such as in calculation),
it should be generally assumed the position of
the vessel is the point in the cocked hat closest
to the nearest danger.
Another position should be taken a soon as
convenient to check on the position.An

Reducing Errors

Reducing Errors
When taking distances or ranges, always take the
ranges ahead or astern first, to minimise errors (as these
ranges will change quickest with the speed of the
vessel) before taking ranges on the beam.
When taking compass bearings, always take the
bearings on the beam first, to minimise errors (as these
bearings will change quickest with the speed of the
vessel) before taking bearings ahead or astern.

Radar Fixes

Radar Fixes
Radar bearings are subject to compass error.
Therefore the best way to obtain a fix by radar, is to
take three radar distances off charted and identified
objects.

Radar
Position 1
Using radar:
Grebe Is
Electronic
Bearing Marker
showing 058 M

Variable Range
Marker showing
0.82

Radar
Position 2
From radar, plot
position circle:

Grebe Is
Distance 0.49 nm

Radar
Position 3
Grebe Is Range
0.82

A second range of
0.93 off Eagle Is.
would give fix
Mark fix position and
time. Best fix would
be have third range.

1000

Radar
Position 4
Radar bearing of
Grebe Is. is 058
compass
Deviation 1W
Variation 23E

True Bearing 080 T

which confirms
ranges

1000

Electronic Position

Electronic Position
The GPS can give an accurate electronic
position.

First check that the GPS information is live, and

not on Dead Reckoning (which GPS reverts to
with certain faults).
Also check that the HDOP figure is low - 1 is
best.

Electronic
Position 1
Note down
Latitude and
Longitude
49 20.38N

123 17.23W

Electronic
Position 2
Plot Latitude
and Longitude
49 20.38N
123 17.23W

Electronic
Position 3
Insert fix
symbol, and
time

1000

Transits

Transits
Transits are the most accurate type of position line,
when two charted objects line up.
Transits are one of the most valuable tools when
close to dangers or the land.

Some transits are man made (intentional) and others

are natural (coincidental).

Transits
The main benefits of transits are:
1. There is no compass deviation or variation.
2. They can be used when the vessel's motion
interferes with the use of a compass.
3. They are instantaneous and can be monitored
continuously.
4.They occur frequently when in confined waters.

Transits
Good transit - Beacon in line with lighthouse

Transits
Poor transit - Buoy in line with end of land. This may be
inaccurate due to land changing due to tidal height and the
buoy being set by tidal stream or current.

Transits
A transit can give
either a position
line, or as shown,
a heading to steer
on from the
northwest, before
altering to about
045T into
Fishermans Cove

0945

Labeling Fixes
Symbol

Type

Meaning

Fix

Accurate Visual Fix

Fix

Accurate Fix obtained by electronic

means

DR
EP

Dead reckon position, advanced from

previous fix.

Estimated position. Most probable

position of ship.

Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning
Dead Reckoning is the process of determining a ships
approximate position by applying, from its last known
position, a vector or a series of consecutive vectors
representing the true courses steered and the distances
run as determined by the ships speed and time, without
considering the effects of wind and current.
From a known ships position, predicted future positions
are plotted.

Dead
Reckoning
From ships known
position at 1230, a
future position is
plotted for 1245,
knowing vessels
course and speed.

DR
1245

123
0

Dead Reckoning
Dead Reckoning is derived from DEDUCED, or DED,
reckoning which was the process by which a vessels
position was computed trigonometrically in relation to a
known point of departure.

Estimated Position

Estimated
Position
From ships known
position at 1230, a
future position is
plotted for 1245,
knowing vessels
course and speed,
and allowing for set
and drift of tide.

EP
1245

123
0

Parallel Indexing

Parallel Indexing
Parallel indexing is using the radar to monitor the track of
a vessel along a preplanned course, maintaining a
distance off a known charted object.
Where using a magnetic compass input to a radar, the
true bearing will have to be corrected for variation and
deviation before setting the Electronic Bearing Marker.

Parallel
Indexing
Find a radar
conspicuous object on
the chart. Draw a line
parallel to the required
course touching the
object. Measure the
distance between the
course line and the
parallel index line. That
is the Cross Index
range.

015
T
CIR
0.32

Parallel
Indexing
Offset and set up the
Variable Range
Marker to the distance
off a conspicuous
point of land that is
required, and set the
Electronic Bearing
Marker to the required
compass course.

Course 017C
VRM
0.18nm

EBL

017C

Parallel
Indexing
The VRM should run
up the EBL if the
vessel is staying on
track.

Course 017C
VRM
0.18nm

EBL

017C

Time-Speed-Distance
Calculations

Time-Speed-Distance
Calculations
These calculations can be made using a
nautical slide rule, electronic calculator, set of
pre-computed tables, or the speed nomogram.
D=S xT
where:
D = distance traveled
note: ( 1 nm = 2000 yds)
S = speed in knots(nautical miles per hour)
T = time in hours

Simple Rules
3 Minute Rule
Distance traveled in 3 minutes (yards) =
Ships speed (knots) X 100
6 Minute Rule
Distance traveled in 6 minutes (nm) =
Ships Speed (knots) divided by 10.