User:Haus/2m
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Navigation is comprised of a number of different processes. Some are done in a set order, some randomly, some almost constantly, others only infrequently. It is in choosing using these processes that an individual navigator’s experience and judgment are most crucial. Compounding this subject’s difficulty is the fact that there are no set rules regarding the optimum employment of navigational systems and techniques. Optimum use of navigational systems varies as a function of the type of vessel, the quality of the navigational equipment on board, and the experience and skill of the navigator and all the members of his team.
For the watch officer, ensuring the ship’s safety always takes priority over completing operational commitments and carrying out the ship’s routine. Navigation is his primary responsibility. Any ambiguity about the position of the vessel which constitutes a danger must be resolved immediately. The best policy is to prevent ambiguity by using all the tools available and continually checking different sources of position information to see that they agree. This includes the routine use of several different navigational techniques, both as operational checks and to maintain skills which might be needed in an emergency.
Any single navigational system constitutes a single point of failure, which must be backed up with another source to ensure the safety of the vessel.
It is also the navigator’s responsibility to ensure that he and all members of his team are properly trained and ready in all respects for their duties, and that he is familiar with the operation of all gear and systems for which he is responsible. He must also ensure that all digital and/or hardcopy charts and publications are updated with information from the Notice to Mariners, and that all essential navigational gear is in operating condition.
Navigating a vessel is a dynamic process. Schedules, missions, and weather often change. Planning a voyage is a process that begins well before the ship gets underway. Executing that plan does not end until the ship ties up at the pier at its final destination. While it is possible to over plan a voyage, it is a more serious error to under plan it. Carefully planning a route, preparing required charts and publications, and using various methods to monitor the ship’s position as the trip proceeds are fundamental to safe navigation and are the marks of a professional navigator.[1]
Possible replacement of Satellite Navigation section on Navigation page