Glossary
Marine navigation has its own secret language, and let’s face it—half of it sounds like someone making things up after too much grog. You’ve got your 'dead reckoning,' which isn’t nearly as ominous as it sounds, and 'bearing,' which has nothing to do with polar bears but everything to do with pointing the right way. Don’t even get us started on 'knots'—why measure speed like you’re tying a shoelace? And then there’s 'fix (not for your engine) and 'DR' (spoiler: it’s not a doctor). If you’re baffled, don’t worry—we’re here to help you decipher this nautical code so you can sound like a pro, not a landlubber who’s lost their compass.
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TermDefinition
- Navigation CADET
The CADET mnemonic can help remember the corrections needed when converting between True North and Compass North bearings. It assists in...
More Details - Navigation Compass Add East for True (CADET)
The CADET mnemonic can help remember the corrections needed when converting between True North and Compass North bearings. It assists in...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Heading
The direction in which a vessel's bow is pointed at any given moment, typically measured in degrees relative to true north or magnetic...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Knot
A unit of speed used in maritime navigation, equivalent to one nautical mile per hour.
A knot is a crucial measurement in marine navigation,...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Latitude
The angular distance of a location on Earth's surface, measured in degrees(°), minutes('), and seconds('') north or south of the equator which is...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Longitude
Longitude is the geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface, measured in degrees(°),...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Nautical Mile
A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used in maritime navigation that is equivalent to one minute of latitude or approximately 1.852...
More Details - Navigation Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the zero-degree longitude line that is the starting point for measuring longitude and dividing the Earth into the Eastern...
More Details - General Nautical Terminology, Navigation Set
Direction of Current
Set refers to the direction toward which a current flows in a body of water.
In marine navigation, understanding the...
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