AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching unit aims to provide practical knowledge of the procedures relevant to maritime navigation, taking into account the applicable regulations. The focus will be on the methods required for reliable voyage planning and its proper execution, taking into account the use of nautical charts and publications, Aids to Navigation and the International Code of Signals. The position fixing will be analysed in terms of coastal navigation considering the use and control of instruments such as the magnetic and gyro compass. Finally, the statistical method of least squares adjustment will be applied to evaluate the quality of the overdetermined positions.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching unit aims to offer a great part of the learning outcomes set in the STCW Table A-II/2 “Specification of minimum standard of competence for masters and chief mates on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more”, function: Navigation at the management level. In particular the theoretical knowledge that are relevant for develping the competences expected by the Functions 1,2,3, of Tables A-II/1 and A-II/2 of the STCW Convention. 

The learning outcomes are:

• Theoretical and practical acquisition of the contents of the teaching unit.
• Elements for evaluating the accuracy of position and passage monitoring.
• Operational activities in lab and bridge simulator environment.

The teaching unit provides the tools for achieving the competences required by the STCW Convention.

The teaching unit will develop the following transversal skills and competences (soft-skills): literacy, strategic thinking and critical thinking.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal theoretical lectures are combined with exercise to put the notions into practice in real application situations.

Lessons will be held in the classroom, but will also be available in synchronous and asynchronous online modes.

The course is held in English.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the School's contact person for disability at the beginning of teaching to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns. Contacts of the teacher and the School's disability contact person can be found at the following link Comitato di Ateneo per l’inclusione delle studentesse e degli studenti con disabilità o con DSA | UniGe | Università di Genova

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Voyage planning: International regulations overview. Introduction to voyage planning. The four stages of navigation. Variables to be considered in the planning stage. Nautical publications. Ship sailing (RL and GC). Landfall. Clearing bearings. Margins of safety and parallel indexing. Planning and executing a turn. Weather routeing and climatological navigation. Environmental consideration for passage planning. Exercises 

Coastal navigation: IALA Buoyage system. Lights and AToNs. International Code of Signals. Coastal navigation plotting. Plotting the track. Dead reckoning plot. Use of LOPs for determining position. Running fix. Wind and current consideration. Tidal streams consideration on Admiralty charts. Exercises 

Statistical treatment of measurements and derived quantities: concepts of redundancy of measurements; compensation of errors using least squares adjustment method, confidence interval and ellipse. Exercises on statistical treatment of measurements and positions.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes and material provided by the teacher.

Additional texts for reference:

• Weinberg R. V.:Deck Officers and Masters Guide - Volume 2: Navigation, Manoeuvring, Watchkeeping, ISBN  979-8557533898
• Bowditch N.: The American Practical Navigator – An Epitome of Navigation, National Imagery and Mapping Agency, 2002

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/11929/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination is predominantly written, comprising exercises and multiple-choice questions.

In addition, students are asked to perform a short written assignment on astronomical positioning with direct solution tables. The latter is assigned to each student following successful completion of the written examination.

The examination concludes with a viewing and discussion of the written examination and any supplementary oral questions.

The examination may be taken online in the cases provided for by the University Regulations.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The final grade will take into account knowledge of theoretical concepts and the ability to argue the results of tests and exercises.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule