sea navigation
Charting maritime courses
Sea navigation is the practice of directing a vessel's course across open water.
It encompasses determining position, plotting routes, and safely reaching a destination using charts, instruments, celestial observations, or electronic systems.
Ancient Polynesians mastered sea navigation by reading stars and ocean swells.
The term distinguishes ocean voyaging from river or coastal piloting.
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
- chronometerPrecision timekeeping instrument
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- magnetic northCompass-indicated pole direction
- compass roseCartographic direction indicator
GPS receiver · ocean currents · course · shipping lanes · dead reckoning · star · astrolabe · nautical chart · wind patterns · map · bearing · radar system · hydrography · tide tables · helm · sea legs · lighthouse keeper · crow's nest
- maritime historysailors, ships, seamen, sailing ships, merchant ships
- PhoeniciaTyre, Phoenicians, Carthage, Tyrian purple, cedar wood
- maritime trainingcadet training, seamanship, officer training, maritime safety, cadet programs
- sailingsailboat, sailing, sails, sailboats, catamaran
sea navigationair navigation
Guiding aircraft through skies
aerial navigation · aviation · ground transportation · flight navigation · hiking