The old salts reading this (if there are any) will say that everyone should know how to navigate without electronics, and I agree. But there's only one thing more dangerous than a single form of navigation, and that's a single form of navigation that you don't know how to use. Fortunately, Lenny Rudow has created a short video that is perfect for newbies who want to get from here to there, using a chartplotter.


Once you've mastered the basic concepts (setting a waypoint, navigating to it, and focusing on what's ahead of your bow rather than the screen), read the owner's manual for your specific model in order to get the most out of your equipment.

And once you see how easy it all is, it will probably make more sense why NOAA will stop printing paper charts...

Got a how to topic you'd like to see us cover? Drop us a line at [email protected].

chartplotter how to

Your chartplotter will only help you get from here to there if you know how to use it.

Written by: Carol Cronin
Carol Cronin has published several novels about the Olympics, sailing, hurricanes, time travel, and old schooners. She spends as much time on the water as possible, in a variety of boats, though most have sails.