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Chapter 4
The Nautical Road
Introduction
In this chapter, you will be introduced to the components of the
maritime highway. Just as you would travel along a roadway in your
car by referring to a map and the road signs, the high seas, coastal
approaches, and harbors all have unique signposts to help ships find
their way.
The Nautical Road is comprised of two separate areas; Aids to
Navigation (ATONs) and the Navigation Rules. The ATONs are like
the signposts on the highway and the Navigation Rules compare to the
traffic laws that we follow.
Objectives
Completion of this material will enable the student to:
Identify buoyage systems.
Recognize buoy types and state their purpose.
Compute the visibility of navigational lights.
Recognize day and range markers and state their purpose.
State the purpose of the rules of the road.
Describe all steering and sailing rules.
List at least four elements that make up an ATON’s characteristics.
Identify the following characteristics of ATON:
a. Color
b. Light rhythm and cycle
c. Number
State the two factors that determine the visibility of a lighted ATON.
Identify the following terms associated with light visibility
computations:
a. Horizon distance
d. Nominal range
b. Meteorological visibility
e. Geographic range
c. Luminous range
f. Computed range
g. Computed visibility
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