The Practical Navigator - USCG Approved Marine Training

US Coast Guard Approved License & Merchant Marine Training in Seattle WA, and Coast Guard License Exam Prep Online & Navigation Workbooks

Located at Seattle WA, The Practical Navigator is dedicated to improving the understanding of marine navigation and USCG Licensing for mariners. Practical Navigator Training also helps Active Duty Coast Guardsmen and US Navy Personnel achieve their merchant marine credentials and improve their understanding of the art and science of navigation.

The Practical Navigator also has a series of videos available on several topics such as celestial navigation which gradually builds up knowledge from basic to advanced level over the course of 11 films.

In the Celestial Navigation for Cuttermen series, you learn how to solve all of the tasks from the USCG Navigation Standards for cutters required to maintain proficiency in celestial navigation.

In the General Navigation Section of videos, we explore topics useful to mariners for professional development or general knowledge. The topics include - Maneuvering Boards, Paper Plotting, and more. Practical Navigator also offers free workbooks such as Cutterman's Guide to Navigation Problems, Cutterman's Guide to Basic Celestial Navigation, Cutterman's Guide to Maneuvering Boards, and Bridge Refresher Guide.

USCG Approved Courses

• Master, up to 100 or 200 Gross Registered Tons (5 days): Upon successful completion, mariners qualify for near coastal or inland commercial captain's licenses up to 100 gross registered tons. Topics include navigation, chart plotting, deck seamanship, deck safety, vessel administration, and Rules of the Road .
• Assistance Towing or Sailing Endorsement (4 hours each): The Commercial Assistance Towing endorsement authorizes you to conduct assistance towing for money either on your own or through a towing company such as SeaTow or Vessel Assist. The Auxiliary Sail Endorsement authorizes you to work on commercial sailing vessels.
• Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV/Six-pack) (7 days): Upon successful completion, mariners qualify for near coastal or inland captain's licenses for uninspected vessels up to 100 gross registered tons. ​Topics include navigation, chart plotting, deck seamanship, deck safety, vessel administration, and Rules of the Road .
• Rules of the Road (2 days): This USCG approved course serves in place of testing at the USCG Regional Exam Center for mariners seeking licenses up to 200 gross registered tons.
• Celestial/Oceans Navigation 500-1600 GRT (2 weeks): This extremely challenging course covers all elements of oceans navigation including star fixes, running fixes, amplitudes, azimuths, and many other Navigational math topics. The course also includes sign-offs for applicable STCW topics on the Officer in Charge of Navigational Watches qualification.
• Underway Captain's License Program (1 week): The 92-foot sailing yacht August Maverick is your classroom as you spend some time in the huge pilothouse learning about maritime topics. Then, you get to actually practice those skills aboard a 102-ton vessel. During the day, you can navigate the vessel around the Virgin Islands or New England, and at night enjoy all the amenities of a luxury yacht charter with your family or classmates.

Coast Guard License Exam Prep (Online)

• Navigation Problems for USCG Exams: This online license preparation course is designed for anyone studying for a merchant mariner exam at any level above 100 tons. The course is over 35 hours long and solves all navigational math problems on near coastal and oceans level exams.
• Chart Plotting for USCG Exams: This online course is designed for anyone interested in improving their chart plotting skills and problem-solving abilities. The course has a section on chart plotting basics and the use of plotting tools, and then begins to solve chart plotting problems at various license levels.
• Rules of the Road (COLREGs) for USCG Exams: This online course is a comprehensive study of the nautical Rules of the Road, or COLREGS as they are known internationally. With hours of video lessons, a complete question bank of over 1000 Rules of the Road questions, and video explanations for over 300 questions, this course will help you pass your USCG Rules of the Road exam
• Stability Problems for USCG Exams: This video course will solve every type of stability calculation you can see on USCG exams from 100 ton to Unlimited Master for Oceans, Near Coastal, and Great Lakes & Inland licenses.
• Deck General Math for USCG Exams: This course covers the mathematics portion of the Deck General course, for license levels from 100 ton to Master Unlimited.
• Fundamentals of the Maneuvering Board: ​This online course will help you master the dreaded maneuvering board whether for USCG License exams or for your advancement purposes as a USCG deck watch officer or USN surface warfare officer.
• Oceans Navigation Sample Exam (200 Tons): ​This online course solves all of the problems on the National Maritime Center sample course for the 200-ton Oceans Navigation Module.
• Navigation General Sample Exam (100 Tons): ​This online course solves all of the problems on the National Maritime Center sample course for the 100-ton Navigation General Module
• Celestial Navigation for Mariners: The famous course from YouTube presented in an easy to navigate manner! With over half a million views, this course is highly regarded in the celestial navigation community.

Navigation Workbooks

• Navigation Problems for USCG Exams: This 307-page textbook solves all types of problems on Near Coastal and Oceans level Navigation Problems exams, such as azimuths, amplitudes, engine speeds, celestial running fixes and starfinder problems.
• The Cutterman's Guide to Basic Celestial Navigation: It includes sections on how to solve all eight competencies required for large cutters including WMSL, WAGB, WMEC, and WLB cutters.
• The Cutterman's Guide to Maneuvering Boards: The workbook solves single contact, avoidance, intercept, true wind, and desired wind problems to help those struggling with the dreaded Mo-Board.
• The Cutterman's Guide to Passing the Rules of the Road Exam: This is a 140-page text to accompany the online course Rules of the Road.

LAST UPDATED ON Oct 18, 2024