2 Using the Tiller Pilot
20 | ST1000 Plus & ST2000 Plus Tiller Pilots - Owner’s Handbook |
Safety in Track mode
WARNING:
Track mode provides accurate track keeping even in complex navigational situations. However, it is still the skipper’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their boat at all times through careful navigation and frequent position checks.
Passage making in Track mode assists precise navigation and removes the tasks of compensating for wind and tidal drift. However, you MUST still maintain an accurate log with regular plots:
Confirming position at the start of a journey
•At the start of a journey you must always use an easily identifiable fixed object to confirm the fix given by the navigation system.
•Check for fixed positional errors and compensate for them.
Verifying computed positions
•Always verify the computed position with a dead reckoned position, calculated from the average course steered and the distance logged.
Plot frequency
•In open water, you should make plots at least every hour.
•In confined waters or when near to potential hazards, you should make plots more frequently.
Setting waypoints
•Local variations in radio signal quality and changes in the tidal stream can produce deviations from the desired track. When setting waypoints, remember that deviations can occur.
•Thoroughly check along each track. Check up to 0.5 nm each side of the track to ensure that there are no hazards within this zone.
•For the waypoint advance function to work, the last four characters of adjacent waypoint names must be different.