| ...be SAFE |  |
...be FAST |
Sample Course Schedule
Classroom courses at Starpath HQ in Seattle are not available in 2007 — see note on why and other options.
The page here shows what we have offered for the past 20 years or so, and what we are likely to do when we resume.
For now we concentrating on our home study and online training programs.
| Celestial Navigation
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TBA |
| Planetarium class
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TBA (week following scheduled classes) 7:00 to 9:00 pm Guests may sign up as space permits $19 per person (students and guests) |
| Celestial Navigation Workshop
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TBA Sat, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm For those who want extra hands-on practice with plotting and other celestial or coastal nav problems Free to registered students, $29 per session or $50/couple otherwise |
| Coastal Navigation Workshop
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TBA Sat, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm For those who want extra hands-on practice with plotting and other celestial or coastal nav problems. Free to registered students, $29 or $50/couple otherwise |
| Calculator Nav Seminar
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TBA Sat, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Seminar fee $89 per person, $129 per couple. All materials included. |
| Inland and Coastal Nav |
TBA Tues and Thursday, 6:30 to 9:30 PM for 7 sessions + 1 Sat. workshop $295 or $472/couple, materials $89 |
| Marine Weather
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TBA Tues and Thursday, 6:30 to 9:30 PM for 6 sessions $249 or $386/couple, materials $89 |
| Radar
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TBA Mon, Wed, and Friday 6:30 to 9:30 PM for 3 sessions $179 or $286/couple, text $19, workbook $15 |
| High Seas Communications
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TBA Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm $179 or $286/couple |
| GPS & e-chart Navigation
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TBA Mon, Wed, and Fri, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm $179 or $286/couple, materials $20 |
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Evening format The classes meet at dinner time for many, so don't hesitate to bring a sandwich or other snack to class. Good coffee and tea are provided — not to mention the now-traditional infinite supply of M&Ms provided by Starpath ("A brain without sugar is not a brain.," Alexander Alekhine, onetime world chess champion). Each class is, first and foremost, informative and efficient. Most participants have worked all day before coming to class, and many drive a long way to get here; they expect and deserve quality information presented in a clear concise manner. The materials are well organized and the instructor is prepared to answer questions as they arise. We also strive to make all classes an enjoyable and entertaining experience. Practical examples are always included and class discussion is encouraged. Participants are invited to call an instructor with questions as they might arise outside of class or after the course has ended. Our goal is that everyone learns the material; we strive to do whatever necessary to accomplish this. We have comfortable seats and working table space for each student in an air conditioned and well lighted classroom. A full class is 30 students. Weekend format
Couples discount
Multiple course discount
Course Preview!
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Starpath School of Navigation
Or you can sign up with a bank card deposit by phone
Or contact us by e-mail with questions. Deposits are fully refundable up to one week before class time, afterwhich they may be applied in full to any subsequent Starpath classroom course fee. Please call or e-mail if you have any questions.
Please note that for the past 3 years, all Starpath regular courses were filled before the class start date.
- The course covers how to find position at sea from timed sextant sights of the sun, moon, stars, and planets plus other routine and special procedures of safe, efficient offshore navigation. No previous navigation experience is required; the only math involved is arithmetic. This is not just a "celestial" course, it is an ocean navigation course — how to find out where you are with a sextant is just one part of ocean navigation. We guarantee that you will not only learn it, you will learn it well. At the end of the course, you will feel completely confident to head offshore and get to where you want to go without any fear of what to do if the GPS might fail underway. And we also cover how to make the most of the GPS while it is working. Topics include:
See Frequently Asked Questions about the Home Study Celestial course, since most of these questions apply to the Classroom course as well. See also the Cel Nav Study Online section which includes recent articles on various topics of celestial navigation.
- Planetarium Class — Star Gazing for Mariners Go to Class Schedule. Covers star and planet ID, terminology, some mythology, some astronomy, with emphasis on finding directions from the stars without a compass. An ideal way to see many of the techniques from David's book (Emergency Navigation) illustrated as if under a real sky. This class meets at the Pacific Science Center Planetarium at the Seattle Center (almost directly underneath the Space Needle). Pre-registration with Starpath is required. Note special start time, 7:00 pm, not 6:30. Also, if there is a big event at Seattle Center or the Coliseum, there is a parking issue, etc.
Only some 20% of the talk deals with special terms or topics of celestial navigation, so you are welcome to sign up a guest (as space permits) who might be interested in the night sky. Occasionally we add a second session to this talk if we have the need and opportunity.
- Inland and coastal navigation Go to Class Schedule. Evening format course consists of 18 hours of instruction, made up of 6 three-hour classroom classes... plus the invitation and encouragement to call us if questions arise during the week as you do practice exercises. We also have the optional Saturday workshop for those who want extra practice or hands on instruction. The weekend course covers the same topics with 18 classroom hours of instruction combined with assignments from the interactive course CD materials and the starpath online training program, which includes discussion groups, practice exercises, and quizzes. The course covers practical small-craft navigation starting from the basics and ending with all that is needed to navigate safely and efficiently on inland and coastal waters in all weather conditions. For beginners and more experienced sailors alike — we start from the basics on every topic, but we have had many people take our course after taking other nav courses and they all agree that they learned new and useful methods and approaches here. Throughout the course we continually relate how the traditional methods of compass, log, and depth sounder fit into the modern use of GPS and other electronics. Topics include:
See Frequently Asked Questions about the Home Study Course on Inland and Coastal Nav, since most of these questions apply to the Classroom course as well. See also the Nav Study Online section which includes recent articles and references on various topics of marine navigation.
- Navigation and plotting workshop Go to Class Schedule. We set up the chart tables, roll up our sleeves, and work problems all day. Chart plotting, tides and currents, fixes, DR, etc... A great opportunity for more individual instruction on things that concern you most, or a way to get caught up if you are behind in the practice problems. We have tons of extra problems if needed, and also go over alternative solutions such as using the StarPilot calculator for coastal piloting problems.
This practice session was originally designed for our ongoing classroom students, but local mariners working on the home study course might take advantage of this as well. And students from past courses who want to brush up on some hands on practice are invited to do so here.
- Marine Weather Go to Class Schedule. The evening course consists of 18 hours of instruction, made up of 6 three-hour classroom classes... plus the invitation and encouragement to use our online discussion groups to carry on with questions between class sessions.. The weekend course covers the same topics with 9 classroom hours of instruction combined with assignments from the interactive Weather Trainer software program and the starpath online training program, which includes discussion groups, practice exercises, and quizzes. A plain-language, practical course for inland and ocean sailing, guaranteed to make your sailing safer and more efficient. Very valuable information presented in an enjoyable and engaging manner. Note that the materials fee includes a discount on the Starpath Weather Trainer software, normally $129. Throughout the course we emphasize how you combine your own observations of wind, sea, clouds, and barometer to better interpret the official forecasts obtained from radio or facsimile as well as make your own forecast if you loose the official sources. We also help you develop practical rules of thumb that will contribute to sound efficient decision making underway. We have had numerous past students send us HF-email underway to report back how valuable this course was in getting down the coast, or across an ocean. It is indispensable if you sail a lot in Northwest waters or other parts of the world with variable and sometimes severe weather. Topics include:
For an extensive list of very specific issues dealt with in the course, see Starpath marine weather topics.
- Radar Go to Class Schedule. The course consists of 9 hours of instruction, made up of 3 three-hour classroom classes... plus the invitation and encouragement to call us if questions arise during the week as you do practice exercises. A practical guide to safe, versatile, and efficient use of small craft radar, covering brief overview of radar principles and operation, definition of terms, navigation by range and bearing, use of VRM and EBL in navigation and collision avoidance, identifying radar targets and interpreting their motions, and how to apply the Rules of the Road. Also, how to interpret land masses seen on the radar. Rules of thumb on what can and cannot be seen (resolving power). The course includes special tricks and methods not covered in manuals or textbooks. The Starpath Radar Trainer simulator will be used in class for demonstrations and practice drills. This software is available at a discount to registered students. This course is guaranteed to increase the safety and efficiency of your radar watch many fold and greatly reduce the anxiety of those encounters with converging radar targets that cannot be seen visually... not to mention that it is indeed the law (Rules 6,7,8) that mariners with radar know how to interpret radar images (to make "systematic observations"). The text for the course is Radar for Mariners by David Burch (McGraw-Hill, 2005). This book includes a working demo of the Radar Trainer program that can be run 5 times for practice and evaluation.
- High Seas Communication Go to Class Schedule. Class 1 = SSB and Sat phones, Class 2 = HF-E-mail and ftpmail, and Class 3 = weather fax options We cover principles, options, installations, tips and tricks of usage, and how to balance out expense versus convenience. This is a rapidly changing field with new options appearing frequently. Return to Class Schedule.
- Calculator Nav Seminar Go to Class Schedule. Covers celestial and coastal navigation with the StarPilot calculator — the state of the art solution to navigation computations. Bring your own StarPilot, or use one of ours. Basic knowledge of celestial navigation is required. Let us show you, hands on, how to make all aspects of your navigation faster, easier, and more accurate. Return to Class Schedule.
- GPS and e-chart Navigation Go to Class Schedule. Covers the best guidelines to safe efficient use of GPS directly interfaced to electronic charting software as a primary navigation system. Needless to say, we stress the preparation for back-up and double checks underway, but the main focus is how to take best advantage of the super-convenient features of modern navigation systems.
The Topics include:
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