Sail Past Dangers with Your GPS “Nearest Waypoints” Display

Turn your sailing GPS into a powerful navigation super tool with the magic of the “distance off” waypoint feature. Follow these five easy steps to put this little-known sailing technique into play aboard your small sailboat.

Scan your nautical chart for dangerous shoals that lie close to your intended sailing track. Look for a prominent object located on the inshore side of the shoals. This might be a tank, tower, spire or any other object. If no objects are available, create a “virtual” waypoint. Place a dot and circle around the waypoint and give it a name (“APPLE” in the illustration).

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