The book is designed to teach those theoretical aspects of coastal navigation that need to be acquired before practical chartwork can be undertaken. The initial sections cover the representation of the Earth on a chart, and at an early stage the student is instructed in the method of correcting compass readings for variation and deviation. From there he oes on to learn the significance to the navigator of tides, tidal streams, tidal levels, buoys and lights. Having progressed this far he is now ready to learn the basic tasks of fixing the ship's position and plotting the ship's course ; these topic are covered in the final sections. At relevant points throughout the book the student learns the important chart symbols and abbreviations.
