I’ve just studied and passed 4/6 test. I memorized all 6000 question for the generals on lapware. Use the setting where you see the answers. You can do 2000 questions a day. And the more you go through them you will remember the answers. I have rules and tnav tomorrow we will see. Tested for 1600 nc mate
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I used sea trials and lap for rules and used sea trial for mercator sailing that lap does not cover in variation of the mercators
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Noticed that as well, Lapware only has lat and long to lat and long no problems where you are given the heading and distance. Best of luck testing and thanks
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Passed 100% there was a Mercator that was not shown on lapware on the test. Position lat long head this course for xNM where do you end up. Its Distance(cos(c)) for DLAT and then you go for m and use M(tan(c)) for DLO but studying all the lapware + this Mercator problem your set
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I tried everything. Just go with the flow (current). Take the test down the list they provide, don’t try to mix it to your liking. It’s easier to do it that way as long as you’re prepared. 2 applications and 5 times later I did it. You can too. Study repeat study repeat study repeat.
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I noticed the same thing about the Mercator questions. The Lapware ones have no questions starting with distance and heading. Glad I’m not the only one who noticed…
Everyone has a best way for them, and it isn’t necessarily your best way. That said…
If you’re studying at work, I highly recommend the app called Upgrade U. I spent one of my two 6 hours off studying the “trivia” questions and left chart plots and Nav Problems for at home. Upgrade U doesn’t require an internet connection, and frankly the subject matter of the questions in Rules, Deck Safety, Deck Gen, Nav Gen don’t change much. The app tracks your progress and areas for improvement. And after you have seen all of the questions a few times, recall is easier.
You can keep taking practice tests with Upgrade and LAP-Ware, or work through the entire question banks until you’re passing every practice exam with flying colors. I didn’t have LAP-Ware until I tested for my CM/MA Oceans, but I found LAP-Ware was better for me at home purely because of the internet connection required.
I would recommend that you learn how to use bowditch AND your calculator. Memorize the pages (the old green bowditch was “505 will keep you alive”) where all of your nav problems formulas are. If you can learn what a secant and cosecant are, all of the formulas are written out for you and it’s just a matter of plugging it into the calculator. Writing all of your nav problems out step by step, the same way every time, just like in high school algebra will also help.
Mr. Plant’s Formulae For The Mariner book has the best page I have seen for fuel consumption formulas. That page alone is worth the price of the book. If you can memorize and brain dump those onto your scrap paper when the test starts, you’re golden. I transcribed the page dozens of times until I could brain dump it onto a blank piece of paper on demand, and it saved me from having to actually think about the problems in the test.
Either way, study hard, put the time in, and it will come to you eventually. Test when you’re ready. Good luck.
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Thank you!
Glad yall mentioned this. I’ve been cramming with lapware for my tests next month. I’ll have to look into this other type of Mercator plot.
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So the other question for Mercator not included in Lapware is as follows. The problem gives you a start lat 1 long 1, heading, and distance in Nautical Miles. And then asks what is your lat long that you end up at if you traveled that distance at that course.
You first take DistanceX(COS (C))
C= heading -180 if traveling south west
C= 180- heading if traveling south east
C= 360- heading if traveling NW
C= 000+ heading if traveling NE
This equation gets you DLAT\60 to turn into degrees and minutes.
If heading North or South ± to get lat 2
Now having Lat 1 and Lat 2 get your m1 m2 and M in bowditch part 2 meridinial parts.
Then take M(Tan (C)) to get DLO
DLO/60 to turn into degrees ± heading east or west and then that gets your long 2.
You now have lat 2 and long 2 the position you end up at
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Awesome thanks for this. Do you recommend using the triple interpolation for Azimuths or the sin cos and tan formula found in the sights and corrections tables? Been struggling to figure out what is the better option. Seems like the formula but having trouble with it.
I use triple interpolation. You will get the exact number that the test uses and its ez
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Now that you describe it, I see examples of this in the 1981 bowditch. Seems pretty straightforward.
Appreciate it.