I have been putting off getting this for quite some time but now want to put my head down and get this one out of the way. I know this is a tough course and many students dont make it the first time. Does anyone have any good suggestions for a school and good teacher with high success rate of passing? prefer westcoast area.
Thank you
[quote=franklnooner;13084]I have been putting off getting this for quite some time but now want to put my head down and get this one out of the way. I know this is a tough course and many students dont make it the first time. Does anyone have any good suggestions for a school and good teacher with high success rate of passing? prefer westcoast area.
Thank you[/quote]
Crawford Nautical School in Seattle.Very good school. gCaptain user MTSKIER just did celestial there, he can give you more info if you like.
Greetings,
As C_A mentioned, I took CNAV through the Crawford’s school. I have had Andy for both Meteo and CNAV and can’t give a better recommendation. His sister, Patsie, was always available to help as well - I believe she has a a Doctorate in Education.
Keep in mind that their father wrote most of the original question pool, and that the texts that he wrote are also used by PMI in their CNAV courses. I asked Andy why there can be such a disparity between the test pool answers and what my mathematics were producing - some thing that drives me nuts about most of the test pool questions… - and Andy had the answer. His Dad was using a slide rule and we are using calculators that carry many more digits. My point is that at Crawford’s you get your questions answered!
Remember that there is a 20 question Nav Gen module associated with the Oceans upgrade. Taking a look through the ships business questions in a Murphy’s book or Capt. Joe’s would be a good idea.
MTSKIER
PS - if you decide to attend up here and need housing info drop me a PM.
Anotherc reason for differences is the problems were created the way I first learned, using logarithms instead of a calculator. I’m not THAT old, but had a navigation instructor (HAP, I think he still haunts Ft. Schuyler) who refused to let us use calculators.
Using a universal plotting sheet instead of the ones printed for specific latitudes will also produce some differences.
Hi MTskier
Thanks for the input and suggestion. I had looked at crawford awhile back. Do you have any contact info for them? I will need some housing as well while taking the class. I think it is at least 2 weeks maybe 3. Do you happen to know the passing rate from the school.
thanks
Frank
I don’t know what their passing rate is, but I can tell you this: I’ve never met anyone who dissed that school. They have a great reputation. Click on the link in my first post for contact info. Ask for Patsie or Andy.
Frankl - I don’t know if anyone else here has used the book “Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen” by Mary Blewitt, but it was a good learning resource for me. That was over 3 decades ago, and the book is still in print. Small and concise. I’ll be dusting it off to read again when I go for my 500 T Oceans.
Or you could buy some books and a TI-36x and study for awhile (and actually learn the material ), then take the test at the REC and not pay for a class and spend valuable home time sitting in a class. But thats not for everyone. Best of luck, in whatever way you do it.