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Kayak Ontario - Navigation Level 2
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Kayak Ontario - Navigation Level 2

Kayak Ontario - Navigation Level 2

$175.00 CAD

Navigation Level 2: Chart Work and Drift

Part of the KO navigation series
Level 1Charts & bearings Level 2Set & drift Level 3Crossings On waterTobermory

Level 1 taught you to read the chart and follow a bearing. Level 2 is about what actually happens once you leave the beach: wind and water push you off your line, and the paddler who knows by how much is the one who arrives where they planned.

Six live sessions on Saturday afternoons, every second week, with online lessons in between. Join in our Hamilton shop or on Zoom. We mail you the same paper chart, so everyone plots on the same water.

6Live Sessions
1.5 hrEach Session
Shopor Zoom
ChartMailed to You

What You'll Learn

Six sessions, built in order. Each one adds a layer to the last, finishing with a real crossing planned on your own chart.

Dead Reckoning & Estimated Position
Where you should be, worked out from time, speed and heading, and what to do when the world disagrees.
  • A Level 1 review to get everyone on the same chart
  • Tides and currents: the groundwork for everything that follows
  • The DR plot: tracking where you should be
  • Estimated position vs. a fix, and when to trust each
Set, Drift & Course to Steer
The core of the course. How moving water pushes you sideways, and how to aim so you still arrive.
  • The vector triangle, made simple
  • Turning a planned track into a heading you can paddle
Wind & Leeway
On the Great Lakes, wind usually moves a kayak more than current does. Plan for it.
  • How wind pushes a sea kayak off its line
  • Estimating leeway and building it into the plan
Position Fixing
Proving where you are, using what you can see.
  • Cross bearings, back bearings and transits
  • Using a transit to spot drift while you paddle
  • Emergency bearings: the full version of what Level 1 introduced
Current & Water-Level Data
Reading the published numbers and knowing what they mean for your trip.
  • Reading Canadian Hydrographic Service tables
  • Great Lakes water levels and chart datum, in depth
  • BonusThe rule of twelfths, the 50/90/100 rule and slack water
Capstone Crossing
Everything together, on paper, before you do it on the water.
  • Plan a real crossing on your mailed chart
  • Marked, with written feedback

2027 Sessions

All sessions run Saturday afternoons, in our Hamilton shop or on Zoom. Each session's online lesson is due before you arrive. Registration closes Saturday, January 9, two weeks before session one, so your chart arrives in time.

  • Sat, Jan 23Session 1Tides and currents, dead reckoning, and a Level 1 review
  • Sat, Feb 6Session 2Set, drift and course to steer
  • Sat, Feb 20Session 3Wind and leeway
  • Sat, Mar 6Session 4Position fixing and emergency bearings
  • Sat, Mar 20Session 5Current and water-level data
  • Sat, Apr 3Session 6Capstone crossing: plan, present, and get it marked

How It Runs

  • An online lesson first (about 1 to 1.5 hours), then the live session on the next session Saturday
  • Live sessions are working sessions: you plot, we coach
  • Runs in the off-season, finishing before paddling season starts

What's Included

  • The full Nav L1 online course, so you can catch up or refresh before session one
  • Six 1.5-hour live sessions, in our Hamilton shop or on Zoom
  • A paper practice chart, mailed to you
  • A marked capstone crossing with feedback

Prerequisite: None beyond Nav L1, which is included. Complete it before session one. Bring a Douglas protractor and dividers; both are available in the shop.

Who It's For

  • Level 2 candidates and holders who want the navigation side solid
  • Paddlers starting to plan their own crossings
  • Anyone heading toward Level 3

Next online: Navigation Level 3: Crossings and Level 3 Prep runs in the off-season after paddling season. A pass on the Level 2 capstone is required.

On the water: Kayak Navigation: Charts, Tides, and Safety puts this to work on the Tobermory coast.

Questions

Shop or Zoom?
Either, session by session. Both groups work on the same mailed chart at the same time.
Is there a test?
The capstone crossing is marked. Passing it is your entry to Navigation Level 3.
Do I need to finish Nav L1 first?
Yes. It's included with registration. Work through it before session one so the live sessions can start straight at drift.
Tides on the Great Lakes?
We cover what Level 2 needs and how Great Lakes water really moves. The tidal rules of thumb are included as clearly marked bonus material for when you paddle the coast.

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