Simple Kayak Navigation: Practical Piloting for the Passionate Paddler [Paperback]

Ray Killen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2006

Learn practical, easy-to-use techniques for navigating the sea safely and confidently

In Simple Kayak Navigation, kayaking instructor Ray Killen explains everything you need to know about plotting your course for a safe and smooth sea adventure. He teaches you dozens of essential navigation procedures specially adapted to the needs of sea kayakers.

Killen's simple, easy-to-learn navigational methods will help you determine your position, ensure your safety, and keep you on track. Emphasizing the importance of pre-trip planning, Killen shows you how to plot your course and how to make adjustments to it when unexpected situations arise. You'll also get advice on navigating in fog and wind, compensating for currents, avoiding collisions, and taking bearings.

You'll also learn how to:

• Use GPS to plan routes and determine heading, speed, and position
• Make sense of nautical charts and maps
• Interpret buoys, lights, and other aids to navigation
• Make the best use of both deck-mounted and hand-held compasses
• Use tides and currents to your advantage

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ray Killen is an American Canoe Association-Certified Coastal Kayak Instructor/Trainer/Educator and the former chair of its Coastal Kayaking Committee. Killen also cowrote many of the organization's coastal kayak courses. A former British Canoe Union level three coach, he holds a four-star rating and was given the BCU's Canoe Safety Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (April 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071467947
• ISBN-13: 978-0071467940
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #930,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Practical Navigation for Kayakers and All Boaters, July 12, 2006

By 

Watergirl (USA, AU, Indonesia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Kayak Navigation: Practical Piloting for the Passionate Paddler (Paperback)

This book is a well-written, methodical approach to sea kayak navigation. Utilizing common-sense language, it gives the reader a fascinating overview of navigation basics up through more advanced topics. It gives extensive treatment to navigation fundamentals that prepare the reader for more complex tasks such as calculating ferry angles and lines of position, dead reckoning, and trip planning in high current and windy conditions. Photography and illustration is excellent, and Mr. Killen's writing style brings a humorous, relaxed approach to a subject that many avoid because of fear or intimidation. Killen's knowledge is comprehensive, and his ability to reduce complicated topics to easily digested parts, then place them back in relation to the whole is first rate. As a licensed sailboat captain, diving instructor, and certified kayak instructor I have used navigation skills often. However, until I read this book, I was navigating in a counter-intuitive, laboured process. I've found many time saving methods using information and skills demonstrated here, and my navigational accuracy has increased as well. A major bonus was the inclusion of an appendix by Timothy Williams, that gives World Wide Web addresses and links (with capsule reviews) for many interesting and time-saving sites dealing with navigation. All in all, the best, most complete instructional tome available for kayakers and small boat sailors.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars better than Burch's book, the supposed 'standard', January 14, 2007

By 

J. Galloway (upstate, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Kayak Navigation: Practical Piloting for the Passionate Paddler (Paperback)

"Simple Kayak Navigation" by Ray Killan is a very easy read. It is concise, packed with excellent examples, and laced with humor. I will argue that it is the new standard for a sea kayak navigation self-study guide. It may be because Mr. Killan has been teaching coastal navigation to sea kayaker for years and he knows what works and what doesn't in getting the point across.

I originally purchased "Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation" by David Burch.
Why? Because I was told by several instructors that it is the `standard'. Well, Mr Burch's book makes for a decent desktop reference guide on kayak navigation (i.e. you want to know more about a particular navigation topic). However, if you want to learn sea kayak navigation this book is not well organized and this makes for a very difficult read (i.e. high snooze factor).

Update (7/30/2010): Please see my attached comment in regard to an error I found in this book after a second through reading. You may want to print it out and stick it between pages 53-54 as a reference.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Navigation technique that works!, December 29, 2007

By 

Timothy Williams (Atlantic Ocean, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Kayak Navigation: Practical Piloting for the Passionate Paddler (Paperback)

Well-written, in a humourous style, this little book contains a wealth of information for the beginning and advanced sea kayaker. Trip planning, compass use, tides, currents, and GPS are all well-covered here. Having many books on navigation, this is the one I turn to when refreshing my skills. I recommend it without reservation to my students, and have not heard any complaints, other than persons wishing for a follow-up workbook that presents more examples of real-world navigation problems and step-by step solutions in a hands-on format. An excellent book.