Navigation or Marine Navigation is an art and science of navigating or conducting a ship from one place to another in a shortest and safest distance. It is an Art because it depends on the skill and knowledge of the Navigator that performs such ability. Navigation is also a Science in a sense that it refers to a wide body of systematic knowledge and practices. Marine Navigation covers Terrestrial navigation wherein the navigator conducts a vessel by aids to navigation such as observing lighthouses, buoys, beacons, landmarks and determined soundings and depths of water. This also includes Dead Reckoning, a technique of determining an estimation of ship’s position taking into account factors like distance and direction traveled. Electronic Navigation is also one of the branches in Marine navigation wherein the navigator conducts a vessel by electronic aids such as radar, echo sounder, Global Positioning System or GPS, and Electronic Chart Display and Information System or ECDIS. Marine Navigation covers as well the Celestial Navigation wherein the navigator conducts a vessel with the aid of a sextant used on determining position by observing celestial bodies such as the moon, stars, planets, and the sun. However in navigating a ship safely, a thorough knowledge and skill, and competence of the navigator are a necessity on, but not limited to: marine meteorology and oceanography, collision regulations at sea, GMDSS, SOLAS, and all other fields which is of vital importance to the marine profession.

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