Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
This course prepares you to face the challenges of the sea with sound judgment. You will learn to assess risk before and during a passage, read forecasts and the sea itself, prepare the boat, crew and safety equipment for bad weather, and handle strong winds, heavy seas, currents, fog and darkness with the help of compass, GPS, radar, AIS and VHF, so that you can make timely decisions under pressure and bring the vessel and everyone aboard safely to port.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course?
This short course focuses on prudent seamanship when conditions turn against you, on motor and sailing boats, small passenger craft and boats being delivered along the coast. You will study what makes conditions adverse and how wind, waves, current, rain, fog, storms, temperature and traffic combine with the limits of the boat and crew; the criteria for setting out, changing route, seeking shelter, slowing down or canceling; reading forecasts and the sea in real time; planning fuel, tides, weather windows and alternative harbors; preparing hull, engine, steering, deck and safety gear; organizing the crew; and handling head, following and beam seas, harbor entrances, bars and low visibility.
What sets this course apart: a decision-making approach that treats the best heavy-weather tactic as the one that avoids unnecessary exposure, with clear go/no-go and diversion criteria; analysis of the most common errors, such as overconfidence, misread forecasts, running short of fuel, fatigue and late decisions; practical checklists for the boat, deck, crew and passenger briefings; and an applied project in which you plan a real or realistic passage with its preventive plan, adverse-weather protocol and emergency plan.
Program highlights
- Risk assessment: go/no-go criteria, diversion, shelter and the most common decision errors.
- Weather and sea: forecasts of wind, gusts, swell and visibility and real-time reading of the sea.
- Passage planning: refuges, alternative ports, fuel, tides, weather windows and alternative routes.
- Boat and crew preparation: deck, stowage, safety equipment, watches, rest and seasickness prevention.
- Heavy-weather handling: head, following and beam seas, harbor entrances, bars and surf zones.
- Low visibility: fog, rain and darkness with compass, GPS, radar, AIS, sound signals and VHF.
Syllabus of the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of navigation in adverse conditions, risk assessment and prudent decision-making
- 1.1. The concept of adverse conditions and the differences between bad weather, low visibility, rough seas, strong winds and operational emergencies
- 1.2. Risk factors: wind, waves, current, rain, fog, storms, cold, extreme heat, traffic and the limitations of the boat
- 1.3. The relationship between preparation, skipper experience, condition of the boat, crew, route and safety margin
- 1.4. Criteria for setting out, changing route, seeking shelter, reducing speed, postponing or canceling the passage
- 1.5. Common errors: overconfidence, misreading the weather, running short of fuel, fatigue and late decisions
Meteorology, reading the sea and preventive route planning
- 2.1. Basic interpretation of forecasts for wind, gusts, waves, period, direction, pressure, rain, visibility and storms
- 2.2. Reading the sea in real time: breakers, cross seas, current, foam, water color, clouds and changes in light
- 2.3. Identifying shelters, alternative ports, safe anchorages, dangerous areas, shoals, headlands, channels and exposed coasts
- 2.4. Planning fuel, autonomy, timings, tides, weather windows and alternative routes
- 2.5. Prior communication with the crew, harbor, operating base, nearby vessels and contacts ashore
Preparing the boat, crew and equipment for bad weather
- 3.1. Checking hull, engine, steering, batteries, bilge pumps, fuel, ground tackle, lights and communication systems
- 3.2. Preparing the deck: secure stowage, tidy lines, closed hatches, fewer loose objects and protected access points
- 3.3. Safety equipment: lifejackets, harnesses, jackstays, VHF, flares, first aid kit, lifebuoys, EPIRB, tools and torches
- 3.4. Organizing the crew: roles, watches, rest, food, hydration, warm clothing and prevention of seasickness and fatigue
- 3.5. Safety briefing for passengers or guests covering how to move about, safe positions and what to do in an emergency
Techniques for navigating in strong winds, heavy seas, current and low visibility
- 4.1. Adjusting speed, heading, trim, weight distribution and steering to wind, waves, current and type of boat
- 4.2. Navigating in head seas, following seas, beam seas and cross seas and the risk of slamming, shipping water or broaching
- 4.3. Prudent maneuvers at harbor entrances, bars, channels, surf zones, anchorages and close to the coast
- 4.4. Navigating in heavy rain, fog, darkness, reduced visibility, close traffic and with limited visual references
- 4.5. Use of compass, GPS, radar, AIS, echo sounder, charts, lights, sound signals and VHF communication in support of safety
Applied project in navigation in adverse conditions
- 5.1. Definition of the case: coastal passage, recreational outing, boat delivery, passenger operation, night passage or return in bad weather
- 5.2. Diagnosis of the boat, route, weather, crew, available equipment, shelters, risks and operating limits
- 5.3. Design of the preventive plan with alternative route, cancellation criteria, deck preparation, safety and communications
- 5.4. Preparation of the protocol for bad weather, low visibility, heavy seas, current, critical maneuvers and fatigue control
- 5.5. Development of the emergency plan, outside assistance, post-event recovery, incident recording and continuous improvement
Duration and format of the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
Career opportunities after the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
Questions about the Navigation in Adverse Conditions Course
Skippers, deck officers, delivery crews, workboat and tug personnel, operators of passenger and charter boats, and anyone who wants to make safer decisions when conditions deteriorate at sea.
Yes. You will study how to adjust speed, heading, trim and weight distribution in head, following, beam and cross seas, and how to approach harbor entrances, bars and surf zones prudently.
A great deal. The course stresses that the safest option is often to delay, divert or seek shelter, and gives you clear criteria for those decisions and the most common errors to avoid.
Yes. You will learn to navigate with reduced visibility and limited visual references using compass, GPS, radar, AIS, echo sounder, charts, lights, sound signals and VHF.
No. The course is delivered online and works through case studies, planning exercises and an applied project. It is a good complement to practical training at sea with a qualified instructor.
No. Navalis Institute teaches the subject; recreational and professional nautical licenses are issued by the competent maritime authority under its own requirements.
Through exercises in each module and a final project in which you plan a passage with its preventive plan, adverse-weather protocol and emergency plan.
More programs in Bridge and navigation
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: a recreational or professional nautical qualification, or demonstrable sea-going experience; skippers, deck officers, delivery crews, workboat and tug personnel and nautical students are welcome.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with webcam and microphone and a broadband connection to follow the classes and work with charts, forecasts and case studies.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.