About The Practical Navigator
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Practical Navigator Training is designed to present useful navigation topics for professional and recreational mariners in a no-nonsense way. The organization is run by Capt. Christopher D. Nolan, a former USCG cutterman and current USCG reservist. Chris holds a 1600-ton USCG merchant mariner license upon ocean routes and a 3000-ton STCW license, having served in command of both military and civilian ships. The Practical Navigator project began in 2010 when Chris was the Commanding Officer of USCGC Jefferson Island in Portland, Maine. Recognizing a deficiency in Coast Guard navigational prowess as technology grew to dominate the bridge, Chris decided to combine his three hobbies of film-making, training, and maritime navigation to create funny and educational training videos for his crew and friends. |
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After posting these early videos on YouTube and receiving positive feedback, Chris grew the program over the next several years while he was on sabbatical on his 34-foot sailboat in the Caribbean. There, he wrote, filmed, and edited the 11-part "Celestial Navigation" video series and wrote a navigational textbook called "The Cutterman's Guide to Navigation Problems." After returning to the USA and expanding his own merchant mariner license, Chris recognized that many Coast Guard Approved courses were overpriced and under-whelming in quality. So, he set out to expand the Practical Navigator project to include USCG-Approved training courses from 100-ton master all the way to Advanced Celestial Navigation.
In 2015, Chris left the Coast Guard to pursue a career in maritime education, and has since recognized that as technology improves and the next generation of mariner advances up the hawsepipe, there is a significant need for high quality, low cost training, especially navigation training and USCG license preparation for navigation exams. This website serves as a homeport for The Practical Navigator's training efforts and is meant to assist mariners in learning or improving the fundamentals of maritime navigation and USCG licensing. |
The Practical Navigator Team
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Capt. Kate Enright, Instructor/Proctor
Kate has been working outside on farms since she was 16, and then transitioned to being a tall ship sailor and marine educator. She has worked on a mix of research boats, day sailers and charter boats, pulling boats, and educational sail training programs, but has spent much of her career working for the Sea Education Association (SEA) as almost every deck and galley position up to Chief Mate, and on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. She sails as a captain in Casco Bay, Maine, as she pursues her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. Kate holds a 200 ton near coastal master including auxiliary sail, as well as a 200 ton oceans mate license. She received her first license in 2017 through a combination of Practical Navigator classes and testing in Boston. Kate currently serves as an in-person instructor of 100-ton classes in Maine, as a test proctor for online examinations for all courses, and as a project coordinator for several Practical Navigator programs. |
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Kathy Berube, Online Test Proctor
Kathy holds a B.S. in Biology from Worcester State University, an M.S. in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut, an M.Ed. from Worcester State University, where she currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Online Education Department. Kathy has been boating her entire life, and gets on the water or to the beach as often as possible. She currently resides in Daytona Beach, Florida. She serves as a test proctor for online examinations for all courses and coordinates shipping test and study materials for students. |
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Capt. Ted Hubbard, Military to Mariner
Ted is a Coast Guard veteran, former EAGLE sailor, and expert in outdoor education with NOLS. He teaches "roadshow" style military to mariner classes around the country at Coast Guard units. Ted lives in Mexico. |
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Capt. Rob Cole, Military to Mariner
Rob is a Coast Guard veteran and buoy tender sailor, having completed a decade at sea, most recently in command of CGC WALNUT in Honolulu Hawaii. He teaches military to mariner classes and online radar simulation for Practical Navigator Training. Rob lives in Massachusetts. |
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Capt. Kellee Nolan, Navigator Notions
Kellee completed over 20 years of active duty service as a cutterman in the U.S. Coast Guard in the aids to navigation and icebreaking fleet. She served as a deck watch officer, dive officer, executive officer, and commanding officer during her decade at sea with the Coast Guard. Kellee holds a B.S. in Marine Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and an M.S. in Physical Oceanography from the University of Hawaii. She currently lives and voyages aboard the 50' motor trawler, Bowditch. Check back soon for more about her marine canvas and design project, Navigator Notions. |
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Keeper, the Boat Dog
Keeper joined Practical Navigator in 2022 and serves as the organization's safety coordinator, morale officer, and chief of staff. While underway, she serves as the leading deck petty officer. She enjoys running, digging, and performing surgery on squeaker toys. She also always wears appropriate personal protective equipment and is very concerned about confined space entry. Follow Keeper @keeper.the.boatdog on Instagram for more adventures. |
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Artificially Intelligent Instructors
Practical Navigator has two AI instructors: Practical Navigator Study Buddy is knowledgeable about Practical Navigator specific exams at the 100 ton level. The agent will not divulge specific questions but will help you prepare for these specific exams. The Ghost of Nathaniel Bowditch is knowledgeable about USCG licensing regulations in general and Practical Navigator courses. The agent can answer questions about content on any CG deck exam at any level, as well as general license queries. AI Agents sometimes it hallucinate. If an answer is not good, or if you have any doubt, feel free to contact the human instructors. |
Media
Chris is featured in the "On the Wind" Podcast with 59-North Sailing.
Chris is featured in Fortune Magazine about GPS disruptions and the importance of celestial navigation!
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