Texas Kayak Fisherman - Kayak Fishing the Lone Star State!

Navigation Primer - The 1'minute Grid by CaptJack
For those that don't have a mapping GPS unit and\|or still use map&compass. My GPS unit doesn't have mapping in it - it only reads out in coordinates. I leave the coordinate readout set to read in °degrees, 'minutes & .decimal fractions of a 'minute (instead of "seconds or UTM- UniversalTransverseMercator). Most of my TopSpot maps already have a 2'minute latitude & longitude grid drawn on them. I take a pencil &a straight edge and I add in the 1'minute grid lines. In the first map I'm showing how to use a ruler as a tool to find a center mark between two of the existing 2'minute lines on a TopSpot map. After you get all you 1'minute lines drawn on your map put little 'minute numbers along the ones you've added so you know their value at a glance. If you look at the second map from SanLuisPass notice the red dot marked "16BirdIslandFlats". I would estimate that red mark to be 29°06.2'North & 95°08.5'West. Remember that we are north of the equator so you measure north/up from a latitude line to the next higher latitude line and you measure west/left from a longitude line to the next higher longitude line. When you are paddling along and your GPS gives you a reading of 29°04.250'North & 95°09.400'West- you would be in ColdPass right at the junction of Churchhill Bayou. I didn't get that from the GPS, I estimated it from the map. I can either look at the map and estimate the latitude & longitude to the .10th of a 'minute or I can look at the reading on my GPS and estimate my position on the map to 1/10 of a 'minute. If you need to get to a spot on the map, estimate it's position from the map to 1/10th of a 'minute and enter it as a waypoint in your GPS (give it a name) then just hit the "GoTo" button. (1/10th of a 'minute/mile is roughly 600') Note: 1'minute of Latitude is = to 1 Nautical Mile = 6,076' (a Statute Mile is = 5,280') That means that each 1'minute grid on your map is approximately 1 square mile. It makes it very easy to estimate distance by just counting the grids.

Navigation Primer - The 1'minute Grid by CaptJack

For those that don't have a mapping GPS unit and|or still use map&compass. My GPS unit doesn't have mapping in it - it only reads out in coordinates. I leave the coordinate readout set to read in °degrees, 'minutes & .decimal fractions of a 'minute (instead of "seconds or UTM- UniversalTransverseMercator).

Most of my TopSpot maps already have a 2'minute latitude & longitude grid drawn on them. I take a pencil &a straight edge and I add in the 1'minute grid lines.

In the first map I'm showing how to use a ruler as a tool to find a center mark between two of the existing 2'minute lines on a TopSpot map. After you get all you 1'minute lines drawn on your map put little 'minute numbers along the ones you've added so you know their value at a glance.

If you look at the second map from SanLuisPass notice the red dot marked "16BirdIslandFlats". I would estimate that red mark to be 29°06.2'North & 95°08.5'West.

Remember that we are north of the equator so you measure north/up from a latitude line to the next higher latitude line and you measure west/left from a longitude line to the next higher longitude line.

When you are paddling along and your GPS gives you a reading of 29°04.250'North & 95°09.400'West- you would be in ColdPass right at the junction of Churchhill Bayou. I didn't get that from the GPS, I estimated it from the map.

I can either look at the map and estimate the latitude & longitude to the .10th of a 'minute or I can look at the reading on my GPS and estimate my position on the map to 1/10 of a 'minute.

If you need to get to a spot on the map, estimate it's position from the map to 1/10th of a 'minute and enter it as a waypoint in your GPS (give it a name) then just hit the "GoTo" button. (1/10th of a 'minute/mile is roughly 600')

Note: 1'minute of Latitude is = to 1 Nautical Mile = 6,076' (a Statute Mile is = 5,280') That means that each 1'minute grid on your map is approximately 1 square mile. It makes it very easy to estimate distance by just counting the grids.

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