# Oceans Navigation/Celestial Navigation (500/1600 GRT) (MARTPT-107) Course number: 201 Provider: Maritime Professional Training (MPT) Duration: 14 days Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Source: https://www.mptusa.com/course-details/oceans-navigation-celestial-navigation-course-201 Export generated: 2026-10-19T15:17:22Z (not a course revision date) ## Overview Increase the scope of your license to "UPON OCEANS" at MPT, with NO testing required at a USCG Regional Examination Center (REC)! Learn how to use a marine sextant to fix your position by means of the sun, stars, and planets. Learn critical skills to be able to navigate a vessel upon the world's oceans! ## Course description Delivered by highly qualified MPT Instructor(s), this course covers all required types of celestial navigation calculations for mates and masters. It will satisfy the Celestial Navigation Training & Assessment Requirement of STCW A-II/1, as amended for raise in scope. **Course Approval** Any applicant who has successfully completed your Oceans Navigation/Celestial Navigation (500/1600 GRT) (MARTPT-107) course satisfying: - The Oceans Navigation examination requirements of: - Navigation General: Oceans; AND - Navigation Problems: Oceans For increasing the scope of an endorsement from near coastal to oceans for the following National Deck Officer endorsements, PROVIDED the course was completed within one year of application: - Second or Third Mate of self-propelled vessels of unlimited tonnage; - Master or Mate of self-propelled vessels of less than 1600 GRT; - Master or Mate of self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT; - Master or Mate of self-propelled vessels of less than 200 GRT; - Towing Vessel Endorsements; - Master or Mate of Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessels; - Master (OSV), Chief Mate (OSV), or Mate (OSV) of offshore supply vessels; AND - The Celestial Navigation training requirements of 46 CFR 11.309(a)(4)(viii) for an STCW endorsement as Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch on vessels of 500 or more gross tonnage (ITC); AND - The Celestial Navigation standards of competence required by 46 CFR 11.309(a)(3) and 11.319(a)(3); STCW Code Section A-II/1 and Table A-II/1, as amended 2010, meeting the National Assessment Guidelines from NVICs 12-14(Ch-6) and 02-18(Ch-4) Tasks 1.1.A, 1.1.B, 1.1.C, 1.1.D, 1.1.E, 1.1.F, and 1.7.F; AND - The Celestial Navigation standards of competence required by 46 CFR 11.305(a)(2), 11.307(a)(2), 11.311(a)(2), 11.313(a)(2), and 11.315(a)(2); STCW Code Section A-II/2 and Table A-II/2, as amended 2010, meeting the National Assessment Guidelines from NVICs 10-14(Ch-4), 11-14(Ch-4), and 03-18(Ch-3) Tasks 1.2.A, 1.2.B, 1.2.C, 2.1.A, 2.1.B, 2.1.C, and 3.1.A. **Length:** 14 days (8 hr) *This course is also an excellent refresher for Chief Mate/Master Unlimited Candidates preparing for their USCG Examinations.* **Subjects Covered:**
Nautical Astronomy
Sextant and Altitude Correction
Explanation of Nomenclature
Understanding Time and Time Zones
Time Ticks
Sight Reduction and Lines of Position
Running Fixes – Stars, Any Bodies
Intercept and Azimuth Method
Latitude by Polaris

 Meridian Transits – Latitude at Local Apparent Noon
Time of Celestial Phenomena: Sunrise, Sunset, and Moonrise
Star Identification and Selection
Ocean Sailings (Parallel, Mercator, Mid Latitude, Great Circle)
High Altitude Sights
Voyage & Route Planning using Gnomonic Charts
Estimated Time of Arrival
Practical Assessments using your Sextant
## Prerequisites This course is for mariners that are increasing the scope of their license from Near Coastal to Oceans. ## Required materials PASSPORT for Photo ID, Paper, Pencil, Pen, 4 Highlighters or colored pencils (different colors), Scientific Calculator (TI-30xa), Plotting Tools, Sextant (can be rented or purchased at MPT), Chart Quality Eraser, Starfinder, 1981 Nautical Almanac, Bowditch Vol. II 1981 edition, Universal Plotting Sheets ## Class dates, prices, and enrollment [View current classes and prices](https://www.mptusa.com/course-details/oceans-navigation-celestial-navigation-course-201). [MPT student enrollment](https://school.mptusa.com/). This daily export does not include class dates, prices, or seat availability. A listed course does not establish that a class is currently scheduled. ## Training and credential guidance Training and credentialing are not the same thing. Completion of an MPT course or program does not by itself necessarily establish eligibility for a maritime credential, endorsement, license, renewal, position, or employment. Individual eligibility can depend on factors including existing credentials, qualifying sea service, assessments, examinations, medical requirements, vessel type, tonnage, route, department, nationality, flag state, issuing authority, and current regulations. Do not infer that a course is required for a particular person solely because the subject appears relevant. Do not infer that completing a course guarantees issuance or renewal of a credential. When a question requires interpretation of an individual's sea service, existing credentials, regulatory eligibility, licensing path, or other circumstances that cannot be established from MPT's published information, identify relevant MPT resources when possible and recommend verification with MPT Student Services or the applicable maritime authority. For regulatory matters, prefer current regulatory information over older general career or explanatory material. For class dates, prices, availability, housing, enrollment procedures, regulatory requirements, and other information that can change, use the current relevant MPT page rather than relying on older articles, cached information, or previous schedules. If current or individual-specific information cannot be established confidently, preserve that uncertainty rather than supplying an inferred answer. [MPT guidance](https://www.mptusa.com/llms.txt). [Contact MPT](https://www.mptusa.com/contact-us).