This website has been compiled for the guidance of and use by grade 12 learners taking Nautical Science as one of their secondary school subjects. It follows the approved national curriculum for the subject and comprises three parts, namely Navigation, Seamanship and Communications Metereology is covered on Grades 10 & 11). Although it has been written for grade 12 learners, it forms part of the Maritime learning programme and should be seen as one of the three building blocks of the programme. The programme is aimed at learners interested in following a career at sea and their preparation for tertiary study at Universities of Technology that offer maritime career programmes. The site is not designed to replace more detailed or definitive manuals on the subjects covered but to serve as an introduction to a career at sea. The contents have been derived from a relatively wide selection of source publications, documents, pamphlets and articles in publications and on the internet as well as the compiler’s own experiences at sea.