A named position, stored as latitude and longitude, used to plan and follow a course.
A waypoint is a position (latitude and longitude) saved in a chartplotter or navigation app, usually with a name. It might be a harbour entrance, a buoy, a turning point around a headland or simply a spot in open water. A sequence of waypoints makes a route.
What the plotter shows
Once you navigate to a waypoint, the chartplotter continuously shows:
- Bearing (BTW): the direction to the waypoint.
- Distance (DTW): how far it is, in nautical miles.
- Cross-track error (XTE): how far you are off the direct line.
- VMC and estimated time of arrival.
An arrival circle around the waypoint decides when it counts as reached and the plotter switches to the next one.
Setting waypoints safely
- Place waypoints in safe water, not exactly on a buoy or a harbour entrance. Other boats aim for the same spot.
- Check every leg between waypoints for shallows, obstructions and restricted areas; a straight line on the chart says nothing about what lies beneath it.
- Note the datum: plotters and GPS use WGS 84, and most modern charts do too.