Triangles

Triangles: these things are the handiest gadgets you've got. They're straight-edges, protractors, dividers and compass all in one, if you know how to use them.

-To get a bearing line on a chart:
-Start with the central point (the black dot where all of the lines meet) of the triangle on a line of longitude on a chart. With this set up, the bearing you have is whatever number along the edge of the triangle is along the line on the chart.
-Another way to do this with a chart is simply to orient either the long edge of the triangle (or the black line parallel to the long edge) to the desired bearing on the nearest compass rose presented on the chart. From here, use your other triangle to parallel that bearing where you need it.

-Paralleling a bearing
-Once you have the desired bearing with one triangle, simply line up your other triangle along any edge and while holding on to one or the other, slide the loose one where you need it; effectively, when you slide, the triangle will not rotate any, but simply shift (translate) to where you need it.