There are a number of useful things which I have been taught which helped me with the skills test diversion. .. .a) Make sure you know your starting point - this may seem obvious but if you start from a vague "about here" it's not going to help - even if your start point is a few miles ahead on your planned track this should be no problem - a large town or suitable landmark - mine used Glastonbury Tor.. .. .b) A radio plotter is a great investment for only a few pounds - it fits in the shirt pocket, is marked in scales of 1:500 and also has the compass rose on it for plotting bearings etc on your map. It is also a good idea to mark the scale for say 2 minute segments at 90kts eg. 3NM so that when you draw your line on the mpa, you can easily estimate an ETA. .. .c) On the map, before I go anywhere, I draw a wind vector in a large, prominent place - the forecast 2000ft wind is good, along with the Max Drift - then apply drift as stated above 15deg = 1/4, 30deg = 1/2 and so on.. .. .d) Above all relax and the remember to Aviate, Navigate and Communicate (in that order !). .. .Rgds. .. .TZ