Charting the Course (1990), in bronze and granite, encapsulates John Van Alstine 's exploration of navigation as a metaphor for human agency and the necessity of choosing one's path in life. Anchored by a grounded granite base and animated by outward-reaching bronze elements, the sculpture suggests a moment of poised decision—where direction is not predetermined but actively set.

Reflecting his broader use of tools and structural tension, Van Alstine evokes navigation as an engaged, responsible act requiring balance, adjustment, and intention. Like related works such as the Tiller series and Charting the Course II, and Working the Sails, the piece embodies his belief that life is a continual process of orientation and movement, shaped by the risks we accept and the courses we choose to follow.