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Guiding a craft using one of the oldest of the mariner's
arts-celestial navigation
As romantic–sounding as sailing to Tahiti did centuries ago, using the sun, moon, planets, and stars to guide one's boat on the seas is enjoying a comeback. For those who do not wish to be caught short when modern technology fails on board, knowing how to chart a path with the aid of a sextant is an essential navigating skill. In Celestial Navigation, veteran yachtsman, Tom Cunliffe, reveals how any boat owner can master this seafaring technique, without complex mathematics, using his simplified approach. Readers begin with a sound foundation of basic concepts and definitions, before moving on to the hardware-the sextant and how to use it. Within a few pages, you'll be working out your latitude from a noon sight, and learning how to plot a position from observing the sun, planets, moon or stars-or wherever you may be on the world's oceans.
Whether setting out to sea on a short or long journey, Celestial Navigation is an essential guide to using the sun, moon, planets, and stars as your guideposts home.
1 The Earth and the Heavens.
2 The Sextant.
3 The Noon Sight for Latitude.
4 Time.
5 Position Lines and Plotting.
6 Sun Sights.
7 The Planets.
8 The Moon.
9 The Stars.
10 Polaris - the Pole Star.
11 Compass Checking on the Ocean.
12 The Shortest Way.
ShawnM
Posted November 30, 2012
Well written with excellent illustrations. However, after reading this book, the complexities of using a sextant and charts and math formulas makes me want to just use a map and GPS unit. But, should you want to learn the traditional method to play the game of "Where the @!*# am I", this is a pretty neat little book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 21, 2012
Well written and he explains the concepts well; however the illustrations, nice looking as they are, are difficult to see and read. I had to use a magnifying glass to understand them.
That was particularly impossible with the sight reduction tables. You will have to have the books before you to make any sense of his instructions. The author should explain that up front. I was not pleased to learn that after I bought the book.
Overview
Guiding a craft using one of the oldest of the mariner's
arts-celestial navigation
As romantic–sounding as sailing to Tahiti did centuries ago, using the sun, moon, planets, and stars to guide one's boat on the seas is enjoying a comeback. For those who do not wish to be caught short when modern technology fails on board, knowing how to chart a path with the aid of a sextant is an essential navigating skill. In Celestial Navigation, veteran ...