|
|
11-08-2016, 10:40
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Grand Rivers, KY
Boat: 1970 Columbia 36
Posts: 44
|
Nav without electronics book
Any know of a old (or new) on how to navigate without electronics like in the old days? I would like to learn how it was done.
|
|
|
11-08-2016, 10:56
|
#2
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Ashland ky
Boat: 41ft morgan
Posts: 48
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Compass and sextant. Old school
Sent from my SM-G900P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
|
|
|
11-08-2016, 11:13
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 797
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
|
|
|
11-08-2016, 12:03
|
#4
|
cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatknot
Any know of a old (or new) on how to navigate without electronics like in the old days? I would like to learn how it was done.
|
Search for yacht navigation on Amazon, there will be dozens.
|
|
|
11-08-2016, 12:11
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto
Boat: CS36Merlin, "La Belle Aurore"
Posts: 7,557
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Bowditch's American Practical Navigator
__________________
Rick I
Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.
|
|
|
11-08-2016, 12:14
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Grand Rivers, KY
Boat: 1970 Columbia 36
Posts: 44
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Thanks guys.
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 09:58
|
#7
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2015
Boat: Land bound, previously Morgan 462
Posts: 1,991
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
The "Bible" of traditional nav: George W. Mixter, "Primer of Navigation". Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1967.
I have the Fifth Edition. I don't think you can easily find any, but it is very complete and not too hard to understand. Fully covers celestial and piloting (using landmarks).
And congratulations for being interested in this - I think you would find it rewarding and even today, sometimes useful.
Doug (old school guy)
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 10:26
|
#8
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Grand Rivers, KY
Boat: 1970 Columbia 36
Posts: 44
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Thanks waterman, I believe that it is important to understand the basics in order to gain a full understanding or appreciation for the latest technology. I also believe in simplisity and have never put full trust in electronic devices. Sure gps works great, but what happens when it fails. Also I don't won't to pour a small fortune into electronics, money which could be put into the sailing kitty if I took the time to learn other ways of navigating.
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 10:39
|
#9
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 5
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Can't beat a paper chart and know how to read it, electronics fail and if you do not know how to find out where you are it could be trouble. You will love being able to navigate on your own. People ask what my hobbies are I tell them navigation the old school way.
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 10:49
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Grand Rivers, KY
Boat: 1970 Columbia 36
Posts: 44
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Just found a used 7th edition of primer of Navigation for $.01 on amazon!
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 11:07
|
#11
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Quote:
Originally Posted by Milfordadkins
Compass and sextant. Old school
Sent from my SM-G900P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
|
That and seat of the pants. Watch the water ( surface ).
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 11:12
|
#12
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 797
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatknot
Thanks waterman, I believe that it is important to understand the basics in order to gain a full understanding or appreciation for the latest technology. I also believe in simplisity and have never put full trust in electronic devices. Sure gps works great, but what happens when it fails. Also I don't won't to pour a small fortune into electronics, money which could be put into the sailing kitty if I took the time to learn other ways of navigating.
|
I think that's admirable and also will be a very interesting learning exercise. We had lots of fun last summer with small children on board helping us with dead reckoning.
I've personally never experienced GPS outage - but I've been told twice in the last two decade of people who lost GPS around the Indian Ocean (I think due to US turning it off due to war). Maintaining the skill set for basic chart navigation and habit of cross referencing is probably most prudent.
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 11:53
|
#13
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2016
Location: mackay, queensland. australia
Boat: e.a jack (builder), g.l watson (designer), 6.2 mtr wll sailboat
Posts: 532
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
sun rise=east
sun set=west
pick a shadow across the boat to align the keel north -south
oops not that ld school
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 12:49
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Scotland
Boat: Bill O'Brien 1975 'Amazon' 8m x 4.5m Ketch-Cutter Cruising Cat & Wharram 'Melanesia' 5m Outrigger
Posts: 82
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatknot
Any know of a old (or new) on how to navigate without electronics like in the old days? I would like to learn how it was done.
|
Really old? Then go right back and look at "The Barefoot Navigator" by Jack Lagan.
Otherwise probably anything older than about 1980 ... checkout when the first affordable electronic navaids came out, maybe a bit earlier maybe a bit later but there are lots of books out there written for amateur and professional sailors - 'charity bookshops', 'bring and buy' and car boot sales are a good bet as are libraries which are still clearing old stock and buying computers (most have sold them off by now but I got some good books that way a few years back!
|
|
|
12-08-2016, 12:51
|
#15
|
Senior Cruiser
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Oregon to Alaska
Boat: Wheeler Shipyard 83' ex USCG
Posts: 3,494
|
Re: Nav without electronics book
You can download a copy of Bowditch's American Practical Navigator here: United States. Hydrographic Office | The Online Books Page
Also useful pubs.
A am a navy trained navigator and still practice. A sextant takes some skill to get an accurate fix and then is nowhere near GPS. On a stable ship, a really good fix is within a mile. Also, it's a series of fixes, morning stars, morning sun, local apparent noon, afternoon sun, evening stars, and moon shots if available. Previous line of positions brought are forward like a running fix and added to current fix.
Taking a course would probably give better results. Many colleges have night courses and business that sell sextants often have classes.
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|
|