Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 11-08-2016, 10:40   #1
Registered User
 
whatknot's Avatar

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.
whatknot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2016, 10:56   #2
Registered User
 
Milfordadkins's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Ashland ky
Boat: 41ft morgan
Posts: 48
Images: 2
Re: Nav without electronics book

Compass and sextant. Old school

Sent from my SM-G900P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
Milfordadkins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2016, 11:13   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 797
Re: Nav without electronics book

https://www.celestaire.com/books-sof...avigation.html
SV DestinyAscen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 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 View Post
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.
conachair is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2016, 12:11   #5
Registered User
 
Vasco's Avatar

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.
Vasco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2016, 12:14   #6
Registered User
 
whatknot's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Grand Rivers, KY
Boat: 1970 Columbia 36
Posts: 44
Re: Nav without electronics book

Thanks guys.
whatknot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 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)
waterman46 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2016, 10:26   #8
Registered User
 
whatknot's Avatar

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.
whatknot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 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.
captmikem1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2016, 10:49   #10
Registered User
 
whatknot's Avatar

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!
whatknot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2016, 11:07   #11
Registered User
 
Cadence's Avatar

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 View Post
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 ).
Cadence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2016, 11:12   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 797
Re: Nav without electronics book

Quote:
Originally Posted by whatknot View Post
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.
SV DestinyAscen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 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
knockabout is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 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
Wink Re: Nav without electronics book

Quote:
Originally Posted by whatknot View Post
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!
Bobcat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2016, 12:51   #15
Senior Cruiser

Cruisers Forum Supporter

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.
Lepke is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
electronics

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Nav and electronics setup Defever 52 Euro clausovergaard Marine Electronics 6 31-05-2013 02:51
Nav System Question for Electronics Whizzes Dockhead Marine Electronics 11 29-05-2011 10:46
Thoughts on Nav Electronics Placement felixqld66 Navigation 4 09-01-2011 09:49
When Electronics and NAV Instruments Get Commoditized PamlicoTraveler Marine Electronics 18 30-08-2010 18:01
New Electronics / Nav System . . . Smoke and Mirrors ? Stirfryd Marine Electronics 4 30-07-2010 16:29

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 23:31.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.