The New and Improved Celestial Navigation Poll

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I don't disagree with that at all but you did say toy.

I did not. Lots of people tell me what I say but it is for everybody to read back what I actually write. Often, it is what you wanted to read but not what I wrote nor what I meant.

ciao!
Nick.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by familycruisers

Why thank you!

Personally I'd like to take the time to learn, and may one day, but I doubt it. To much other crap crammed in there!!!!!!!
Fact is, like Bob said, I'm gettin'' home, come hell, or high water, I'm gettin' where Im goin'!!

btw, cell phone in the boat, in pocket, shelf, or what have you. They would get possibly get fried to by lightning strike??

I would think a strike that doesn't take you out, a cell phone on your person should be OK. And if it takes you out, then you don't need it.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I did not. Lots of people tell me what I say but it is for everybody to read back what I actually write. Often, it is what you wanted to read but not what I wrote nor what I meant.

ciao!
Nick.

You're right Nick...I apologize. I have a tendency to chase after cars in the streets during the day and the exhaust can be overwhelming. You said GAME...not TOY. So I stand by my statement but please replace toy with game...

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Astrid

@Nick, to me a GPS is a good all rounder tool to have, but, to paraphrase the character in your Icon, a sextant is an elegant tool for a more civilized age.

Yes, when scurvy was out of control and syphillis was rife, sailors were press ganged, and often flogged to death around the fleet, and rarely more than half the crew made it back home... ah, the good old days....

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

I would think a strike that doesn't take you out, a cell phone on your person should be OK. And if it takes you out, then you don't need it.

You don't think there would be mobile service in heaven?

[sneuman]

Well, in my case I was an amateur astronomer before a celestial navigator, having built several telescopes from scratch over the years. So, that's probably part of it. So far, my fleeting attempts at star sights have come to naught, but at least I can dispense with the need to use a star finder -- I know all the navigational stars (and that's not hard to learn, btw).

I do find it interesting that our admittedly unscientific poll seems to be showing that the majority of respondents either know celestial or plan to know it. What's up with that in the age of GPS? Maybe S/V Jedi, for all his hyper modernism, is missing the zeitgeist here.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by sneuman

I do find it interesting that our admittedly unscientific poll seems to be showing that the majority of respondents either know celestial or plan to know it. What's up with that in the age of GPS? Maybe S/V Jedi, for all his hyper modernism, is missing the zeitgeist here.

... or, I am not the new-age type of guy

But I think only sailors who are interested in celestial nav. are in this thread... we should count how many have multihulls vs monohulls, Rocna vs Manson, in-mast furling vs real sails etc.

ciao!
Nick.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

... or, I am not the new-age type of guy

But I think only sailors who are interested in celestial nav. are in this thread... we should count how many have multihulls vs monohulls, Rocna vs Manson, in-mast furling vs real sails etc.

ciao!
Nick.

You make a good point. I find myself in agreement with you much of the time. And, I am not trying to defend CN as a practical alternative to anything. It's more spiritual (though gawd, I hate that word!) than practical.

[Geoduck]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

... or, I am not the new-age type of guy

But I think only sailors who are interested in celestial nav. are in this thread... we should count how many have multihulls vs monohulls, Rocna vs Manson, in-mast furling vs real sails etc.

ciao!
Nick.

I drag mine out every once in a while to see if I still know which hand to hold it in.....by the way, I have a wood monohull, CQR, real sails, WWll sextant, and an I-phone with Navex in it so I wont get lost!
I'll bet I've got the oldest boat and sextant on this thread - 1941?

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

I'll bet I've got the oldest boat and sextant on this thread - 1941?

Beat me on the boat, but my sextant (from my Dad) is dated 1938, with vernier scale rather than micrometer

[Geoduck]

I submit! You can bet we both saw action.

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by sneuman

I do find it interesting that our admittedly unscientific poll seems to be showing that the majority of respondents either know celestial or plan to know it.

Out of those "plan to" people, how many will. I was just being honest. To even really put it on the to do list would be if a long off shore trip was in the planning, otherwise a compass should suffice.

btw - started reading the pdf, only got to where it said something about needing a graphing calculator. Is that true?

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by familycruisers

Out of those "plan to" people, how many will. I was just being honest. To even really put it on the to do list would be if a long off shore trip was in the planning, otherwise a compass should suffice.

I guess my question is why does everyone think celestial is some kind of black art? It's not.

The theory is simple, the practice even more so. It's what? Half a dozen or fewer corrections, a couple of interpolations and then, bingo!

Really, what's the big fracking deal? I flunked high school algebra, and even I can do it!

I'd bet most people spend as much time trying to figure out their fancy chartplotter/GPS/radar/popcorn popper.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by familycruisers

Out of those "plan to" people, how many will. I was just being honest. To even really put it on the to do list would be if a long off shore trip was in the planning, otherwise a compass should suffice.

btw - started reading the pdf, only got to where it said something about needing a graphing calculator. Is that true?

...out of those cruising people...how many will cruise?
...out of those looking to buy a boat...how many will?
The list is endless. I guess a sub-category could be...
Those who have a boat, have sailed and have invested in a sextant...

[deckofficer]

What I find interesting about the poll, it breaks down to 52% do not currently know how to CN. I would say 48% is a huge number considering the make up of the forum being 75% coastal and inland waters sailors, and the other 25% passage making cruisers and Merchant Mariners.