This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

Sextants are used to measure angular heights of celestial bodies above the horizon to find the latitude and longitude of the observer. They can also be used on land with artificial horizons. Sextants can also be used to find the correct Universal Time by measuring the angular distance between the moon and another body along its path across the zodiac. In coastal waters or on land, sextants can be used for very accurate piloting by measuring the horizontal angles between charted landmarks. The vertical angle of a peak above its baseline determines the distance to it, which, combined with a compass bearing, yields a position fix from just one landmark. The angular dip of an object (island or vessel) below the visible horizon can also be used to determine the distance to it. This booklet explains how to get the best results from plastic sextants, and presents numerical comparisons with similar data from metal sextants. Sextant piloting techniques are also reviewed as they are an ideal use of a plastic sextant.

Celestial navigation is a way to find your latitude and longitude on earth using a sextant to measure the angular heights of celestial bodies above the horizon. It has been used by mariners at sea and explorers on land for three hundred years, and it is still used today as a dependable backup to modern electronic navigation. Routine celestial navigation relies upon accurate time (Universal Time) to find the longitude of a position (latitude does not require time). Advanced celestial navigators can find longitude without knowing the time using a technique called Lunar Distance. In this technique, the sextant is used to measure the angular (diagonal) distance between the moon and another celestial body. Since this distance slowly changes as the moon moves eastward though the stars, it can be used to find the time of day that is needed to complete the longitude determination.The process of finding longitude from lunar distance, however, requires special tables that have not been published in the Nautical Almanac or other sources since the early 1900s. Although software solutions have been available, most advanced celestial navigators are very grateful to navigation historian Bruce Stark for creating these printed tables dedicated to this task. They have been used and tested by mariners for more than 15 years and are praised by experts for their ingenuity and ease of use in solving this complex navigation exercise-which all agree is the hallmark of an expert celestial navigator.With The Stark Tables in your nav station, you no longer have to fear losing power to your electronic navigation aids, nor are you dependent on accurate time from any official broadcast.Besides their practical use in back up navigation, historians have used these tables for years to interpret the logbooks of Lewis and Clark, David Thompson, James Cook, Matthew Flinders, George Vancouver, Nathaniel Bowditch, and other notable explorers and sea captains."It is remarkable in this day when the very survival of celestial navigation seems in question, that an individual should suddenly appear on the scene and present to the world such a brilliant piece of work. Stark has rendered a great service to the celestial navigation community." - Robert Eno, The Navigator's Newsletter"Captain Cook would have relished using these tables, had they been available to him then."- George Huxtable, FRIN

This book contains the definitive analysis of the navigation and achievement of the discovery of the North Pole by Robert Peary and Matthew Hensen in April of 1909. The report is the work of members of the Foundation for the Promotion of the Art of Navigation. It was commissioned by the National Geographic Society in 1989 to resolve the controversies surrounding this achievement once and for all. "I consider this the end of a historic controversy and the confirmation of due justice to a great explorer." - Gilbert M. Grosvenor, President National Geographic Society

"Navigation puzzles, controversies, historical problems, and other ponderables demystified by an expert navigator and writer. Joe Portney is a US Naval Academy graduate and Air Force navigator who has participated in three historic flights over the North Pole. He is a past President of the Institute of Navigation and recipient of the Weems Award for continuing contributions to the art and science of navigation. He has produced a wonderful little book here, chock filled with interesting tidbits, each of which can be read in a few minutes but will stimulate your thought for many days to come. Some are very basic, others more involved, but he provides a clear explanation of each. Some refer to math computations that we might not all be familiar with, but this is not a distraction from the main points being made even in these few cases."

New concept in navigation provides the perfect complement to your charts and traditional cruising guides

This unique cruising guide features aerial photos matched with chart segments to guide you through channels and harbor approaches. Prepared with input from local experts up and down the coast, hazards, safe channels, and key navigation aids are clearly labeled on photos and charts.

Plug Nickel is a collection of columns written by author Joel Thurtell about the trials and tribulations of restoring a wooden Lightning sailboat. The "boat" was actually a mold used to make fiberglass boats in the 1960s through 1980s, but it just happened that the mold was the last wooden Lightning sailboat made by boat builder Nickels & Holman. hence the name. It was a male mold, and male molds are nicknamed "plugs." Hence the name, "Plug Nickel." The columns were originally published in the Lightning "Flashes," a publication of the International Lightning Class Association. The essays deal with the how-to of restoring wooden boats, the psychology and philosophy of collecting and fixing antique and the problem of time spent away from family because of an obsession. The book emphasizes trying to restore a boat economically, or "on a shoestring.' It's important to note that the author, Joel Thurtell, was a newspaper reporter and not a trained woodworker. Much of his how-to information is spiced with his own take on how to make things work on a sailboat when the fixer is a layman with no special boatbuilding training.

Two thirds of the world population lies within 60 kilometres of the sea. Much of the well-being of our planet is dependent on the sea as the bulk of international trade passes across oceans and through ports, while the sea is a rich source of protein and contains profound wealth in terms of energy and natural resources. Inevitably, economic stability and development are therefore closely linked to maritime security.

A soup-to-nuts introduction to small, economical sailing craft

Trailer sailers--the smallest, most economical sailboats with sleeping accommodations--are a popular platform for learning the basics of sailing and are often considered to be the entry level to cruising under sail. Author Brian Gilbert shows how trailer sailers can be the ideal craft for a lifetime of enjoyment, including serious, long-distance cruising. This book covers all the bases, including how to inspect, buy, and equip a boat; how to trailer, sail, navigate, and cruise in small boats; how to use communications and navigation equipment; and more.

The definitive guide to a critical, hotly debated topic

How should a sailor cope with storms at sea? Some advocate heaving-to, others running off. Some say trail a sea anchor over the bow, others a drogue astern. The stakes in the discussion couldn't be higher, or the consensus lower. Finally, preeminent sailor/author Hal Roth offers a practical strategy that can evolve and respond as storms grow stronger.

For plotting a vessel's position to a tenth of a mile.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

As every boat owner knows, the more you sail, the more conscious you become of small design faults, safety deficiencies, performance problems, or simply ways in which the boat could be more efficiently maintained. This handbook tells you how to tackles such problems, how to carry out the work with confidence, fully aware of the potential pitfalls and armed with plenty of sound, step-by-step practical advice. A whole range of exciting projects are featured some simple, others more complex but none of which require boatyard expertise. As the author makes clear, the experience of doing the work yourself is rewarding and fun, and it will add to the satisfaction derived from the improvements themselves."

A FASCINATING INVESTIGATION OF HOW WE NAVIGATE THE PHYSICAL WORLD, "INNER NAVIGATION" IS A LIVELY, ENGAGING ACCOUNT OF SUBCONSCIOUS MAPMAKING.

Why are we so often disoriented when we come up from the subway?

Do we really walk in circles when we lose our bearings in the wilderness?

How -- and why -- do we get lost at all?

In this surprising, stimulating book, Erik Jonsson, a Swedish-born engineer who has spent a lifetime exploring navigation over every terrain, from the crowded cities of Europe to the emptiness of the desert, gives readers extraordinary new insights into the human way-finding system.

Written for the nonscientist, "Inner Navigation" explains the astonishing array of physical and psychological cues the brain uses to situate us in space and build its "cognitive maps" -- the subconscious maps it employs to organize landmarks. Humans, Jonsson explains, also possess an intuitive direction frame -- an internal compass -- that keeps these maps oriented (when it functions properly) and a dead-reckoning system that constantly updates our location on the map as we move through the world. Even the most cynical city-dweller will be amazed to learn how much of this innate sense we use every day as we travel across town or around the world.

Both a scientific and a human story, "Inner Navigation" contains a rich assortment of real-life insights and examples of the navigational challenges we all face, no matter where or how we live. It's a book that is as provocative to ponder as it is delightful to lose yourself in. Don't worry: Erik Jonsson will help you find your bearings.

The book is an excellent guide for Marine Engineers, especially those who have just about started with a career out at sea. Lost in the confines of a never-seen-before engine room, this book brings a deep insight into the actual functioning and the ropes of maintaining machinery on a sea going vessel. Most books are written with the purpose of succeeding at the examinations for certification. This book discusses performance criteria of equipment in detail, maintenance based on those criteria with over 170 sketches, drawings and images, and troubleshooting to resolve problems faced on those rust buckets. The book emphasizes training to be a great manager, staying one step ahead of peers (and may be half a step ahead of superiors). Like they say - who needs mathematics to trace a choked filter, huh? A fun book and yet an eye-opener for those still to find their sea legs.

The Army version "Map Reading and Land Navigation" is the simplest and most straightforward explanation of how to get around with just a compass and a map. This guide is perfect for any outdoorsman or for teaching Boy Scouts how to use a compass.

Find a small cruising sailboat and restore it to pristine condition on a budget that won't sink your budget

Small, trailererable cruising sailboats are more popular than ever as mooring spaces dwindle and marina dockage and winter storage costs soar. "Fix It and Sail" helps you discover boatloads of fun far less than a single ski weekend or golf club membership. Veteran sailor and journalist Brian Gilbert shows you how to select and inspect a boat, then restore it from keel to rigging.

Gilbert's clear, step-by-step instructions guide you through every phase of the restoration process from repairing keels, hulls, ports, and cabins to painting, wiring, and sealing. You'll learn how to evaluate, repair and replace hardware, upholstery, canvaswork, and more. Profusely illustrated appendices give you a vivid picture of the costs, tasks, and labor involved in an actual restoration project.