Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen [Paperback]

There is deep mystery and profound satisfaction in finding your position on earth by reference to the sun, moon, and stars--not to mention profound relief when the GPS receiver stops working in mid-passage. That is why knowledge of celestial navigation is still a rite of initiation, and its practice still a favorite pastime among serious cruisers.

That this edition ofCelestial Navigation for Yachtsmenshould appear 44 years after the first British edition and 27 years after its first publication in the U.S. is eloquent testimony to the author's clear, concise explanation of a difficult skill. Through those years,Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmenhas been the best-known, best-loved primer on the subject throughout the English-speaking world. It successfully teaches sailors who have been demoralized by bigger books. It remains the famous little book on celestial navigation.

Among other changes, this edition substitutes the Nautical Almanac for the Air Almanac, discusses the short tables based on H.O. 211, expands the discussion in a few areas, fine-tunes it in others, and shows how to advance a line of position for a running fix from sun sights. The only mathematics involved are straightforward addition and subtraction.

Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmenhas spawned many imitators over the years, but it's still the best--with this new edition more than ever.

Forewords

Preface

Editor's Note

The Theory

The Heavenly Bodies

The Geographical Position (GP)

Declination

Hour Angle

The Zenith

The Horizon

Altitude

Zenith Distance

The Elevated Pole

Azimuth and Azimuth Angle

Great Circles

Universal Time (UT)

The Position Line

Spherical Triangles

The Intercept

Sextant Altitude and Observed Altitude

Dip; Refraction; Semi-Diameter; Parallax

The Practice

Almanacs and Tables