Celestial Navigation » (Revised)

Tom Cunliffe is one of Britain’s leading writers on sailing and the sea, and a consultant for US Sailing.  He has cruised from Brazil to Iceland and from the Caribbean to Russia.

Celestial navigation is one of the oldest of the mariner’s arts – and one of the most awe-inspiring. To guide a small boat across the trackless oceans using a simple measuring device – the sextant – and a knowledge of the Sun, Moon and stars is a skill that borders on the magical. It is also essential for every ocean sailor who wants to be able to fix his position should the GPS fail.

In these pages Tom Cunliffe shows how to master the art in easy stages. His talent is to educate without intimidating. Starting from a sound foundation of the basic concepts and definitions, he moves on to the hardware: the sextant and how to use it. Within a few pages you’ll be taking your first sight. From there it is a short step to plotting your position, wherever you may be on the world’s oceans.

NEW EDITION FEATURES:

• Revised text and new photographs

• Video tutorials accessed online

• Access to downloadable calculation sheets

Whether you need to pass an exam, want a back-up to GPS positioning or simply choose to delight in the wonder of the cosmos, this is the perfect guide.

Tom Cunliffe is Britain’s leading sailing journalist and writer. He learned his sextant skills during numerous ocean passages, many of them made in the days before GPS. Tom is a RYA(R) Yachtmaster[R] Instructor Examiner and has acted as consultant for US Sailing. He has lectured extensively around Britain and the USA and writes regularly for Yachting Monthly, Yachting World and SAIL magazine. He also wrote and presented the BBC TV series, The Boats That Built Britain.

Wiley Nautical recommends this title for the Celestial Navigation section of the RYA [R] Ocean Yachtmaster [R] course.

ISBN: 9780470666333

UK £11.99 / US $19.95 / CDN $23.95

www.wileynautical.com

Front cover image: TAMAYA TECHNICS INC.

Introduction.

1 The Earth and the Heavens.

2 The Sextant.

3 The Noon Sight for Latitude.

4 Time.

5 Position Lines and Plotting.

6 Sun Sights.

7 The Planets.

8 The Moon.

9 The Stars.

10 Polaris - the Pole Star.

11 Compass Checking on the Ocean.

12 The Shortest Way.