This book has been used for 30 years, updated periodically as needed. More than 20,000 students have successfully learned ocean navigation from these materials and gone on to cross oceans or circumnavigate the globe. This book covers how to find position at sea from timed sextant sights of the sun, moon, stars, and planets plus other routine and special procedures of safe, efficient offshore navigation. No previous navigation experience is required. The only math involved is arithmetic (adding and subtracting angles and times). This is a practical, how-to-do-it book, which also includes clear explanations of how it works and how to do it well. Plus this book includes other crucial factors of ocean navigation besides just finding out where you are from the stars, such as logbook procedures, dead reckoning, error analysis, route planning, and more.

At the end of this book, you will be ready for ocean navigation. The book includes: text, practice problems, tables selections, detailed glossary, and full solutions. Printable work forms, plotting sheets, and other resources are available at no charge from www.starpath.com/celnavbook.

Our Fit-Slope Method presented in this textbook is cited in the latest (2017) edition of Bowditch:
The common method of averaging sights is the Fit-Slope Method, e.g. Burch, D. 2015, Celestial Navigation, Second Edition (Seattle, Starpath Publications) pp. 176-177.
--Bowditch, American Practical Navigator, NGA Pub 9. Section 1805.

Preface to the Second Edition:

We are pleased to say that after ten more years of using this text we do not find reason to change the basic approach and methods of the teaching. We still use most of the same examples, which are now quite old, but that is the beauty of celestial navigation. It has not changed, so we do not benefit in any way from making all new examples, which would bring with them more chance of error in a book of many numbers.

We have, however, notably improved and expanded the book. Each section has been updated and reformatted for a clearer presentation, often in response to student questions over the years. New graphics have been added and older ones all updated. There is much new content in the text, especially in the In-Depth chapter, including more detailed discussion of the sailings and more background on the principles. New sections were added on general ocean navigation and optimizing the fixes. We have also updated the electronic navigation section, as most ocean navigators will also be using other tools besides celestial.

A comprehensive text on how to take weather into account for the planning and navigation of voyages, local or global, using the latest technologies as well as the time-honored skills of maritime tradition, so that your time on the water remains as safe and efficient as possible. Covers practical applications of GRIB files, ASCAT wind measurements, and other modern resources.

This book has been used for 30 years, updated periodically as needed. More than 20,000 students have successfully learned ocean navigation from these materials and gone on to cross oceans or circumnavigate the globe. This book covers how to find position at sea from timed sextant sights of the sun, moon, stars, and planets plus other routine and special procedures of safe, efficient offshore navigation. No previous navigation experience is required. The only math involved is arithmetic (adding and subtracting angles and times). This is a practical, how-to-do-it book, which also includes clear explanations of how it works and how to do it well. Plus this book includes other crucial factors of ocean navigation besides just finding out where you are from the stars, such as logbook procedures, dead reckoning, error analysis, route planning, and more.

At the end of this book, you will be ready for ocean navigation. The book includes: text, practice problems, tables selections, detailed glossary, and full solutions. Printable work forms, plotting sheets, and other resources are available at no charge from www.starpath.com/celnavbook. Preface to the Second Edition: We are pleased to say that after ten more years of using this text we do not find reason to change the basic approach and methods of the teaching. We still use most of the same examples, which are now quite old, but that is the beauty of celestial navigation. It has not changed, so we do not benefit in any way from making all new examples, which would bring with them more chance of error in a book of many numbers.

We have, however, notably improved and expanded the book. Each section has been updated and reformatted for a clearer presentation, often in response to student questions over the years. New graphics have been added and older ones all updated. There is much new content in the text, especially in the In-Depth chapter, including more detailed discussion of the sailings and more background on the principles. New sections were added on general ocean navigation and optimizing the fixes. We have also updated the electronic navigation section, as most ocean navigators will also be using other tools besides celestial.

This book provides over 700 exercises with answers covering all aspects of small-craft navigation. These are practical problems that all navigators should know how to solve. Topics include: Piloting, Chart reading and plotting, Voyage planning, Dead reckoning, Compass use, Waypoint selection, Special publications, Rules of the road, Route design, Lights and buoys, Tides and currents, Electronic fixes, Depth sounding navigation The level of the exercises is comparable to that used in the USCG 100-Ton masters exam, which in turn is about the same used in the navigation certification programs of US Sailing, ASA, CYA and RYA. These practice problems are, however, designed to be practical and instructive, not just training exercises for certification exams. This Workbook is used by several navigation schools around the country. Selections are provided from each of these special publications along with exercises to insure their full use is mastered: NOAA Tide Tables, NOAA Current Tables, US Coast Pilot, USCG Light List, USCG Notices to Mariners, NOAA Chart Catalog The exercises that require a chart use nautical training chart No. 1210 Tr, available in print at reduced price from NOAA chart dealers and other outlets listed in the Appendix. You can also work the chart problems with an electronic chart (Raster Navigation Chart, RNC) number 1210 Tr. This custom echart is available as a download from www.starpath.com/1210Tr. The echart can be viewed by any of several free echart viewer programs. Sources for free echart viewers and guidelines for their use are included in the Appendix. You can also use any full echart navigation program of your choice. We encourage navigators to solve the chart problems with both traditional paper plotting as well as electronically, using route tools, electronic bearing lines, and range rings.

This book is an updated and expanded edition of a text that has been used in navigation courses for 30 years. It covers practical small-craft navigation (sail, power, or paddle), starting from the basics and ending with all that is needed to navigate safely and efficiently on inland and coastal waters in all weather conditions. It is for beginners, starting from scratch, or for more seasoned mariners who wish to expand their skills. Topics include: Charts, Chart Reading, and Chart Plotting Instruments and Logbook Procedures Compass Use Piloting and Dead Reckoning Lights and Buoyage Tides and Currents Rules of the Road GPS and other Electronic Aids The GPS tells us where we are and how fast we are moving in what direction, but it can never tell us the safest, most efficient route to our destination. That fundamental task requires the basic navigation skills taught in this book, which we can use as well to check the GPS underway, and then be prepared to navigate without the GPS if we need to. The hallmark of good seamanship is to look ahead and be prepared. The text covers not only the long tested traditional methods of navigation but also the efficient use of the latest technology in electronic navigation and charting.

This workbook is designed to accompany the text Modern Marine Weather by David Burch (First or Second Edition). It can also be used by those who have learned marine weather from other sources. It provides questions and answers for all aspects of marine weather. This workbook is used in training programs around the US. These are practical questions that every mariner should know the answer to. It is a through overview of the subject. Anyone who answers all of these questions can be confident that they have a firm and practical grasp of marine weather that will enhance their interpretation and planning around the weather. Sections on weather map reading are included. There are multiple choice questions as well as short essay questions all with complete answers. The section called Points to Ponder along with their answers provide a summary of the key decisions that must be made in practical marine weather, both in planning and underway. The book is designed for all mariners, recreational and professional. The level of training covered exceeds that required for any certification or professional license exam.

This Book compliles Current Charts and Tide Prints for Puget Sound. Current Charts show the values of the currents at each reference station. There is one chart for every hour throughout the cycle. They are indexed to the tidal current at Admiralty Inlet. Tide Prints show the flow patterns and how they evolve throughout the current cycle. There is one print for every 3 hours throughout the cycle. They are indexed to the tide height in Seattle. Comparing Tide Prints and Current Charts shows the locations of eddies and bands of current, and how these bands and eddies move and interact as the current cycle evolves. These are both perpetual publications, good for any year.

This book turns the 2102-D Star Finder into a hand-held planetarium, which will become your most important tool for star ID and for planning star and planet sights. It also includes many unique practical tables not found elsewhere, such as how to tell the best use of the moon from its age, how to compare brightness of stars and planets in an easy way, which stars are reddish, and more.

Includes a general discussion of choosing and optimizing star-planet sights and how to optimize sun-moon fixes during the day, along with general tips on practical celestial navigation. Plus how to use the Star Finder as a solar compass if your magnetic compass should fail.

Extensive realistic examples worked out in full numerical detail. This is definitely a specialized book. But it will certainly tell you all you ever wanted to know about the Star Finder -- and probably more -- but it is organized in a way that is easy to use to find what you need.

We prepared this book in about 1984 when we learned that nearly every yacht gone ocean voyaging carried a Star Finder with it, but that barely anyone ever used it to any practical value. This book will change that situation for those who take the time to read through it.

Computer programs and smart phone apps can do a lot these days to help with star ID, but few are set up to do this job as well as you can do it yourself with the 2102-D Star Finder.

For the past 30 years, this book has been the authoritative source for all matters of small-boat navigation. Learn how to find and keep track of your position, adjust to changing conditions, and paddle the seas safely and confidently. Includes how to chart an accurate course and maintain it underway-whether touring locally, on open water, or between islands. This updated text includes everything you need to know, from traditional map and compass navigation through state-of-the-art electronic navigation. Knowledge gained here will enhance the safety and efficiency of any outing.

If you are a sea kayaker or long-distance paddler of any craft, this is definitely a book to have and to study. Most kayak instructors nationwide would agree. It covers the principles of navigation that are pertinent to kayaks in clear practical terms, with special emphasis on the effects of wind and current. Piloting techniques are distilled down to those that can be done from the seat of a kayak.

The treatment of tides and currents is more thorough in this book than in most others on the market, especially when it comes to reading the water to interpret currents and for estimating the effects of wind on progress to weather. There are also convenient tricks included-such as how to quickly predict the current at times between peak flow and slack-that do not appear in other books.

The section on the Navigation Rules is a unique treatment of the subject that applies to all self-powered craft, including canoes and paddle boarders, as it addresses the issues and rules that pertain to all vessels, being every description of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. This is an important perspective to keep in mind, even for sailors and power boaters, as it brings to the front the basics that underlie the details. Who has right of way in specific circumstances is a detail; evaluating risk of collision is a basic, and so on.

Updates in the Revised Edition include reports on progress of the print on demand charts (gets A+); new developments in echarts and how this affects latest nav apps; and updates on technology, including, believe it or not, an actual AIS receiver the size of two 9V batteries that is perfectly usable in a kayak viewing the live traffic signals on an Android app in a phone. There are also many important developments in external battery packs, which are needed when navigating by a phone or tablet. All of the online links in the book are updated, as well as the rest of the references cited. The online support and resources page at starpath.com/kayaknav has been expanded.

Starpath work forms for sight reduction procedures in celestial navigation have been used by tens of thousands of navigators for over forty years. Designed to make the sight reduction of all celestial bodies flow in the same logical procedure that matches how data are presented in the Nautical Almanac and in the various sight reduction tables. There is always a place for adjusting angles to base values as needed, plus reminders on the signs of the values. Intermediate results are grouped for convenient entrance to the tables and for plotting the resulting lines of position.

Once a few examples have been worked, the forms alone guide you through the process. Even after being away from cel nav for long periods, the forms are a quick refresher that gets you back up to speed quickly.

Detailed instructions are included, with warnings about common errors. Forms included are:

Form 104 -- Sight reduction of all bodies using Pub 249 (Vols. 2 and 3) or Pub 229 (all volumes). The workhorse of the Starpath approach to celestial navigation

Form 111 -- Sight Reduction of stars using Pub 249 Vol.1 Selected Stars.

Form 106 -- Sight reduction of all bodies using the NAO Sight Reduction Tables included in the Nautical Almanac. This form is a unique tool that makes these tables (that every navigator has) as easy to use as any other method.

Form 108 -- A combination of Form 104 and Form 106 for those who choose the NAO Tables as standard,

Form 109 -- For completing multiple solar index corrections and averaging them. This is a high-accuracy method, praised since the formative days of celestial navigation in the late 1700s, but not used as often as it could be these days.

Forms 107, 110, and 117 cover latitude and longitude at noon as well as latitude by Polaris. These are basic procedures, but many new to cel nav find them helpful to get started... and they are instant refreshers after being away from the subjects for some time.

A comprehensive text on how to take weather into account for the planning and navigation of voyages, local or global, using the latest technologies as well as the time-honored skills of maritime tradition, so that your time on the water remains as safe and efficient as possible. Covers practical applications of GRIB files, ASCAT wind measurements, and other modern resources.

The barometer remains the most important tool for evaluating and predicting the weather. This book explains why knowing accurate values of the atmospheric pressure can improve this process and benefit all applications. Ways to evaluate and calibrate aneroid and electronic barometers using readily available data by Internet or telephone are clearly described. Tactical applications to marine navigation are covered. The book also includes worldwide average monthly pressures and their standard deviations. With the exception of trained meteorological crews, barometers in the past were used at sea primarily to learn if the pressure was going up or down, and whether it was doing this rapidly or slowly. And from this we made an educated guess of a likely consequence, usually in conjunction with other observations. Outside of professional marine use, little effort was made to know the true pressure for several reasons. We did not know what to do with it if we had it, and more often we could not get it if we wanted it, because most barometers were not calibrated. This has changed. We now have many valuable applications of accurate pressure, and we also have affordable ways to get it, and we have convenient ways to prove our instruments work properly. The main goal of this book is to show how all this comes about, and to give more insight into this fascinating, venerable instrument that has been with us for 150 years. Another goal is to introduce users to the new breed of electronic devices that are in the process of revolutionizing how we do weather at sea. We also re-introduce mariners to several classic aneroid instruments that are highly accurate and tested at sea for over 70 years, and why we benifit from having both a calibrated aneroid and an electronic barometer on board.

The ship's logbook has been a maritime tradition since ancient times. It is used to document the voyages and movement of the vessel and events that take place on board related to safe navigation and the well being of the crew and cargo. Designed for sailors by sailors. The simple layout of these record sheets has been tested over thousands of miles of offshore and coastal sailing, racing and cruising.

This book provides over 500 exercises with answers covering all aspects of small-craft navigation. These are practical problems that all navigators should know how to solve. Topics include: Piloting, Chart reading and plotting, Voyage planning, Dead reckoning, Compass use, Waypoint selection, Special publications, Rules of the road, Route design, Lights and buoys, Tides and currents, Electronic fixes, Depth sounding navigation The level of the exercises is comparable to that used in the USCG 100-Ton masters exam, which in turn is about the same used in the navigation certification programs of US Sailing, ASA, CYA and RYA. These practice problems are, however, designed to be practical and instructive, not just training exercises for certification exams. This Workbook is used by several navigation schools around the country. Selections are provided from each of these special publications along with exercises to insure their full use is mastered: NOAA Tide Tables, NOAA Current Tables, US Coast Pilot, USCG Light List, USCG Notices to Mariners, NOAA Chart Catalog The exercises that require a chart use nautical training chart No. 18465 Tr, available in print at reduced price from NOAA chart dealers and other outlets listed in the Appendix. You can also work the chart problems with an electronic chart (Raster Navigation Chart, RNC) number 18465 Tr. This custom echart is available as a download from www.starpath.com/18465tr. The echart can be viewed by any of several free echart viewer programs. Sources for free echart viewers and guidelines for their use are included in the Appendix. You can also use any full echart navigation program of your choice. We encourage navigators to solve the chart problems with both traditional paper plotting as well as electronically, using route tools, electronic bearing lines, and range rings.

There are two types of electronic charts: raster navigational charts (RNC) and electronic navigational charts (ENC). RNC are exact copies of paper charts and their use underway comes naturally to navigators accustomed to paper charts. All traditional paper charts, however, and their RNC are being discontinued by NOAA. Many are gone already and all will be gone in a year or so.

ENC (also called vector charts), on the other hand, include much more information than RNC; they allow user-selected display options that enhance safety and efficiency; and they are easier to keep up to date. But they do not look like traditional charts, and they do not behave like traditional charts. Navigation with ENC is fundamentally different from navigation with paper charts or RNC.

Electronic charting benefits all mariners, professional and recreational, large vessels and small, power and sail, racing and cruising. The unique information in this book should help mariners in any of these categories master the use of ENC to enhance their safety and performance underway. There are many virtues of ENC, but to take advantage of these, a new approach to reading charts is called for. This book explains and illustrates the process.

From the Forward to the Second Edition

Two primary factors have taken place since the first edition that affect the content of this book. Foremost is the ongoing NOAA program to redesign the layout of all ENC to make them more consistent amongst themselves and with the ENC from other nations. This is a major improvement. The process is called rescheming. The most apparent changes are the shapes and coverages of the individual charts, which, when reschemed, become regular and consistent. Chart scales and depth contour conventions are also improved, plus we get a larger (more detailed) compilation scale for many areas.

On top of these changes, the USCG has just completed a call for comments on the proposed new ruling that vessels must have some electronic chart viewer on board to effectively read the official ENC. In other words, we are at the moment when ENC have gone from an optional substitute for paper charts to being a required method of navigation. With all of this going on, we can see why NOAA decided it was time to take on the daunting task of rescheming all of the US ENC.

We have added an appendix on rescheming to cover the details of the changes and how we recognize them in conjunction with what we now call the legacy ENC that exist before rescheming. The full conversion will take some years to complete, so we will be using the legacy ENC layouts for quite a while to come. The interpretation and basic use of ENC does not change with the reschemed charts. When a topic comes up in the book that is affected by rescheming, we make note of the changes with a reference to the appendix.

There is also a short appendix on the new NOAA custom chart program (NCC); another on Inland ENC, the US Army Corps of Engineers charts for the Western Rivers; and one emphasizing a recommended vessel icon set up for navigation in strong wind or current. An overview of the next generation ENC called S-100 has also been added as an appendix.

The second primary factor that has led to updates in this edition was the preparation for and first experiences we have had with our new training course on Electronic Chart Navigation. Many sections throughout the book have been enhanced to reflect the practical experience we gained. Interactions with students first learning a new subject is an invaluable resource we are lucky to have.

Topics with more extensive updates include: coverage of the Quality of data object and Zone of Confidence attributes; treatment of magnetic variation; use of safety contour and safety depth; plus a new section on the use of encrypted S-63 charts with a specific example using the newly free ENC from New Zealand.

This book is an updated and expanded edition of a text that has been used in navigation courses for 30 years. It covers practical small-craft navigation (sail, power, or paddle), starting from the basics and ending with all that is needed to navigate safely and efficiently on inland and coastal waters in all weather conditions. It is for beginners, starting from scratch, or for more seasoned mariners who wish to expand their skills. Topics include:

Charts, Chart Reading, and Chart Plotting
Instruments and Logbook Procedures
Compass Use
Piloting and Dead Reckoning
Lights and Buoyage
Tides and Currents
Rules of the Road
GPS and other Electronic Aids

The GPS tells us where we are and how fast we are moving in what direction, but it can never tell us the safest, most efficient route to our destination. That fundamental task requires the basic navigation skills taught in this book, which we can use as well to check the GPS underway, and then be prepared to navigate without the GPS if we need to. The hallmark of good seamanship is to look ahead and be prepared.

The text covers not only the long tested traditional methods of navigation but also the efficient use of the latest technology in electronic navigation and charting.

Become an Expert Small-Craft Radar Operator

Nothing beats radar for guiding your boat through the darkest night or the thickest fog. Radar enables you to plot a fix from just a single buoy or landmark, and it is the only navigation tool that tells you not just where you are, but who else or what else is out there with you. Today's smaller, affordable, efficient radars make more sense than ever for sailors and powerboaters.

Adopted by the American Sailing Association for their radar course and used by professional and recreational radar training schools around the world, this complete, in-depth manual shows you how to:

• Choose the best radar model for your sailboat or powerboat
• Install, adjust, and operate your system
• Interpret the images on your radar screen
• Pilot your boat and track the movements of vessels around you
• Use radar to track and avoid squalls, outmaneuver competitors in a yacht race, and other specialized tasks
• Interface your radar with a digital compass, GPS, or electronic chart

This book will turn you into an expert on small-craft radar operations. It covers everything--radar choice, installation, use, and how to interface with your electronics. Very comprehensive! -- Boat Books

Stands out among other books on the subject . . . an excellent introduction to radar. -- Power Cruising

Radar is an electronic tool, the operation of which takes much more interpretation than any other--too little knowledge can be just as dangerous as none. Radar for Mariners helps you understand how radar works, explains its limitations, and shows you how to get the full use of radar's functions. This book should show up on the radar screen of anyone with radar--or contemplating getting one. I can't wait to go to my boat and stop playing with my radar and start using it. -- Good Old Boat

- For all radar users, recreational and professional. - Covers the use of radar for chart navigation, blind pilotage, and collision avoidance. This Workbook is designed to be used in classroom or online courses in radar, or for individual study outside of the classroom. The lesson structure follows that used by several schools in the US, based on the background reader Radar for Mariners by David Burch. The Appendix on advanced radar plotting is included for professional mariners who seek more practice on interpreting ARPA output by working out the vector solutions themselves. The ability to manually interpret the radar interactions seen on the screen, independent of electronic solutions, is in keeping with the fundamental tenet of good navigation and seamanship that we should not rely on any one aid alone.

This book is intended for readers who are either already familiar with celestial navigation or are planning to take up the subject, and want to learn about optional resources. This booklet does not teach celestial navigation, nor is it a copy of the Air Almanac.

There are marine navigators who prefer the Air Almanac over the Nautical Almanac. This booklet compares the two almanacs so others can make their choice as well.

The Sky Diagrams of the Air Almanac are an important resource for all navigators, but they can easily be overlooked by those who rely on the Nautical Almanac alone. With that in mind, we give these diagrams here a well deserved review and comparison with competing manual methods of predicting the best bodies to use for a round of sextant sights with an eye toward optimizing the accuracy of the resulting position fix. The right choice of bodies is crucial to the final accuracy.

For an introduction to or review of celestial navigation, see Celestial Navigation: A Complete Home Study Course.

A compilation of nautical chart symbols used on electronic navigational charts (ENC), edited to meet international standards and annotated to clarify nuances in the symbol usage as needed. An appendix includes a complete list of all ENC chart objects and attributes.

At the end of 2024, all traditional NOAA paper charts will have been permanently discontinued and the ENC that replaces them will be the only official nautical charts of US waters. These chart symbols will become increasing more important as mariners transition to the use of ENC.