The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--the longitude problem.

Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that the longitude problem was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day-and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives and the increasing fortunes of nations hung on a resolution. One man, John Harrison, in complete opposition to the scientific community, dared to imagine a mechanical solution-a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land.

Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.

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.

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.

A great read about some great ladies, Pat Majher's Ladies of the Lights pays long overdue homage to an overlooked part of Great Lakes maritime history in which a select group of stalwart women beat the odds to succeed in a field historically reserved for men.
---Terry Pepper, Executive Director of Great Lakes Lighthouse Keeper's Association

Michigan once led the country in the number of lighthouses, and they're still a central part of the mystique and colorful countryside of the state. What even the region's lighthouse enthusiasts might not know is the rich history of female lighthouse keepers in the area.

Fifty women served the sailing communities on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, as well as on the Detroit River, for more than 100 years. From Catherine Shook, who raised eight children while maintaining the Pointe Aux Barques light at the entrance to Saginaw Bay; to Eliza Truckey, who assumed responsibility for the lighthouse in Marquette while her husband fought for four years in the Civil War; to Elizabeth Whitney, whose combined service on Beaver Island and in Harbor Springs totaled forty-one years---the stories of Michigan's ladies of the light are inspiring.

This is no technical tome documenting the minutiae of Michigan's lighthouse specifications. Rather, it's a detailed, human portrait of the women who kept those lighthouses running, defying the gender expectations of their time.

Patricia Majher is Editor of Michigan History magazine, published by the Historical Society of Michigan. Prior, she was Assistant Director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame in Lansing, Michigan. In addition, she has been writing both advertising and editorial copy for almost thirty years and has been a frequent contributor to Michigan newspapers and magazines.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...is the same as the latitude of the point on the line A', R/J 25 19'.4 S. B115 31.5 W. We now have two Sumner linee, A'and B', under Case I, whose common latitude is 25 19MS., and whose longitudes on the common parallel are 114 61K.7 and 115 31'.5. Hence, the difference of longitude on the common parallel is 115 31'.5 W. 114 59'.7 W. CHAPTER XVI. THE PEAOTIOE 01 NAVIGATION AT SEA. 381. Having set forth in previous chapters the methods of working dead reckoning and of solving problems to find the latitude, longitude, chronometer correction, and azimuth from astronomical observations, it will be the aim of the present chapter to describe the conditions which govern the choice and employment of the various problems, together with certain considerations by which the navigator may be guided in his practical work at sea. 382. Departure And Dead Reckoning.--On beginning a voyage, a good departure must, be taken while landmarks are still in view and favorably located for the purpose; this becomes the origin of the dead reckoning, which, with frequent new departures from positions by observation, is kept up to the completion of the voyage, thus enabling the mariner to know, with a fair degree of accuracy, the position of his vessel at any instant. At the moment of taking the departure, the reading of the patent log (which should have been put over at least long enough previously to be regularly running) must be recorded, and thereafter at the time of taking each sight and at every other time when a position is required for any purpose, the log reading must also be noted. It is likewise well to read the log each hour; for general information as to the speed of the vessel as well as to observe that it is in proper running order and that the rotator has not been fouled ...

Nautical almanac data for the sun and selected stars valid until 2050, plus easy to use, concise sight reduction (same tables used in the US-UK Annual Nautical Almanac) and altitude correction tables. Plus work forms to make the process even easier. A concise one-book solution for celestial navigation. It takes a few extra steps to get GHA and dec with the Long Term Almanac, since it does it without the usual 10 pounds of reference books, but with practice it takes just a few minutes longer than normal almanac look up.

Most navigators have heard of Viking sunstones, but few realize they are more than legend. Leif Karlsen has brought them to life. He shows us how they work--now, and a thousand years ago--and what it was that led the Viking navigators to develop this unique tool for finding the direction to the sun, even when the sun is obscured by clouds or fog.

Take to the water with this fun, visual miscellany for children who love anything boat related! Each double-page spread features a different group of boats and other watercraft to explore, such as helpful lifeboats, racing dragon boats and super submarines. Discover rowing, fishing and record-breaking boats from around the world, plus hard-working ships such as icebreakers and fireboats. Explore inside a car ferry, visit the floating market and find out how a boat floats.

Filled with hundreds of different boats, ships, subs, and other wonderful watercraft, even the most avid young boat fanatic will discover new vessels they haven't seen before!

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.

Nautical almanac data for the sun and selected stars valid until 2050, plus easy to use, concise sight reduction and altitude correction tables. Plus work forms to make the process even easier. A concise one-book solution for celestial navigation. It takes a few extra steps to get GHA and dec with the Long Term Almanac, since it does it without the usual 10 pounds of reference books, but with practice it takes just a few minutes longer than normal almanac look up.

All the information you need for:

- Finding your position from timed sextant sights
- Checking your compass by celestial bearings
- Computing great circle routes to your destination

In today's world, Soldiers rely heavily on their GPS. What are you going to do if you run out of batteries or the satellites go down? You better know how to use a map and compass. Land Navigation is the skill that sets apart the Army's elite Soldiers from the average Soldiers.

Unfortunately, the Army doesn't do a very good job of teaching land navigation. This book will be your ultimate trainer. Whether you just want to improve your navigation skills for hunting and hiking or you aspire to attend the Army's toughest schools and selection courses, this is the book for you.

The skills in this book range from basic to advanced. The Basic section of the book covers the fundamentals and basic skills necessary to be able to navigate. Much of that information is also found in FM's and Soldier's Manuals, which are very few in print these days with everything being digital. The Advanced section covers field expedient methods, route planning as well as tips and tricks and a section on the Ranger School Land Nav course and the SFAS Land Nav course.

The contributors to this book were Ranger Instructors, Special Forces, and a 1st SFOD-D officer. They completed many Army land nav courses including the most difficult land nav tests the Army has to offer. I think you'll find their insight helpful and useful. If you apply what is in this book you will be the best Soldier at Land Nav in your unit and won't have any problem with basic and advanced course land nav tests, EIB land nav, or Ranger, SFAS, and Delta Selection. Make your own luck!

Contains:

• Basics
• Distance
• Grid Coordinates
• Locate your position
• Use a compass
• Azimuth Conversion
• Navigate
• Field Expedient Methods for Direction
• Map Folding
• Tips & Tricks
• Ranger/SF School

Inertial navigation is widely used for the guidance of aircraft, missiles, ships and land vehicles, as well as in a number of novel applications such as surveying underground pipelines in drilling operations. This book sets out to provide a clear and concise description of the physical principles of inertial navigation, the associated growth of errors and their compensation. There is also detailed treatment of recent developments in inertial sensor technology and a description of techniques for implementing and evaluating such systems. This new edition includes a number of refinements covering sensor technology, geodesy and error modelling, plus new chapters on MEMS technology and inertial systems applications.

This new edition includes a discussion of theories about traditional methods of navigation developed during recent decades, the story of the renaissance of star navigation throughout the Pacific, and material about navigation systems in Indonesia, Siberia, and the Indian Ocean.

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.

This version of the handbook is printed in color. Color is necessary to visually understand the light color patterns described in this book.

We include the latest Notice to Mariners updates and highlight each update with underlines and or footnotes.. THIS EDITION IS UPDATED TO INCLUDE NTM 18-20

The Navigation Rules & Regulations Handbook (Nav Rules) contains the essentials of boating protocol and safety. It is the reference manual every boat should carry and every skipper should be intimately familiar with. So valuable in fact the US Coast Guard REQUIRES a copy on board all vessels 12 meters (approximately 39') or more in length:

33 CFR 83.01(g) requires: 'The operator of each self-propelled vessel 12 meters or more in length shall carry, on board and maintain for ready reference, a copy of these Rules.'

This handbook is a compendium produced by the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Standards Branch, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC, of the:

• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS);
• Inland Navigation Rules (33 CFR 83);
• their respective technical annexes (33 CFR 84-90);
• COLREGS Demarcation Lines (33 CFR 80);
• Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Regulations, (33 CFR 26);
• Vessel Traffic Management Regulations (33 CFR 161); and,
• various other pertinent provisions of the U.S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations regarding compliance and penalties associated with the Navigation Rules.

Coastal Navigation for Class and Home Study is based on the notes prepared for students by the author during some 20 years of teaching navigation, initially to private or commercial pilots, and then to sailors and professional mariners.

The book is copiously illustrated with graphics which explain chart projections, scales and symbols, and describe lights and other navigation aids. It demystifies the True, Magnetic and Compass Norths as well as problems of time, speed and distances, and explains how to plot courses and take bearings, or draw regular and advanced Lines of Position using the international system of labeling.

The book further clarifies the use of vectors to easily determine the impact of a current on the boat speed and direction, and goes on to show how to evaluate tides and currents. The final sections describe the use of GPS and electronic charts, highlighting their limitations. Additional notes and explanations are given in the areas where students traditionally experience difficulties, as well as supplementary examples and exercises.

The companion book, Coastal Navigation Exercises, offers all the exercises needed for practice.

Authoritative, practical, and hands-on information on reading and relying on electronic and paper nautical charts

The classic How to Read a Nautical Chart explains every aspect of electronic and paper nautical charts: how a chart is assembled, how to gauge the accuracy of chart data, how to read charts created by other governments, how to use information such as scale, projection technique and datum that every chart contains; how not to get fooled or run aground by overzooming. Nigel Calder teaches you how to squeeze every ounce of information out of a nautical chart (on your GPS, chartplotter, or nav station) and understand the limits of accuracy for all charts, paper and electronic, raster and vector.

This much-awaited second edition addresses the changes in the world of electronic charting, integrated onboard navigation systems, as well as radar overlays and AIS and their interfacing with charts. A new chapter onthe Wiki Revolution explores the mechanisms allowing you to incorporate user-generated content into navigational products and share this content with others--harnessing a user-base never before possible. Calder also explores how 3D-technology and real-time depth and weather information is creating interactive charting capacities that are fundamentally changing how we navigate. Calder's unique, practical insights will help you to navigate safely for years to come.

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.

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.