Celestial navigation

[RayNWanda]

 We are now the owners of a Davis Mark 25 deluxe sextant, and trying to figure out what else we need. I am working up an order for the rest of it. I have a pad of Davis Celestial navigation work forms and a 2010 Nautical Almanac. Do we need pub. 229- sight reduction tables? Seems like we do?
I have a self teaching book- I may need a self psychoanalysis guide before this is over with.

[RayNWanda]

Yup- gotta have it. We will need volumes 1-3. A little looking in the teaching guide turned up the answer.

[Dale Tanski]

Ray,
I picked up a sextant, read the books and actually determined where we live +/- 10 miles.  Not easy to do at 1200 feet elevation and no flat horizon line for miles.  I wish you luck.  It is something I always wanted to do but unless you are at sea level is a bummer.  I actually though about picking up a aviation sextant. They look down as well as up.
Good Luck ...   Dale

[RayNWanda]

 Sea level is available here- I can walk about 100 yds to the neighborhood boat ramp, but I only have a good horizon to the SW. Here in town there are several fishing piers I can use and have a good horizon almost everywhere except to the north. Then there is the heliport offshore. I have some good readily accessible places to work, I should be able to figure this out.
I've ordered work forms, a Nautical Almanac, and Sight Reduction Tables vols 1-3. I also got a set of Pilot Charts for the North Atlantic and Caribbean while I was at it.
This brings to mind Herb Payson's book "You Can't Blow Home Again". There is a chapter in there named "Honor Thy Sextant". He took some sights over several days and somehow fouled up either the sights or the math. He ended up totally disbelieving the sextant and his math. They spent some extra days at sea because they couldn't find wherever it was they were going. The book is well worth reading- it's hilarious. I have all 3 of his books.

[captsandy]

Best source on celestial navagation I have found is A Star to Stear Her By  by Edward J. Bergin. I have used it as well as fellow captains for the coast guard celestial endorcement nescessary for a all oceans license.
     Sandy

[RayNWanda]

That is the very book I have. I have been reading while waiting for everything else.
Yesterday the other stuff showed up, so we'll see how it goes...

[Bay Sailor]

Best source on celestial navagation I have found is A Star to Stear Her By  by Edward J. Bergin. I have used it as well as fellow captains for the coast guard celestial endorcement nescessary for a all oceans license.
     Sandy

Not that I need to know today but would you say this is a good choice as a primer? Or is this particular volume geared towards more sophisticated 'users'? I'm always looking for "Volume 1" for everything since I'm beginning at the beginning of everything except getting into trouble.

Mark

[RayNWanda]

I would say it is a good self teaching guide. I've looked at several, and this one seems to give the easiest to understand explanations. Unfortunately, I have gotten sidetracked (again) and have not done much with it.

[Bay Sailor]

Thanks, Ray. As you know, I have dozens of other places to spend money right now, but I have a list of books I 'should' have and this one gets added.

MF