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For anyone interested, I taught myself the basics of celestial navigation a few years back after being interested in it for years. Something just feels right an

by dpeck 11y ago

For anyone interested, I taught myself the basics of celestial navigation a few years back after being interested in it for years. Something just feels right and maybe a bit primal about knowing where you are relative to the heavens. I used the book http://smile.amazon.com/Celestial-Navigation-GPS-John-Karl/dp/0939837757 http://smile.amazon.com/Celestial-Navigation-GPS-John-Karl/d... and really enjoyed it. Fun to do with kids too. Edit: And the http://smile.amazon.com/Davis-Mark-3-Marine-Sextant/dp/B0014476FI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444844189&sr=8-1&keywords=davis+mark+3+sextant http://smile.amazon.com/Davis-Mark-3-Marine-Sextant/dp/B0014... makes a fine sextant to start with.

wyclif 11y ago
I'd be interested in more book suggestions.
- 5555624 11y ago
  "Dutton's Navigation & Piloting, 13th Edition" http://www.amazon.com/Duttons-Navigation-Piloting-Elbert-Maloney/dp/B000TN97X4/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444849795&sr=1-3&keywords=dutton%27s+navigation+and+piloting http://www.amazon.com/Duttons-Navigation-Piloting-Elbert-Mal... Although the most recent edition is the 15th (2003), I learned with the 13th, so I know its useful. The 13th was also pre-GPS and spent only 30 or so pages on Loran, so it's mostly celestial and coastal, in addition to piloting.
- Luc 11y ago
  John Karl's book is very good. My favourite is 'Self-contained Celestial Navigation with HO 208' by John Letcher. It's out of print but used copies show up on abebooks for a reasonable price at times. It's often recommended. I also like 'The Sextant Handbook' by Bruce Bauer. Also out of print. A very nice modern coffee-table book about the history of celestial navigation is 'Finding Longitude' by Richard Dunn e.a. : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPMW95A http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPMW95A Finally, you could subscribe to NavList at fer3.com. There's enough in the archives to fill several books and the people there really know their stuff (well, not me so much, but others do!).
- escherplex 11y ago
  The US Power Squadron back in the pre-GPS 1980s used 'The American Practical Navigator-An Epitome of Navigation (1966)' as their primary reference book. My grandfather ran one of the courses. Amazon(US) has a reprint of the 2002 version: http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Practical-Navigator-Bowditch/dp/0939837544 http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Practical-Navigator-Bowdi... But you can study it online gratis at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_American_Practical_Navigator https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_American_Practical_Naviga...

by dpeck 11y ago

wyclif 11y ago

I'd be interested in more book suggestions.

5555624 11y ago
"Dutton's Navigation & Piloting, 13th Edition" http://www.amazon.com/Duttons-Navigation-Piloting-Elbert-Maloney/dp/B000TN97X4/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444849795&sr=1-3&keywords=dutton%27s+navigation+and+piloting http://www.amazon.com/Duttons-Navigation-Piloting-Elbert-Mal... Although the most recent edition is the 15th (2003), I learned with the 13th, so I know its useful. The 13th was also pre-GPS and spent only 30 or so pages on Loran, so it's mostly celestial and coastal, in addition to piloting.
Luc 11y ago
John Karl's book is very good. My favourite is 'Self-contained Celestial Navigation with HO 208' by John Letcher. It's out of print but used copies show up on abebooks for a reasonable price at times. It's often recommended. I also like 'The Sextant Handbook' by Bruce Bauer. Also out of print. A very nice modern coffee-table book about the history of celestial navigation is 'Finding Longitude' by Richard Dunn e.a. : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPMW95A http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPMW95A Finally, you could subscribe to NavList at fer3.com. There's enough in the archives to fill several books and the people there really know their stuff (well, not me so much, but others do!).
escherplex 11y ago
The US Power Squadron back in the pre-GPS 1980s used 'The American Practical Navigator-An Epitome of Navigation (1966)' as their primary reference book. My grandfather ran one of the courses. Amazon(US) has a reprint of the 2002 version: http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Practical-Navigator-Bowditch/dp/0939837544 http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Practical-Navigator-Bowdi... But you can study it online gratis at: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_American_Practical_Navigator https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_American_Practical_Naviga...