Navigating by the Sun & the Stars

Register by August 15. Space is limited.

Have you ever wondered about how blue water / oceanic navigation was accomplished before GPS? Celestial Navigation is straightforward, still useful, and reassuring when the batteries fail
 
In this concise, two-day practicum in the theory and practice of Celestial Navigation, the methods commonly utilized—primarily the sun, but also the moon, planets and stars—will be laid bare and made clear.
 
Sights of the sun will be taken (weather permitting) with a simple sextant provided for you to take home, and sight reduction and plotting the resulting Lines of Position will complete the process. You will leave with enough knowledge to enable you to take and reduce your own sights and to plot your charted position.

These methods have been developed over centuries to allow normal people without any particular mathematical background to become effective navigators. And they still work today! In simplest form the processes are completed by the use of look-up tables. We will cover all of that, but also offer insight into more sophisticated methods using hand calculators and computers.

The necessary materials will be provided for you to use and take home – a simple Davis sextant, a current almanac, sight reduction forms, plotting sheets, and a CD of the course materials. We ask that you bring along a pencil and eraser, perhaps a set of dividers and tablet of paper. Please also bring your interest and curiosity.

Instructor; Nate Hazen, Engineer, Sailor, National Chapman Award Winning Instructor for US Power Squadrons

Times: Saturday & Sunday, September 7 & 8, 9:00am-4:00pm both days including question and answer time at the end of each day.
             Lunch will be provided daily. This workshop will take place in the Stoodley's Tavern building at Strawbery Banke Museum.

Cost: Tuition $195 Strawbery Banke Museum members (please contact us for the discount code); $215 non-members.
           Materials Fee*: $125, includes 2019 Nautical Almanac, Davis MK 3 Sextant, Planisphere Star Finder, & a CD-Rom with full
                                       instructional PowerPoint presentations.

Space is limited. Register by August 15.

*Please contact us about a materials discount if you have a sextant, star finder or nautical almanac you plan to bring to use during the class.