NavList:

John,

As you have stated " in a number of transatlantic crossings in small boats during the 19th century, sailors often didn't bring navigational equipment. Instead they relied on passing boats to give them their location" this flashes back a few memories for me. I still distinctly remember talking bridge to bridge by VHF radio with a tramp steamer. The watch officer politely stated that his Omega was down and could I provide a position. This was 1980 before GPS when mates still were doing CN so I was most surprised to be asked this by a passing ship. Passing sailboats routinely would ask for a position to compare with theirs. In 1980 my mid ocean navigation was comprised of Loran C, Doppler satellite, and Celestial. Often there would be long stretches without a satellite pass so fixing would involved mixing a single Loran line crossed with a Sun line. Doppler satellite units were large clumsy TV like devices (magnivox ?) which were tied into the gyro master/knot meter so that DR positioning could be automatically calculated between satellite passes.

Greg Rudzinski
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