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Following Gary Lapook's comments, I too would like to say how enjoyable it
was to meet Gary and the other members of the NavList who attended Frank's
symposium (yes, there was drinking too) on celestial navigation at the
little port of Mystic in Connecticut last weekend.

I really had a great time. Interesting conversations with interesting
people in an interesting place. I cannot remember when I had a more
enjoyable weekend. I got the 'longitude prize' for the person who had come
the furthest to get to Mystic and my prize was to blow out the candle on a
cake which Frank's mom had baked in the shape of a Nautical Almanac :-)

The talks were in two categories I suppose. One was talks on aspects of
celestial navigation and the other main category was the teaching of
celestial navigation - both on sail training ships, of which a number are
based at Mystic, and at Harvard University. I was pleasantly surprised at
just how much teaching of celestial navigation goes on in the United States.

Mystic is a fascinating place. The view of Seaport in Mystic across the
water, with the masts of no less than three square rig vessels on the
skyline, is like stepping back 150 years. The museum there is jaw-dropping!
Shelves stuffed with sextants of all sorts, chronometers by the gross, a
huge warehouse so full of interesting small boats of all sorts - kayaks to
small ketches - there was hardly room to move, and... some whale's eyeballs!

Next year is the 'Year of Astronomy' and there are plans to celebrate
nautical aspects of astronomy in various ways in Mystic next year. Frank
was muttering about holding another Navigation Weekend next year as part of
this celebration. I hope he does and I would urge NavList members to make
the effort to go. The whole area is studded with interesting places to
visit and it is well worth making the Navigation Weekend part of a more
extended visit. I do hope I don't win the longitude prize next year!


Geoffrey Kolbe

Dr Geoffrey Kolbe, Riccarton Farm, Newcastleton, Roxburghshire, TD9 0SN,
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)13873 76253  Fax: +44 (0)13873 76214


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