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> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Kabel
>
> Jim Thompson is undergoing (or maybe has just passed) the rigors
> of CPS CN,
> and can shed light on the current situation.

Hi John, I successfully finished the course a year ago April.

> When I did it, it was two
> courses, Junior Navigator and Navigator, taken in order.  You had
> to submit
> a unique sight folder for each, each checked locally, then by the Course
> Director.  JN error limit on the fix was 5 nm, N was 3 nm.  The successful
> grad of a CPS mainline course gets to use his grade after his name on
> correspondence.

The CPS-ECP courses are now combined into a single course called "Celestial
Navigation".  Successful candidates can put "N" after their name, or "SN" if
they go on to complete the Senior Navigator requirements as you described in
your post.

Prior to writing the 5-hour Part II sit-down exam, the candidate has to
submit the take-home tabletop cruise exam, which simulates a day or two at
sea in the mid Atlantic (Part I), and the sight folder consisting of:
1. 3 sets of 3-body twilight fixes (one body being the moon, which is a
challenge to schedule),
2. 3 moon sights (included in the 3-body fixes),
3. 3 Polaris sights,
4. 1 run of 5 sights on a single body over 15 minutes (typically sun),
5. 1 meridian transit (typical a noon sun).

The maximum tolerances for intercepts to the LOP from the known position
(usually GPS these days) are 5 miles for sea sights, and 3 miles for shore
sights.

> I have to feel for students and examiners that work with dip short sights.
> They add a lot more calculation, and require careful examination
> of a local
> chart extract that has to accompany the sights.  I have never
> gotten really
> good results with them, since many of the far banks of rivers, narrow
> lakes, etc., seem to overhang and darkness fakes out the actual water-land
> boundary.

I also find the Dip Short method inaccurate, but it is fun to do from a
marina during evening twilight anyway.  I tend to use my handheld or laptop,
which simplifies the calculations enormously.

> there is still a lot of interest
> in CN among CPS members, with 5 in a class to start shortly here
> in London,
> and 3 in a class in Tillsonburg, a smaller nearby Squadron.

There were 140 students registered in Canada last year for the CPS-ECP CN
course.  I gather that about a fifth drop out over the year, owing to the
time commitment.  I don't know the pass rate.

For those who do not know, CPS-ECP changed its official name to "Canadian
Power & Sail Squadrons", and many individual squadrons are following suit.
In smaller communities CPS-ECP Squadrons often are comprised of the same
people who comprise the local sailing community or form the local Yacht
Clubs.  The two groups complement each other so nicely: Yacht Clubs teach
summer courses on the water, while CPS-ECP Squadrons mainly teach classroom
courses in the winter.

Jim Thompson
jim3 at jimthompson dot net
www.jimthompson.net
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