NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: John D. Howard
Date: 2018 Sep 18, 09:15 -0700
Brad,
The Raft Book is a great read and does use the Polynesian system of navigation - at least as people knew it in the 1940's. The system included CN but only as part of a " look at the natural world " approach. Birds and fish and clouds over islands and waves and ....
The book came with a world map with zenith stars printed on both sides. One side was like a normal star chart so you see the stars looking at them but the other side has a world map ( oceans unbroken ) with the stars on it mirror image so you could plot a course.
H. Gatty was a world class navigator in the 1930's. Was from Australia and knew the Pacific Ocean well ( He was one of the founders of Fiji Airlines ). He helped the US goverment get a toe hold on several small Pacific Islands and helped teach navigators during WW2.
I do not thing The Raft Book added to the practice of CN but was of value to airmen lost over the ocean and helped them eat and find dry land.
John H.
