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From: Geoffrey Kolbe
> In her little book, "Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen", (see the section
> on Selecting The Best Position) Mary Blewitt seems to discuss the
> techniques George Bennett was talking about. Plenty of pictures too...

I'm not surprised to hear this, truly original ideas are very rare. Apart
from that, over hundreds of years some of the finest minds of each
generation were concentrated on the question of how to improve navigational
techniques.

George Bennett's involvement with this one was as a teacher of surveying,
and for many years this technique was taught to surveyors as a method of
identifying systematic error, if present, and so correcting and improving
their already meticulous astronomical observations made with a theodolite
mounted on a tripod. They were concerned with fractions of seconds of arc
rather than minutes but the principles are the same.

When I told him about the Great LOP Controversy he was puzzled and mildly
surprised that this technique was not more widely known.

It shouldn't matter where the LOPs come from, as far as I know they could be
from compass bearings in which case the technique could be used to identify
and quantify deviation, for example. I intend to do more plotting myself,
using old observations I have recorded. I did think of using the technique
on Silicon Sea exercises but as they are artificial sights it may be asking
a bit much to expect systematic error. Unfortunately this won't happen
before July in my own case but I'm hoping others may also be interested
enough to do some plotting.

   

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