NavList:

-------------- Original message from Lu Abel <lunav@ABELHOME.NET>: --------------


> Henry Halboth noted the tradition of 0800, 1200 and 2000 position
> reports to the captain of commercial and military ships, along with a
> tradition of a noon sun shot. I'm 100 years ago one could also have
> seen several sextants on the bridge wings of any such ship at dawn and
> dusk, trying to bring down as many bodies as possible to get a perfect
> "pinwheel" fix.
>
> These navigators had an awesome responsibility of keeping safe a very
> expensive ship with hundreds of people aboard, so I can certainly
> understand their meticulous behavior. They were also navigating large
> ships with long turning times and deep draft, so "whoops, there's a
> hazard, hard alee" wasn't an option as it might be on a small! er
> recreational craft
>
> A year ago or so someone told me (and, unfortunately, I don't recall who
> it was, so I can't go back for more details) that a recreational sailing
> magazine had polled recreational sailors who had made long offshore
> passages (including quite a few circumnavigators). Of those who
> regularly used celestial, the vast majority reported that they simply
> took morning, noon-ish, and afternoon sun shots and advanced the
> resultant LOPs. No star shots, no fussing at dawn and dusk, just the
> sun. While I didn't question my friend, I'd assume these folks might
> also take daytime moon shots.
>
> I suspect their theory was that in the middle of the ocean, knowing
> position to a few dozen miles was more than enough. I also note that in
> a bouncing small craft, taking a sight with any degree of accuracy is
> extremely difficult.
> > Comments? Especially from anyone on this list who has made long
> offshore passages on a small craft?