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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2023 Jul 7, 13:22 -0700
Rafael Caruso, you wrote:
"I ordered a copy of the 2024 Nautical Almanac from the US Government Publishing Office bookstore on July 3rd, and UPS delivererd it at my front door today, July 6th."
I ordered mine one day earlier, and it arrived one day later -- today. That seems consistent given that I'm a bit further from Washington than you are. I assume that they ship from a Washington area warehouse.
You added:
"I must admit that I have no idea about the actual cost of compiling, printing, and shipping a publication such as the Nautical Amanac; I am merely comparing this price with that of the trade paperback books I buy regularly at my local bookshop."
The USNO and HMNAO made a deal some years ago. The British office hits the button annually to compile the almanac. It's entirely automated except a few issues defined by human laws, like dates of UK holidays and time zone definitions. That's very low cost in the first place, and apparently no actual cost is passed along to USNO for rights to "their" edition. That leaves printing and included shipping. While $25 isn't outrageous, I think that still leaves the US GPO with a safe profit on each copy.
It's intriguing that they shifted frm the traditional hard cardboard covers to the shiny soft cover this year. Bob Peterson, who owns and operates a traditional compass adjustment company and service on or near Lake Michigan, has very generously sent me copies for recent years of the orange Nautical Almanac after he was done with them. Until this year the traditional hard cover was still present. I don't see any problem with the soft cover, but it does imply that this edition has no other merit compared to the (legally licensed) "Commercial Edition". Is that still $0.05 less expensive?
Frank Reed
PS: You mentioned the "distinctive bright orange". Apparently this is known in some circles officially as "nautical orange" and it is designed for its high visibility. Boat sinking? Grab everything orange before you depart (including actual oranges). If it's orange, look at it!
