NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Joshua Carty
Date: 2026 Aug 3, 09:44 -0700
Before the days of GPS, I am sailing on the sloop "Lost Cause" in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I am sailing to the site of a great victory of the Confederate raider SHENANDOAH. I hope to arrive, at the exact spot, near as poss, on the 100-year anniversery. Today's date (GMT date) is 1 April 1965. I may visit those old Phoenicians ruins while I'm there, too.
My best est. position one hour after sunrise is 8° 45' N, 157° 25' E.
I'm sailing on course 180, roughly averaging 6 knots... all day...
At 23:32:45 GMT, through broken clouds, I shoot the Sun!
Hs 60° 46'.
Estimate how many hours since that earlier position. You may need that!
NO LAN sight! Cloudy at local noon, as it is often in the tropical Pacific.
At 03:32:49, I shoot the Sun again.
Hs 59° 19'.
Where am I?
DAMN. There's a problem! See it? Well, screw that! What is my BEST estimate pos bringing in everything I know? And, here's a tough one, NavList Navigators: when should I reach visibility range for my target island?
Josh
