NavList:

"I can’t see anything wrong with using mnemonics."

Me neither. But we must not confuse them with explanations. Many people do, because of thoughtless "explanations" in sub-standard celnav tutorials. The diagram in the tattoo is NOT an explanation of what is going on. It is inherently WRONG. It may nevertheless have served a purpose in the past century as a mnemonic for those who could not grasp the real situation. Nowadays we practice celnav as a passtime and not as a means of survival for "the common sailor". Therefore we no longer have any use for that monkey business that gives us rules for how to proceed with the sight reduction; instead we demand thorough understanding of the process.

"As far as Marc St Hilaire’s concerned, I tend to agree with Frank.  It’s more down to intuition."

But the intuition is wrong and Frank says that. So where do you agree?

"I know if I walk towards a tall building, I have to keep tilting my head further back in order to see the roof.  It’s the same for stars.  "

Don't you see that it is NOT the same for the stars?

"The nearer you are to the sub-stellar point the greater the body’s altitude."

Yes, but for a different reason than that depicted in the tattoo. It's the curvature of the earth.

Herbert Prinz