NavList:

I've been following this discussion with interest.  Of course it's still possible to imagine circumstances in which knowing how to use a sextant might save your life or at least your vessel, it's quite a stretch.  Having practised celnav aboard yachts for 40-plus years, I think the strongest arguments for learning (and practising) it are: a) that relying entirely on electronic navigation aids can quickly turn us into dummies - helplessly dependent, mindless consumers of information, which is not only unhealthy it's no fun either; and b) celnav is fantastically rewarding. It's a real eye-opener:  '...using a sextant to find our way puts us in the closest possible touch with the universe at its most sublime' - to quote my own book, 'Sextant'!