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While a bit off-topic from celestial navigation, a very traditional
method of coastal navigation is taking bearings on shore-side objects.
Lighthouses are perfect -- they're tall, they're on the shore and not
way back, and they're illuminated at night so you can get a good bearing
24 hours a day (except for foggy days).   In fact, one of the
descriptions of the stars is "lighthouses in the sky."   And in some
strong sense, a star sight is a vertical angle on a *very* tall object.

The Spratley Islands are in the South China Sea about equidistant from
Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, but also near southeastern
China.   There are a few natural islands in the chain, but also lots and
lots of shallow spots.   Shallow enough that landfill can be dumped to
create an island!   China has been doing this.   Speculation is that
there is potentially oil in the region and China wants to literally
create Chinese territory where there was none before.

China has even erected some lighthouses in the disputed territory.

And now the rub -- if a vessel uses one of these lighthouses for
navigation (eg, taking and logging a bearing on it) is the vessel -- and
by implication, its flag state -- recognizing China's territorial claims??

Time to dust off the old GPS!

Here's an article on the matter:

https://gcaptain.com/chinas-lighthouses-in-spratlys-beckon-recognition-from-passing-ships/

   

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