NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
A Sun-compass landfall?
From: Tony Oz
Date: 2021 Apr 8, 06:55 -0700
From: Tony Oz
Date: 2021 Apr 8, 06:55 -0700
Hello!
Consider one gets to a LoP passing through the destination (i.e. he obtains the same HC as an observer at the destination at the same moment in time) and he is certain which way to turn on the LoP to be approaching the destination. Then it is no longer necessary to keep taking sights, we may use the Sun compass set to 90° left or right of our heading (the Sun is abeam plus or minus the wind drift angle), and just steer to keep the shadow on the mark. We will gradually curve as the time passes - always moving along LoPs as if we were taking sights.
Will such a trick get us to the destination (provided the turning point was not too far away to the drift uncertainty/instability to matter)?
Warm regards,
Tony
60°N 30°E