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Here are some random thoughts from a woman pursuing celestial navigation:

Navigation is a "guy thing" the way that math, science, and engineering are
"guy things".  Which is to say: "Not".

I have read several times that Polynesian and Micronesian navigators
depended on the swinging of their testicles to help them "read" the waves.
But, after much study, I have concluded that they are NOT REQUIRED and, in
fact, CANNOT USEFULLY BE EMPLOYED while actually doing celnav with charts,
sextants, and almanacs.

In my house, *I* wear the sextant.

I am not a highly-acclaimed or even highly-experienced navigator myself, but
here I am working on the Silicon Sea BOOK for Celestaire.

I realized today, while I was watching my kids' swimming lessons, that I was
the ONLY parent perusing a vintage copy of Bowditch.  This would make ANYONE
an oddity. But really, there is NO WAY that Williams-Sonoma catalog is going
to last you the whole hour.

Hardly anybody is doing celestial navigation here on earth, but NASA is
teaching it to their planetary rovers.  And writing navigational almanacs
for other worlds.

All it takes is some practice and a little bit of math.
Why should the boys have ALL the fun?

Oh, and those celnav geeks will probably be all OVER you if you go to Mystic
for father's day.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Renee Mattie

   

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