Astro Navigation Courses

[david36]

Does anyone know of an astro navigation course that I can do in UK between now and mid February. I am not interested in a RYA "ticket" just how to calculate where I am if/when the GPS etc dies on me in mid Atlantic. I don't mind if it is as part of a group or one to one. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[mcframe]

No experience of them, but
http://www.internationaloceanservices.com/
Courses->Astro At Sea
Seems to be what you're after.

HTH, Alan

 

[Rowana]

Have a look here as well -

http://www.celnav.de/

I find it an excellent site.

.

 

[alant]

Most RYA schools will organise a course - takes around 40 hours - even if one2one.
This is the theory/shorebased course & doesn't now cover stars as previously done.

If you want to go it alone, Cunliffe's book is as good a primer as any to enable you to work a position out (assuming you've got appropriate sight reduction tables/Almanac etc).

 

[Talbot]

Another vote for Tom's book. A good intro to using the air nav tables (the simplest system)

 

[Talbot]

Where are you located?

 

[stephenh]

If you are in London then Capital Sailing have one starting mid January in Greenwich
and a third vote for Tom Cunliffes book -

 

[LadyInBed]

Also have a look at www.celestialnavigation.net

 

[Abigail]

I did my course with Stokey at IOS recommended by mcframe above. Yoou can do a long weekend to Bilbao for the basics and no ticket, plus he occasionally does a follow up to complete for the ticket. V good value.

 

[alex_rhind]

Re: Astro Navigation Courses: 2 v helpful books

Currently doing astro nav at London Met the moment, and would recommend Cunliffe as I've found it v helpful.

Plus an extra you might not have come across which has also proved really helpful: Schlereth, H 'Celestial navigation in a nutshell' New York, 2000. ISBN 1-57409-058-5.

Loads of diagrams and well-worked/explained examples which got over a number of intellectual hurdles.

As a footnote, in the words of our lecturer - 'expect to be thoroughly confused at first - the fog does lift after about 5 weeks'. He was telling the truth and it's worth persevering.