Astro navigation

R

Roger52

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Aug 2008
Messages
331
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Any advice as to the best book on this subject would be much appreciated. It is fascinating. On the basis of the reviews that I have read the choice seems to be between Tom Cunliffe and Mary Blewitt. Maths was never my strong point and the reviews of the Blewitt book in particular say only basic addition and subtraction is needed. All I need then is a sextant.
 
Roger52 said:
Any advice as to the best book on this subject would be much appreciated. It is fascinating. On the basis of the reviews that I have read the choice seems to be between Tom Cunliffe and Mary Blewitt. Maths was never my strong point and the reviews of the Blewitt book in particular say only basic addition and subtraction is needed. All I need then is a sextant.
Click to expand...
I admit to a vested interest http://www.rya.org.uk/shop/pages/pr...ultCatalog)&mode=t&type=BK(RYADefaultCatalog).
But the three biggest-selling Astro books on Amazon UK are Tom Cunliffe's, mine, and Mary Blewitt's, (in that order)
The basics are the same whichever book you choose: the main differences are how they are explained. "All you need is addition and subtraction" is true for all of us.

Good Luck and have fun, whichever you choose.
 
Roger52 said:
Any advice as to the best book on this subject would be much appreciated. It is fascinating. On the basis of the reviews that I have read the choice seems to be between Tom Cunliffe and Mary Blewitt. Maths was never my strong point and the reviews of the Blewitt book in particular say only basic addition and subtraction is needed. All I need then is a sextant.
Click to expand...

Plus some sight reduction tables, an almanac and some plotting charts.
 
UKHO now provide Concise Reduction Table calculating sheets for free(wow!)
Actually they are sourced from NOAA where you will find everything you need for free from downloadable Concise Sight reduction tables to a few useful simple astro calc programmes.
Also check out
www.pangolin.co.nz
There is a 40 year Almanac free for 28 days.Also a simple sight reduction programme.
Also there is a java powered sight reduction programme somewhere on Google called sun sight-should run on any mobile which has Java.
Sextants-I used to own a Taymaya but never used it so was sold.
Just got a second hand plastic Davis and just as good for £40 instead of £300
 
ffiill said:
UKHO now provide Concise Reduction Table calculating sheets for free(wow!)
Actually they are sourced from NOAA where you will find everything you need for free from downloadable Concise Sight reduction tables to a few useful simple astro calc programmes.
Also check out
www.pangolin.co.nz
There is a 40 year Almanac free for 28 days.Also a simple sight reduction programme.
Also there is a java powered sight reduction programme somewhere on Google called sun sight-should run on any mobile which has Java.
Sextants-I used to own a Taymaya but never used it so was sold.
Just got a second hand plastic Davis and just as good for £40 instead of £300
Click to expand...


Have a look here

http://mysite.verizon.net/milkyway99/id1.html

About all you will need, that and a sextant
 
I'd suggest that it depends upon how your mind works!

I liked the Adlard Coles Ocean Yachtmaster book. I found that it endeavoured to explain from first principles. I normally like Tom Cunliff books but I thought it lacking detail, just my personal opinion. The Mary Blewitt book is, again in my opinion, only a very brief summary.

I've never read the RYA / TB book. He spent too much time on here and not enough writing the book so it wasn't available when I did Ocean shorebased course.

The text book only shows you "how". Once you're hooked, you'll need AP3270 Vol 1 if you fancy shooting stars and Vol 2 and 3, depending upon your sailing latitudes, for other sights. Don't forget the Nautical Almanc, too. If you really become an anorac, you can always buy Bowditch, American Practical Navigator.

Before I get castigated for my approach, I'll add that there are simplified tables and, of course, computer thingy's, but where's the fun in that :D

Good luck which ever route you choose.
 
All I need then is a sextant.
Click to expand...

Lots on eBay - I have bought three in the past year or so, and all are excellent - even the one from India.

Currently there are some very good ones there, Tamaya, Cooke, Frieberger, Hezzanith and even a superb Plath 'Kriegs Marine' model if you are not too pc, and have deep pockets.
Beware of the replicas!
If you have more modest ambitions then the Davis plastic sextants are quite accurate, although they do seem to command (relatively) high prices.
Cheaper again are the EBBCO plastic sextants.
Then you need an accurate time keeper, although as has been said in many other threads on the subject, a couple of digital watches will do very well, provided you get a reliable time signal, and take time;) to calibrate them.

The pc based sight reduction programmes are excellent, and more important, in most cases free.

Good luck,

Michael.
 
wadget said:
If you want to properly understand the physics and maths behind astro something like the second section of admiralty manual of navigation volume 2 is very good.
Click to expand...

+1
The other book I like that is useless for study but great for random information is Bowditch both sometimes found cheap...

Dpends if you want to know how to do it or how it works...
 
capnsensible said:
Blewitts book is pants.
Tims is the best!
Click to expand...

Is this a different book by someone called "Tims", or are you referring to TC?

The pc based sight reduction programmes are excellent
Click to expand...

There is also an iPhad* app called AstroNav (and a Lite version) that used the iPhad as a sextant. Useless for this function, but you can input your own data and it does the calculations for you.


* iPhad: generic term for iPhone/iPad. First used in non-derogatory way 21 April 2012 :)
 
Last edited:
onesea said:
+1
The other book I like that is useless for study but great for random information is Bowditch both sometimes found cheap...

Dpends if you want to know how to do it or how it works...
Click to expand...

Bowditch is a NOAA freebie. Why pay for it?
 
davidjackson said:
If you really become an anorac, you can always buy Bowditch, American Practical Navigator.

Before I get castigated for my approach, I'll add that there are simplified tables and, of course, computer thingy's, but where's the fun in that :D

Good luck which ever route you choose.
Click to expand...

As someone has pointed out, Bowditch is a free download, quite a lot of usefukl infomration and tables in that book.

If you want to go back to basics, ditch the reduction tables and use Nories tables, loads of log tables to play with. I can still reduce a sight using Nories quicker than our cadets using their calculators.

If you google around a bit you can find a 50 yr almanac somewhere, cannot remember the site, but it has no limits on use. I'll see if I can find it later
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top