Season in Hell and Other Works

Today ocean navigators increasingly rely on the United States' Global Positioning System to give them their position on earth to within a few metres. However, this facility depends upon complex technology, the whim of the US military and, vitally, the availability of electricity. It would therefore be a rash ocean sailor who went to sea without a working understanding of celestial navigation and a sextant. I recently read of a man who decided to teach himself navigation on a solo voyage to the West Indies. Much to his surprise, he found his landfall in the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela; his error had arisen from a confusion in his calculations between addition and subtraction. Had he taken Ocean Navigator with him, such an error would have been impossible. Written by three highly respected authorities and now in its seventh edition, this book explains in clear terms and with the aid of excellent illustrations the use of the sextant in navigation and position finding. The mathematics are reduced to the very simplest terms and there are lots of worked examples and sample problems (with answers supplied) to reinforce one's understanding, as well as chapters about other navigational aids and passage planning. The authors have based the work upon the navigational syllabus set by the British Royal Yachting Association for those working towards the Ocean Yachtmaster qualification. Candidates for this and anyone else interested in ocean sailing will find this book an enormous help in mastering ocean navigation. (Kirkus UK)