Product Details

• Format: Color, Full length, Full Screen, NTSC
• Studio: Magic Lamp Productions
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1989
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1882629035
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #609,611 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Actor

Several years ago when we made our first video on Celestial Navigation, many people on our dock held up their arms in horror, as if we were approaching vampires with a cross: they all cried out in self defense: "that's not for me... I'm a complete idiot when it comes to Celestial Navigation."

So, we finally decided to do a program especially for our dock neighbors... and any other sophisticated viewers who are suffering from a slight lack of esteem, when it comes to this wonderfully interesting and useful nautical subject.

We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Product Description

Hundreds of years ago, Celestial Navigation was considered a national secret, because the country that could navigate could find the best and fastest trade routes and would also be able to have its naval fleet rendezvous for battle.

Nowadays, utilizing the developments made by Nathaniel Bowditch (tables to solve the celestial triangle) and John Harrison (inventor of the first accurate portable chronometer), plus newer sextants, computers and quartz time keeping devices, celestial navigation is available to every sailor... but for some reason, the old mystique seems to linger.

The purpose of this program is once and for all to de-mystify the subject, and clearly explain how it works and what it does, in Plain English.

Skipper Gene Grossman covers the entire subject, from a comparison with Coastal Piloting, to the various methods of navigation using all the celestial bodies... and if you watch all the way through, you'll see the surprise ending that will show you how to change the cover of the video, and graduate you from "idiot" to "Navigator."

This title is also available from Amazon.com as a DVD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot, February 6, 2001

By 

"green15" (Texas City, Tx USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot (Safe Boating Series) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

You will be a complete idiot if you spend money on this. This is a referral video to buy other videos. It doesn't even show you a sextant closer than 20 feet. I did giggle at some of his humor, but overall worthless.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An idiot shouldn't rely on the stars, but..., August 25, 2000

By 

Jane Bedinger (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot (Safe Boating Series) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

even an idiot can learn a lot from this video. It's a hardtopic, and no one is going to learn it in one sitting. This is not really the perfect topic for video. And this is not a lush, TV-styled production. But if you need to brush up, or get an overview before tackling a boating trip, this video will help. I admit it -- I use GPS, but I was tired of being ignorant around other sailors.