Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen [Paperback]

Mary Blewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2004

The eleventh edition of this bestselling textbook is proof of the success of Mary Blewitt's concise and clear style in explaining a particularly difficult skill, and it has been the bible for many generations of ocean navigators. Since this book was first published, the huge advances in electronic navigation has transported most offshore navigators to a world of press-button convenience. However, there is still a vital need for traditional skills when things go wrong: batteries can fail, aerials go overboard, and electronics have been known to get wet. A bestseller for over 50 years, Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen is a model of simplicity and clarity. The worked examples require only straightforward addition and subtraction, which explains why this book has truly earned its reputation for admirable conciseness and making a tricky subject easy to understand. 'The "bible" of navigation for generations of yachtsmen...worth its weight in gold' Sailing

Editorial Reviews

Review

``I go to sea as an instructor whose specialty is the demystification of celestial navigation. . .the only book I have room to bring, and the one that is best-suited should my mind go blank, Is. . .[this book]. . .I never shove off without it. . .No matter what your ability, if you have only one book on celestial navigation, this should be it.'' (Sailing ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

There is deep mystery and profound satisfaction in finding your position on earth by reference to the sun, moon, and stars--not to mention profound relief when the GPS receiver stops working in mid-passage. That is why knowledge of celestial navigation is still a rite of initiation, and its practice still a favorite pastime among serious cruisers.

That this edition of Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen should appear 44 years after the first British edition and 27 years after its first publication in the U.S. is eloquent testimony to the author's clear, concise explanation of a difficult skill. Through those years, Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen has been the best-known, best-loved primer on the subject throughout the English-speaking world. It successfully teaches sailors who have been demoralized by bigger books. It remains "the famous little book" on celestial navigation.

Among other changes, this edition substitutes the Nautical Almanac for the Air Almanac, discusses the "short" tables based on H.O. 211, expands the discussion in a few areas, fine-tunes it in others, and shows how to advance a line of position for a running fix from sun sights. The only mathematics involved are straightforward addition and subtraction.

Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen has spawned many imitators over the years, but it's still the best--with this new edition more than ever. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical; 11th edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713664223
• ISBN-13: 978-0713664225
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,635,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where Am I?, October 28, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen (Paperback)

Having struggled with the arcane mechanics of celestial navigation for the past three years it was an immense relief to discover a tome that could lead me through both theory and practise in less than 80 pages! Ms. Blewitt's matter of fact approach to the complexities of sun and star sight reduction etc. is refreshing indeed. For anyone contemplating offshore navigation of any type, this book is worth a dozen night school courses.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small book packed with information, March 26, 2000

By 

PJY "pjsailor" (Cumming, Ga USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen (Paperback)

I was concerned that such a small book (just over 100 pages) could contain enough information about celestial navigation to make my sextant useful. I shouldn't have been. The book is bypasses hype, lore and commentary and deals strickly with the topic at hand. It can be tough going but the book is written clearly enough so as not to be confusing on such the subject.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was plotting my position within days, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen (Paperback)

I thought it was going to take years to learn celestial navigation. After reading Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen I was plotting my position within miles of my known position in just a few days (I was using a plastic sextant Mark 15). The first 22 pages of reading requires a lot of thought and time to absorb the information but after one understands the main concepts the rest of the book becomes easier to follow. I highly recommend this book.