General Discussion

PJMcK

(24,617 posts)

47. A sextant!

Tue May 20, 2025, 08:03 AM

May 2025

Years ago I crewed on a 45’ yawl sailing to Bermuda. We ended up in Maine due to unfavorable winds! My deal with the owner was I would cook and crew and he would teach me celestial navigation. I got sort-of proficient with noon sun sights but could never “shoot” any other bodies. The calculations were too complex to me. When GPS became available, I became an instant fan!

I remember reading some time ago that the Naval Acabemy stopped teaching celestial because ships had become so full of electronics that it was deemed unnecessary. Ah, technology…

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RoseTrellis

48 replies

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Regarding the Mexican ship accident [View all] PJMcK May 2025 OP

Great analysis. cachukis May 2025 #1

Thanks for your reply but there's something I learned after I posted PJMcK May 2025 #33

Sailed down from North Shore into East River in 70's. cachukis May 2025 #38

Thank you for the detailed description... 2naSalit May 2025 #2

That's super interesting stuff there Friend! Ligyron May 2025 #3

Thank you for this valuable information. Just looking at the image, I could niyad May 2025 #4

Bottom line is that the masts were simply too high to pass under the bridge. MineralMan May 2025 #5

It was supposed to head south IbogaProject May 2025 #12

Thanks for your reply, MM PJMcK May 2025 #26

Thanks for a knowledgeable, cogent analysis ms liberty May 2025 #6

Thanks for the analysis. I wondered why a ship that was obviously to tall for the bridge was going under it. patphil May 2025 #7

Thank you malaise May 2025 #8

Thanks for info, PJ. elleng May 2025 #9

The ship inexplicably lost power Ponietz May 2025 #10

The G.O.P. in charge of communications is proving itself incompetent beyond words BoRaGard May 2025 #18

Basic seamanship BeneteauBum May 2025 #11

Not quite accurate RoseTrellis May 2025 #13

Propulsion issue make sense. adnoid May 2025 #16

Thank you for this BumRushDaShow May 2025 #19

Interesting points PJMcK May 2025 #21

Navigation RoseTrellis May 2025 #43

A sextant! PJMcK May 2025 #47

Thanks for the very informative and interesting analysis. I've done a lot of sailing, so it meant a lot of sense to me. Martin68 May 2025 #14

The Pacific! PJMcK May 2025 #22

Thanks! The Pacific can be challenging, and requires a larger vessel in the huge rollers that distant storms generate. Martin68 May 2025 #48

One question is not answered in anything I read. did the ship send out an emergency signal once Wonder Why May 2025 #15

Good question PJMcK May 2025 #23

Yeah, that IS good question. calimary May 2025 #45

I remember when the Coast Guard training ship "Eagle" had a run-in with some inadvertently hung bridge safety netting. usonian May 2025 #17

I remember that episode PJMcK May 2025 #24

Thank you for this extremely educational post! colorado_ufo May 2025 #20

Your welcome! PJMcK May 2025 #25

A very clear explanation. Thanks. Norrrm May 2025 #27

You're welcome! PJMcK May 2025 #29

The East River is no joke to navigate. And this situation is so tragic. Scrivener7 May 2025 #28

I used to jog along the East River PJMcK May 2025 #30

We hit Hell Gate an hour later than planned once. Scrivener7 May 2025 #39

Mother Nature allows us to live on her planet. We follow her rules. nt Buns_of_Fire May 2025 #31

And if you don't listen to Mother... PJMcK May 2025 #35

Thanks for the information! viva la May 2025 #32

You are very kind with your response PJMcK May 2025 #34

I really appreciate your info viva la May 2025 #41

K&R spanone May 2025 #36

Having spent a few weeks crewing a much smaller tall ship over the years, Emrys May 2025 #37

Thank you for your rational and experiential explanation... Wounded Bear May 2025 #40

There is a yard at Sparrows Point , just east of Baltimore, that has . . . Stinky The Clown May 2025 #42

What I read last night was that the Rudder was Stuck electric_blue68 May 2025 #44

Thank you for your post. Have wondered about the technicalities of that tragic allegorical oracle May 2025 #46