Sextants Will Swing at Upcoming Seminar

Marion Bermuda Race to host Ocean Navigator’s Celestial Navigation Seminar presented by Ocean Navigator School of Seamanship.

This seminar, at the Sippican Women's Club in Marion, MA on May 4 – 5, 2013 is a hands-on course covering basic celestial theory, sight reduction of sun, moon, planets, stars, and specialty sights of certain bodies, like the noon sun sight and latitude by Polaris. The seminar goes hand in hand with the Celestial Navigation Division of the Marion Bermuda Race starting June 14th and is perfect for any sailors contemplating an ocean crossing or a cruising adventure.

The class covers related topics such as time and time zones, sight planning, sextant accessories and offshore navigation plotting techniques, especially dead reckoning. Practical plotting of each kind of sight, as well as celestial running fixes, is covered in detail. Sextant use is discussed during one session, but no sights actually are taken during the class.

The emphasis is on practical use of celestial navigation, with plenty of pencil and paper work. (Up to a dozen sights are reduced and plotted during the weekend, with numerous additional exercises.) using H.O. 249 and H.O. 229 in conjunction with the Nautical Almanac.
 
Students will find the Introduction to Celestial Navigation seminar to be a comprehensive, yet fast-paced, celestial navigation course. Over the past dozen years, alumni have navigated in Marion-Bermuda Races (even won on occasion!) and have made numerous celestial-only ocean crossings.

The Sippican Women's Club is located on Front Street near Tabor Academy in Marion Massachusetts Hours are  8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Your instructor is Tim Queeney, Editor of Ocean Navigator. The cost is $295 per student, $450 per couple payable by April 22nd by check or credit card. Navigators under the age of 19 may attend for half-price.
 
CONTACT
David P. Jackson
ONSOS
P. O. Box 760
Rockport, ME 04856
Tel.  207-236-7014
Cell phone: 207-542-5801
e-mail: [email protected]