Does Celestial Navigation still have a role in navigation despite the use of digital methods?

[Tony Barwell]

Hey,

I have no doubt this topic has been discussed somewhere on here before, but as part of my final years study to become a Deck Officer I am carrying out a research project into the role of celestial navigation on board modern merchant vessels. Part of my research includes a questionnaire, a link to which is below. I would be greatful if people could take the time to fill it out the questionnaire, and if possible pass it along to officers serving or retired, whothey may know, especially people with more experience, perhaps people with pre-GPS experience.

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s.asp?s...q6i4kob5419748


Also what is everyones opinion, could you see a day when a ship will no longer carry a sextant and it is removed from training programmes, or do you feel it is still a vital secondary system?

[Chris Allman]

Survey link is not working.

[vic mcclymont]

When electronics of today fail, the kids of today will be lost.

[Tony Barwell]

Thank you very much for the heads up, try this one
http://freeonlinesurveys.com/app/ren...cercadet%2Ecom

[Richard Quartermaine]

That works,Tony.
Not skilled in the art but I do strongly agree with Vic.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

#1.. I would say no. Celestial navigation one only gets competent at with continued use. It was rarely used on ships with a GPS system. There was the occasional youngster who may have taken a sight out of curiousity. I had a mate with me who did once take a sun sight on passage to Singapore a running fix, for this he used his calculator instead of log tables. When he came to plot the noon position he was using parallel rules on the back of an old chart. When I asked him what he was doing (which I knew) he explained. When I said why don't you apply your differences of Lat. at noon times your C correction, as a correction to your longitude, he had no idea what I was talking about and said no one had told him this before. As regards taking stars I would imagine he wouldn't of known what was what. However I must say this comes with time at sea, which some of these would be Vasco De Gamas aren't getting. In general they were very competent with the use of Radar and Radio communications via computer links. If however all these aids were removed it is my belief that most would be struggling. Their knowledge of cargo work and other spheres of seamanship I would not know as the occasion never arose. I would of course also be prejudiced as many of us had a very hard struggle to gain a certificate of Competency and get past some very orthodox and critical examiners, of the old school to us at the time. My Reply to your question would be no it is not relevant to the modern navigator he relies solely on a gps system. Regards John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

Ref. to above. The mate I have described was the possessor of a Master 1. The sight he was taking would have been expected from any third mate of the old school with or without a certificate of competency. Regards John Sabourn

[Neil Morton]

You would certainly need it if you were in an old fashioned lifeboat and lost the compass. At lifeboat drill in the old days most of the stores went missing especially the connie- onnie.

[j.sabourn]

Tony , if you are having to do a paper on this subject, it would be interesting to know what the maritime authorities also think on this. A good one to ask would be the Owners/Builders/designers of some of these cruise ships. Looking at some of the pictures of some of them they have no bridge wings as such and are enclosed right to the ships side, obviously impossible to take a sight from these positions. Unless of course they expect the navigator to go on the promenade deck and use his mobile phone to the Bridge. Other new builds also seem to be not addusive to sextant work. So maybe already has been written out of the equation. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

#8.. Neil was supposed to be changed every month or so with new stock from the ch. stwd. the stuff you got was probably old stock out of lifeboat and depending on the 3rd. mate how often he changed the date on your cans in messroom (if had not been removed) depended how up with it he was. There also used to be Morphine in the boats but this was removed years ago, was even removed from the inflatable liferafts as was too big a temptartion for some especially in port with all the dock labour on board. Can never remember the barley sugar being changed though, only at survey, believe this lasted 2 years. Cheers John S.