I'm going to bring my Sextant.

[CPT Trips]

From what I understand, it’s way less than six months and more like a couple of class sessions. Purely theory . . .

Kings Point never stopped. https://gcaptain.com/celnav-us-merchant-marine-cadets-help-navy-knock-rust-off-sextants/

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Precisely - hands on sighting followed by calculation and plotting takes time to master -- especially if it is to be completed in a reasonable time frame.

 

I was surprised to learn how Annapolis, OCS and NROTC have so completely moved away from celestial --- I guess there is a certain assumption that artificial satellites (and their apps) will NEVER fail.

 

Same on commercial ships, I recall our son telling me prior to his first sea phase that he would get a full day and another 1/2 day off each week. He also had the misconception that ships had back-ups to the back-ups, so couldn't conceive how a ship could black out, or all navigation aids fail.

 

Sadly, this is what they were taught in college, but he quickly learned reality, once he had completed a couple of sea phases.

 

Also recall getting a young officer right out of college, who proudly advised, "Captain, you can cover up the windows and I can navigate dock to dock." My response was welcome to sea, here you learn to navigate by looking out the windows without any electronics. Once you are proficient looking out the windows, we can introduce electronic aids. He didn't have a good day.😁

[MBP&O2/O]

16 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Precisely - hands on sighting followed by calculation and plotting takes time to master -- especially if it is to be completed in a reasonable time frame.

Precisely  ... especially when you are bouncing around like a pea on a drum and you have to catch the sun between the clouds.... or as was the case once .. a 'two black ball dead ship' 🥴 rolling through an arc of 50 degrees.

[Davechipp74]

Thank you every one great responses and links, the other day a bunch of charts and a few how to books arrived, I'm looking forward to trying to learn something new. Ever since early childhood my farther told me on every vacation he took me on I had to learn something new in relation to the theme of the vacation, I learned simple French on a trip to Paris, etc., etc., etc., Sextant on a cruise is what I'm down to after about 14 or so cruises.

[NantahalaCruiser]

22 hours ago, DAVECHIPP1974 said:

Thank you every one great responses and links, the other day a bunch of charts and a few how to books arrived, I'm looking forward to trying to learn something new. Ever since early childhood my farther told me on every vacation he took me on I had to learn something new in relation to the theme of the vacation, I learned simple French on a trip to Paris, etc., etc., etc., Sextant on a cruise is what I'm down to after about 14 or so cruises.

Don't forget to have a drink between each sighting 😏