Navigating by the Stars: Introduction to Celestial Navigation | Sailing Wisdom

[@machinemender]

You know it is a good video when at the end you say out loud "WOW that was helpful" and no one else is in the room. Thank you for the video.

[@RiggingDoctor]

😉

[@catspaw3815]

Of the hundreds of sailing channels out there, this is consistently one of the most useful. Thanks guys

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thank you very much :)

[@nonyayet1379]

oh boy. useful to get folks in trouble. these guys are off their rocker. and this is the most absurd concept of celestial navigation i have ever seen or heard off. 6 or 10 hours between reading for longitude and latitude plus a novices error margin and a sailor could miss and entire small nation or worse... rarely is anything they publish accurate, at best, once in a while remotely similar. worse, intentionally dishonest. their moral compass seemingly had a huge glitch in it.

[@catspaw3815]

@@nonyayet1379 error list: 'heard off' = heard of 'novices' = novice's 'miss and entire...' = miss an entire 'had a huge glitch...' = has a huge glitch - now, given this myriad of mistakes contained in this one short, poison paragraph of yours, I think it's safe to say that much has flown over your head, and anything you say must be taken with a boulder-sized grain of salt. and some extra-strength Tylenol for having heard it

[@nonyayet1379]

@@catspaw3815 no doubt this keyboard bites as does this tiny monitor seemingly a mile away from these ol eyes

[@marisa9832]

​@grimfpv292 No, it's possessive. The novice's error. The error of the novice.

[@donaldbaumgartner9621]

It is humbling to note that, with respect to longitude, every 4 second error in establishing the exact time of Local Apparent Noon (meridian passage) would equate to a 1 nautical mile error. Also, the higher your latitude the more difficult it is to precisely nail down Local Apparent Noon based on the sun's exact time of maximum altitude. Of course, out at sea during long passages, the precision we expect and enjoy from GPS really isn't necessary. Adding celestial navigation to ones repertoire of sailing skills, can greatly expand ones 'cone of vision' and enhance the safety and enjoyment of any passage. Looking forward to your next installment of this navigation series.👍

[@josephlai9759]

This is a good and gentle nudge of an intro to celestial navigation. Judging the moment when the sun is on your meridian is tricky but can be done albeit some margin of error but in an ocean crossing it is as good as gold knowing it helps. Ancient mariners did it and so can we. It really feel wholesomely nice how we are part of such a long wonderful tradition at sea.

[@Roger-og2ty]

THANK YOU Finally someone knows how to explain these type of things I’m 66 years old and still learning thank you however I’m not sure I really wanna know where I’m at but thank you for helping me find out

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Moi aussi! Try "Bob the Science Guy" YT channel. He has several vids about navigation with a sextant. Recent ones that he did in response to Flat Earth numpties!

[@nearlynativenursery8638]

Very Helpful with Dyscalculia this was the most helpful intro vid I have seen of Celest nav. Thanks so much. Jim Rodgers

[@justink2874]

I've always looked up and observed. I know the big dipper, Orion, ☀️, 🌙.. but never knew WHY the North Star was so important. Thanks!

[@jevidar]

This is fantastic! I didn't realize just how easy it was to get the lat/long. Looking forward to the next lesson!

[@barrywarren4221]

Navigation has always been my thing, I started learning in Boy Scouts and continued learning . My goal was to be Radio/Navigation in the NAVY. Nice refresher course.

[@farqfarq2225]

I just completed the rya celestial nav certificate course this is still helpful. 👍💯

[@RiggingDoctor]

That means a lot 🥹

[@williamstreet4304]

I am beginning to work on celestial navigation as I move from dinghy's, racing cats, and racing keelboats to cruising. This was so informative and helpful. I look forward to the next installment.

[@RiggingDoctor]

👍

[@svwanderlust9697]

That is the best explanation of finding the North Star that I have heard, thanks

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad to help!!

[@DowneastThunderCreations]

Awesome job again, Herby! You provided a simple, easy to comprehend explanation on the subject (as you usually do). I think more folks will be willing to learn more rather than feel intimidated using your introductory approach. 👍👍👍

[@williamelica5231]

May you give me computation from 120"east 20° north Lat. To 152"east 32°south? speed 5knots

[@francesmay393]

Sailed at night from St Malo, north to The Needles Isle of White. Just put the North Star on the top of the mast from the helm position. By daybreak we were right on course. Great video looking forward to the series. Many thanks

[@darrenj3267]

Thanks, that made it so easy. I might even have a go at practicing the ancient mariners’ black art

[@RiggingDoctor]

It’s a great way to pass the time while on night watch 😉

[@xionix4]

Awesome! I was dreading having to lug around books to reference or being hopelessly lost without them. This is just the trick I desired but didn't know about. Thanks ^.^

[@RiggingDoctor]

If you want to be able to do a bit more without tons of books, this one book will do it all for you: amzn.to/3Bk0UTg With that one book, you can also find your position at noon as well as with starts at night. It’s very versatile.

[@AmyMrsR]

Thank you! a very complete and simple explanation :) I want to be able to do this...good sextants arent cheap either!

[@fisheater844]

Haha loved you comment and timing “all you need is your eyes,sextant and a clock .... pretty easy” I knew I’d enjoy it more if you did the Southern Hemisphere.

[@RiggingDoctor]

The Southern Hemisphere has some pretty nifty constellations that you get to use in lieu of a “south star” 🤩

[@fisheater844]

@@RiggingDoctor yes we have ‘southern cross’

[@retandom]

You should do a series on this topic. This is so interesting and very helpful.

[@RiggingDoctor]

I plan on it!

[@Noneya792]

This is awesome info. Thank you

[@andynz7]

Always wanted to learn more about this fading art!

[@nonyayet1379]

maryland school of sailing has a great video on it great folks too. top integrity

[@bertstreetsr5483]

Herby you are a fountain of knowledge, now can I remember lol

[@RiggingDoctor]

😄

[@robertlemon861]

Great Video and looking forward to the rest in the series. Makes the basics just so easy, and in the middle of an ocean you really don't need to know your exact position. When you get closer to land you will usually find landmarks/lighthouse to give you a better fix. Always good as a backup if GPS fails, as are paper maps.

[@raffaelemoretuzzo2983]

You are a great teacher!!!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thank you very much!

[@bbeauregard4181]

Awesome and simple! Thanks

[@SamuelKTennis]

Thank you SO MUCH for this clear and concise introduction to celestial navigation. Best I have seen yet. I (believe that) I have an innate propensity to look at the sky and say "THAT is the North Star." But, not many are as blessed as I appear to be and - hey, I might be wrong! And I hope your wet batteries et. al: turn out to be less bad than we all fear - that was a really ominous episode, the music was great. Thank you both.

[@RiggingDoctor]

With time, we got them all fixed up :) Stars are pretty amazing and Maddie is a magnet for Scorpio. He can have one star out over the horizon and Maddie can spot him. I have to sit and wait for it to rise and she’s always right about it!

[@gefginn3699]

Great post my friend. I'm always learning something valuable here for my own future adventures ✨️ ✨️ ✨️

[@marykol181]

Thank you so much it helped me so much!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad it was helpful for you

[@eduardodelagarza4787]

Thanks brother you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge

[@RiggingDoctor]

Bringing light

[@melinda5777]

I love your DIY! Thanks!

[@Khiron515]

Hey guys I have been watching you two for months and am always entertained as well as educated by your videos. You guys put out some amazing content and Herbie, you are the Bomb diddy bomb man..Thank you and at some point very soon I will become a Patron.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thank you very much 🤩

[@dav3r1chards]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing so clearly.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad it was of use :)

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Celestial navigation is basically GPS before electronics came into existence! Great video, thanks!

[@RiggingDoctor]

But “the cloud” is a bad thing with celestial navigation instead of a storage location 😂

[@persternas2118]

Great introduktion, Thank you!

[@rainerausserer9212]

thank you for the awesome videos! they are so well made and really helpful!

[@RappinIggyG]

Really good. Thanks!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@andymarshall2201]

Excellent videos. Thank you

[@MartinSage]

Once again, great explanation!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks :)

[@georgebarger-d4r]

Thank you for an interesting video. Your methods were great.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks :)

[@dutchglobetrotter4513]

Thank you for this easy explanation. Although I use Ursa Major mostly to find Polaris you are absolutely right to use more constellations.

[@RiggingDoctor]

I too prefer to use Ursa Major. It’s just so straight forward but I’ve had issues where it would be below the horizon or obscured by clouds. Now that we are in the ICW, city lights will block our entire sections of the sky and I need other constellations to navigate in the total darkness (in the dinghy).

[@redsailor101]

Found it!!

[@monikabatista2233]

This is really cool and useful information! thank you

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad it was useful for you :)

[@davecopp9356]

Thank you. Well explained.

[@RiggingDoctor]

I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

[@richardstubbs6484]

Well explained, thanks.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad it was helpful :)

[@michaelcanto6175]

Cool, that's amazing

[@willyum1208]

an easier way to find local noon, take a site when its close to noon, note the time, don't change the angle on your sextant, when the sun has peaked and is starting to fall, note the time when you sun has reached the original angle you had on your first mark that remained unchanged, the difference between your two times is your local noon time.

[@jonathanshaw6784]

these are some really useful videos, thank you

[@RiggingDoctor]

Glad they help :)

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Thanks for this. Bob the Science Guy YT channel has given sextant use several videos and those are very good. Mostly this is in response to Flat Earth numpties! I need to get a sextant and try this. North Star is ONLY good if you are north of the equator!!! Maybe you say that in the vid, watching it now. I just LOVE how FE numpties who have never been south of the equator seem to not understand this at all. When I was in Mombasa, Kenya, it was so interesting to see that the N. star wasn't there.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Flat earthers are a hilarious group of people who often pop up in the comments. They always bring a good joke!

[@stephenconway4976]

Very informative

[@PyeGuySailing]

great explanation!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thanks!

[@jamieminton172]

Luv it. You R where U is and if U isn't... Your Special. Or as my PoPop used to say, "Injun not lost! WigWom lost! Injun right here!"

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

"never bin lost. wuz mighty confused fer 3 days wunst" - Dan'l Boone

[@yurimendez5987]

Thank you

[@RiggingDoctor]

You're welcome

[@robertcarducci3807]

It is mind boggling to think that our ancestors figured all of this out. I hope that man doesn't lose this technology with GPS now so cheap and accessible.

[@RiggingDoctor]

It is a very realistic fear!

[@webheadusa9377]

Professor Herbie, I find this subject so very interesting. I did not realize the importance of having a clock set at UTC, which means one must use an extremely reliable time piece. What type of clock do you use, and have you pre-determined wether the clock runs fast or slow, and by how much. How would you compensate when a clock stops running? Or can star charts and more advanced math answer the question of what time is UTC time compared to your Local Apparent Noon? Old time mariners must have had a method since they did not have clocks. :¬) Webhead USA

[@RiggingDoctor]

We use the clock on our radio (it’s set to UTC) and we have a wrist watch that runs on a spring (wind up watch) which I wind every day. The watch is pretty accurate and that’s good enough since heading E-W and aiming for a continent you will see the land clouds a few days away from the shore. If your time piece is off, you will have an incorrect longitude but the clouds will warn you of the approaching shore. As for finding out the time without a clock, there are ways to use the stars and the moon to calculate your time to within 30 minutes with some math work. I also use the almanac to corroborate our latitude and longitude of our dead reckoning with the time of sunrise/moonrise and sunset/moon set. If you lost a timepiece or it was off on time, you could find your latitude with Polaris and then figure out the time based on one of the four sun and moon horizon events and work it backwards. Good idea!

[@webheadusa9377]

@@RiggingDoctor Thanks for your reply. My sense is that you would have been able to sail 50 years ago when electronics were not yet invented. You're one of the few able to do so. The knowledge to use paper charts, almanacs, a sextant, and a wind-up watch remain unaffected by a crippling lightning strike in mid-crossing. What a safety factor, not to mention the fun, self-reliance, and self-satisfaction of being able to navigate without electronics. Best, :¬) Webhead USA

[@timequest9802]

Great Video!!! May I ask, what Sextant do you recommend? Thanks

[@RiggingDoctor]

This is the one I use and love: amzn.to/3mvC8Zg

[@timequest9802]

@@RiggingDoctor Thank you very much for the information. I appreciate it. Your channel is Gold.

[@johncollins5021]

I really like this. How do you get your exact time.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Our radio displays time in UTC. I also set my phone to that time zone and keep a mechanical watch wound and set to that time. The watch isn’t as accurate but if we lose power, it’s better than nothing!

[@sailorruss5279]

Some good stuff here for the Northern Hemisphere. We use the Southern Cross down here in the Southern Hemisphere but I am not sure if there is a star like Polaris. Will need to research.

[@RiggingDoctor]

There is not, the southern cross points at the South Pole on the horizon.

[@sailorruss5279]

@@RiggingDoctor thanks for the response 👍

[@johnmajewski1065]

Nice, thank you for useful info if you're sailing in the north Hem, I like your approach experience sharpens your confidence. KISS formula keeping it simple is a war cry in almost everything in thing in life. Southern Hemisphere different star references and Nav tricks are required, no North Star to guide you in the south. What do you suggest?

[@RiggingDoctor]

The southern cross points at the spot in the horizon that is the South Pole. It takes a bit of an eye to run the line down to the horizon, but it works rather well!

[@sailingmoonshadow3169]

Excellent explanation Herbie! I always find it slightly amusing the different names given to those constellations. In the US they are referred to as the Big and Little Dipper. In the UK they are (correctly 😉) called The Great Bear and The Little Bear as the Latin names are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and were among the 48 constellations named by Ptolemy in the second century AD (you knew that). I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd but a celestial navigation newbie - I don't even have a sextant yet - recommendations please! I assume that once you have calculated your local noon you can then extrapolate that forward to work out your longitude using the time and your boat speed (dead reckoning?)

[@chhindz]

Big and little sauce pan

[@dutchglobetrotter4513]

Ursa is bear in Latin, Major is big and Minor is small. So the UK and many European languages have gotten the right translation from Latin.

[@RiggingDoctor]

You got it! Based on yesterday’s position, I can do DR to guess about when I should be taking my next noon sight. It really helps shave the amount of time I have to sit in the sun to get my reading. Less sun time means less sun burn!

[@farqfarq2225]

Very 👍

[@RiggingDoctor]

Thank you :)

[@tim_bbq1008]

How do you accurately measure the angle when the boat is moving? or do you just guess what the average angle is at any moment?

[@jeffdege4786]

Polaris isn't quite at the pole. It's 3/4 of a minute off. Which works out to something like 50 miles on the ground. One of the most important concepts to keep in mind in navigation is the size of your possible error.

[@tregenna]

We were always taught in marine school that navigation is an "approximate" science.

[@jeffdege4786]

@@tregenna True, but that's not quite what I meant. When you start a passage you have a hard fix on where you are. If during the passage you're taking noon sights, those sites provide a less accurate fix, and if you're doing dead reckoning between sights the accuracy degrades the longer it has been since you last took a sight. If cloud cover has prevented a sight for three days, the possible error in your position is larger than if you took a good sight three hours ago. You need to understand the size of your possible error and use it when planning your routes. One simple example is to never aim for your destination when making a long passage. If you do, you're guaranteed to miss, but you won't know by which direction you missed. Aim, instead, offset enough that when you get to the other side you'll know which way to turn.

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

@@jeffdege4786 That's good advice. Thanks

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s a really good idea! When we approach land, we see the land cloud a few days away over the horizon. Having error to one side would make spotting the land cloud easier since it will be on one specific side of the bow. Thanks for that great pointer!

[@stonetoolcompany3649]

Interestingly Joshua Slocum navigated by the moon in his first ever solo circumnavigation on Spray. ........ complex, it is no longer commonly practiced except for fun.

[@RiggingDoctor]

Yes! He was a lunarian!

[@georgecrawford3051]

some dippers, (most), did have a curved handle, or "bent" as you call it.

[@RiggingDoctor]

😉

[@henryk8253]

It would be interesting to see your storm trysail setup on Wisdom. If I remember correctly, your storm trysail "lives" permanently on the mast. How do you store it on the mast when it's not used?

[@RiggingDoctor]

I tie it up to the base of the mast and wedge it in front of the dinghy rack. The sheets are always tied on, the halyard attached, and the sail slides engaged. All I need to do is untie the sail tie, pull the halyard, and sheet the leeward winch!

[@LukasLiwandouw]

What if you're in the equator or on the southern hemisphere and there's no Polaris?

[@RiggingDoctor]

Then this trick won’t work for you. The Southern hemisphere doesn’t have a pole star but the Southern Cross can still be used to point to the South Pole.

[@WesTheDeal]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@BigBensBoatBrokerage]

Ohhh secret unlisted video. Nice.

[@RiggingDoctor]

You found it!

[@retiredpd]

Looking forward to your the next video on celestial navigation 👍👍

[@BobbieGWhiz]

Thanks. Polaris is 49th brightest star (including the sun). Not very bright at all, but it’s in a very dim part of the sky, so it’s recognizable. But it’s not a bright star!

[@melinda5777]

Doesn't the earth move in rotation, so the stars don't move, the earth does. But looking at the stars is apparently moving?

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Yes, be let's not be pedantic about this.

[@melinda5777]

@@rickkwitkoski1976then why comment! I care about Herby and Maddie and have for a long time. I understand what he meant and how he teaches, matter of fact, I LOVE IT! I just didn't want someone out there to be confused and I'm so sure he, Herby, knows that. HERBY, YOU KEEP DOING YOU! I'M 100% WITH YOU!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Yes, the earth is the one moving but to make it easier to explain, you become the object at rest observing all the celestial bodies in motion (when you are in motion and they are the ones actually at rest). Everything is relative :)

[@feshfeshsailing]

Hey Herb, how have you been? You should have flagged to the audience that using Polaris is only valid while in the Northern hemisphere.

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

And at that, you really need to be a couple of degrees north of the equator otherwise large waves may block it from a steady appearance.

[@RiggingDoctor]

That’s a good point. But the South Pacific sailors don’t even need charts to sail with their twig and shell maps of the oceans 😎 It’s a good point. As you move farther south, you will need other stars to guide you.

[@RiggingDoctor]

And we have been great! The LiFePO4 batteries we built have made motoring so much more enjoyable!

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

👍

[@RiggingDoctor]

😉

[@bojensen9855]

Ahem - a bit oversimplified. Sighting the polar star must be done in the dusk/dawn. In the dark you can't see the horizon and will need a bubble sextant to overcome this problem. Also the polar star is quite dimm. I don't get the meaning of "apparant noon". When the sun is at its highest it is true local noon as we see the sun in real (solar) time. UTC is not solar time but a mean time as in the former expression GMT. The difference is the "equation of time" and can amount to many minutes. As 1 minute in time equals 15 min of arc you can be way off the correct longitude unless correcting for the time eq. This is easily done by a simple addition or subtraction but requires a nautical almanac. Still precision is poor due to the fact, that the sun tends to "hang" at the highest for a "l-o-n-g" time making the decision of meridian time difficult. However, "lucky punches" do happen. Maybe I'm too early as you name the episode "Introduction". Looking fwd to the followings. Cheers from DK.

[@wesleyburghardt7189]

They had a similar video several months ago that used the same longitude method, failing to account for the equation of time, thus inviting errors of hundreds of miles. Several people pointed out the error in comments, but here it is again. Yes, this is an intro, but it is irresponsible to fail to add appropriate disclaimers. Worse, I think he may genuinely not understand the issue.

[@bryrensexton4618]

👍!!!

[@RiggingDoctor]

😎

[@osca7c]

What happens when you are below the equator and cannot see the north star?

[@RiggingDoctor]

Then you have to use the southern cross and it’s not as easy as the northern hemisphere sailors have it.

[@thomasplower367]

What happened to my post?

[@davo3238]

Great tutorial, but if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, like me, Polaris won't be visible

[@RiggingDoctor]

Even down near the equator, Polaris disappears into the haze at the horizon. Polaris is a good start but knowing other constellations becomes important when you sail in other parts of the world.

[@JohnJohn-cu7nk]

Or just make a sun dial clock and know exactly when the sun is Directly above you

[@RiggingDoctor]

I do that trick with the compass. When the central needle is casting a shadow on N, it’s time.

[@RiggingDoctor]

+ or - the local magnetic variance

[@robinj.9329]

"Overwhelming and scary"???? Maybe for a 7 year old! I was educated during a time when knowing the sky above was JUST AS IMPORTANT as knowing the Earth below. So, the stars above have been my best "Friends" since I was 10 or so. But now? I have been living in a College Town for 50+years. And I'm constantly surprised by recent University Graduates that don't have the type of sound, foundational education that I'd received before the end of 6th grade! As to the Sky? These "Educated" youths couldn't point out the "Big Dipper", Orion or even the North Star IF THEIR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT! It is all so very sad. This is stuff your average 11 year old Boy Scout knew way back in the 1960's! My oh my have we fallen !

[@RiggingDoctor]

It seems like their minds have switched from “knowing” to “is there an app for that?” I wonder if our educational system will ever get back to where it used to be?

[@braithmiller]

So the Earth isn't flat

[@RiggingDoctor]

Correct. Lol

[@Steve-ul8qb]

What is it?

[@braithmiller]

@@Steve-ul8qb Goldberg polyhedra

[@Steve-ul8qb]

@@braithmiller interesting, thanks.

[@tiberiu_nicolae]

2500 years old knowledge

[@neygercey7899]

Well done, but it doesn't work for us living in the Southern Hemisphere 😅

[@RiggingDoctor]

It does not! You have to use the southern cross and a bit of math to get your position.

[@glenngairns2284]

The North star has never moved....so the earth is fixed and stationary. The celestials move, and are calculable and predictable!

[@RiggingDoctor]

The North Star actually does move, but only a tiny bit. Its wobble is indistinguishable by eye but it isn’t 100% fixed. The wobble of the Earth’s axis, called precession, causes the direction the North Pole points to change. This means that the North Star moves across the sky over the years. Right now we can use it as a “fixed” star, but this wasn’t the case until the 12th century. Around the year 4000, Polaris will no longer be the North Star and the most likely new star will be Gamma Cephei.

[@marcg1686]

The Nautical Almanac devotes 3 pages to Polaris. There's a reason why that is. 🤡 The current YT flat earth hoax is about nine years old and you feckless simpletons can't explain how your fantasy fritatta works.

[@Paygelove]

How do you not realise you are taking an angle from a flat baseline? Also Water level tools establish horizontal not curved .. we live on a level stationary plane

[@jockedredd1329]

Go back to your room!

[@RiggingDoctor]

Water tools establish the flat and level point that is tangent to the curve. I agree with Jocke Dredd 👍

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

@super flerf YOU try and do this same thing with a "flat earth" viewpoint. It WILL NOT WORK! Try Bob the Science Guy YT channel. He has several sextant vids from recent months up there. AND he also explains why the earth CAN NOT be flat. If that is not enough for you, then check out Prof Dave Explains from a year or more ago. He has three vids about NON-MATH proofs that earth isn't flat PLUS a lengthy one in which he shuts down the most common FE numpty "excuses" You really need to come into reality small boy!

[@Steve-ul8qb]

Once you see it, you can’t un-see it. Until then...

[@LatoyaHickman-r3f]

Awesome and simple! Thanks

[@RiggingDoctor]

😎

[@SteveBenson-m8w]

This is really cool and useful information! thank you

[@RiggingDoctor]

You are welcome! These simple tricks are really helpful for the foundation of your understanding of celestial navigation.