Books on navigation

[Ryan]

Can anyone recommend books on sailing navigation? There are tons of them out there and I have a sneaking suspicion that someone here may have an opinion on which one(s) are best! Thanks.

Ryan

[Eric]

I can highly recommend Boater's Bowditch, The Small-Craft American Practical Navigator, by Richard K. Hubbard, published by International Marine. [See on Amazon]

IMHO, it get the job done like no other single volume and is clear and very accessible.

-- Eric

[Robert The Gray]

It seems that with the availability of the gps, celestial navigation may go the way of sundial making, charming antiquities. So books that include celestial work may be thick with info that most of us do not need. I distinguish between ocean navigation and coastal piloting. The information in Herreshoff's The Complete Cruiser was extremely helpful with regards to piloting.
In the absence of gps and radar, I feel that skill in reading the chart, a good ability work with the compass rose, practice in taking bearings with a hand bearing compass, and some familiarity with basic distance estimation, should lead one to be able to find oneself without to much difficulty, unless, of course, it is a dark and stormy night and you have no accurate charts. In those situations I believe the old stand-bys of patience, prayer and sea room would serve.

r

[Figment]

Herreshoff spelled it The Compleat Cruiser for some reason.

(just in case anyone wanted to google)

[Robert The Gray]

thanks figment.

[bcooke]

Herreshoff spelled it The Compleat Cruiser for some reason.

Just a bit of useless information. Francis was copying the writing style of an earlier work entitled "The Compleat Angler" which was written in England back when that was the proper way to spell 'complete'.

-Britton

[Mark.Wilme]

I like Calders book "How to read a Nautical chart" which incorporates Chart number 1. Great first few chapters.

Mark