1. Celestial Navigation Software
2. Celestial Navigation Calculator Free online, free
3. Celestial Navigation Training
4. Celestial Navigation Basics

The arrow of a magnetic compass always points north. This feature of a compass needle was noticed in the XII century, after which people began to use a compass for orientation, especially at sea. This device is quite simple. However, if you draw a direct line from the point of origin to the point of destination and without deviating a single degree follow the plotted course, you will hardly reach your desired destination, especially if the distance is big.
There are two factors that influence your course (compass course) from the course you drew on a map (true course):

Navigation calculators; Free online barometer calibration service; Navigation Rules with Canadian Modifications highlighted; Celestial Navigation LOP Plot Checker; Atlantic No. 5274 and Pacific No. 5270 (GC tracking charts) Units Converter; Atlantic Briefing Index to all maps; Pacific Briefing Index to all maps; Satellite Image Briefings; NWS. Need a scientific calculator, those having trigonometric functions and their inverse functions. Programmable graphing calculators such as the TI-86 and TI-89 are excellent for the methods described in the book. To those readers familiar with ‘celestial’, they will notice that I have departed the usual norms found in celestial navigation texts. The main purpose of this calculator is to facilitate the practice of celestial navigation at sea. A secondary purpose is to provide the solutions of a spherical triangle of which two sides and the included angle are known and it is necessary to find the values of the third side and adjacent angle. We offer both traditional Celestial Navigation (ASA 107) and the new Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117). Either one can be taken in a classroom or an online course. Both Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117) and Celestial Navigation (ASA 107) meet the standards for Offshore Passagemaking (ASA 108).

• Compass readings deviations – magnetic deviation
• Discrepancy of magnetic and true poles – magnetic declination

To calculate the compass course by the true course, or vice versa, you should set the values of the magnetic declination for a given location and your compass deviation in the corresponding fields of the calculator. The default values calculate the compass course for the transition from the city of Cadiz (Spain) to Cape St. Vincent (Portugal). For the calculation, I've determined the true course by using this calculator Course angle and the distance between the two points on loxodrome (rhumb line)., where I input the coordinates from Google Maps. The magnetic declination was obtained with a nautical chart of the Western Mediterranean Sea.
Detailed explanations can be found below.

Celestial Navigation Software

Celestial Navigation Calculator Free online, free

Magnetic deviation

Those who read Jules Verne will remember that the cook Negoro had sinister plans for the ship Pilgrim and its 15-year-old captain and deliberately set them off course by place an axe under the compass binnacle. There are a lot of things on a ship that can affect a magnetic compass. To eliminate this effect, there are deviation charts for each compass that show the deviation for various courses. Over time, the deviation may be changed due to the installation of new equipment or the magnetization of the old iron parts, so tables are regularly updated. Using the value of the deviation table, it is possible to bring the compass course to the magnetic course. To do so, the deviation value for this compass course is added to the compass course if it's deviating east, or subtracted if it's deviating west.

Magnetic declination

Magnetic declination does not depend on the equipment of the vessel, but on its location, and also varies with time as does the deviation, but more predictably. The magnetic declination is indicated on the map, with the obligatory indication of the measurement year and the average annual change. To switch to the real course, we first obtain the magnetic course and then add the magnetic declination to the east or subtract the one to the west. Then the average annual change of the magnetic declination is taken into account (it's multiplied by the number of years and then added or subtracted).

How to remember how to correct or convert compass points

The process of switching between a compass and the true course is called rhumb correction, and the back process is called rhumb conversion.
There is a simple rule that you can find in English navigation literature that allows you to remember a single word: CadET
It stands for C(ompass), ad(d), E(asterly error), T(rue). The back conversion is similar but instead of adding eastern corrections we subtract them.

Sources:

• V.S. Mikhailov, V.G. Kudriavtsev, V.S. Davidov Navigation and sailing directions
• Tim Bartlett An Introduction to Navigation. RYA.

Celestial Navigation: ASA Course 107

Classroom Location

Sailcrafters, 7450 Oxford Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Celestial Navigation Training

Description

We offer both traditional Celestial Navigation (ASA 107) and the new Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117). Either one can be taken in a classroom or an online course.

Celestial Navigation Basics

Both Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117) and Celestial Navigation (ASA 107) meet the standards for Offshore Passagemaking (ASA 108).

This course covers how to find position at sea from timed sextant sights of the sun, moon, stars, and planets plus other routine and special procedures of safe, efficient offshore navigation. Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) and Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117) are prerequisites. The only math involved is arithmetic (adding and subtracting angles and times). This is a practical, how-to-do-it course, which also includes clear explanations of how it works and how to do it well. Plus this course includes other crucial factors of ocean navigation besides just finding out where you are from the stars, such as logbook procedures, dead reckoning, error analysis, route planning, etc. At the end of this course, you will be ready for ocean navigation. Thousands of students have successfully learned celestial from these materials and gone on to cross oceans or circumnavigate the globe.

All text materials are provided to complete the course. The only thing extra you might need are basic plotting tools (parallel rules, dividers and protractor). If you have no tools now, then our plotting tool kit will provide what you need... not just for the course, but for all of your future navigation underway as well.

You do not need a sextant to do the course. We provide sextants in the class to help you establish familiarity.

Celestial Course Topics include:

• Lat, Lon, and nautical miles
• Principles of celestial navigation
• Sextant usage and care
• Noon sights for latitude
• Running fixes from the sun
• Ocean dead reckoning
• Time keeping
• Sextant sights and sight reduction of sun, moon, stars, and planets
• Star ID and sight planning
• Daily procedures and logbooks
• Route planning
• Compass checks at sea
• High seas radio usage
• Landfall procedures
• Use of calculators
• Use of NAO sight reduction tables
• Plus emergency navigation techniques and notes on the latest developments in GPS

We start from the basics in Basic Celestial (ASA 117) which is why Basic Celestial and Coastal Navigation are prerequisites. Many thousands of students have successfully learned celestial navigation from these materials and gone on to do everything from extended day sailing to bareboat chartering or even world cruising in their own boats.

With the electronic components, you can take the complete course with you as you travel, or use it to search the complete set of materials for specific topics. If you prefer to work on your own without computers, you have a complete syllabus with practice exercises and answers in the printed materials. If you want extra structure to your training, then take part in the online course for more discussion and individual quizzes at each lesson. See online / correspondence option below!

Northern Breezes' Starpath Online Course

This course can be completed by students who are remotely located. The Starpath Celestial Navigation Online Course includes a total paper course package as well as a comprehensive electronic version of the entire course as a download. With this combination you can choose the media that is most convenient to you at the time. Use the search engines and software resources from the computer and use the printed texts for study away from a computer.

Why take the Celestial Navigation Online Course through Northern Breezes and not directly from Starpath?

Available for purchase

Navigation instruments by Weems & Plath.
2102-D Star Finder: $42.00
12' Parallel Rules: $17.00 - or - 7' Compact ParaLock Plotter $21.00*
Ultra light 7' dividers: $17.00
Nautical Slide Rule: $19.00
Chart Protractor: $20.00
Chart No. 1: $14.00
Coast Guard Navigation Rules: $13.00

*Both instruments are ideal for chart books. They are lifelong instruments.

Note: No sales tax when purchased with the class. Extra shipping charge is required for tools purchased with Starpath Online courses.

CLASS SCHEDULE for Celestial Navigation Classroom Course

Currently offered only as correspondence course will conduct classroom class upon demand. Please express your interest by sending us a form.

Starpath Online Course Fee

$309, including text materials. Optional Star Finder and sextants sold separately. Cancellation Policy

Directions to Sailcrafters for Classroom Course

7450 Oxford Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55426

From Hwy 169
Take exit for Hwy 7 East
Hwy 7 east to Louisiana Ave S
At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto Louisiana Ave S
Turn right onto Oxford St, Sailcrafters will be on the right

From Hwy 100
Take exit for Hwy 7 West
Hwy 7 west to Louisiana Ave S
Turn right onto Louisiana Ave S, make a U-turn
At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit and stay on Louisiana Ave S
Turn right onto Oxford St, Sailcrafters will be on the right.

Prerequisite for this course

Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) and Basic Celestial Navigation (ASA 117)

Call Northern Breezes Sailing School at 763-542-9707 to register or with questions.