Pencil, Paper and Stars: The Handbook of Traditional and Emergency Navigation

“Simple, practical, get-you-home navigation techniques.” (Yachting Monthly, May 2008)

Electronics killed traditional navigation slowly over the last century. Today’s sailors rely on GPS for all position finding and passage planning.

With the latest electronic gadgets promising super accuracy, do you really need the traditional paper and charts? What happens if your electronic navigation systems fail? Can you continue your passage in a safe and seamanlike manner? Or do you need help?

If so, Pencil, Paper and Stars is your answer.

It provides you with simple, practical, get-you-home navigation techniques, which can be used if electronic navigation systems aboard a yacht fail.

It shows you how to:

• understand the principles behind the techniques you are using to gain confidence in your answers;
  • use simple and easy techniques – they require no complicated mathematics, no high-level craft skills or any special skills;
    • make simple instruments using materials and equipment likely to be found on every boat;
      • put these techniques into practice – every procedure contributes to making a safe and seamanlike passage.