The Lost Art of Dead Reckoning
August 14, 2020
For all the precision of modern technology, sometimes there’s no substitute for the tried-and-true art of dead reckoning.
For all the precision of modern technology, sometimes there’s no substitute for the tried-and-true art of dead reckoning.
Take a stroll down the memory lane of navigation. Many years ago, during what often seems like another lifetime, it was my job as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer to shoot a couple sun sights a day with a sextant, weather permitting. The task was a pleasure, really. It called for a set of physical skills that a guy like me could first learn, then practice, and then finally master in an almost artsy, albeit seriously practical way.
Smarter steering means frequent, but only short, glances at the chartplotter.
In an emergency, a properly maintained, easy-to-launch life raft can make all the difference.
Why we chose to build our dream version of a Selene 60 from the keel up.
Exploring the Utrechtse Vecht on the redesigned Elling E4.
Two decades after their first circumnavigation, Don and Anja Richards are crossing oceans again to help their son, Keith, kickstart his own cruising dream.
We caught up to the liveaboards at their winter roost in Southwest Alaska to chat about following your dreams and living a life less ordinary.
The gig is more workaday than champagne and caviar, and sometimes the harbor patrol saves our bacon.
How I learned to love the solitude and adventure of cruising with my canine companions.
A veteran sailor brings celestial navigation skills to a motoryacht’s transatlantic passage.
Bearings From The Editor’s Desk
