Sextants to Satellites
Since opening his navigation school in 1977, David Burch has
watched navigation technology go from taking sights on a
sextant to working with Global Positioning Satellites to
find your position.
By Richard Hazelton
If you put all the people who’ve trivial matter to check them out using
taken celestial navigation classes from celestial navigation.”
David Burch’s Starpath School of While celestial navigation has long best one based on their experience.
Navigation in Seattle, and put them been the first thought of many mariners, But the models are the future and are
a mile apart, they would form a line today, coastal cruising courses are very definitely getting better. They do make
around the world. “Up until four years popular. “Celestial is the same no analysis easier for many more people
ago we had in room classes. At that time matter where you are in the world. In to work with, so more people benefit
we’d had 26,000 students complete our the open ocean you can be a little off and from it than not. Only the very tactical
celestial classes,” says David. be okay. Coastal is more challenging few find it that inaccurate.”
Today, the classes are only available because it represents unique challenges For those not planning their world
online. “We offer quite a few classes for wherever you are in the world. cruise, there’s also a section on how to
online, but celestial navigation is still You’re close to land so you could hit read local winds and terrain.
the most popular,” states Burch. So something, it’s more critical. You may Another book that David has
why, in this day of the GPS, are boaters only have minutes, sometimes seconds published is an exact reprint of two
still learning celestial? “Celestial is still to correct a mistake. Most everyone books every Puget Sound racer had
very vital. It goes along with a sailor doing coastal navigation now has GPS, on board in the 70-80’s. “Tide Prints,”
being totally independent while at sea. so that’s something we need to cover in published by the University of
Plus, it’s also a confidence builder.” our coastal courses because, like I said, Washington in 1976, was based on a
“Celestial is always there. The the closer to land, the more critical it is working model of Puget Sound, and
British, for example, shut off GPS for to know exactly where you are.” showed the movements of the currents
the North Sea for a while. The merchant While David is best known for his during different stages of the tides. The
marine still require their captains to navigation prowess, he’s also quite new book also includes the “NOAA
know celestial before they can get their involved in weather information at sea. Current Charts.” Both had been out
license. His book, “Modern Marine Weather,” of print since the late 80’s, so David
“Plus, knowing celestial has some explains how to use available GRIB files paired them up. It’s a tremendous tool
good side benefits, like checking your to lay over your charts to get accurate for racers and cruisers alike.
compasses. In the last Pacific Cup I weather forecasts for your locale. David’s latest project is barometers.
did, I didn’t use celestial to navigate, However, he doesn’t believe these He has built a pressure chamber in his
but used it to check the compasses on computer generated predictions are shop for calibrating barometers, and
the boat. Today, with all the interactive “gospel.” David explains, “These files written a new book, “The Barometer
navigation systems on the boat, you’ll use models that are not human vetted. Handbook.” A follow up to his weather
find that sometimes the compass A meteorologist has the human insight book, it teaches the value of knowing
repeaters don’t always agree. It’s a that can compare models and pick the absolute pressure.
It’s rare to find someone as
dedicated to the challenges facing
sailors by weather and navigation.
Lucky for us, David shares his vast
experience and knowledge with his
fellow sailors through his books and
his classes. His passion has produced a
wealth of tools and information to help
us in our travels on the water, locally or
around the world.
Learn more about David, his books
Along with acquiring and interpreting ”Tidal Currents of Puget Sound”
and classes by visiting his website:
the weather forecasts for ocean sailing, contains reprints the NOAA Current
http://www.starpath.com/
“Modern Marine Weather” also explains Charts, and the popular U of W Tide
how to read local winds and terrain. Prints, out of print since the 80’s.
48° No r t h , Au g u s t 2009 PA g e 40
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