The Vancouver Chapter is pleased to offer a 2-day Celestial Navigation course, instructed by Malcolm Wilkinson. The course will be offered over two consecutive Saturday evenings.
Learning to use a sextant for navigation is a great skill to have. Simply put, a sextant is a tool used to measure the angles between celestial objects such as the sun, moon and stars (and the horizon). These results may be used to determine one’s position on the earth — in much the same way you would use land based objects to create a “navigational fix”. In other words, a sextant allows sailors to accurately measure their latitude and longitude, enabling them to know their exact location at sea. There are other befits:
- Navigation in Remote Areas: A sextant can be used in remote areas without relying on any external navigational tools, such as GPS or radio signals — where they might not be available.
- Practical Experience: Learning how to use a sextant provides a hands-on experience that can be useful in a variety of navigational contexts.
- Historical Significance: Sextants are a reminder of the historical importance of navigation for maritime travellers and explorers.
- Fun: Learning to use a sextant can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Please join us in this easy-to-follow course, where the assumed complexities are made clear.
Instructor
Malcolm Wilkinson has been sailing for over 65 years and has been using celestial navigation for over 50 years. Malcolm raced sailboats successfully for many years, both locally and offshore before sailing with his wife Darcy, some 16,000 nautical miles to the South Pacific and return aboard their 44ft sloop, Meridian Passage II. He is passionate about and has taught many celestial navigation courses to BCA members.