The whys and wherefores of navigation

Practical guide explains the reasons behind common navigational practices for mariners who perform procedures by rote and seek fuller understanding. It covers compass use and its corrections, dead reckoning, plane, traverse and parallel sailings, and the computations used to determine latitude and longitude. Nautical astronomy topics such as declination, right ascension, time, lunar observations, and corrections for observed altitudes are integrated with treatments of azimuths, the Sumner method, charts, and practical tables, aiming to link routine techniques to their theoretical foundations through clear explanations and worked examples.