Jack Lagan is about wayfinding from what you can see around you and from what you have in your head. It will fascinate navigators and landlubbers alike.
Description
Acknowledgements A Barefoot Philosopher for the 21st Century Part I. The Remarkable Skills of the Ancients 1. The Pacific Islanders 2. The Vikings 3. Pharaohs and Phoenicians 4. The Arabs 5. The Chinese 6. Timeline of Navigation and Exploration Part II. Practical No-Tech Navigation 7. Which Heading? 8. Where am I, Roughly? 9. Landfall Part III. Do-It-Yourself Lo-Tech Navigation 10. Dead Reckoning 11. Latitude 12. Longitude 13. Plumbing the Depths Part IV. Survival Navigation 14. Emergency Kits and Grab-bags Notes Recommended Further Reading Appendices Index
Reviews
The Barefoot Navigator is a cleverly written little book that combines the history of the ancient art of navigation with the practical application of those techniques today. Ocean Navigator Ever wonder how the Polynesians managed to find their way throughout the Pacific? And what about the Vikings? Even if they would have stopped to ask for directions, no one had any. There were no navigation instruments or charts. This book investigates their navigation capabilities and shows you how practical, technology-free navigation can be used to enhance modern navigation. Interesting stuff! Latitudes & Attitudes The navigation skills of the ancients were legendary yet seem to pale in comparison with modern technology and navigation research - but The Barefoot Navigator: Navigating with the Skills of the Ancients offers up an important survey of these early skills, and applies them to modern times. From how to analyze clouds and currents to determine direction to how 21st century sailors can integrate these techniques with modern equipment, any sailor will find The Barefoot Navigator intriguing. Midwest Book Review [Lagan's] returned to square one: the skills of the ancients, who found tiny islands hundreds of miles away by discerning the amplitude, wave-length, and direction of the seas; the positions of stars and constellations; the size and behavior of seabirds; and the like. The Barefoot Navigator is an exciting read that makes a compelling argument: To navigate better and with greater satisfaction, sailors must learn more about the sea around them. Cruising World