Jack I. Davis has written this very easy to understand instructional navigation book. After traveling thousands of miles on the water and teaching hundreds of navigation and boating courses, Captain Jack has put his vast experience into this excellent book. Filled with knowledge, sea stories and humorous anecdotes, this book is not only a learning tool but thoroughly enjoyable to read. He has even thrown in a few boating lessons to help you at sea.
Captain Jack takes the reader through each phase of navigation by first explaining, in detail, the steps needed to complete each phase. This is followed by a list of questions to answer, using your new found knowledge. After you have completed the questions, you can check your answers at the end of each chapter. All the calculations are accomplished with simple, grade school math using an inexpensive calculator and basic plotting tools.
If you believe you do not need these Old Time navigational skills in this modern age of electronic navigation, Captain Jack makes this suggestion to you: "Tape a mirror below your GPS display. When the electronics fail, you can look in the mirror and see exactly who is lost". Illustrated.
I have about 30,000 blue water sailing miles behind me plus another 5,000 blue water power boat miles. Add to that 5,000 very boring Intracoastal waterway miles and some 1,000 three or four hour sailing lessons and you can see I've spent a lot of time on boats. Most of this time has been thoroughly enjoyable.
Some of the less joyful things are storms. Storms at sea are not much fun and storms lasting for weeks at a time are not much fun for weeks at a time. We have to take the bad with the good.
When I first started to teach sailing courses, I was surprised at the satisfaction I derived from the experience. For me, there is a sense of accomplishment which didn't exist in many of my other endeavors. After going through the basics of sailing, many of my sailing students wanted to further improve their knowledge of the sea. This led me into teaching my first navigation classes.
Teaching these navigation classes was satisfying, but frustration began when I could not "get through" to many of the students. I learned that most of these "slow students" weren't slow at all. They just had an inept instructor. ME! By refining my techniques and borrowing ideas from others, I found I had fewer and fewer "slow students". This book utilizes the same techniques as a method for the reader to become a competent navigator.
The format presented here is the classroom presentation. Included is my practice of interspersing many of my sea stories with the real work. Of course, these are the same stories my former students are already more familiar with than they want to be. Many of my explanations, diagrams and procedures have come about as the most practical way for me to introduce newcomers to the navigational procedures on a boat. They may not reflect absolute scientific explanation but they will teach you what you must know.
I must admit, I've picked up many ideas and techniques from others. Too numerous to mention them all but I do want to acknowledge a few of the main ones. First, many years ago I took an "Intermediate Navigation" correspondence course from the University of Tennessee. This was my first and only venture into the academic aspects of navigation. It was a good venture, and in reviewing my teaching methods, I see the influence of that well structured course. Second, in preparing for my first U. S. Coast Guard captain's license examination, I reviewed a book by Richard A. Block, published by Marine Education Textbooks. His navigation presentation was by far the best and most comprehensive of any on the market. I know my teaching methods have been greatly affected by Mr. Block's work. Third, the number one authority on navigation, in my opinion, is Bowditch. I use both Volumes I and II extensively.
Last but not least, I must acknowledge and thank the hundreds of sailors I have sailed with through the years. I have learned something, from nearly every one of them, which influences my teaching and definitely my sea stories.
I want to especially thank Lynn Pinkerton and Sandy Billings for encouraging me to write this book and my first mate, Mary, for spelling and grammar lessons I somehow missed in school. Joe Kolb for artwork and friendship. Mike Sutton my sailboat neighbor, who worked the problems and checked the answers.
