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How to
Shades
Used to help stop glare and make it possible to position the Sun on the horizon through your telescope.
Index mirror
The purpose of this is to capture the Sun or pole star; the angle at which it is located will then be used to establish your position.
ANATOMY OF A SEXTANT
Telescope
The viewing point through which you aim at the horizon, before moving the index bar to align the Sun and establish latitude.
First invented as a device for divining as early as the Chinese Han Dynasty (around 206 BCE), the compass was adopted for maritime navigation by the early-12th century CE. However, we know that many cultures were sailing well before this so how exactly did they navigate Earths vast oceans?
Arc
This is the measurement readout, showing the angle of the index mirror when the Sun has been positioned correctly.
Index bar
Used to move the mirror. The gap is the viewing point for determining the Suns altitude relative to your current position.
EUDOXUS OF CYZICUS
130 BCE
A Greek navigator, he is the first recorded European to sail using the monsoon winds in Asia.
Most famous for his exploration of the west African coast, he made it farther south than anyone before.
FLOKI VILGERDARSON
NINTH CENTURY CE
Credited with discovering Iceland, he used three ravens to help him find land one of which led to Iceland.
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Exploring by day
During daylight hours, you will be able to make out points of reference on land such as mountains or large structures as well as follow the path of the Sun itself. When possible, do as the ancient mariners would and stay within sight of the coast and use these landmarks to guide you. This also means youre never too far from terra firma for supplies.
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Exploring by night
Once the Sun goes down and the coast is no longer visible and given the general lack of visibility moving closer to the land is not recommended due to the increased risk of running aground in shallow water and other dangers like reefs. Instead grab your star charts and look upwards to make use of the night sky.
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Exploration
NAVIGATION TOOLS
1ST CENTURY BCE
Built with up to 30 gears, this ahead-of-its-time device worked like a modern clock to predict the location and alignment of stars.
The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) The Little Dipper (Ursa Minor)
North Star
JACOBS STAFF
400 BCE
This device was used to measure angles eg the angle between the horizon and the Sun in order to establish a ships latitude.
North Star
Cassiopeia
03
The most common point of reference in the night sky for sailors has always been the North Star (Polaris), which sits directly above the Earths North Pole. Its relatively easy to find given that its one of the brightest stars in the sky. It can also be located by following down from the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) constellation which sits above it.
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Other constellations
That is not to say the North Star is the only celestial body to guide you there are many other stars that move little and dont set that can serve as great guides when youre out at sea. For example, take advantage of constellations Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper either side of the North Star to more accurately gauge your heading.
SUNSTONE
13TH CENTURY CE
Used by Viking navigators on cloudy days to determine the location of the Sun thanks to the way it polarised/refracted light.
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Donsimpson
Another good reference for navigators is the oceans depth, as this will give you a good idea of how far you are from land. To establish how deep the water beneath you is, you need to drop a sounding weight into the sea, with its attached rope serving as measurement. As well as depth, these devices can also collect samples from the ocean floor.
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If for some reason you lose sight of the coastline during the day and therefore have no stars to refer to you can turn to the animal kingdom. A clever technique as a final resort is to release birds that are kept on board and then follow them as they fly towards land. This is something the Vikings did, using ravens to take them to new shores.