I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.

It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

S.Simon


felton wrote in message ...
I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.

I tend to agree, but you surprised me. I thought you might be more of
a Larry Pardee minimalist, Cappy



On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 13:22:26 -0400, "Simple Simon"
wrote:

It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

S.Simon


felton wrote in message ...
I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.

"Simple Simon" wrote in
:

It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

You wouldn't say that if you took sailing seriously.

Bertie

"Simple Simon" wrote in message ...
It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

S.Simon

No Sailor can call himself a unlimited master without it.

Have you no sence of self reliability?
No pride in doing something on your own?

Or have you become a dependant of the system?

If the GPS system ever goes down, any person with Celestial navigation
experience will be worth his weight in gold.

Capt. American





felton wrote in message ...
I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.

"Capt.American" wrote:

"Simple Simon" wrote
It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

No Sailor can call himself a unlimited master without it.

Agreed, with an emphasis on "unlimited". ....

Have you no sence of self reliability?
No pride in doing something on your own?
Or have you become a dependant of the system?

*Everybody* is dependent on "the system" to one degree or another. The
only pride to be had is in being *slightly* less dependent than the dude
next door.


If the GPS system ever goes down, any person with Celestial navigation
experience will be worth his weight in gold.

But it will never go down. If the Yellowstone Caldera pops or the
recently reported astroid hits, wiping out all life on Earth, GPS
satellites will keep chirping away. http://www.trimble.com/gps/

Oh, I can do it and I have a Davis plastic sextant and tables
aboard but I still think it's rather a waste of time anymore.

GPS ain't never going down for the count. Too many things
rely on it. The worst that will happen is a satellite or two
may go belly up but there's enough redundancy to work
around them until new ones can be put up.

S.Simon


"Capt.American" wrote in message om...
"Simple Simon" wrote in message ...
It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

S.Simon

No Sailor can call himself a unlimited master without it.

Have you no sence of self reliability?
No pride in doing something on your own?

Or have you become a dependant of the system?

If the GPS system ever goes down, any person with Celestial navigation
experience will be worth his weight in gold.

Capt. American





felton wrote in message ...
I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.

"Simple Simon" wrote in
:



Oh, I can do it and I have a Davis plastic sextant and tables
aboard but I still think it's rather a waste of time anymore.

GPS ain't never going down for the count. Too many things
rely on it. The worst that will happen is a satellite or two
may go belly up but there's enough redundancy to work
around them until new ones can be put up.

Snort!

Until you sail into an area that's been suppressed.


Fjuckwit.

Bertie

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

"Simple Simon" wrote
GPS ain't never going down for the count. ...

Until you sail into an area that's been suppressed.


Ah ... er ... where's that? N.Y.? Gay Bay? ???

LOL S.S. can't now and never will be, able to call himself an unlimited
master.

Capt.American wrote:
"Simple Simon" wrote in message ...

It's pretty much a waste of time anymore.

S.Simon


No Sailor can call himself a unlimited master without it.

Have you no sence of self reliability?
No pride in doing something on your own?

Or have you become a dependant of the system?

If the GPS system ever goes down, any person with Celestial navigation
experience will be worth his weight in gold.

Capt. American





felton wrote in message ...

I am wrestling with myself as to whether to continue my USPS course
work and sign up for the JN course, which is the first of two courses
dealing with celestial navigation. I have completed all the electives
and through Advanced Piloting, so it is decision time. I have heard
that even the Naval Academy doesn't teach celestial navigating skills
any longer.

Is celestial anything more than an interesting exercise these days or
is it worth the effort to learn for any meaningful use? Ultimately it
comes down to time invested/benefit to learn, like anything else.

At the risk of sounding "lubberly", I just wonder if this is time well
spent these days.