A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Robin Jouan
Date: 2017 Sep 9, 02:43 -0700
David and Frank, about "situation awareness":
People coming from military side knows that situation awareness is based on a multiplicity of sensors (Observe before Orient, Decide and Act). At sea, data from GPS & WAAS, sounder, electrical compass & speedometer, IMU, landmark sights, but also CelNav can be fused for an optimum use with electronic charts, taking in account their respective availability. CelNav itself can be automated through optronic turrets (experienced in visible and IR on Navy ships). A French open reference is a book written by Professor Loïc Barbot, who was granted by the Amiral Daveluy award in 2013: "L'avenir de la navigation astronomique dans la Marine Marchande" (i.e. the future of celestial navigation in Merchand Marine), edited by Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime de Marseille.
Onboard a small sailing boat, the same approach is possible, but for safety reason should be rustic and partly by hand, using paper charts in parallel of electronics, in order to maintain a minimum training level for the crew. Sextant skill is necessary, but ephemerids and automatic sight reduction can be easily supported by smartphones or slow clocking palm-PC with an autonomy of several monthes. With a medium accuracy, CelNav using internal camera shots and GPS could be fused using a simple smartphone.
But for me, it is obvious that going to high sea without traditional navigation practice can be very dangerous!