Course Description
Celestial Navigation is the art and science of finding your way across the oceans with the sun, stars and planets as your only guide. It is the very symbol of self-reliance at sea, and a direct link to the long and fascinating history of ocean voyaging. It can save your ship in a pinch, and will bring you an understanding of the motion of the earth and the heavens that might be equally valuable. 59 North Sailing has held many successful workshops in celestial navigation in the past, both in the US, Sweden, and even online! This time, we’ll host one in ISBJORN’s skipper August’s home town of Bergen in Norway. 0900-1600 Sat & Sun.
The workshop will take place at the most fitting of venues: Statsraaden Bar & Reception, in the heart of Bergen. It serves as the home base for both the tall ship STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL who berths alongside the bar mere meters away, and of the band “Storm Weather Shanty Choir”, 59 North’s go-to sailing music! Your teacher for the weekend will be August Sandberg, Skipper of our Swan 48 ISBJORN. He is also a lecturer at the Bergen University, and an avid navigator and amateur astronomer. COVID-19 depending, he will be joined by Andy Schell himself, who has more ocean miles under his belt than most, many of them navigating on celestial alone! He will in any case join parts of the course remotely.
Course cost is $330 USD // 3000 NOK Complete the checkout below to pay online in USD, OR complete the form to pay in NOK on arrival in Bergen.
If you’d rather pay in NOK on arrival to the weekend, please complete the signup form below.
Wayfinding
During the weekend, you will learn how to use a nautical sextant to make observations at sea, finding your latitude by the traditional "noonsight", and how to determine your exact position accurately by observing the sun. Both Andy and August are out there on the oceans doing this for real, and use real sightings from their sailing passages for practice problems.
The primary language of the course will be English, but with full Norwegian language support. We will provide almanacs, tables and sextants for you to use during the course. If you happen to have your own sextant, bring it along, and we'll teach you how to use it!
Storm Weather Shanty Choir LIVE at Statsraaden Bar.
