SeaClass | Maritime Navigation and Nautical Instruments Explained

Описание: How did sailors in the 19th century find their way across vast oceans? In this episode of SeaClass, Krystal Rose, Director of Collections and Curatorial Affairs, speaks with Brian Koehler, Associate Director of Treworgy Planetarium and Michael P. Dyer, Curator of Maritime History at Mystic Seaport Museum, to explore the tools and techniques of historic maritime navigation.

Explore the essential nautical instruments used by whalers—from sextants and sandglasses to charts and dead reckoning—and discover how navigators determined their position at sea, even in poor weather conditions. You'll also learn about some rare instances where women played the role of navigator, how sailors sourced their tools, and the impact that even a single degree of latitude could make in a voyage.

🎥 This episode offers an in depth look at navigation and the instruments used, supported with insights from Treworgy Planetarium.

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📌 Chapters – In This Video:

00:00 Introduction

00:50 What navigation instruments do you need at sea?

02:58 How do you determine latitude?

04:28 How did whalers plan their journeys?

06:32 Were charts reused for multiple whaling voyages?

07:36 What was a sandglass used for?

09:56 Where did sailors get their navigation tools?

10:52 Who was responsible for navigation on a whaleship?

12:16 Women as navigators at sea

13:10 Visiting Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum

14:05 What is a sextant, and how was it used?

14:43 Navigating on a cloudy day + dead reckoning (DR)

17:14 What if your DR position was wrong?

18:08 Why 1 degree of latitude can change everything

19:57 Are sextants still used today?