Miscellaneous
Sir Isaac Newton and the Sextant
Up until the voyages of discovery began in the late 15th Century, ship captains rarely sailed out of sight of land. Why? Even though they knew what direction they were…
Read More18th Century Navigation – Evolution of the Nautical Chart
When captains went to sea in the 18th Century, computers, accurate chronographs, satellite imagery of weather, inertial navigation systems and GPS didn’t exist. Instead, the captain had a timepiece, compass,…
Read MoreBen Franklin and the Gulph Stream
In 1513, Ponce de Leon was the first to note a current that was faster than his ships, but did neither explored it nor documented its location. What de Leon…
Read More