Navigation

Navigation Tools and Techniques for the Ancients

It is the nature of man to explore the world around him. That is why during the ancient times, thousands of years ago, sailors traveled in ships, crossed oceans, reached different continents and conquered many islands.

Observing modern navigation will surely get you to thinking that traveling by sea, by air or even by land is a very complicated task. Having maps at hand during such travels will be of great help. But without the benefits and usefulness of modern technology and sophisticated navigational tools, how did the ancient people manage the task?

Numerous researches about early navigation techniques of different civilizations have found that almost all ancient navigators, most of them sailors, have relied on the placement and regular appearance of the sun, the moon and the stars for navigational purposes. Analyzing the findings, you will conclude that the techniques to use celestial bodies as points of reference for travel make sense.

In fact, there are still many sailors and travelers today that use celestial or heavenly bodies to aid navigation during air, land or sea travel. But with the modern tools of today, of course, everything is made simpler and less complicated.

The history of celestial navigation

Studies and diggings have revealed that perhaps, seafarers made the earliest recorded distant travels in 3500 BC. During those times, not many navigation aids and tools were yet discovered and developed, researchers theorize that they made use of celestial navigation primarily for distant sea travels.

According to studies, most sea travelers during those times simply used landmarks when traveling. For example, they used hills, mountains and other landmarks to identify destinations and places. But of course, that system only worked for short-distanced travels. What about long ones, or those that involved crossing different oceans?

That is how celestial navigation probably set in. Ancient celestial navigation involved the observation of the placement in the sky of the sun, the moon and the stars. That is because out in the open water, no other landmarks could be seen or observed.

Out in the ocean, people can see nothing but horizons. Everywhere the eyes look, there's just endless sea underneath, and the sky above. Because the sun, the moon and the stars regularly rise and set as the day goes by, ancient travelers have inferred that those celestial bodies could be used as effective reference

points for traveling.

And surely, they did. By looking at the celestial bodies, you can easily infer directions. Of course, the sun and the moon rise in the east and set in the west although the seasons also bring angles into play. The stars, unlike the sun and the moon, don't change angles depending on the season.

So, the stars have been considered more reliable in celestial navigation. The ancients probably learned to create line of sight systems to observe celestial bodies for navigation.

For example, the North Star is always located in the North. In the evening sky anywhere in the world, people will see the North Star as a distinct bright star that looks like a guide.

Ancient travelers may have used the North Star as an early reference point in traveling. Thus, through the North Star, they could identify directions. North Star is always in the north direction, and from there, it would be easy to infer other directions like the east, the west and the south.

Other ancient navigation tools

There were other navigation techniques or tools used by ancient travelers. Studies note that different civilizations developed different navigation tools and techniques for sea travel. For example, celestial navigation was widely used by European travelers.

In the Pacific, ancient Polynesian travelers were found to have learned how to navigate using wave observations. The concept is very simple, but is so sensible that you may be awed how such a simple idea could have been a very important aspect of navigation way back then.

You know that small waves are observed in deep waters and shallow waters are usually where huge waves can be seen. That is due to the presence of shallower land bottom of the sea on seashores. Polynesians knew that so they detected nearby land areas during travels using such simple knowledge.

In the Mediterranean, ancient travelers learned to use wind as indicators of directions. For example, in the Mediterranean, warm winds are coming from the south, cold breeze is from the north, dry is from the east and humid or wet is from the west.

Ancient navigation is full of wonder. Ancient travelers should be commended for being so smart and resourceful to develop ancient navigation tools and techniques.

Getting Acquainted with Several Nautical Terminologies

Boating or sea travel has its own lingo. That is practical because the activity has procedures and tools that are exclusive to it. Because the English language is fast expanding and modifying, there are terminologies that can be used in boating and in other tasks. That may however harbor confusion (pun intended)!

Different industries and specific activities have their own sets of terminologies. That is to avoid confusion and to serve as a basic knowledge among technical crews. Such lingo was developed also to retain and unsure the exclusivity of the activity to the technical staff.

When you are out boating or are embarked on a ship, you may observe that the crew and ship personnel are using terms that you sometimes can't easily comprehend. Most of those words are still within the English language, but through inference and observation, you can easily tell that the meaning and usage are entirely different from what you are accustomed to.

Learning nautical terminology isn't a necessity for you. However, it would also be advisable if you had just a little knowledge about them, especially if you are considering a sailing adventure in the near future.

There are far more nautical terms than what are known to the average person. For your convenience, it would be great if you could accustom yourself to those terms that are widely used when on a ship.

Nautical terms for vessel parts

Primarily, it would be interesting to know the common terms or names used to refer to the different sides or parts of a vessel or a ship. Here are some of them:

Leeway - this refers to the exterior of the vessel where the wind is blowing against it. You know that to be able to accelerate the vessel, it would be helpful if the wind would be allowed to use its force. It may not be advisable and used nowadays given the sophisticated engines of ships, but at times, some vessels still resort to the old and traditional source of force.

Lee - this nautical terminology is used to refer to that side of the ship that is sheltered or hidden from the wind. Meanwhile, a lee shore is the downwind part of a vessel's exterior.

Poop - This nautical terminology is referring to the vessel's stern section.

Skyscraper - This is used to pertain to the part of the vessel that is used to maximize light wind's impact or influence to the ship. This is usually a triangular sail above the skysail. In some sophisticated vessels, the skyscraper is u

usually pulled out.

Words for sailing or boating techniques

Here are some common boating techniques and the common nouns used to refer to them.

Back and fill - this nautical terminology refers to that specific technique carried out by the vessel's personnel to help the ship cope with opposing wind, although the tide is in favor of the vessel.

Overhauling - refers to that specific action when buntline ropes are prevented from chaffing sails.

Bear down - this is the nautical term that refers to the vessel's action to go towards another vessel or towards the shore or a landmark. This can be observed especially when the ship is about to dock on schedule or during emergencies.

Other terminologies

Aside from the mentioned above, there are also other terms used in the nautical world that you might find trivial, interesting or a little amusing. Here are some of them.

Scuttlebutt - in old ships, the scuttlebutt is the water barrel where sailors could drink water. In the old and traditional ships, the scuttlebutt is also the part of the ship where the crew and passengers could stand by and exchange casual conversation or gossip.

Garbling - is the practice when rubbish is mixed with the cargo.

Grog - is the nautical terminology used to refer to a kind of beverage usually made of rum and water dilution. When sailors and crew drank or experienced a hangover, they were said to be groggy or grogged.

Some Tools and Aids for Nautical Navigation

Nautical navigation refers to traveling through the sea. This is considered as one of the oldest modes of transportation or traveling in the history of mankind. Through nautical navigation, especially in the ancient times, nations were able to interconnect and trade with each other.

You know that the world is round and that the planet is comprised two-thirds of significant bodies of water like the seas and the oceans. Because airplanes weren't invented until early 1900s, how did early civilizations get to interact and trade then? The answer: through nautical navigation.

In these times when sophistication is rapidly eating up all modes of transport, sea travel is amazingly still one of the most popular and reliable modes of transport for all sorts of purposes. There are still more people who prefer traveling by sea vessels. Some have made sea travel a form of leisure like the case of cruise ships.

Whether you are traveling for leisure, business or whatever reason, it would be advisable if you would have a little knowledge about some tools and aids used in nautical navigation. You will find these aids and tools somehow interesting because they can also be used in other purposes.

These tools and aids could also give a sneak peak into the brief history in general of nautical navigation. Take note that some of the nautical tools used currently have also been used in the past.

The Mercator projection

Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer and geographer developed the Mercator projection in 1569. That time was characterized by the early Western nations' initiatives to explore the seas and conquer new territories.

During the past centuries, the Mercator projection had been considered the most in-demand and reliable map for nautical navigation. That could be because no other maps were developed and used during those times.

Up until now, it would be quite amazing to note that the Mercator projection is still very popular and useful among navigators and sea travelers. However, be informed that current maps used and depicted in Mercator projections have been modified as more knowledge and data about countries and territories have been determined and ascertained in the past.

The Mercator projection is considered the basic or standard nautical navigation tool of all times. It is timeless and is very much useful, in the past, in the present, and even the future.

The Nautical chart

The Nautical chart is another

form of nautical navigation tool that was somehow made as a modification to the modern map. Like the Mercator projection, the nautical chart also accurately depicts and shows the territorial boundaries and areas of different small and major nations.

However, the nautical chart is much more accurate, up-to-date and representative of the actual situations and conditions around countries and shores. Aside from the map, this tool also is noted for including basic and important data about sea and ocean bodies and islands, like depth of water, shorelines, navigational hazards and even wave intervals.

Natural features of seabeds, heights of land and mountains, tides and currents and magnetic fields are also indicated within nautical charts. This map can look complicated and packed with information, but for sailors and navigation personnel, they are useful and full of relevant information.

The North American Datum

The North American datum is a cartographic and more vivid sketch of the North American land terrains and sea sketches. These materials are considered geodetic references, or official navigation data used in navigation purposes.

There are two kinds of North American datum. There is the North American datum of 1927, which is the original material of this tool, and the modified and much later version, which is the North American datum of 1983.

Latitudes and longitudes are sketched and outlined in this material. That makes North American datum distinct and comparatively more useful. Nautical navigation especially around the North American region wouldn't be complete without the use of this tool.

Explaining the Symbols for aids in navigation

Just like most disciples, nautical navigation has symbols of its own. These symbols are considered as tools that are aimed at helping navigation crew and personnel better understand technical data and internal communication.

It would be good if you have even the slightest awareness and knowledge about such aids. You could find them in specialized books or symbol compilations.

Overall, nautical navigation should be exclusive for nautical personnel who know the technical aspect and the basics of the activity. However, it wouldn't hurt if you would become a little aware of those tools and aids.