1984 American Practical Navigator - Bowditch - Volume 1 - Hardcover Books (Set of 2, 8.5 x 11)

The 1984 edition of Bowditch Volume I is the complete narrative text of the American Practical Navigator, Pub. No. 9, as published by the Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center. The original runs to 1,414 pages, so Paradise Cay splits it into two hardcover books and resizes it to a user-friendly 8.5 x 11 inches.

The celestial navigation section is a full course in itself: navigational astronomy, instruments, sextant altitude corrections, lines of position, time, the almanac, sight reduction, a comparison of sight reduction methods and identification of celestial bodies. Around it are sections on piloting and dead reckoning, the practice of navigation (including polar and lifeboat navigation), navigational safety, oceanography, weather and electronics. Appendices include a long-term almanac, navigational stars and planets, extracts from Pub. No. 229, navigational errors and geodesy for the navigator.

Paradise Cay offers the 1984 Volume I as a study aid for celestial navigation. Pair it with the 1981 Volume II for the matching tables and calculations.