Sextant

For all the precision of modern technology, sometimes there’s no substitute for the tried-and-true art of dead reckoning.

Take a stroll down the memory lane of navigation. Many years ago, during what often seems like another lifetime, it was my job as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer to shoot a couple sun sights a day with a sextant, weather permitting. The task was a pleasure, really. It called for a set of physical skills that a guy like me could first learn, then practice, and then finally master in an almost artsy, albeit seriously practical way.