A free 90-minute introduction to Celestial Navigation — the skill sailors have used to cross oceans for centuries. No experience needed. Come along, look through a sextant, and see how a sight becomes a position.
The 28 October night at Marsden Cove and the 4 November night at the Whangarei Cruising Club are now full, so bookings for them are closed. Please choose another night — seats are going quickly, so don't leave it too late. Six nights are now confirmed — three at the Whangarei Cruising Club, three at the Coastguard Office, Marsden Cove Marina. The remaining Opua nights are still being finalised; reserve a night now and you'll be told the exact spot closer to the date.
Almost there — press Send. Your email, text or WhatsApp message to Dave is written and waiting. It only reaches him once you press Send. If nothing opened, email dave@dogstarnavigation.com or text/WhatsApp +64 22 542 5214 with your name and the night you chose.
There's no instant online booking yet — one tap opens an email, text, or WhatsApp message to Dave with your chosen night already filled in. Press Send, and he'll confirm your spot directly. Overseas? WhatsApp is the most reliable option if your phone can't text NZ numbers.
Course bookings are subject to our Booking Terms.
How sailors found their way across open ocean for centuries, long before satellites.
Decades of sailing, and the Celestial Navigation that once put Dave accurately on St Helena — ten days' sail northwest of Cape Town — on passage to Brazil.
The core idea behind Celestial Navigation — dead reckoning, and how a sextant sight becomes a Line of Position.
A hands-on look at the sextant, charts and plotting sheets, parallel rulers and dividers, star finders, the star globe, and an Earth–Sun–Moon model.
Traditional Celestial Navigation for modern ocean sailors.