small sextant iconI only wish I knew as much about astro navigation as the people who created some of these websites. So, in no particular order:-

Sextant User's Guide by Andrew Evans. Probably the simplest introduction to taking a sunsight on the web. The author takes some liberties with sextant corrections, but it doesn't come much simpler than this if you use my Almanac and Sight Reduction Tables.
Andrew has published another article which should be of interest to single-handed sailers: Single Handed Tips

Visit My Harbour. This site is an online pilotage guide providing detailed information about the various ports and harbours, estuaries, rivers and inlets around the coasts of the UK. For a very modest membership fee you have access to thousands of up-to-date charts and photographs, as well as highly informative articles on every aspect of sailing. One of the best resources for amateur yachtsmen and women on the web.

An Introduction to Astro. Some good tutorials, once you get used to the awful background graphics.

A Short Guide to Celestial Navigation by Henning Umland. An excellent website with some really good Java files for you to download.

Celestial Navigation Net. This is a fascinating site well worth a browse thanks to the Webmistress' unique blend of philosophy and solid fact.

NavSoft takes Astronavigation a lot further and here you will find a wealth of detail, including a comprehensive Nautical Almanac, user friendly software well worth the asking price, and an interesting perspective on biblical events. Highly recommended.

Here you can download ephemeris data for the Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars for any three day period. Ideal for a short cruise perhaps?

NIMA Pub.229 Tables. These are the 'proper' sight reduction tables for Marine Navigation published by the US National Imagery and Mapping Agency. I prefer my Sight Reduction Tables for simple sun sights, but the choice is yours.

Navigation Spreadsheets. This chap has thirty-five astronavigation spreadsheets for you to buy and try.

The Nautical Sextant by Bill Morris. Nothing whatsoever on navigation, but undoubtedly the best place to learn about sextants old and new. His blogs covering the restoration of seemingly worthless piles of scrap into gleaming sextants are inspirational. Bill's recently published book (see side panel) will be a serious reference work for years to come.

Keep Turning Left. You may have read Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum, or Shrimpy by Shane Acton. Following in the wake of these intrepid adventurers we have Dylan Winter and his (incomplete) 20,000 mile odyssey around Britain in his 19' Mirror Offshore, affectionately named The Slug. Log on, subscribe, and enjoy the best video footage of sailing to grace your screen.

Boat Owners Response Group BORG's mission is to raise public awareness of the impact legislation, brought about by non-sailing special interest groups, may have on the historical right of free navigation around our coasts.

SeaClear chart plotting and navigation sofware. It's free, user friendly and remarkably powerful. Better still, go to Visit My Harbour and buy either the DVD or usb dongle with both SeaClear software and over 800 UK charts. You will not find a better electronic charting package.

The YBW fora. The best forums (sic) on the web for anyone interested in sailing, boating, or just messing about on the water. If you have a question, someone is bound to have the answer.

Sailers.co.uk is an UK based eZine with well written and topical articles of concern and interest to sailers.

Bluemoment.com. A superb website with fascinating and useful articles, downloads, links, a forum, . . . oh, just go and have a browse, you're bound to find something of interest.

McLaren Books. I've spent many hours browsing the shelves of this antiquarian maritime bookstore in Helensburgh and have seldom walked out empty handed.

Powells Bookstore, in Portland, Oregon, has over a million new and second-hand books on its shelves. There is a huge section devoted to the recreational boater. If they don't have the obscure book you're looking for, no-one has.