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> Furthermore, many (most?) who study celestial navigation today do so for
> entertainment and personal fulfillment. There is little fulfillment in
> memorization
> without comprehension.

Actually, I would hazard to quess that there are more people studying
celestial nav solely for the purposes of passing a license exam than there
are people studying for the sake of personal fulfillment or real-world
usage. Unfortunately, celestial nav courses organized around test prep often
focus on memorization of only the steps needed to "get the right answer" and
pass the test.

Carl Herzog

Yes, I would aggree with Carl on this. The celestial classes offered in the
school I'm instructing at(and the school I studied for my exam)are packed
every class cycle.They are offered 2 times per month with 20 students in
each cycle.80 hours of celestial navigation theory,practical
application(being introduced to and handleing a sextant)and practiceing
sample test questions are required by the C.G. before the test is
administered.
The course is structured much as Carl states.Memorization and problem
solving by rote.They are structured so that one can reduce sights by useing
no more than addition,subtraction,multiplacation and division.The only sight
reduction proceedure taught is by useing HO 220.Be that as it may,the tests
are not easy and when passed one at least has a good grasp on the mechanics
of celestial at an entry level.
It was only later that I got fascinated and interested in other methods of
celestial nav and learned them on my own.
Most of the people who need the celestial certs to be granted an Ocean's
Endorsement for a ticket won't ever use what is taught once the endorsement
is granted.There's just no real need to use it while in a professional
environment now days.
Once one passes the celestial exam the requirements are that one never needs
to be re-certified in celestial navigation.Not true for the other elements
needed to hold any level of an Ocean's Endorsement.Those elements have to be
retested and the holder's proficiancy recertified every 5 years.

   

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