NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Did chronometers introduce economics to navigation?
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2018 Mar 18, 11:17 -0400
From: Brad Morris
Date: 2018 Mar 18, 11:17 -0400
Hello Ed
That seems wrong to me. Metal sextants provided a distinct benefit to the navigator, that being precision. Precision that a wooden sextant could not provide simply because of the instability of wood. Obviously, a metal sextant would cost more than wooden one. I believe Frank has indicated metal sextants were made to get the precision necessary to perform lunars.
The book makes an assertion
"that chronometers were the first devices to introduce economics and cost/benefit to navigation. This is quite an assertion and though simplistic, is an interesting statement about navigation."
So there it is, a more expensive instrument which provides a distinct benefit to the navigator, used to perform a new task, to wit, lunars.
Every navigator would have to weigh the benefit (longitude by lunars) against the cost (metal sextant and appropriate tables). Ergo: cost benefit analysis.
Brad
