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Just a suggestion.  Why not look at the writeup in Wikipedia on celestial
navigation, and then edit as a group.  Anyone can contribute to Wikipedia,
and get credit for their work.  Editing is tracked through userids.  I've
already made small changes to a number of articles, including those on GPS
and weather.

Go to http://wikipedia.org for starters, search on Celestial Navigation,
and see if you can improve on what's there.  I haven't read the whole
thing, but I'm sure you, as a group, could mangle it to suit.  The nice
thing about Wikipedia is that one person can change an article, and another
can come along five minutes later to add more, correct errors, etc.
Malicious entries are reversed within minutes by the user community.

John Kabel
London, ON  Canada

> Thank you Jim.
>
> First, I plan no project of my own, rather was suggesting that the list have
> a coherent description of the process to provide the uninitiated, which
> you've already admirably done  :-)
>
> I'll be in Cape Breton for the summer in a week or two, but
> unfortunately have so much to accomplish regarding the moving process, I
> won't be able to sail over to PEI this summer. But certainly plan to do so
> next summer and hope to call on a stop-over at that time.
>
> Incidentally, do you have any feel for residential construction costs in the
> Nova Scotia area ? We have a house but need a large barn and I'm trying to
> get a handle on possibilities.
>
> Cordially,
>
> Courtney
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 2005-05-31 at 15:06, Jim Thompson wrote:
> > Courtney -- I have been trying something like this (I think) at:
> > http://jimthompson.net/boating/CelestialNav/CelestNotes/IntroCN.htm
> > If any of that is useful to your project, then let me know.
> >
> > Jim Thompson
> > jim3 at jimthompson dot net
> > www.jimthompson.net
> > --------------------
> > Outgoing email scanned by Norton Antivirus
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Courtney Thomas
> > > As one who has struggled with a plethora of publications that purport to
> > > convey the celnav gospel, I'd like to suggest a group project of
> > > composing a "minimal" narrative of the essentials of celestial
> > > navigation that would at least do the following, though additions are
> > > welcomed as the group sees fit, of course, as I'm sure I'm not even
> > > sufficiently proficient to provide a satisfactory outline, and therefore
> > > only hope to induce the competent to collaborate:
> > >
> > > Also assuming Godelian proficiency unnecessary :-) and hoping an
> > > included bibliography will gratify those whose requirements are
> > > unsatisfied by the final group consensus, as well as those merely more
> > > curious, I submit the following as starting suggestions:
> > >
> > > 1-a summary narrative - to fully setout a statement of the problem and
> > > it's currently regarded state of the art solution, omitting all math and
> > > drawings. This might, for example, omit considerations such as sextants
> > > and their use, historical considerations, etc., i.e. adhere only to a
> > > conceptual basis, ignoring the procedural, hence avoiding the conflation
> > > and inflation of other authors.
> > >
> > > 2-definitions - only that necessary to familiarize a novice
> > > with the terminology
> > >
> > > 3-math & science axioms & drawings - the plane geometry, trigonometry,
> > > astronomy, physics, etc. deemed indispensible, with a suitable
> > > bibliography
> > >
> > > 4-a summary outline - sort of a table of contents writ large, setting
> > > out a celnav process
> > >
> > > 5-for each section in #4, a brief narrative of motivation to textually
> > > succeed each topic -  [To maintain reader clarity, for example, for a
> > > section on, say, the intercept method, to describe HOW it fits into the
> > > overall scheme and WHY it is valid.]
> > >
> > > 6-a summary with example(s) - a final assembly... embodying the initial
> > > summary, described in #1, but utilizing the actual nuts&bolts contained
> > > in #s 2 & 3, with nothing more included
> > >
> > > [Goal Statement: to layout a minimal, though complete, celnav procedure
> > > for a novice without omitting unity, while avoiding concision that
> > > leaves confusion and wonderment.]
> > >
> > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Please leave me out of any debate on the desirability and feasibility.
> > > If you think it undesirable or infeasible, ignore this suggestion, else
> > > I thank you for your contribution to it's realization, as will all those
> > > who follow.
> > >
> > > Courtney Thomas
> > >
> > >
>
>
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