Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson: Norie’s Nautical Tables
Since J W Norie published the first edition of his Complete Set of Nautical Tables and Epitome of Practical Navigation in 1803, many changes to the tables have been necessary in both content and presentation. New tables have been included, obsolete ones deleted to conform with changing techniques of navigation, with the aim of improving the accuracy of the calculated position and reducing the tedium of the calculation.
Since the commissioning of the Global Positioning System (GPS), its proven accuracy and reliability in all weather conditions have resulted in confidence and almost unquestioning dependence on its ability to provide a vessel's position, course and speed. Because of this, its use is widespread and some seafarers feel that the traditional navigational methods are obsolete. One might ask why ships should still be required to carry navigation equipment and publications.
Unfortunately the marine environment of heavy vibration, stormy seas, salt-laden spray and wide temperature variation can easily damage electronic equipment. Such failure, or the failure of one or more satellites, or interference to GPS frequencies, all should ensure that no prudent seafarer would proceed on an ocean passage without a reliable navigational back-up.
- All the tables required for coastal and deep sea navigation are included
- A simple uniform method of interpolation for all the trigonometrical tables is used
- Certain tables and data are also included which are not readily available on board ship or are only used in the examination room.
Because of the difficulties which may be experienced if GPS should be unavailable, the Explanation is in the form of a detailed step-by-step description, by means of worked examples, of the different methods of calculating the ship's position using the tables and/or a pocket calculator.
The section Seaports of the World has again been extensively updated and restructured with several hundred additional ports. The ports are listed geographically and also indexed alphabetically to aid identification.
Publication Code: GP177
Publication Edition Number or Year: 2018
Publication Author: Cap. A.G. Blance
Publisher Name: Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson Ltd
Updated in last two months: No