CELESTIAL NAVIGATION SEMINARS

FAMOUS THREE HOUR TOUR

9 AM – 12 PM
There are about forty different methods of navigating celestially that are in use today.  All are complicated and learning even the ones commonly known to be “easy” can still be confusing. All require significant theoretical study and some even require the use of scientific calculators and knowledge of higher mathematics.

Capt. Mike is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.   He is a professional navigator and has sailed many thousands of nautical miles in both freighters and in sailing yachts, using only celestial navigation as the means for position finding.  After almost half a century of “messing about in boats,” Capt. Mike is an expert Celestial Navigator, and an expert in its application aboard yachts.

In the Famous Three Hour Tour, Capt. Mike has successfully eliminated the minutia, almost all the math, and has created a method which provides a comfortable degree of accuracy for any sailor to find their way across any ocean.  Yes, all in three hours!

“DANCING WITH THE STARS”

1 PM – 4 PM
“Dancing With the Stars” takes what is covered in the Three Hour Tour and applies those techniques to the celestial night  sky, enabling the navigator to identify stars, take sextant observations, and ultimately use these to fix your vessel’s position.  (The Three Hour Tour is prerequisite).

Each seminar is $50
The morning seminar comes with a continental breakfast (starts at 8 AM). The afternoon seminar comes with lunch (starts at 12 PM).
If you choose both sessions, breakfast and lunch are included.

CAPTAIN MIKE BLECHER

Captain Mike Blecher is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He has a degree in Nautical Science and is a highly trained and experienced professional navigator. The Captain and his sextant have navigated all over the planet.

Additionally, he is a lifelong yachtsman, with considerable passage making and ocean sailing experience.

Captain Mike and his wife Barbie sail out of Marina del Rey, CA, and are currently preparing their yacht for yet another trip to warmer latitudes.

Capt. Mike served as Commodore of California Yacht Club in 2018.

DRYC and the Event Committee Chairs thank the Santa Monica Bay Sailing Foundation for hosting our webpages. Please consider a donation to the SMBSF. 

WHAT TO BRING

If you have a sextant and a current Nautical Almanac bring them along! We will practice a few sights! Don’t worry if you don’t, Capt. Mike will have a few for practice.

Bring a notebook, pencil, calculator, and water bottle. We will be on the balcony of DRYC for the sights, so sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses might be nice.

MORE INFORMATION

Contact Kathy St. Amant, event co-chair
CaptainKathy@gmail.com