Captain Müller-Cyran takes his sextant out of its box.

A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object or taking a sight, and it is an essential part of celestial navigation.

The angle, and the time when it was measured, can be used to calculate a position line on a nautical or aeronautical chart. A common use of the sextant is to sight the sun at solar noon and to measure the elevation (altitude) angle at night to measure the elevation angle from the horizon plane to Polaris to find one’s latitude. Since the sextant can be used to measure the angle between any two objects, it can be held horizontally to measure the angle between any two landmarks which will allow for calculation of a position on a chart. A sextant can also be used to measure the Lunar distance between the moon and another celestial object (e.g., star, planet) in order to determine Greenwich time which is important because it can then be used to determine the longitude.

Information taken from Wikipedia.

According to “Origins of Sea Terms” by John G. Rogers, Irish Reef is a method of shortening sail (sometimes in a hurry) on a gaff-rigged fore-and-after, by lowering the peak. Thanks to everyone who played along.

Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments section of the post. Be sure to check the blog for the correct answer the following day. Good Luck!

According to “Origins of Sea Terms” by John G. Rogers, Antipodean Day is the day gained (or lost) crossing the International Dateline (approximately the 180th meridian) heading west. The word comes from the Greek hoi antipodes, roughly meaning opposite.

Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments section of the post. Be sure to check the blog for the correct answer the following day. Good Luck!

According to “Origins of Sea Terms” by John G. Rogers, a Breeches Buoy is a life-ring with a canvas seat that looks like a pair of breeches or pants. It is fitted with a harness by which it can be hauled along a “trolley line,” for rescue purposes. It was a British invention, adopted by the U.S. Life-Saving Service, first mentioned in its manual dated 1876.

Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments section of the post. Be sure to check the blog for the correct answer the following day. Good Luck!

According to Origins of Sea Terms, by John G. Rogers, a Chernikeeff Log is an impellor-type of underwater device, usually retractable, used to measure speed and distance run. It was invented by an officer of the Russian Imperial Navy and further developed by the British Navy.

Sailing Lingo aims to test your knowledge of the peculiar and sometimes indecipherable language of sailing. We pose a question and see who can answer it most accurately in the comments section of the post. Be sure to check the blog for the correct answer the following day. Good Luck!

According to Origins of Sea Terms, by John G. Rogers, Plimsoll Mark’s are the markings on the side of any ocean-going vessel, indicating the depths or drafts to which she may be legally loaded under five different sea conditions ranging from tropical fresh water to waters in the North Atlantic. It was named after Samuel Plimsoll, a member of the British Parliament and advocate for seaman’s rights.

The need for such a measure rose from a practice prevalent in the Nineteenth Century of overloading ships and compromising safety.