Leon explains: Why use celestial navigation when sailing
August 15, 2024 · 2 min · 1K views
What this video covers
Leon Schulz, who has sailed over 80,000 miles, argues that GPS jamming and spoofing in conflict zones — Ukraine and the Israeli conflict are cited — make satellite navigation unreliable enough to justify carrying a sextant on every offshore passage.Watch A single software failure at one company grounded thousands of planes across the United States in July, illustrating how dependence on external systems creates systemic risk.0:49 Schulz's position is that personal safety cannot rest on software or satellites, and a sextant requires neither.1:00 The technique involves measuring angles to the Sun, Moon, or planets and deriving a position from those observations alone — a method sailors have used for hundreds of years.1:26 Schulz adds that celestial navigation is not as difficult as its reputation suggests and that mastering it marks a sailor as genuinely competent.1:44 The practical case is straightforward: a sextant works when GPS is jammed, spoofed, or simply unavailable.0:30
Boats in this video
More from Leon Schulz, Reginasailing
From Leon Schulz, Reginasailing — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.