What Did Sailors Use Before The Sextant?

Sailing has always been a difficult and dangerous form of transportation, but its popularity has never faltered due to its efficiency in getting goods from one place to another in a relatively short amount of time compared to land transportation.

As technology advances, so do sailing techniques and tools, many sailors have used a variety of instruments in order to navigate through treacherous waters, including the cross-staff and sextant.

In this article, we will explore what sailors used before the sextant, and how these tools changed over time as technology improved.

What is the Cross-Staff?

The cross-staff is an ancient navigational tool that was used by sailors long before modern marine navigational equipment was invented. It was designed to measure angles between two points, such as between a star or planet and the horizon, which could then be used to determine a ship’s location and direction at sea.

This tool dates back as far as ancient Greece, but it wasn’t until 1608 that it became widely used in European navigation when Dutch sailor Cornelius Drebbel wrote about it in his book “The Light of Navigation” alongside other navigational instruments like compasses and hourglasses.

History of The Cross-Staff

The cross-staff has been an important tool for seafarers since its first use in ancient Greece, however, it wasn’t until 1608 when Dutch sailor Cornelius Drebbel wrote about it that it gained widespread popularity among seafarers around Europe during its peak use between 1550 and 1700 CE when many sailors would use it on their ships in order to make accurate calculations while at sea in order to determine longitude and latitude accurately without having access to modern navigational equipment like telescopes or compasses which weren’t yet invented at that time.

How The Cross-Staff Works

The cross-staff works by measuring angles between two points such as between a star or planet and the horizon which could then be used to determine a ship’s location and direction at sea, this was done by aligning one end of the staff with one point (the star or planet), then sliding down another rod from the other end until it lined up with the horizon point before measuring off how far down it was from there using a scale printed on one side of it – this measurement would then be used to calculate latitude accurately without having access to modern navigational equipment like compasses or telescopes which weren’t yet invented at that time.

Advantages Of The Cross Staff

The cross staff had several advantages for ancient sailors, firstly, it was much easier to use than other navigation tools available at that time such as astrolabes or celestial globes because all you had to do was line up two points and measure off how far down they were from each other on a scale printed on one side – this made finding your location much quicker than with other instruments which often required more complex calculations or measurements involving multiple points across multiple charts or maps.

Additionally, they were also relatively lightweight which made them easier for sailors to carry on board their ships compared to heavier instruments like astrolabes or celestial globes which were difficult (if not impossible) for sailors on smaller vessels like fishing boats or merchant ships due to their bulkiness and weight restrictions imposed by their smaller hull size – this made them ideal for navigating close quarters such as small islands or bays where accuracy was essential for survival but space was limited (as well as more efficient than using more complex instruments).

Disadvantages Of The Cross Staff

Despite its advantages, there were also some disadvantages associated with using a cross staff – primarily, accuracy, even though they could be used quickly due to their simplicity, they weren’t very precise due to their lack of sophisticated measurements meaning they could only provide rough estimates of longitude/latitude rather than precise locations, additionally, they also weren’t reliable in bad weather conditions where visibility was reduced (such as fog) meaning you couldn’t rely solely on them if you wanted accurate results when navigating through treacherous waters – making them less reliable than more advanced navigational instruments available today which are much more precise (such as GPS systems).

Alternatives To The Cross Staff

In addition to the cross staff there were also several other navigational tools available during its peak use between 1550 and 1700 CE including astrolabes (which were used for measuring angles between stars), celestial globes (which showed stars around Earth), dividers (used for measuring distances over charts), Jacob’s staffs (which measured angles between two points horizontally) and astrolabes (which measured angles vertically).

All these tools served similar purposes but lacked accuracy compared with modern navigation equipment like GPS systems which can pinpoint exact locations with much greater precision than any instrument available during those times – making them ideal for navigating through treacherous waters where accuracy is essential but visibility may be limited due to bad weather conditions like fog or rain clouds obscuring your view of stars/planets etc…

The Marine Sextant

In addition to these older navigation tools there is also now a modern alternative known as “the marine sextant” which has become increasingly popular among sailors since its introduction around 1730 CE, this tool serves essentially the same purpose as those listed above but allows for much greater precision when calculating latitude/longitude thanks largely due its design featuring two mirrors set perpendicular against each other which allows you measure angles accurately without having access to any external light source – making them ideal for navigating through dark waters where visibility may be limited due bad weather conditions like fog etc…

How The Marine Sextant Works

Unlike older navigational tools such as astrolabes and celestial globes, marine sextants rely on two mirrors set perpendicular against each other rather than just one point aligned with another – this allows them measure angles accurately without having access any external light source, essentially all you have do is look through one side while holding up mirror against light source then rotate mirror until reflection matches image seen through lens before taking measurement off scale printed along edge – this makes finding exact location much quicker & efficient compared older methods involving multiple charts/maps & complex calculations taking up valuable time & energy onboard ship especially during bad weather conditions when visibility may be limited meaning accuracy essential survival yet difficult achieve without proper equipment hand especially if trying navigate rough seas etc…

Advantages Of The Marine Sextant

The marine sextant offers several advantages over older methods such as being able take accurate readings quickly & efficiently thanks no need reference multiple maps/charts involve complex calculations taking up valuable time & energy onboard ship especially during bad weather conditions when visibility may be limited meaning accuracy essential survival yet difficult achieve without proper equipment hand especially if trying navigate rough seas etc…

Additionally they are also relatively lightweight & compact making them ideal small vessels where space restrictions often make larger instruments impractical carry around therefore offering great advantage over traditional methods providing accuracy & efficiency confined space ensuring safe passage even most extreme circumstances imaginable…

Conclusion

In conclusion we can see that while older navigation tools such astrolabes & celestial globes served useful purpose allowing sailors find their way home safely since prehistory times however with introduction marine sextants around 1730CE we now have much better option allowing us take accurate readings quickly & efficiently under even most extreme circumstances imaginable. Therefore if you’re ever looking sail open seas should definitely consider investing good quality sextant ensure safe passage whatever weather conditions may arise!