BIBLE

I was looking for my king James Bible to check out a quote that came to mind & not finding it, I came across this - another type of bible altogether.

This wonderful tome was my bible for my last three years in the Merchant Navy, every day we were on the high seas I needed to use it.

In those days, without the benefit of satellites, we depended on the sextant, the ship's chronometer, this amazing book containing 643 pages of esoteric numbers + 20 minutes of frantic calculation in spherical trigonometry.

It was always a magic thrill, having laboured eight days across the Indian Ocean to see the Fremantle lighthouse pop up dead ahead!

They have it easy these days - I hope they still keep a sextant, a chronometer & a copy of Norie's Nautical Tables on board - just in case!