What others say about Emergency Navigation...

"There’s little debate that modern marine electronics make going to sea easier and safer for the modern sailor. There is, however, a dark side to the convenience and all those glowing LEDs in the pilothouse. Electronics can and do fail, often at an inopportune time. The consequences of such failures can be catastrophic whether you are 5 or 500 miles from shore."

"Our unquestioning faith on accurate and reliable navigation electronics has led to a dangerous complacency that we are all guilty of to some degree. David Burch’s second edition of his book, Emergency Navigation, serves as a walk-up call."

"As founder and president of the Starpath School of Navigation (www.starpath.com) and as the author of nine books on navigation, Burch is uniquely qualified for the task. The book isn’t survival or seamanship manual. Rather, it’s a very readable how-to text that is restricted to navigation and meant for both die novice and saltiest of navigators. Burch walks the reader through techniques, some simple and others more complex, for finding your position anywhere in the world should your nav gadgets fail. Burch explains the importance of accurate time keeping, steering by the sun, stars, wind and swells, estimating current and leeway, finding the sun in a fog bank, determining position and speed using the most rudimentary of devices and much more. The book provides the tools needed to determine position, but will be up to the navigator to learn to use them and practice these techniques if an accurate position is to be established when the lights go dim."
— Ocean Navigator Magazine, October, 2008

"A stand out in the otherwise faceless navigation texts that pass through our offices. Anyone venturing offshore should read this book thoroughly." — Yachting Magazine

"Far more than an essay on the principles and practice of emergency navigation, it is a particularly well written account of the principles of navigation in general and as such cannot fail to bring fresh insights to all of us. Every section and paragraph is permeated with sound practical seamanship... apart from its other virtues this alone makes it worthwhile." — from the foreword by David Lewis, F.R.I.N., author of We, The Navigators and Ice Bird

"In the region of the magnet poles, conventional magnetic compasses are not useful because the field lines change rapidly and the dip angle is very high. Other means are need for orientation in this area. On our last trip to the North Magnetic Pole, we used the sun compass design from David Burch's Emergency Navigation book. It was a complete success and allowed us to find the area of the magnetic pole without problems. I strongly recommend this book to any traveler interested in alternative and back-up methods of navigation." — Helen Thayer, Expedition Leader and author of Polar Dream.
Click picture for example.

"Opens the way to pleasurable understanding in a definitive work of instant appeal to seamen of all levels of experience. Full of insights into nautical astronomy rarely seen in standard works. ...full of sound seamanship for coastal and open water mariners alike."— The Navigation Foundation

"Gives one a deeper understanding of the basic principles of navigation ...a great store of knowledge which may serve you well in an emergency but will also give much pleasure off watch whilst improving your seamanship in the process." — British Cruising Association Bulletin

"The book held me fascinated ...because the procedures greatly increased my comprehension of what navigation is all about." — Whole Earth Review

"Will add to the awareness and skill of any navigator." — Cruising World

"Both educational and well written. ... while much is described for the offshore sailor, there is still enough for the coastal sailor to justify owning the text." — The Ensign (journal of the U.S. Power Squadrons)

"Not only teaches how to navigate in an emergency, it also explains many of the rudiments of advanced techniques in unusual terms and concepts." — Proceedings of the US Naval Institute

"Thorough and authoritative. ... chapters on steering by the stars, sun, and moon stir the imagination and make one want to be a thousand miles from land ...gives us a better understanding of the signposts above the horizon than we might gain from a lifetime of random gazing." — Sea Kayaker Magazine

"Good exercises to practice in non-emergency conditions." — Soundings Magazine

"Clearly written in a readable fashion ...the work is so well thought out and covers so many possibilities that both a beginner and the most experienced navigator will find something of value in its pages. Worth every penny it cost." (this was written when the book was only available in hardback at $25) — The Burgee Magazine (British)

"Both inherently interesting and fun to read, also provides the clearest understanding of general navigation principles we've seen yet." — Boat/US


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