A nautical chart that shouldn't exist, peoples who were in America long before Columbus - the history of navigation is rich in exciting questions that remain unanswered to this day
The history of navigation has been a struggle against uncertainty for millennia: sailors sailed the oceans with only very rough ideas of their position. Entire fleets were lost due to misjudgments of the position. Compasses, devices for determining latitude such as octant or Jacob's staff, even the log were unknown, exact nautical charts were not very widespread until practically well into the 18th century. And yet the crews found their destination more often than they got lost. But how exactly?
This question is answered on the basis of a few milestones in the history of navigation, but even more exciting are the questions in the history of navigation, which have not yet been clearly clarified. There is a nautical map from the 16th century that shows parts of the world that were still unknown at the time, or the mystery of how the Vikings actually found their way to America. Or the thesis of an American who claims that the Chinese were in North and South America long before Columbus and that the coasts were extensively mapped so that the famous explorer simply sailed in their tracks.
The YACHT investigates this and many other puzzles in a navigation special. In addition: historical navigation instruments are presented and the exciting story of two French people are told, who put the test to the test: They did not sail across the Atlantic with a single navigation aid apart from stars and sun on a small test.
The large 22-page special is now in the current issue.