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They often used an instrument know as a sextant which used the stars to help navigate. Follow the related link (below) for more information.

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How was it before the compass was invented?

Before the compass was invented, ancient civilizations used various methods for navigation, such as following the stars, landmarks, and sun position. They also employed techniques like celestial navigation, where sailors used the stars to determine their direction at sea. Despite being less precise and reliable, these methods were crucial for early explorers and traders.


What did sailors rely on before compasses were invented?

Sailors rely on stars before compasses were invented, some sailors rely on landmarks too! (But most sailors who rely on landmarks get lost, just think of it your in the Atlantic ocean there are no land marks just water, they did that about five ((5)) years then saw a pattern in the stars to help them get where there going, so before the compass they used stars.)


How did the sailor find their longitude before radio navigation aid were invented?

Using a sextant, a chart, and a watch, he could tell his co-ordinates by using the sun. If it was night time, I guess he could tell North by using the North Star.


How did sailors find their latitude before radio navigation aids were invented?

By navigation using the stars. Sailors measured the position of the stars above the horizon using a sextant, from a table of known postions of the stars. This method also requires that you know the time of day, which is taken from a known point at Greenwich in England (Greenwich Mean Time GMT). Every place on earth takes its time from being plus or minus so many hours from GMT.


What did navigators rely on to find their way before compasses were invented?

Before compasses were invented, navigators relied on observations of the sun, stars, and landmarks to find their way at sea. They would use celestial navigation techniques, such as determining the position of the North Star, to help guide their ships. Additionally, they would also rely on natural phenomena, like ocean currents and bird migrations, to assist in their navigation.


How did sailors find their longitude before radio navigation aids were invented?

They kept a clock aboard ship, set to the time of the home port, and they would note the time back home at the point when they observed the sun to be highest at sea. For every hour that home was then past noon, they were 15 degrees west of home. For every hour that home had yet to reach noon, they were 15 degrees east of home. You can see that the accuracy of navigation by sea depended heavily on the accuracy of the portable clock. A single $1.79 LED plastic digital wristwatch in the hands of the Vikings might have changed the course of history. The whole pursuit of smaller and more reliable clocks wasn't motivated by any desire of the common people to have precise clocks in their homes. The demand came from the maritime merchant interests, who needed accurate clocks for long-distance navigation. In later years, when the structure of the solar system was understood and small telescopes were available, the positions of the moons of Jupiter became the clock, and remained the primary timekeepers all the way up until the radio navigation systems in the mid-20th Century.


How did sailors use the constellations long ago?

Sailors used constellations as a navigational aid to determine their position at sea. By observing the position of specific constellations relative to the horizon, they could establish their direction and make adjustments to stay on course. This practice, known as celestial navigation, helped sailors navigate the open oceans before the invention of modern navigational tools.


What British law not enforced before 1763?

Navigation Act


Do the explorers have any training before they start their journey?

No. Some had been sailors on other ships. Columbus is reported to have gone to Prince Henry's school of navigation, but for the most part it took a lot of guts to get on a small ship with sailors that were not always the nicest people and who came out of jail that morning and to go without knowing where they were going.


Were the hebrews the first great sailors and traders?

No, the Phoenicians were sailors and traders long before the Hebrews.


What did the people use before compasses were invented?

Before compasses were invented, people used natural navigation methods such as observing the position of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as landmarks and natural signs like wind patterns and animal behavior to navigate and find directions.


Was the navigation act after the quartering act?

no the navigation act was before the quartering act