About this episode

Jerry Brotton interviews master navigator David Barrie about his experiences with celestial navigation during a transatlantic voyage.

In this episode, Jerry meets master navigator, sailing expert and award-winning author David Barrie. Together, they discuss a British Admiralty chart of the North Atlantic Ocean that tracks David’s incredible 1973 Transatlantic voyage aboard a 35-foot yacht named Sæcwen, from Halifax in Nova Scotia east across the Ocean to Falmouth in Cornwall, UK We learn about David’s fascination with celestial navigation and the remarkable optical instrument called a sextant that he and his crew mates used during the 24-day adventure to find their positions at sea. A sextant is an extraordinary optical instrument that identifies the angle between the horizon and a celestial body - such as the Sun, the Moon or a star - to assist in the determining of latitude and longitude at sea. During the episode, we also hear about David's transition from the field of experimental psychology to his exploration of animal behaviour and wayfinding, and a glimpse into the world of supernavigators. From historians, scientists and writers, to creatives and cultural custodians, people have used maps as a source of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration for centuries. Join us as map historian Jerry Brotton invites…

People in this episode

Host: Jerry Brotton

Guest: David Barrie

Topics covered

• celestial navigation
• sailing
• animal behaviour
• wayfinding
• history
• exploration

Keywords

• celestial navigation
• sextant
• sailing
• transatlantic voyage
• animal behaviour
• wayfinding
• history
• exploration

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Sæcwen

Places: North Atlantic Ocean, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Falmouth, Cornwall

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