Scott, I think you are very wise. With all the talk about celestial not being necessary, there certainly isn't anything wrong with learning it anyway. It's much easier than it's made out to be, fun to learn, and to practice on passage too; IMO, one of the better ways to help fill ones' day. You'll be surprised to find that most of the errors will be in your addition and subtraction and in looking up data in the wrong column, rather than in your sight-taking. John "Seahorse" Scott wrote: This led me to believe I didn't need to develop the Celestial Navigation skills, except for one thought:  Lightning.