The Website was first & last designed; occasionally updated, usually after long voyages at sea; offering advice in nautical areas drawing from many years at sea as Sailor, Seaman, Naval Architect and later as a Screenwriter. I first learned to create Websites in 1995 shortly after Windows '95 came out, "The software that changed the World", making this Internet of ours possible. I'm proud to be part of the very beginnings building from parts my first computer 1992 called a 286 . Recently I designed my Company Site "We Make full feature Movies". We have six projects that we own; one in pre- development "ABOUT SAILING"... also design boats for 3 projects on the board; 2 of which are youth projects. You can go if you wish from this site to T. J. Sailor & Company by pressing the small anchor at the end of the offered links on this Home Page.
WTF is Tos? The Old Seaman; The Old Sailor; The Old Sailboat Designer; The Old Screenwriter; Thomas is my name, Tomas is my Penname... FACEBOOK: TOS COLLIGAN
LESSONS LEARNED AT SEA
Standing 66 Ft. above the water, on the bridge wings, at 08:15 with a sextant in hand, a copy of the Nautical Almanac and the appropriate volume of HO 229 on the chart table as watch officer, it would take me approximately 5 minutes to shoot the sun and about 10 minutes additional work with my Sunline Work Sheet to plot an LOP... Maybe an hour later, do a five minute running fix on the same plot in order to come up with an appropriate celestial position. At night a three star fix, looking up to the heavens might take a bit longer. The key is to be very organized. I found in my experience, if you do the same old thing that brought you a successful result and repeat the same procedure, things can, and will only improve.
There is nothing difficult about Celestial Navigation. Books that present a lot of theory rather than technique make it difficult for someone to understand. Many confuse the reader with ambiguity, using terms that many readers fail to understand, initiating complexity in something that is simply not that difficult in application.
After a Great Circle Route back to the West Coast from a Far East Run, with plenty of application under my belt, I decided to sit down on my home computer, not preach theory, but to communicate in simple terms exactly what I did, making it rather easy to learn.
We all know that today this application has little practical value with the proliferation of extremely accurate and inexpensive positioning with GPS. Even when the electronics go down pocket GPS devices with 3 or 4 AA batteries accomplish the same.
Shortly after earning my way to 3rd mate, I came into possession of a 1933 British Husun Sextant, very valuable, very accurate. I did not sell it, I passed it on. Like the discipline itself, both can not be measured in monetary terms or efficiency terms. Both I feel have spiritual value. That is why sailors will always have a yearning to learn the discipline. That is why I am passing this information on to you. Unlike from books you will learn this application... If you follow along what the Captain tells you to do (LOL)...Have fun ! ...that is an order.
Completing another long voyage, engaging my capacity as a graduate Naval Architect, I worked out all the Stability and Trim problems in the Coast Guard data bank in order to help one pass the appropriate tests. I'm also a professional boat designer, a Florida office six years, I posted another old link, a perspective on upwind sailing.
These lectures were done some over 20 years ago. I re-posted them, having been told they are still very relevant for passing CG exams and that it would be a shame for them to go to waste on an old CD disk.
After Sailing 5000 miles Panama to Tahiti. Papeete Breakwater now in site
Sailing my 42 ft cutter from Florida, in 2004, I've been everywhere in South and Central America. Crossing the Panama Canal, I then eventually sailed the Pacific. Pulling out of Tahiti, my boat in bad shape, I more or less floated into Am. Samoa, after 33 days alone at sea; more unfortunately challenging than the 54 days crossing the Pacific, both voyages, without sight of land," 1500 miles East of Nuku Hivu, a bad storm hit, "The steering broke", making it "finally" into Nuku Hivu, told my two young crew members..."I'm buying the Pizza" repairs made at local welding shop, we enjoyed an uneventful 700 mile sail to Tahiti. I wrote my first screenplay SOAKED, "About Sailing." Since that I wrote five more Screenplays. The Synopsis' to all these can be read below. My boat was destroyed in Am. Samoa by criminal action..."Joey knew who cut my Mooring cable", sending my boat to the rocks...but the corrupt authorities refused to investigate. (Corrupt Politics) I Lost my home, all my possessions, watched it looted, authorities stood by did nothing, "That's life", I lived more or less in Southeast Asia 3 years, loved it; after Covid lockdown, the Caribbean. A year passed, left for the Yucatan in Mexico...5 months. When all borders re-opened flew back to Thailand good friends...Now back in Malaysia, same condo by the Sea.
I often sailed alone...challenging; At one point alone at sea, many days in high winds and 25 foot seas on my stern at night, the boat surfing, little wheel control, knowing I was headed for a Polynesian reef, exhausted, doing my best, I figured, maybe 2 hours to ultimate disaster; I remember saying to myself, reflecting on my life, I did my best, for what I had to work with and resigned myself to a watery grave with Serenity and Peace of Mind... I live by AA 12 Steps many years; everything quickly changed...the Hand of God reached out, somewhat like my Character REGGIE in my screenplay SOAKED. I was saved miraculously...I made it though and went on to write six screenplays, the ever present smile comes from within...a firm belief in God "I've seen 'em in Action" I lost all personal belongings when my boat went down, "a sailor doesn't need much" . Trusting God, brings peace of mind not any resentment, knowing that all I have to do is follow the dotted line... as a Navigator, trained professionally, that's easy to do
Tos: 8/15/23:
LINK NAVIGATION: Press Signal Flags Below...
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Current Projects... In Warmer Waters...:
BELOW
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A LINK TO MY BUSINESS SITE
