Learn Celestial Navigation On Cape Cod

A vintage or antique sextant, a precision instrument traditionally used for celestial navigation to determine a vessel’s position at sea by measuring angles. Photo/Pixabay

Out on the water, GPS is great—until it isn’t. Batteries die, screens go dark, and suddenly that little blue dot doesn’t feel so reliable. That’s when old-school mariners smile, glance up at the sky, and get to work.

If you’ve ever been curious about navigating the way sailors did for centuries, here’s your chance to learn from the ultimate chartplotter: the sun, moon, and stars.

On May 2, the Cape Cod Maritime Museum is hosting a hands-on celestial navigation class that brings this timeless skill back into focus—no Wi-Fi required.

The four-hour session runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and promises a deep dive into one of boating’s most fascinating disciplines.

Led by experienced instructors, the class is designed for anyone from curious beginners to seasoned boaters looking to add another layer of confidence to their navigation toolkit. Participants will learn the fundamentals of celestial navigation and even get some hands-on time with a sextant.

The session is intentionally small and interactive, giving attendees the chance to actually practice the techniques that guided mariners long before electronics took over the helm.

Lunch is included, so no one will have to navigate on an empty stomach.

Advance registration is required and is $40 for museum members and $50 for non-members.

Learn more here.