MITAGS Cadets Navigate The Old Fashion Way

Today, on May 6, 2010, ‘Workboat Mate Program’ cadets from MITAGS will have their Celestial Assessments signed off the old fashioned way; aboard a tall ship, the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II.

It is the second time the “Pride of Baltimore II” was able to accommodate (10) MITAGS cadets, who are in the final stages of their two year program. MITAGS and the Pride of Baltimore II work together on a reciprocal basis as the ship’s crew members are provided ‘Navigation’ classes at MITAGS.

The assessments are an important part of the cadets’ Celestial Education and they consist of shooting the sextant angle (altitude) of the Sun in the Morning and at Local Apparent Noon (when the Sun is on the local Meridian or the highest point in the sky) as well as shooting Celestial bodies at night (stars, moon or planets)

Most of these cadets are sponsored by various Towboat companies on the East Coast. But, today they will be sailing on the tall ship, Pride of Baltimore II, sextant in hand, and waiting for Civil Twilight to shoot the pre-calculated Celestial Bodies.