This would at least ged rid of all the JavaScript, Flash and fancy slow-loading graphics.
Presently, using a standards-compliant Web browser (ex. Mozilla or Galeon under Linux), the site of the French railways (SNCF) is almost useless for reservations. With the Minitel, speed on this site is OK (paying service !), but functionality is low (ex. I don't know how to make simultaneous full- and reduced-fare reservations).
Or during full night either, except using an artificial horizon on your sextant (bubble sextant), requires a big ship's stability.
"Night" sights for celestial navigation are usually made when the sun is some (5~10) degrees under the horizon, so that both the stars and the horizon line are visible. This allows (with ex. 3 stars) a full position to be determined in a few minutes.
The moon may also be used, but precision is usually bad, because of unprecise (complex and rapidly evolving) ephemerids (almanac) and raised horizon (glare) under the moon at night.
By day, if both the ship's and sea current's course / speed are steady, the classical method of the running fix allows the ship's position and course to be determined using only sun sightings.
This may be performed (provided that sun and horizon are clearly visible) using only a precise timepiece, a sextant and special "sight reduction" tables. The latter item is preferably replaced with a programmable calculator, which will run for tens of hours on a single set of batteries, although the tables should be on board and understood.
This old technique is not as fast or as precise as the GPS, and requires a clear sky, but does not depend on the ship's power supply or on the fast-emptying batteries of a hand-held GPS unit, and because of this is mandatory for navigation on Class 1 yachts (allowed on the high seas).
This follows the sailors' habit of never discarding old-but-working methods, especially if they are more robust than new-fangled ones.
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Presently, using a standards-compliant Web browser (ex. Mozilla or Galeon under Linux), the site of the French railways (SNCF) is almost useless for reservations. With the Minitel, speed on this site is OK (paying service !), but functionality is low (ex. I don't know how to make simultaneous full- and reduced-fare reservations).
Or during full night either, except using an artificial horizon on your sextant (bubble sextant), requires a big ship's stability.
"Night" sights for celestial navigation are usually made when the sun is some (5~10) degrees under the horizon, so that both the stars and the horizon line are visible. This allows (with ex. 3 stars) a full position to be determined in a few minutes.
The moon may also be used, but precision is usually bad, because of unprecise (complex and rapidly evolving) ephemerids (almanac) and raised horizon (glare) under the moon at night.
By day, if both the ship's and sea current's course / speed are steady, the classical method of the running fix allows the ship's position and course to be determined using only sun sightings.
This may be performed (provided that sun and horizon are clearly visible) using only a precise timepiece, a sextant and special "sight reduction" tables. The latter item is preferably replaced with a programmable calculator, which will run for tens of hours on a single set of batteries, although the tables should be on board and understood.
This old technique is not as fast or as precise as the GPS, and requires a clear sky, but does not depend on the ship's power supply or on the fast-emptying batteries of a hand-held GPS unit, and because of this is mandatory for navigation on Class 1 yachts (allowed on the high seas).
This follows the sailors' habit of never discarding old-but-working methods, especially if they are more robust than new-fangled ones.