Navigate by the stars,
not the signal.

Why Dog Star?

Dog Star Navigation takes its name from Sirius — the Dog Star, the brightest star in the night sky.

For generations of navigators, sailors and travellers, the stars were not simply objects to admire. They were part of a practical system for understanding where you were on the Earth. Sirius has been observed and used by navigators for centuries, and its prominence in the night sky makes it a fitting symbol for what we teach: using the sky to understand your position on the Earth.

But Dog Star is not about recreating the past.

We stand on the shoulders of the navigators who came before us — the astronomers, mathematicians, sailors, instrument makers and teachers who developed the methods we use today. The sextant, nautical almanac and sight-reduction tables represent generations of accumulated knowledge. We respect that heritage by learning the methods properly, understanding why they work, and passing them on.

Understand the system

We believe celestial navigation is best learned as a complete system, rather than as a collection of procedures to memorise.

The navigator begins with the Earth and their position upon it. They establish a dead reckoning position, observe a celestial body with the sextant, use the Nautical Almanac to understand where that body is, and then turn the observation into a line of position. From there, observations become fixes, and fixes become part of the ongoing process of navigation.

From observation to position.
That is the journey we teach.

We want students to understand not only what to do, but why they are doing it. When the underlying system makes sense, the individual techniques become easier to learn, remember and apply.

Learn first. Use technology to assist.

Traditional celestial navigation is a hands-on skill, but learning it does not have to mean rejecting modern technology.

At Dog Star, the teaching comes first. We use modern tools where they genuinely help a student see, explore and understand an idea — whether that means visualising the celestial sphere, exploring the movement of a celestial body, checking a calculation or experimenting with different observations.

We have also developed a suite of Dog Star calculators and learning tools to support that process.

These tools are not intended to replace the navigator's understanding. They provide another way to explore the mathematics and relationships behind the navigation, allowing students to experiment, compare and check their work.

Use technology to deepen understanding, not to hide the need for it.

A student who understands the system can use a calculator, a computer, a chartplotter or a GPS with confidence — because they know what those tools are telling them and why.

And when it comes time to put the technology aside, the knowledge remains.

The Dog Star principle

We believe modern navigation and traditional navigation belong together.

DR predicts. GPS measures. Celestial verifies.

Each has its place. A good navigator understands the strengths and limitations of all three.

Dog Star exists to help sailors develop that understanding — and to become navigators who don't simply know their position, but know how they know.

One system, not a bag of tricks

You don't learn celestial navigation by memorising a collection of procedures. You learn how the navigator, the Earth, and the sky form one system — then learn to use that system to find your position.

Traditional method, modern tools

The sextant and the almanac come first. But Dog Star has also built its own suite of navigation tools — free to use, built for real sailors and students working through the curriculum above. The Twilight Planner is one of them: it works out your twilight windows for the day and recommends the six best navigational stars to shoot, based on your position and the date.

Twilight Planner

Astro, nautical, and civil twilight windows, plus the six best stars for a fix — plotted by altitude and azimuth for your position and date.

Try the Twilight Planner

One course. Six levels.

This is a single, structured course delivered in person around New Zealand — not six separate courses to pick between. Each level builds on the one before it, so you progress through all six in sequence. Online, self-paced delivery is coming soon.

Meet Dave

Register your interest

This isn't an instant booking — seats are limited and courses run in person, so every registration is confirmed by hand. Fill this in and Dave will follow up by email.