Bowditch's American Practical Navigator Nathaniel Bowditch

during time @ sea, bowditch became intensely interested in mathematics involved in celestial navigation. worked john hamilton moore s london-published navigator , known have errors. have exact tables work from, bowditch recomputed of moore s tables, , rearranged , expanded work. contacted publisher of work, edmund blunt, asked him correct , revise third edition on fifth voyage. task extensive bowditch decided write own book, , put down in book nothing can t teach crew . on trip, said every man of crew of 12, including ship s cook, became competent take , calculate lunar observations , plot correct position of ship.

frontispiece of 1802 first edition of american practical navigator.

in 1802 blunt published first edition of bowditch s american practical navigator, became western hemisphere shipping industry standard next century , half. text included several solutions spherical triangle problem new, extensive formulae , tables navigation. in 1866, united states hydrographic office purchased copyright , since time book has been in continuous publication, regular revisions keep current. bowditch s influence on american practical navigator profound day mariners refer bowditch. student naval officers prior establishment of naval academy referred work immaculate bowditch .

nathaniel bowditch s memorial statue robert ball hughes, in mount auburn cemetery, cambridge, massachusetts.

bowditch died in boston in 1838 stomach cancer. buried in mount auburn cemetery, monument him erected through public collections.

the statue first life size bronze cast in america , creation of renowned sculptor robert ball hughes.

the following eulogy written salem marine society:

in death public, national, human benefactor has departed. not community nor our country only, whole world has reason honor memory. when voice of eulogy shall cease flow, no monument needed keep alive memory among men; long ships shall sail, needle point north, , stars go through wonted courses in heavens, name of dr. bowditch revered of 1 has helped fellowmen in time of need, , guide them on pathless oceans, , 1 forwarded great interests of mankind.

listing bowditch library , boston directory, 1848

in 1840s-1850s, bowditch s son, dr. h.i. bowditch, ran bowditch library on otis place in boston s financial district. free reside in boston, or in vicinity. ... library of late nathaniel bowditch, , exclusively of scientific character. in 1858 family gave collection, consists of mathematical , astronomical works , boston public library.

the salem ferry high speed catamaran named in honor of nathaniel bowditch pictured approaching dock off blaney street in salem, massachusetts united states nathaniel bowditch born

the oceanographic survey ship usns bowditch , nathaniel bowditch, high-speed catamaran passenger ferry serving downtown boston , salem, named him, lunar crater. additionally, william hand designed schooner built in 1922, part of maine windjammer fleet , sails out of rockland, maine, named after nathaniel bowditch.

in 1955, book younger readers, carry on, mr. bowditch, published jean lee latham, portraying bowditch s life dramatized , fictionalized. serious modern biography robert e. berry s yankee stargazer, published in 1941.

a grammar school, 2 middle schools , dorm in america named him, in boston, foster city, california (bowditch middle school), salem, massachusetts , salem state college, respectively. department of marine transportation building on grounds of united states merchant marine academy named in honor , houses classrooms, laboratories, , 900-seat ackerman auditorium. gives name street in berkeley, california. actor david morse named after him − david bowditch morse.