Sabrina Sohail is a student of National Defense University, Islamabad.

Long before treaties like the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) were needed, water navigation existed as the art and science of efficiently steering a ship. From requiring skill to avoid possible dangers to having mathematical, oceanographic, and physical knowledge, water navigation encompasses all aspects of seafaring. Not only does it require the understanding to use any instrument or landmarks for navigation, but it also requires awareness of all related agreements for safe traveling. It includes basic knowledge and understanding of visual clues, visible not only on the map but the ship’s surroundings too, for a safe and accurate journey.

The history of navigation dates back to thousands of years. The earliest navigators used piloting as one of their methods to steer their ships between distant ports by familiarizing themselves with the sequences of intervening landmarks. Navigation in early times also served as a preliminary sign of exploration through water. While navigators would prefer movement only according to landmarks, sometimes, they would explore more passageways, leading to the discovery of more lands.

In Western civilization, the Phoenicians are known to be the first generation to develop the art of navigation. Their sailors used primitive charts and comprehended directions by observing the sun and stars for movement over the sea. The civilization stands as the nascent symbol of instrument development for navigation overseas.

Despite these early beginnings, it took many centuries for global navigation at sea to become possible. It was not until the 18th century that further ventures on sea began to take place with the help of developing methods and tools for navigation. Historians tend to divide early navigation into 3 phases.

This era included the development of sea navigation with the use of birds, stars, waves, swells, sounding weights, etc. to detect nearby lands. Moreover, their distinctive feature was using songs and mythological stories to help people remember important navigational information.

The medieval era included the use of sunstone, celestial navigation, portolan charts, quadrant astronomy, and the development of extensive maps, etc. for navigation. This era also marks the beginning of outspreading trade networks with the help of water navigation to enhance trade links with other regions.

The era........

© Paradigm Shift