Tasmania’s rugged coast and sometimes treacherous water mean anyone seeking to sail the island, especially during the nineteenth century, needed excellent navigation skills and equipment.

To survive, you had to be able to read and understand navigation charts, read the position of the stars, and use and understand precision instruments such as chronometers, sextants, and compasses.

Even today, with so much modern technology, basic navigational knowledge is still necessary for when the technology fails.

Navigate your way to the Maritime Museum Tasmania and discover the tools of the trade in our first floor Carnegie gallery.