How did sailors navigate on the open ocean between 700 AD and 1200 AD?

JReid

Sailors in that time could make a pretty good guess at their latitude by using the pole star (Polaris) but had no idea of longitude. They did know prevailing ocean currents that could take them in certain directions, but it was chancy. Mostly, they stuck close enough to shore to keep known landmarks in sight. The Polynesians used the stars exclusively to navigate from Samoa and Oceania to the Hawaiian Islands however. Jan 12 01, 2:34 PM

A E Housman

OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!! Handbags at forty paces! And to think that I couldn't even get to Shropshire! Feb 03 01, 2:04 AM

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