Do they have the same instruments like pilots have?
In: Technology
In modern times, you have GPS, Radar, and lighthouses. GPS is self explanatory, radar lets you see buoys with retroreflectors on them, that are used to mark channels, as well as other ships.
In ancient times, you had the sun and stars, you could figure out your latitude by using an astrolabe, but you couldn’t figure out your longitude until you had an accurate timekeeping device, such that you could tell how delayed the rise or fall of the sun was compared to your place of origin.
There are more possibilities, like the Vikings using a sunstone to locate the sun when it’s overcast, and the Polynesians using the interference patterns of waves to locate islands that were too far away to see.
Modern navigation is mostly done by GPS systems. Effectively a satellite will continuously spit out the time and location it is at. From this a GPS system can calculate its location based on the input from several signals. This is called triangulation. This then outputs cords of the ship which are used to keep the ship on tract. There is a bit more to it than what is here but it gives a good idea of how this works.
No, sailors and pilots do not share the same instruments. A pilot’s compass system has to be triangulated from the locations of the front and back of the aircraft since magnetic compasses are unreliable.
Sailors these days primarily use GPS to navigate. GPS works with satellites in space spitting out the exact time and their location. You need just 4 satellites to find your location.
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