Bowditch
Bowditch is a surname most notably associated with Nathaniel Bowditch (1773–1838), an American navigator and mathematician who played a pivotal role in modernizing maritime navigation. He is best known for The New American Practical Navigator, first published in 1802, a comprehensive manual that compiled and systematized practical navigation, celestial navigation, and arithmetic for sailors.
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Bowditch grew up in poverty and educated himself in mathematics and navigation.
The New American Practical Navigator became the standard reference for mariners in the United States and beyond.
Bowditch’s emphasis on practical computation, standardized procedures, and accuracy had a lasting impact on maritime safety