Nathaniel Bowditch
1773-1838
“Native Son” to Salem, Bowditch found 8,000 errors in the British navigational tables. In 1802, he published The New American Practical Navigator, which became the seaman’s bible. The “Bowditch” has been translated into dozens of languages and has remained the sailor’s bible for more than 70 editions. It is still used on naval vessels today.