What was a common method of navigation before the invention of the marine chronometer?

Dead reckoning was indeed a common method of navigation used before the invention of the marine chronometer. This technique involves determining one's current position by projecting the course and distance traveled from a known past position. Sailors would calculate their position based on speed, time, and direction, often using environmental cues like wind and sea currents to adjust their navigational estimates.

While other methods like celestial navigation and stellar navigation rely heavily on astronomical observations, which became much more accurate with the advent of the marine chronometer, dead reckoning was a practical method sailors employed extensively at sea, especially when visibility of celestial bodies or landmarks was limited. Landmark mapping is more relevant to coastal navigation and relies on known geographical points rather than principles applicable across open seas.

Dead reckoning remains foundational in navigation, emphasizing the importance of estimated travel data to determine location when more precise tools, such as a marine chronometer, were not available.