Van Horne Morris Poem, circa 1940
Bowditch is a colloquial term for The New American Practical Navigator by Nathaniel Bowditch, who is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation. First published in 1802, Bowditch is still carried on board every commissioned U.S. Naval vessel and is regularly updated and published online by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. You can check out an 1868 edition of The New American Practical Navigator here.