I bow to your superior experience. My own experience is limited to small craft (sail and power) on the Great Lakes, South Jersey Shore, and Florida (Atlantic Coast). I've taken sun sights from the decks of sailboats and have never found it easy, and quite frankly heaved a huge sigh of relief when GPS units became truly affordable. I still have my reservations about your position that Smith really had it no tougher than modern captains do, but you've certainly got the sea time on your side.

I did once represent (yes, I'm a lawyer) a boat owner who put his boat on a low harbor breakwall in the middle of a dark and rainy night, and lost two of his passengers, including his best friend of 20+ years. We were able to show that the harbor entrance lights were not functioning as indicated on the latest charts. Wind and currents were unusually strong and this was before GPS was widely available. He was found guilty of negligent homicide, which I always felt was harsh. Maybe my view of Smith is affected by that experience.