Which navigational challenge arose for 18th-century ships relying on celestial navigation when experiencing prolonged cloud cover?

💡 Explanation

When cloud cover obscured stars for extended periods, determining longitude via lunar distances or other celestial observations became impossible because accurate time transfer from Greenwich using chronometers was insufficient for position fixing without star sights. Therefore, inability to determine longitude results, rather than chronometer drift, compass deviation, or shaft cavitation which occur through completely different mechanisms.

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