Conference vicki::boats

302.0. "Ancient Navigation" by CIMNET::CREASER (Auxiliary Coxswain) Tue Mar 14 1989 08:29

The often simple but effective techniques used by ancient navigators have 
impressed and fascinated me for some time now. I have a handful of them I'd
like to share...the with hope that many of you will do likewise. A collection
here in this note might prove entertaining, humorous and informative.

I'll start it off with a technique called "Bobbing the Light".

	When returning to a familiar port at night skippers were seen 
	bobbing up and down as they stood behind the helm. They had just
	spotted the local lighthouse and were verifying that it was just
	at the horizon. If they could occult it by bobbing and they knew
	the maximum visible range they then obtained a fare fix of their
	position by bringing their compass to bear on the light.

I think this may have been the origin of certain sea shanty dances.
Here's another.

	A Maine skipper was making his way through thick fog when his
	fare expressed great fear of grounding and drowning. The skipper
	said 'not to worry'. After an amazing hard to port turn the vessel
	slid into its mooring as if by magic. The fare just had to know
	how this was accomplished. The skipper said "Ya make the turn when
	aunt Martha's bakery smells stronger then the flats!"

You can dub this technique "Nasal Navigation". There are many legitimate 
examples. 

Jerry

    
    RE: "Nasal Navogation"
    
     I use this technique all the time when trying to locate my sumer
    cottage on a dark, foggy night- the cottage is on an island off of
    Bristol RI in the mioddle of Narragannsett bay. On a foggy nite- I head
    out of the harbor by compass and can mke a staright run down the
    channel which is about 3/4 mi wide., Finding this flyspeck of an island
    is tough- except I began to notice that the trees had a distictive
    odor- I now simply head out on compass and turn to starboard when I
    smell the trees- this technique will bring me close to shore a coulple
    of hundred yards from my mooring.
    
     This technique really scares the byjeezeus out of my 78 yr old mother
    in law- especially when visibility is about 100' and it's around
    midnight. 
    
    

    Right. It's a bit like hunting....following the scent to windward.
    But take care to note your set and drift lest you close on the wrong
    bearing! 
    
    Clearly this is mainly a technique requiring lots of local knowledge
    and should be backed up with more conventional methods.
    
    Jerry