NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Endeavor Voyage Recreation
From: Aubrey O´Callaghan
Date: 2001 Jul 10, 9:16 PM
From: Aubrey O´Callaghan
Date: 2001 Jul 10, 9:16 PM
I find the comment about using lunars interesting. On one of Cooks voyages he took a copy of Harrison's chronometer with him (was this the same voyage as they are reenacting on the BBC ?). In the book "From Satellites to Sails" by J.E.D. Williams, Oxford University Press 1994. Page 102 with note reference to page 106, referring to Harrison's chronometer no. 4 "...There was not the remotest possibility that a copy of No. 4 could be put aboard every ship. The Board had to pay the enormous sum of 450 pounds to Larcum Kendall to make an exact copy (ref. 21) of No. 4." Ref. 21: This was the instrument that gave Captain James Cook such excellent results. On the conclusion of his second voyage of exploration, Cook wrote in the log that on making land about Plymouth on 29 July 1775, the error in longitude by Kendal's watch was only 7' 45". how Cook sights with such accuracy he does not say; but there is the entry in his own hand. While commanding Endeavour five years earlier Cook had remarked 'an observation (of longitude) to within 30' of accuracy sufficient for all nautical purposes'. I note the slight difference in the spelling of Kendall in the text and the reference - only 1 "L" in the reference. My copy of "The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time -- Dava Sobel;" is in London (I'm in Venezuela), I am sure that some of our readers have this book; it would be interesting to cross check and see if there is any reference to Captain Cook in this book. Aubrey. ============================= At 19:03 10/07/01, you wrote: > > In regards to the History Channel's recreation of Capt. Cook's Endeavor > > voyage ... Anybody know if that producer found a Navigator? > >I spoke to a producer at the BCC this morning. They haven't chosen a >navigator yet. They're talking to several people. They're looking at >taking a team of three people: one to do the math, one to work the >sextant, and one with knowledge of the antique instruments that will be >used. > >Cook had one sextant, a couple of quadrants and I forget what else. No >chronometer. This means that they'll be using the Lunar Distance method >while at sea. They're having trouble getting the navigation tables >worked up, but are confident the tables will be ready in time for the >trip. I get the impression they're being as authentic as possible, which >means the tables they'll use will be patterned after the ones Cook used. > >That's all I have for now. > > -ed falk ================================================================= Aubrey O'Callaghan Wandrin' Star of Dart Rival 38 Contact: Venezuela, Puerto La Cruz 00-58-14-8205350 (Cellular) 00-58-281 2818 667