NavList:

   

Reply

One of my favorite plotting instruments is a square 5-inch Linex
protractor.  You can orient it at a meridian, then use a straightedge
to slide it to any desired place on the chart without changing the
orientation.  Just like a parallel rule.  Works great for celestial
LOPs:  1) orient protractor to Z, 2) slide it so the side that's going
to draw the LOP coincides with the AP, 3) place ruler against either
of the sides 90 deg away, 4) use ruler as a guide to slide protractor
"toward" or "away", 5) draw LOP.  This method will accurately plot a
LOP without requiring any auxiliary lines to be drawn.

I'd like to hear how others draw their LOPs.

Regarding Gordon's complaint of phony radio procedures in the movies,
let's also recognize they sometimes get it right.  Ever seen the 1950s
English movie, "A Night to Remember"?   The radio room scenes have
real Morse, sent with an excellent "fist".  There's a close-up of a
Titanic operator copying an ice report on a Marconi message form.
What he writes down actually matches the Morse on the sound track!

I never bothered to see the new movie "Titanic" till it came on cable.
Good thing, too.  It's not near as good as I was expecting.  I turned
off the TV and went to bed while the ship was still going down.

There was one curious thing I noticed in that movie.  The officer of
the deck orders "hard a-starboard", the helmsman turns the wheel
counterclockwise in response to the command, and the head of the ship
moves to port.  Is all that correct?

As I recall, in "A Night to Remember" the same command is given, the
ship reacts the same way, but you don't see what the helmsman does.

   

Reply