NavList:

Thanks for the details George.

So he under-estimated by about 5% on each Atlantic crossing. Perfect example of precisely the effect. I don't believe it to be a function of adding a little more sand or a little bit more in knots (in the log line rope). Unless the incremetal longitude traveled happens to fall right onto the resolution by which Cook happens to document that increment, there will be a round up or down problem. Since Cook would have been highly unlikely to document his longitude with a floating point number (W31.4828937 degrees is strictly a modern electronic type of notation), he would have chosen an increment. Was it an arc-minute? Or did he go to arc-seconds? Even if he calculated to the nearest arc-second, the problem remains. You just have to wait for sufficient transactions to occur before the accumulation of error bites you! To what increment did Cook reckon his longitude (or latitude for that matter)?

As a total aside, when I was last in Melbourne, Australia, I visited Cook's boyhood home. A tiny structure. Much smaller than your home George. Cook clearly did not grow up in Australia. How in the heck did his boyhood home get there? Seems back about 70-80 years ago, a wealthy individual purchased the structure and moved it to Melbourne, where it sits to this very day, nestled into a small garden, surrounded by a public park. Well maintained and looked after. I was happy to examine it, inside and out. I dare say that Cook's boyhood bedroom was no larger than a modern clothes closet!!!

Best Regards
Brad

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