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Henry Halboth wrote:

> I have otherwise searched American navigational references available to
> me back the year 1795, find no reference whatsoever to the Nautical Day -
> makes me wonder if perhaps this may have been a European custom.

Dana's "The Seaman's Friend" (my reprint is of the 1845 edition) states
(p.134): "As soon as the sun crosses the meridian, eight bells are
struck, and a new sea day begins." Unless somebody has reason to think
that such a "sea day" followed the principles of the astronomical day, I
would say that U.S. mercantile practice circa 1840 used the nautical day
as standard. [I also have a reprint of the 1879 edition of Dana, which
has identical wording. However, that may be nothing more than a failure
to update the text of later editions.]


Trevor Kenchington


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