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To pass the winter's day I frequently turn to novels concerning the British
navy in the late 1700's.  I came across passage where a small boat became
separated from the mother ship in a fog.  They in the boat had taken bearing
fore and aft  on the way out but had lost the compass in scuffle with the
French.  In the fog they had no idea of the direction back to the ship.  The
moon was barely visible above the fog.  They computed the way back

For any meridian the moon will cross just 49 minutes after the sun crosses
and the moon falls back 49 minutes every day.
By counting the days after new moon, multiplying that number by 49 and
dividing by 60
One arrives at the time in hours and minutes when the moon is due south.
With south noted and knowing the reciprocal bearing back the ship they could
safely return.

I haven' had time to check out the reasoning and math but I thought it would
be of interest  to the list.   The author also described lunars in an
earlier novel.  Quite interesting reading.

Dick

   

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