NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Silicon Sea: Beaufort Wind Scale
From: Trevor Kenchington
Date: 2002 Oct 15, 20:06 -0300
From: Trevor Kenchington
Date: 2002 Oct 15, 20:06 -0300
Robert Eno asked:
> What is the practical value of the beaufort scale of wind force? Why is it
> not sufficient to simply reckon the wind speed in knots and leave it at
> that?
Because, without Beaufort, we would have to make complex calibrations.
Seeing smacks fishing with two reefs tucked into their mainsails or a
frigate with royals furled and a reef in her topsails would be a clear
and straightforward sign that the wind is Beaufort 6, as every seaman
should know. But how is one to remember that that means 25 knots of wind?
If we don't take care, somebody might start asking what the point is in
marking a lead line with blue serge at 13 fathoms in an era when most charts
are metric. And that sort of confused logic could have us all reading depths
from digital sounders.
To put it another way, the practical value of the Beaufort scale is 2002
is just about the same as the practical value of using lunars to find
the time.
Trevor Kenchington
--
Trevor J. Kenchington PhD Gadus@iStar.ca
Gadus Associates, Office(902) 889-9250
R.R.#1, Musquodoboit Harbour, Fax (902) 889-9251
Nova Scotia B0J 2L0, CANADA Home (902) 889-3555
Science Serving the Fisheries
http://home.istar.ca/~gadus
