NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Silicon Sea Cruise INFO
From: Dan Hogan
Date: 2001 Mar 23, 5:02 PM
From: Dan Hogan
Date: 2001 Mar 23, 5:02 PM
I have had several inquires asking what the Silicon Sea cruise is, so: THE CRUISE OF THE SILICON SEA (RETURN) The Silicon Sea cruise is a series of navigation problems in the form of a circumnavigation. The navigation problems follow a route around the world(see below). Newbies, Oldbies, In-between-be's and anyone just plain interested, join in. The only requirement is PARTICIPATE. If you are new to navigation, ASK questions on the list. This is a learning exercise for all of us. This set of problems will start in April at the latest. The tentative schedule of posts will be the the first and third wednesday of the month. This portion of the Silicon Sea cruise will start with Leg 69, approaching Bridgetown, Barbados. Bridgetown is scheduled as a refitting point for the trip to the Panama Canal, HawaII, and San Pedro CA(Home Port). Obviously those doing their navigation the old fashioned way, working for it, will need a current Nautical Almanac and Sight Reduction method. The dates for the problems will be concurrent with the current (2001) Nautical Almanac. Leg 69 will require using the year 2000 Nautical Almanac. However, the problems can be worked with computer navigation programs or calculators. All cruise and navigation information will be lifted from the DMA Pilot Charts, Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes, and any documents and charts available within the working group without incurring added expenses. This is a navigation exercise, not a simulated virtual voyage. THE ORIGINAL ROUTE: Mallorca, Spain; Valleta, Malta; Port Said; Transit Gulf of Suez and Red Sea; Adan, Yeman; Maldive Islands; Cape Leeuwin, AU; Bass Strait, AU; Sydney Harbor, Australia; Wellington, New Zealand; Cape Horn; CURRENT NEW ROUTE: Barbados; Panama Canal; HawaII; San Pedro, CA (home port). Be aware this is the planned route, STUFF Happens. NAVIGATION TOOLS: I recommend a Navigation Log Book, aka. Spiral Binder, to keep track of your doings. Believe me it can't be done 100% on a computer. A navigation reference text is recommended. Which ever text is issued by your local government is satisfactory. There are many commercial volumes as well. The minimum tools you will need: 1) A pencil and ERASER. 2) Something to draw straight lines with. 3) Something to layout angles with. 4) Something to use as a plotting sheet. 5) Something to calculate trig. formulas with. 6) A current Nautical Almanac for sight reductions and sun problems. 7) A pair of dividers. 8) A Sight Reduction method. (229, 211, spreadsheet, etc. or... 9) For us lazy souls, a Computer or Calculator Navigation Program of your choice. 10) Plotting Sheets or a piece of paper to make a plotting sheet. Anyone who thinks of something I missed post it to the list. Below is Dan Hogan's QED plotting for the financially under-privileged. Blatantly stolen from Self Contained Celestial Navigation with H.O. 208, John S. Letcher, 1977, International Marine, ISBN 0-87742-082-3. **************** Use lined paper, college ruled, Turn the paper 90d, so the lines are vertical. Ruled lines are used for longitude. Every sixth or twelfth line is darkened to represent a whole degree of longitude. (depending on the scale desired). Lines of latitude are added by construction, starting with the lowest latitude desired. Whole degrees are 60 miles. >From your lowest Latitude line, at the most R/H longitude line, draw a line at an angle up from the Latitude of your lowest latitude line plus a 0.5d(i.e.:28.5d). For ten miles to each vertical line use 6 lines; for 5 miles to the line use 12 vertical lines. Where the angled line crosses your 6th and/or 12th line swing an arc until it touches your R/H vertical longitude line. This is the point of the next latitude line. Draw a line perpendicular to the longitude across the page. Repeat the process with each higher latitude (29.5d), etc. The bottom angle line, where it crosses the the intermediate vertical longitude lines, is the distance interval. 10 miles each line for 6 line spacing. 5 miles each line for 12 line spacing. This forms a handy scale of miles or minutes of latitude. The accuracy is within the tolerance of your #2 pencil point. Dan Hogan West Covina, CA Owner Navigation-L List dhhogan@veriomail.com