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Thanks to Douglas Denny for providing a useful link to-

http://www.hmssurprise.org/Resources/SIR_CLOUDESLEY_SHOVELL.html

which I was unaware of, and contains much information that I hadn't seen
before. The most analytical investigation that I know of was made by W E
May and has been offered to the list before. But here it is once again. It
makes enlightening reading, about the abysmal state of navigation of the
Royal Navy at the start of the 18th century. It seems clear that ignorance
of longitude played only a minor part in the disaster. The fleet had no
business to be as far North as it was.

John Huth was interested to learn whether the list arrived at any sort of
agreed consensus on the matter. Such is the nature of this list that such
an outcome seldom arises, and didn't in this case.

Sobel's book gave credence to several unlikely folk-legends about the
event, retelling them as if they were fact, but then she was no more than a
journalist, writing entertainment, and her own opinions about any
navigational matters need not be taken too seriously.

George.

contact George Huxtable, at  george{at}hux.me.uk
or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.

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