JUNE/JULY 1978 50c* SIGNIFICANT DATES IN THE HISTORY OF

3,000 B.C. circa 1050 A.O. 1300-1400 A.O. Hoang Ti credited with use of compass The compass came into use in Northern The card compass superseded the cruder ashore. Europe; there is no record of its in­ needle compass but the cards were 1,000 B.C. and earlier troduction further South but presum­ marked with directions at fir ~ t. ably it came from China via the Middle circa 1410 A.O. Although astronomy and ·mathematics, East seamen, or even overland on the even ship construction reached con­ caravan routes to Italy. The first English 'Rutter' - a Pilot Book siderable accomplishment in several for N.W. European waters - was com­ ancient ci vilizations, the other element 1200-1300 A.O. piled. required to force advances in navigation Plane charts in use itl the Mediterranean. 1448-1468 A.O. - the need to traverse great distances - 1261 A.O. was often missing. Italian Charts extended to the Atlantic First English record of ships paying dues but were largely drawn from Portuguese With two notable exceptions - the for the upkeep of navigational lights information. Dhow and Junk - ships were not large (Yarmouth Harbour Entrance ). or seaworthy enough to undertake very 1400-1500 A.O. long ocean voyages. We do not know 1280 A.O. The 'carrack' type of vessel developed why the Chinese Junk never penetrated Italians and Catalans used written in Northern Europe; the increasing further West than Arabia but we do not Traverse Tables "Poleta de Marteloio" I iteracy of seamen helped by the inven­ know when this type of vessel was first but these are only relative and without tion of printing, enabled them to constructed at an ocean-going size. directional reference. The earliest increase their knowledge of many 700-600 B.C. known . aspects of navigation; the pegged circa 1290 A.O. traverse board became common; the The Phoenicians used a simple form of "Dutchman's Log" used without cal­ star navigation; the Greeks learned from 'Compasso da Navigare'. a Pilot Book culation. them. for the Mediterranean and Black Seas, (continued page 32) 150 B.C. compiled. Hipparchus recorded that at that time the observation of eel ipses was the only method of ascertaining . circa 70 A.O. The Mediterranean has become a well­ organised seasonal shipping area with rules and statutes. were used by name to indicate direction. 150 A.O. Ptolemy's "world", with its exaggerated easterly extent of Asia, established a misconception that was to last for 10 centuries. 400-800 A.O. Chinese trade voyages extended from Arabia to the Pacific, perhaps even to what is now British Columbia. Arabs, however, do not believe that anything lies to the eastward of Japan. circa 800 A.O. Arabs trade with China in their vessels. 877 A.O. Vikings reach Greenland. 1,000 A.O. Vikings reach "Vinland" (New England) OFFSHORE Number 42 June/July 1978

Navigation Issue

FEATURES Longitude - after a fashion 2 Navivation for drop-outs 10 Reading about navigation 11 Modern aids to navigation 13 Charts - are they off course? 20 Weather rail navigation 22 Hawaii - Aloha nui loa, a big welcome 24 Biggies' Column 29

OFFSHORE SIGNALS 30

MARINA NEWS 31

BOOK REVIEW 32

Cover: The Government of Tasmania Trophy is one of the most beautiful of trophies to be won each year by a contestant in the Hitachi Sydney-Hobart Yacht.Race. Here it is symbolically shown sailing over a sea, which is the C. Y.C. burgee, with sextant motif in the southern sky - representing dedication to the sport of ocean racing and the pursuit of knowledge of the seaman's craft. We are indebted to the many C. Y_C. Members who have contributed articles to this end in this special naviga­ tion issue of 'Offshore'.

Cover design and photography by Carolyn and David Co/felt.

'Offshore' is published every two months by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, New Beach Road, Darling Point, N .S.W . 2027. Telephone 32 9731, Cables "SEAWYSEA" Advertising and Editorial material : The Editor, 'Offshore', Cl C.Y .C.A. Subscriptions: Australia $5.50. Overseas $7.00. Air Mail rate on application. Editor: David J. Colfelt Printer: Wymond Morell (Printers) Pty. Ltd. 160 Parramatta Road, Camperdown, N.S.W. 2050 *Recommended price only

Registered for posting as a publication - Category (B)

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 After many weary days and nights at sea Noah released a dove. It flew up and up and circled round until it got tired. Then it returned to the Ark. A week later he let it go again. As it gained height the bird sighted land and flew off towards it. Noah, noting the direction of flight, shaped his course accordingly. That story from the Book of Genesis describes perfectly what might be called the land bird system of navigation. Ancient navigators were used to coastal voyages only; they rarely went out of sight of land. When they did, and felt they were drawing near shore again, they released a land bird carried specially for that purpose. If it saw nothing but water, the bird returned to the ship, as Noah's dove did. But if land were in sight the bird, not liking shipboard /ife very much, headed shoreward. The navigator watched its course and followed while saying to his crew, 'I knew it was there all the Longitude time'. Noah was using the navigational method of his times although it was not usual for the bird to return with an olive leaf in its beak as the dove did. Perhaps the fact that the only other living dove was in the Ark had something to do with that. Deliberate deep-sea voyaging began in the first -after a century A.D., most likely when the Romans discovered they could get from the Gulf of Aden to India just by keeping the monsoon on the starboard quarter. There must have been a lot of hit-or-miss in it, and no doubt the land bird system fashion was used. This sytem had a run of some thousands of years, right up to Viking times, in fact. The introduction of the mariner's compass has been described as the greatest single advance in the art of navigation. It came to the European world by way by Jack North of the Arabs and Greeks, who might have picked up the idea from the Chinese. The date of this introduction cannot be fixed accurately but the compass was known to European navigators in the twelfth century. It did not win general acceptance at once because it was expensive and not too reliable. But the strongest thing against it was the hint of sorcery and witchcraft which surrounded it. They had firm ways of dealing with witches and sorcerers in those days. About the same time, and also from the Arabs and the classical world, came the astrolabe. This was used to determine the position of sun, moon and stars. Anyone who cared to think about it knew the world was round; in the fourth or fifth century B. C. the Greeks worked out that it was about 21 ,600 nautical in circumference.

2 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 The story of Columbus having trouble with his crew The steering wheel came on the scene at about this because they thought the 'Santa Maria' would time. Until then ships were steered by tillers, often I tumble over the edge of the world is only a fable. controlled by a lever-like device called a whipstaff. Columbus's own account shows that the sailors had The wheel and an improved compass made it possible a much more sensible and prosaic reason for their to hold a steady course for after hour, which complaints; when half the ship's food is eaten it's gave the navigator a chance to produce a more time to go back. reliable dead reckoning. Actually D.R. stands for Columbus used an astrolabe. He also used the cross­ deduced reckoning, but let it be. Everyone calls it staff which was soon to supersede the astrolabe. dead reckoning. These gave him ; longitude was by dead Dead reckoning was never completely trustworthy, reckoning all the way. Perhaps that was why he especially in those days when there was no sure thought he'd reached Asian waters. means of measuring a ship's or distance run. The Over the years the backstaff took the place of the log used in English ships was a wooden triangle cross-staff but the next significant breakthrough weighted with lead along one edge so that it floated came with the invention of the reflecting quadrant, upright and offered the greatest resistance to the in 1730. The sextant came on the scene in 1731 and water. Attached to a line on a reel, it was thrown rivaled the quadrant for about a hundred years overboard every so often. The line was knotted at before it took over completely. In essentials it was no 25-foot intervals if a 15-second timeglass were to be different from the present-day sextant. With the used ( 50-foot intervals in the case of a 30-second coming of the sextant and the quadrant the sandglass) and the number of knots that ran out in backstaff joined the astrolabe and the cross-staff in a 15-second (or 30-second) period was equivalent to the museums. So did the octant which, invented by the number of nautical miles the ship would travel Sir Isaac Newton, had enjoyed a short term of if she maintained that speed for an hour. It became popularity. customary to refer to a ship's speed in knots, but

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 3 never in 'knots per hour' which was, and is, the Britain wanted a foothold in the Pacific. Spain, hallmark of the landlubber. Portugal and Holland were secretive about their This form of log was cast hourly in warships and discoveries in the South Seas, and such charts as East-lndiamen and two-hourly in all other blue-water there were were not much help. Although pretty vessels, according to Falconer's Marine Dictionary. right for latitude, the were often ft was in use in some sailing ships until well into the hopelessly out. longitude was determined either twentieth century. by dead reckoning or the 'method of lunar distances '. This involved measuring the angle between the moon The lead line was the other navigational instrument. and sun, or a suitable star, and then going through a In its smaller form known as the 'hand lead', it has long and intricate series of calculations. The been in use for centuries and is still used. It needs navigator had to be a brilliant mathematician, and no description. Although the deep-sea lead (called most weren't. Anyway an error of I' in the observed the dipsy lead) survived until this century, angle meant an error of 30 miles in longitude. mechanical sounding machines and echo sounders took over eventually. An accurate timepiece was required if the far seas The deep-sea lead was usually a hundred fathoms, were to be properly charted; the British Board of and heaving it was a job for the whole watch. The Longitude set the ball rolling by offering £20,000 crew ranged along the ship's side, each with a coil to anybody who could produce one. It was a huge of the line over one arm. As the man at the bow sum in an era when an able seaman received sixpence heaved the lead he shouted 'Watch, there, watch,' a day and a naval captain five shillings. All sorts of His share of the line disappeared and the next weird inventions were presented to the Board. astern took over, yelling his warning of 'Watch, Meanwhile British ships were poking about, discovering there, watch', and so on. When the deep-sea lead things here and there. In 1768 Captain Wallis came failed to find bottomg the ship was 'off soundings'. home after his voyage around the world in H.M.S. Hauling all that line in again was hard work; the 'Dolphin' and announced, among other discoveries, lead plummet weighed 25 to 30 lbs. Tahiti, which he named King George Ill Island. It

4 OFFSHORf: - June/July 1978 was decided to send Lieutenant James Cook out to King George Ill Island in charge of an expedition to observe the Transit of Venus. The Transit of Venus occurs when the planet Venus passes between the earth and the sun; it happens less than once in a hundred years. Cook's expedition got to Tahiti in time but missed the observation because of a cloudy day. Yet his voyage in the 'Endeavour' produced marvels of cartography. His navigation instruments were sextant and quadrant compass, hand-log, lead-line, a few doubtful watches and the 'Nautical Almanac' which the Admiralty had first published in 176 7. He proved himself a master of the method of lunar distances, and his reputation as a seaman and navigator was established when he returned to England in 1771. In the meantime John Harrison produced his practical chronometer, known as No. 4. The first three also worked but were too big and awkward for shipboard use. Then t/1e Board of Longitude turned niggardly; it was decided that £10, 000 was enough and Harrison only got that after taking the case to law. King George Ill was furious. "You have been cruelly wronged", he told Harrison at a reception, and ordered the Board to pay over the full amount of £20, 000. Harrison, now in his seventies, had spent nearly forty years working on his chronometers and Britain has probably made few better bargains. A chronometer was built by Larcum Kendall to Harrison's No. 4 design. In appearance it was a big, aid of her chronometer and signal this to the rest of heavy watch. When Cook sailed on his second the Fleet. voyage in 1772 he was issued with this chronometer In the year the First Fleet sailed, 1787, another ship but had no faith in it. Yet before the three-year left Portsmouth for the South Seas. She was the voyage was ended he was writing enthusiastically 'Bounty' commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh. of the "trusty watch". Having been master and navigating officer of the During that voyage Cook's 'Resolution' penetrated 'Resolution' on Cook's last voyage Bligh knew the the Antarctic ice. He then sailed north for the worth of Mr. Kendall's chronometer. It was issued winter and discovered the New Hebrides before to the 'Bounty' at his request. proceeding south for another go at the ice. This On passage to Tahiti he discovered the Bounty time the 'Resolution' reached latitude 71° JO'; no Isles east of New Zealand. He charted their other sailing vessel had ever gone that far south. position accurately and sounded with the deep-sea In all these extremes of climate Mr. Kendall's lead, finding bottom at seventy-five fathoms, but chronometer kept perfect time. Cook was able to he did not go ashore there. His hot temper suffered chart everything correctly and iron out errors in when, at Tahiti, someone let the chronometer run previously charted positions. Now a convert to the down; it should have been wound daily. He started chronometer, he took the same timepiece with him it again, resetting it as nearly as he could to Greenwich when he sailed on his third and final voyage. time as calculated by lunar observation. We cannot Cook and the chronometer had given England a know how accurate that resetting was, as the famous mighty lead in the Pacific. In 1787 the First Fleet mutiny broke out late in April 1789. under Captain Arthur Phillip sailed to found the The ship was on passage from Tahiti to the West settlement which was to become Sydney. Indies with her cargo of breadfruit seedings. While Chronometers, for all their popularity, were she was in the Friendly Islands, somewhere to the expensive, and most merchant ships didn't carry north-west of Tonga, Fletcher Christian, in a them. As nearly all the ships of the First Fleet were moment of madness, triggered off the sudden revolt. chartered merchantmen it was the practice for Various reports mention navigation instruments in H.M.S. 'Sirius' to work out the longitude with the use on board the 'Bounty' at the time. Mills, the

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 5 gunner's-mate, cut a length off the deep-sea leadline He went on to criticise their methods of celestial to tie the captain up. Maybe he'd grown to hate navigation and wrote that "From all this it is not hauling in a hundred fathoms or so of line with a 30 difficult to conceive the reason why the Dutch are lb lead weight on the end of it. frequently above ten degrees out in their reckoning. It all happened just at daybreak. After being forced Their passages likewise are considerably lengthened into the longboat Bligh asked for navigation by not carrying a sufficient quantity of sail". instruments. "Here is my own sextant, Mr. Bligh", Bligh was in a tearing hurry to get home. He chafed Christian replied, "and you know it to be a good as the 'Vlydte' just 'logged along' by day and one". He added the 'Daily Assistant', a book of shortened sail at nightfall. It can't have been much fun tables, for good measure. for the captain of the 'Vlydte' either. A typical entry Matthew Quintal objected to the bosun taking a in Bligh's journal is: compass from the storeroom but was overruled by "our reckonings are now proved to be 70 degrees other mutineers. Quintal let the compass go while wrong as my observed longitude pointed out grumbling that "You might as well give him the before. Yet the captain will not acknowledge it". whole b-y ship. He'll get right back to England And later in the journal: with that compass". It was a compliment to Bligh's navigation though Quintal probably didn't mean it "Any other ship would be carrying every sail". to be. And again: There was a quadrant in the boat as well as the If I had the command of this vessel I could run sextant, wf!ile a midshipman brought along 10 knots more than this man". Hamilton Moore's 'Navigation '. This contained This was the sort of thing he was writing in a private tables used by eighteenth century navigators and journal. There is no record of what he said aloud, also listed the latitude and longitude of well-known but he had the gift of upsetting people just by being ports throughout the world. But for a timepiece the right. The Dutch captain must have been very glad to castaways had only the gunner's watch. unload him into an English shore-boat in the Channel, On the hectic voyage that followed they discovered 145 days out of Batavia. This included 14 days spent the Fiji Islands and, some days later, skirted the in Capetown. northern end of the New Hebrides. They made a log, a miniature of the big one used on board ship. Bligh admitted it was a move to occupy the minds of the crew as much as anything. all the time it was a toss­ up whether the overloaded boat would sink or be taken by canoe-loads of savages, or whether the crew would die of starvation. Yet Bligh managed to produce meticulous reports of his discoveries and to JUI in a few blanks on the chart of the north Queensland coast. All in all, it was a voyage of remarkable achievement. When he reached Batavia (now Djakarta) Bligh took passage home in the Dutch vessel 'Vlydte'. He had no great respect for Dutch navigation; the Hollanders used a sort of grid compass which was re-set whenever they discovered the variation had altered 20 degrees since the last adjustment. "This is steering within a quarter point without aiming at greater exactness", he wrote disgustedly. "They, heave no log . ... Their method of computing their ntn is by means of a measured distance of forty feet along the ship's side; they take notice of any remarkable patch of froth when it is abreast the foremost end of the measured distance, and count half-seconds until the froth is abreast the after-end". The number 48 was divided by the number of half-seconds so obtained, the result being "... the rate of sailing in geographical miles in one hour, or the number of Dutch miles in four ". A f)utch sea- was equivalent to four nautical miles.

6 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 On the other side of the world the 'Bounty' mutineers Fletcher Christian and a half-dozen others who made an abortive attempt to settle on a tropic isle. decided to stay with the 'Bounty' sneaked off one When the natives drove them out they returned to night without telling anyone where they were going. Tahiti where many of them elected to stay. They Th ey kidnapped a dozen or so Tahitian girls when had had enough. In any case some of them were not they sailed into mystery and, as the years passed, mutineers and had nothing to fear. The rest it was assumed that the 'Bounty' and her people recknoned they could hide in the mountains when had met their end somewhere in the vast South the inevitable British warship came to look for the Seas. 'Bounty', and they had a nice story hashed up for In 1808 Captain Mayhew Folger of the American use if they were caught. merchantman 'Topaz' told a strange story to the They were caught, and their story was no good. It British consul in Valparaiso. He had come upon a hadn't occurred to anyone that Bligh would get his small island in the lonelier part of the South boatload of men home to tell the truth. Those Pacific. There were people on this island, an old mutineers that reached England were hanged. English sailorman, several elderly Polynesian women and a lot of bi-racial children. The old sailor whose name was Alexander Smith was the last surviving 'Bounty' mutineer. This was Pitcairn's Island, discovered by Captain Carteret in H.M.S. Swallow in 176 7 and named after the man who sighted it. As bad weather prevented Carteret from landing he charted its position and went on his way. Th ere was a copy of his book in the 'Bounty' and Christian, having read it, decided that Pitcairn was the only place where he and his crew could find safety. As it turned out, it was an even safer refuge than he imagined. On reaching the position given by Carteret they saw no land at all; they eventually found the island after six weeks of searching. It was many miles out of its charted position and Christian nearly had another mutiny on his hands as his disheartened crew got sick of looking for it. Folger's story seemed credible. Alexander Smith, as the 'Bounty's' crew list showed, has been a mutineer. And the chronometer given to Folger by Smith was the one made by Mr. Kendall way back in 1772. used by Cook and later issued to the 'Bounty'. Captain Folger's written report is sufficient commentary on the shortcomings of the navigation methods of pre-chronometer days: "The latitude is 25° 2' and the longitude 130° W. Captain Carteret might well have erred 3 or 4 degrees in an old crazy ship with nothing but his log to depend on". Bligh made another breadfruit voage and as he was successful this time, nobody ever heard of it. Yet he produced the first reliable chart of Torres Straits during that voage. One of his surveying officers was a young midshipman named Matthew Flinders who himself became a master navigator. Anyone who learnt his navigation under Bligh learnt properly. In later years Flinders produced a compass that would be acceptable by modern standards. He found how to make adjustments for deviation; the fl,inders bars still used in magnetic compasses were his invention. In 1801-1803 he sailed H.M.S. 'Investigator' around

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 7 ...... SAFETY ... the Australian continent and all subsequent charts are ...... descended from his original work of that voyage ...... HARNESS ... Among his midshipmen during the circumnavigation ...... was John Franklin who years later, as Sir John ...... Franklin, led an expedition of two ships to sail ...... through the North-West Passage, above Canada and ... COMPLETE WITH LINE & CLIP ...... A laska. The expedition disappeared. As was learnt ... Manufactured , Tested and Approved to ... long after, the ships became trapped in the winter ... B.S. 4224 (1975)-Approved by A.Y.F . ... ice and their entire crews died while trudging south ...... to find food and shelter. The full story is not known ... 3 MODELS - ALL WITH REAR PULL POINTS ... but it is felt that no matter what else went wrong, ... Standard, Adjustable and Special Models ... there were no navigational blunders from the man who ...... learnt his trade through the lin e that stretched back ...... through Flinders and Bligh to Cook. ... SPECIAL PRICES TO C.Y.C. MEMBERS ... From those days to now is a far cry, and outside the ...... scope of this story. If the navigator wants to know ... Please note : Safety Inspectors will not be issuing ...... where land is he just sends out a radar pulse and it ... certificates for next season unless all harnesses comply ...... with B.S. 4224 . Don 't be caught by stock shortages . ... re turns to him with its message, like Noah's dove did ...... Maybe the wheel is turning full circle. Perhaps Gordon ...... Marshall should add a chapter on ornithology to his ...... navigation course . ... Sea Safe ...... Marine Safety Equipment Specialists ...... Gareening Cove Boatyard , Bradley Avenue, Milson's Point 2061 ...... Telephone (02) 92 4555 After Hours (02 969 2983 Rob Allen ...

Currie Chegwyn the yacht insurance professionals

Currie Chegwyn Pty. Limited have been insurance consultants to the New South Wales yachting fraternity for nearly 20 years. For obligation-free counsel telephone Konrad Szymanski on 231 2455 or call at 28-34 O'Connell St. , Sydney.

8 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 North Sails announce..... Special North's service to yacht owners at the C. Y .C.A• . * North Sails' repair locker is now operating f.or the repair and service of ALL makes of sails. Just fill in the card and your sails will be picked up on Monday and returned on Friday. *Call our experts to come aboard your yacht and advise you on rating improvements and sailing performance . NORTH SAILS .aNORTH e.A.J:Le \Qj 879 BARRENJOEY ROAD,' ® PALM BEACH. 2108. PHONE: 919 4044.

GWA1865 16 OFFSHORE - April/May 1978 NAVIGATION FOR DROPOUTS

by Frank Underdown

Everyman and his g'irlfriend are setting sail for the blue Pacific to escape from civilisation. En route they all seem to pass through a nautical shop to purchase Tables and chronometers and other impedimenta of navigation. They escape to their maritime Mecca laden to the gunwales w ith symbols of the cu lture they wish to escape, with books of figures and clocks to remind them of the daily grind of the counting house. One wonders how the simple Polynesian So on this particular day our cantankerous subtracted from the G.H.A. Aries of managed in the same waters without such friend wou ld have no shortage of the time of the observation is his gear? How did Slocum do it with on ly opportunity to observe his latitude. G.H.A. (i.e. his longitude). a·dime store alarm clock minus a Most other days would offer similar minute hand? opportunities. For example, our friend was in the vicinity of Sydney - date 11 February Supposing one of these modern dropouts Ea ch of the meridian passage observa­ 1978. A p.m. meridian passage sight of was so cantankerous as to refuse to ship tions would equa ll y afford excel lent Aldebaran showed that his latitude was a set of NP-401 's or any other sight possibilities for a longitude 35°S. Shortly after the meridian passage reduction tables? How wou ld he manage observat ion. At meridian passage, of o_f Aldebaran he 'shot' Alphard (nicely his celestial navigation? course, the observed body I ies on the Ji placed to his east) for an altitude of observer's meridian and the G.H.A. N;avigation is basically a matter of 20°. The G. M.T. of th is sight was of'the body is the longitude of the establishing one's position on earth. 9h 08m 06s. In our scheme of thinking, we define observer. I know a Master who claims position in terms of coordinates of to be able to judge the meridian passage Our navigator places the disc for 35°S latitude and longitude, a system which of a body to within half a minute of on the starfinder and rotates it so seems as good as any other although it time, which means that (if his claim be that altitude 20° in the eastern sector is by no means universal. How wou ld Hue) he can judge his longitude to of the disc li es on Alphard. The pointer our man without Tab les find his lat. within± 7.5 miles. on the disc indicates an L.H.A. Aries of approximately 70° 30'. From the and long. in the middle of the Pacific Assuming our friend the Mecca seeker Almanac he finds that G.H.A. Aries for with only the ce lestial bodies for had not such a fine eye for sextant 9h 08m 06s is 278° 06'.2. Subtracting reference (Assuming he had a sextant altitudes, he could nevertheless use the 70° 30' from this gives a G.H.A. of the or was a particularly shrewd judge of equal altitude method to obtain longi­ ship of 207° 26' .2 which translates :.. angles.)? tude from both the sun and moon into a ship's longitude of 152° 33'.8. ,~ Finding the latitude has always been during the day of 11 February 1978 and, easy : al I over the world the midday sun properly done, this would give him If the navigator is quite sure of his proclaims it; it can be found from the precise resu Its. lat itude he needs only one star sight at meridian passage of stars and planets . The situation at twilight would be twilight to establish the longitude. The (not to mention the moon), whilst different. Twilight would be too short star chosen shou ld bear as close as possible to due east or west. Oldies wi ll north of the Equator, Polaris is its to observe equal altitudes but the permanent witness. To particularise, fol lowing use of the 2102-D starfinder recognise tht the technique being used if 'longitude by chronometer', the during the day on which this article was wou ld yield reasonable results. Some­ written ( 11 February 1978) the fol low­ time, either before or after the meridian starfinder being used to replace the traditional ca lcu lation. ing bodies were available to a mariner passage of his chosen star, he could in the vicinity of Sydney - say at 35°S observe the altitude of a star, preferably Again, if the navigator is totally lost - 152E -for meridian passage (i.e. due east or west of him, i.e. as close as hasn't the foggiest idea of his position - latitude) observations: possible to his prime vertical. He would two suitable placed star sights can be dawn - Hadar, Arcturus and Rigel then adjust the appropriated isc for the 'reduced' by the starfinder to give a Kent: starfinder so that the observed altitude reasonable estimate of latitude and daytime - the Sun at about 12.14 elipse on the movable disc lay on the longitude. This is because two star E.S.T. and the Moon at about observed body plotted on the base of sights with a good angle of cut will 14.13 E.S. T. ; the starfinder. The pointer on the always give latitude and, latitude being dusk - Aldebaran, Atria, Capella and starfinder now points to his L.H.A. known, longitude can be deduced from Rigel. Aries. The value of L.H.A. Aries the Starfinder.

10 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 Suppose our friend, with no more idea of his position other than that he is reasonably sure it is in the southern Reading about hemisphere, observed Betelgeuse and Acrux to have altitudes of 44° 101 .9 and 20° 15'.7 respectively, the G.M.T. of the observation being 9h 08m 06s. He selects a starfinder disc at random navigation and juggles it so that Betelgeuse I ies on altitude 45° (roughly). Acrux on 20° and the 0° -180° I ine is on the centre (South Pole) peg . When he has these There are an incredible variety of - Mary Blewitt. Her 'Celestial three points in contact the centre post books written .about navigation. Probably Navigation for Yachtsmen' '(she wasn't will lie close to latitude 35°. Our they all have their good points; sexist at all, and "yachtspersons" navigator places the template for 35°S otherwise they probably would not have hardly sounds right) is still top of the on the starfinder and finds that been published. sellers on this subject. Currently it is Betelgeuse and Acrux now lie nicely on But some of them are antiquated. priced at $5.75, but will go up when their correct altitudes, thus establishing They tend to linger on because die-hard new stocks are received. It is a slim volume (only 62 pages), and John his latitude as 35°S. The pointer on the old ship's captains tend to become disc will lie in the vicinity of L.H.A. navigation lecturers in their retirement lviiney sees it more as a highly useful Aries 70° 30', from which he can deduce and often they work on the philosophy keep aboard book for quick reference his longitude. In a couple of minutes that "I leant from Bloggs' book, and rather than as a teaching medium. She he has come from total uncertainty what was good enough for me is good tells you what to do all right, but about his position to a very good enough for my students". without any background detail of why estimate of it! you should be doing it. Her preference The fact that the lecturer learnt forty is for the Air Sight Reduction tables, In the illustration given I have cheated years earlier and applied his knowledge and her method is generally regarded in a way by choosing sights which on a 20,000 ton vessel is not as being quick.1 particularly fitted the Starfinder. An particularly helpful to the man with a observer at (say) 39° latitude would pocket calculator and a desire to sail a John's preference for a 'taching' book have to remove the disc from its peg and 10 metre yacht. on astro is again written by Kenneth juggle it so that latitude 39° was on top Wilkes. Called 'Ocean Yacht Navigator' of the peg. This tends to inaccuracy John lvimey, of Boat Books at Crows ($16.50), it's written at the same high which is augmented because the disc Nest, says he shudders at some of the aged standard of information as his coastal does not exactly fit 39°. Again, the navigation texts he is asked for in his book and is backed up by outstanding Starfinder is not manufactured to store. Boat Books has by far the biggest diagrams and illustrations. extremely accurate limits and errors range of books on navigation and on all aspects of boating in Australia, and Whilst there is a reluctance to use must be expected from this. A series it is worth a browse. His recommendations English or American texts for astro of tests indicates that an average accuracy for the small craft navigator eliminate navigation because of the problem of of± 30 minutes of arc (i.e. 30 miles) having to reverse figures for the Southern can be obtained by this very simple use many of the 'oldies' but still leave a wide choice. Hemisphere, there is really no choice of the 2102-0. I imagine that more because at this stage there is no accurate results would be obtained For coastal navigation, John suggests Australian book specifically on the from a Star Globe. two low priced local books, Jeff subject. Jeff Toghill will rectify this Toghill's 'Coastal Navigation for later in the year with his 'Celestial Beginners' ($3.50) or 'Elements of Navigation for Beginners', but it's not Conclusion: Our cantankero1,.1s friend Practical Coastal Navigation' ($5.40) possible to commence on this book at can cope quite well without the Tables by Peter Green, (no, not that Peter this stage. and also, by so doing, has entirely Green, but a Melbourne chandler of eliminated plotting whilst using only the same name). and a relatively high­ For those who want to combined both the easiest of sights. His equal altitude priced English book, 'Practical Yacht coastal and celestical navigation in one observations don't even need to be Navigator' ($14.55) by Kenneth Wilkes. book, John recommends two Australian corrected - just the raw sextant altitudes titles: they are Toghill's (again!) are used . Even if he is completely lost, Both the Australian books are fairly 'Yachtsman's Navigation Manual' a clock and a 2102-0 will 'find' him compact paper backs but cover the ($14.95) and Frank Underdown's near enough for practical purposes. subject in good detail. Peter Green's 'Navigation of Small Craft', ($10.20). What more could he ask than that? comes complete with its own practice Both have been reviewed by John Hawley With easy sights and no plotting, why charts of the Bass Strait - Wilson's in 'Offshire', and his summation is that should he cumber himself with those Promontory area on which the exercises Toghill will teach you all you need to dollars' worth of N P401 s? in his book are based. know and if you want to go further into the subject, then Frank Underdown's All right! All right! I expect Gordon 'Practical Yacht Navigator' is a much book will satsify that need. Marshall will use a few thousand well bigger book (208 pages) with outstanding diamgrams in two colours which make chosen words to blast the above There is one book which stands out philosophy but I don't think our friend comprehension of the text extremely easy. This book covers the subject in above all others in this field. That' is in the South Pacific will care all that 'American Practical Navigator' or, as much! more detail and in a very logical sequence. It's not just Gordon Marshall and his 1 As a new student of celestial navigation boating birds who have proven that I have found Mary Blewett's book to provide a simple and lucid explanation of the navigation is no longer a male geometry behind the subject, and I do not chauvinist domain. The world's current fully agree with John lvimey's assessment. best selling navigation writer is a female Ed .

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 11 it is most commonly known, collector's piece being a numbered, 'Bowditch' after its original author, limited ed ition of which only 1000 URGENTLY WANTED Nathaniel Bowditch, who wrote it in copies were produced. Each copy 1802! An absolute genius, Bowditch carries a certificate of authenticity. MEMBERS MALE OR was motivated to write his book because At $75.00 it is not cheap but is bought FEMALE INTERESTED IN he had found some 8000 errors in the largely by collectors like Pat . ASSISTING IN SAFETY then leading navigational tome! This Corrigan, who know that its value will INSPECTIONS absolutely authoritative work has been rise. continuously updated by the U.S. PLEASE RING OUR · Navy, and the latest edition is a total OFFICE AND GIVE NAME revision, which became available again only in the early part of this year. It AND ADDRESS covers literally every aspect of navigation as well as weather, electronics, piloting, Tel. 32·9731 oceanography and even contains its own tables. Al I told, there are more than 2100 pages in its two volumes which, at $23.50 for the two, must be one of the best values in today's market place. That's just the highlights of the practical navigational range at Boat Books. For lovers of the esoteric, there is a facsimile of a French edition of one of the world's first books every written on navigation. It is 'L'Art de Navigeur', first published in 1554. John lvimey doesn't lmow how many errors Nathaniel Bowditch would have found in it, but the old world spelling (in French) , the beautiful aged paper and slip-cased leather binding make it a thing of real beauty. It is a true -----

"Seeing you ·discovered it, Harry, the least we can do is name it after you".

12 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 Modern Aids to Yacht Navigation

"~ \ I I ~ \ • J I I

~\ J I I \ \ \ ; I \ / "" I ,/ / Ocean racing being a sport based~ on a ~"~ / / /-evertheless many larger racing yachts 'back to the basics' philosophy, racing ' and cru ising boats are installing modern navigators are prevented under the ~~~ electronic gear more and more as a rules from using any more sophisticated means of taking the guesswork (and , outside aids to navigation than the especia lly, the time-consuming manual radio direction finder, a fairly ca lculations) out of nav igation, thus primitive aid and of doubtful use when experienced yachtie with a bit of luck ensuring fast, safe passages. All of comprorriised by the many errors which or a shrewd, inepxerienced yachtie the well-known maxi yachts install at can beset it, for instance, off the east with a lot of luck. least one of the modern radio aids, and coast of Australia. 'Ballyhoo' probably went to the top of Meanwhile, in the air about him float the class when she had a 'T ransit' So, once out of sight of land, the sophisiticated radio signals which, if (sate llite navigation) system fitted. navigu esser works hard at ensuring an · he were allowed to use them, cou ld accurate D.R. plot and hopes constantly pinpoint, within 200 meters, his actual The available radio signals take various for a visible horizon and some clear position at any time of the night or day. forms and they originate from many patches of sky at twilight for a ce lestial He would need only one more thing sources. But without exception they are fix. He views R.D.F. bearings with than the compliance of the l.Y.R.U. avai lab le to all who take the trouble some distrust and transferred sun - that is a healthy bank balance, to fit the appropriate receiver. The cost position lines with scepticism but uses because to receive, decode, process of the equ ipment for any system varies them both, if necessary, along with and present all this information in a greatly depending on the.ex tent of educated guesses at set, leeway ang les usabl.e form requires complex · accessory equipment included in t he and log error. If, after all this, he electronic equipment. That does not grow package, but typical figures would be pinpoints his position at sea within on the trees of your local electrical from $5,000 for a basic recei ver (you 3 miles he is ei ther a shrewd , appliance discounter. do all the work) through to $25,000

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 13 for receiver, computer, speed and suggest that the American nuclear synchronisation error. course inputs and digital co-ordinate submarines use OMEGA as a primary readouts which present you with your navigation aid . OMEGA is not actual position co-ordinates almost at accurate enough to provide the sort of the flick of a switch. The systems for precision required of l.C.B.M. targeting, which equipment is easily purchased and the Americans would hardly offer by the yachtsman are LORAN (Long the system to the Russians for Range Aid to Navigation), OMEGA, commercial use if it were of and TRANSIT (satellite navigation strategic value. The Americans did, system). however, and OMEGA is available to anyone who cares to use it, including LORAN is designed to provide fast Russian submarines. accurate positon lines by measuring the difference in arrival times of radio OMEGA is a long range very low signals transmitted from two LORAN frequency system which will provide stations. A LORAN net consists of global coverage for ships and aircraft, groups of ground stations transmitting and the only thing that makes it suspicious in pairs, each pair comprising a master to our more paranoid pols is that it is station and a slave station. The signal one (but not the only nor the most originates from the master station and accurate) of the few navigation systems travels simultaneously to the boat a submarine may use while still receiver and a slave station which is submerged. Its great advantage from an then triggered to transmit its own international point of view is that it signal; the slave signal will obviously provides world wide coverage using only arrive at the ship after the master signal , eight stations, hence it is relatively the exact time difference depending inexpensive to build and maintain. on the position of the boat relative to OMEGA signals consist of continuous TRANSIT SATNAV (Satellite the stations. wave pulses transmitted in sequence Navigation system) is probably still For a given position the time difference from each station (on frequencies of in the exotic, over-expensive class for between the arrival of the two signals 10.2, 13.6 and 11 .3 KH z) and propagated most yacht owners. It is one of the most is constant, but there is more than one over an enormous range so that up to fascinating navigation aids available to position having the same time difference five stations may provide a useable pleasure craft. and these points are plotted on a LORAN signal at one time in any part of the Developed as a navigation aid to the chart where a line joining these points world. The receiver measures the phase U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine fleet and forms a hyperbola. When the time of the signals against a reference off the secret list since 1967, TRANSIT difference is measured by the on-board provided by an internal oscillator. The SATNAV is available to commercial equ ipment, the hyperbola representing navigator corrects the resultant for shipping and even to yachtsmen, which that time difference is found on the chart skywave error and plots the position only makes one wonder what the Yank and becomes a LORAN position line; line on an OMEGA chart in the same submarines really use for navigation to establish a LORAN fix a second manner as for LORAN. The same these days that OMEGA protesters position line crossing the first must be process is repeated with another group know nothing about. obtained from a second pair of LORAN of stations to produce a position fix. In its ea rly days the high cost of on­ stations. More sophisticated equipment runs board equipment put TRANSIT LORAN has a generally accepted continuous phase comparisons on all SATNAV right out of the reach of all accuracy offshore of one mile for every useable stations and passes the yachtsmen. Increasing commercia l 1,000 miles range from the station. So information to a digital computer which use and technical advances are reducing in Australian waters, where the nearest processes it into an instant readout costs dramatically ('Ballyhoo's' system LORAN stations are thousands of of position co-ordinates. This type of cost U.S. $27,000, installed ). Eventually miles away (and bearing cuts can be equipment is currently fitted to it cou ld become the very best and most narrow) LORAN accuracy is less than Australian registered aircraft mainly cost-effective system available with some that which can be hoped for by an for off-airway work. OMEGA has great outstanding advantages for yachts. amateur weilding ye aide marine potential around the vast, sparsely In 1973 the heart of the TRANSIT sextant. Around the north Pacific equipped Australian coastlines and SA TNA V system consisted of five and Atlantic oceans LORAN stations adjacent seas, and it really is a great satellites circling the earth in polar abound, especially around the U.S. pity that our politicians ever heard of orbits (i .e. around the poles from north where the new improved LORAN OMEGA in time to prevent or, at the to south). They orbit at a height of 'C' coverage is virtually complete and very least, delay the construction of an 1075 kilometers, circling the earth is a relatively cheap, dependable and OMEGA station in Australia. The every 107 minutes at a speed over the accurate aid to navigation. system was scheduled for completion in surface of 26,400 k.p.h. The sate! I ites 1974 but now awaits the Australian OMEGA is a word that can be counted provide a 'cage' coverage within which station to be fully operational (in on to reduce some Australian politicians the earth rotates so that, to a vessel on Australian waters it is quite useable to semi hysteria. One of the more the surface, one of the sate I I ites wi 11 be now) . moronic pressure groups with which this above the horizon at least 16 times a country is afflicted decided that an OMEGA accuracy is on the order of 1 day offering position fixing signals. Omega Station would be a prime nuclear to 2 miles, and eventually with all This coverage has since been increased target because it is used by American stations on line and the system fully by the addition of a sixth satellite. missile submarines for navigation, and calibrated, it will do even better. The Each satellite transmits signals on 150 no one has been able to get any sense errors include radio propagation mHz and 400 mHz frequencies which out of the politicians concerned ever variation, skywave error (predictable makes them immune to local weather since. In fact, there is no evidence to within limits) and station interference or sunspot activity, thus

14 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 Plotmaster Navaid Regd. Design No 69781 The Australian designed and produced tactical plotting device. Superb for • Solving tactical problems • General Navigational Plotting • Plotting Celestial fixes As used by Gretel II and the 1977 Australian Admirals' Cup representatives. Priced at $13.90 postage paid from \u; Plotmaster P .0. Box 171, Wahroonga 2076 "It's a rude starfinder all right- I keep getting Linda Lovelace".

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 15 THE CRUISING YACHT CLUB

wE.fcomE.1, you to thE. 'tE.cEntfy 'tEnoaatE.d

BLUE WATER ROOM

{bookln9~ 3 2-9 73 1} af~o c4aalfabfe {o'L fJJ'Llaate 'Junction~

Blue Water Restaurant Blue Water Bar Trading ~our s Trading Hours Lunch Dinner Wed. 12.00 - 2.30 7.00 -10.00 Mon. * 4.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. Tue.** 4.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. Fri . 12.00 - 2.30 7.00 - 10.30 Wed. 11.00 a. m. - 11.30 p.m. Sat. 12.00 - 2.30 7.00 - 10.30 Sun. 12.00 - 2.30 Thu.** 4.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. Fri . 11.00 a.m. - 12.30 a. m. (Family lunch) Sat. 9.00 a.m . - 12.30 a.m. Sun. 8.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. Last orders must be in before closing times * Free Ch ampagne during Happy Hour 6.30 - 7.30 p.m.

** Closes 11.00 p.m. after nav igation and learn-to-sail classes.

16 OF FSH ORE - June/July 1978 Enioy ou't bE.11.t in food and U'taic.E., with 11.tunnin9 ha'tbou't aiE.w11. and 11.ufu.'tb E.ntE.'ttalnmE.nt by the C.

".::EupE.'t Coof" p'toaidE.11. di11.c.o E.ntE.'ttainmE.nt fo't thE. youn9 at hE.a'tt. 'Jl'z.i11. fo'tm of E.nlE.'ttainmE.nt i11. now fo'tE.mo11.t in thE. wo'tfd- but thE.

C.

'You't Club i~ /noaidin9 E.XaE.ftE.nt Cui~inE, and ~omdhin9 (o't E.anyonE.. 'Jo u~E. you't Club bE.nc.{it~ aft.

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 17 Hood introduces abreakthrough in GrandPrix Racing headsails: \bu don't have to be a Grand Prix skipper to win with theme sails from fiber to fin ish in a way no other sailmakers can . The way we figure it: if we put more into your sails, you'll get more wins out of them. ·Patent applied for. Significant victories wi.th Hood sails: Round-the-World Race - Flyer. First Overall ..I World Ocean Racing Championship - Kialoa SORG , 1978 - Mr. Jumpa , The patented* Hood Clew Outstanding Performance World One-Ton Cup Stripe. When it lines up with the - Red Lion, First • sheet, the sail is set perfectly. World Half-Ton Cup It's that simple. We used the America's Cup last summer as a proving ground for our -Bunboat Rangiriri, First new headsail concept. When Courageous won we knew we had a Australian Quarter-Ton Championship Hood Sailmakers have de­ breakthrough. - Wonder Woman veloped a line of refined Grand Sydney-Hobart Cup with our racing experience and the patented* new Hood clew Prix-level headsail designs - Kialoa , Winner Overall judgement. stripe and that keeps the sail that's so far advanced, it's Etchells 22, World Championships at its aerodynamic maximum. breathtaking. These are very, The secret is that our new Hood - Hood Spinnakers, First Overall r Before now, you literally had very fast sails. But, unlike fast headsails are designed to set to have someone from the loft designs of the past, anyone can with the right amount of twist at aboard to achieve such con­ sail them . These new Hood de­ a predetermined sheet angle. sistency of trim . signs are a unique combination Therefore, regardless of mast of a surprisingly round, forgiving rake or sailing angle, the sail Our breakthrough design is luff and precisely shaped chord tells you how to achieve con­ another achievement of our that we've developed through tinually perfect trim. All you do is Total Approach system of sail­ computer analysis combined keep the sheet lead aligned with making. We design and build •denotes mostly Hood sails BoildingsaiJs that perform. In theory~ eas.Jt In practice~ Hood.

Hood Sallmakers (Aust.) Pty Ltd, P.O. Box 185, Mll1on1 Point, Sydney 2081 Sydney: Ian Broad Melbourne: Adela Ide: Perth: Hobart & Kevin Shepherd Colin Anderson Don King Phil Harry George Pickers (02) 929-0700 (03) 699-1861 (08) 47-3100 (09) 35-3734 (002) 34-3323

International Lofts: Australia, Canada, England, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and West Germany. 18 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 basic 1 assembly - ~i · h~l1: d;~·k";~~ a structurally comp ~t~ 2 bulkheads installed caCiin s ~P.I ah cabin, fully bon fj ' -nlo~d for only $8700 hatch covers, anc' UI/, deck · . ...; ... e) f IMillllP.I• D On't b e can be sailing awa• $"9frarne ·, ~II bu/khe · · ·'/~~:}::~~;;'.;. .~ar~dW~• ~}~e~~~~~ lg;~OOo~;fo~ ~·~OR.oo. Confused , \ ' ·00. re- about yacht prices! If you are used to a "completed" yacht costing around $1,000 per foot just look at the Compass prices, they must represent the best value for money in Australia today. Compass 29 Compass 28 Fully fitted, completed Fully fitted, completed · yacht launched and com- yacht launched and com­ $25' lso missioned Kogarah Bay. S2i 500 missioned Kogarah Bay.

All these items are included in the price. Spinnaker gear - Optional extra_ (1) Twin cylinder 15 H_P. diesel (29), 8 H_P. diesel (28). (9) Antifouling. (2) Spars, rigging, winches and deck hardware. (10) Interior cushions. (3) Pulpit, pushpit, staunchions, etc. (11) Main, No. 2 and Jib. (4) Bilge pump. (12) VDO sumlog. (5) 2 Air vents. (13) S.S. boarding ladder. (6) Fire extinguisher. (14) Cruising fuel tank. (7) Interior electrics and Nav. Lights. (15) Ventilation and escape hatch. (8) Anchor chain and line. Price Ex Sydney Finance available to approved customers . • ~~~~!~~!2 .(AU~f:.1~i~IA) The manufacturers reserve the right to change the above specifications without notice.

GWA 1864

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 19 Charts-are they off course?

by John Hawley.

Not too many things are free in this The effect of this is that navigators will Such a light has been established in life and those which are tend to be have to transfer these corrections to Twofold Bay within the last three treated with some contempt. Perhaps the charts as soon as they are purchased, months and could cause a great deal if 'Australian Notices to Mariners' and this would be a good opportunity to of worry to a yacht, perhaps dismasted h"ad a price tag they would be more start regular correction routines of all in a Sydney-Hobart Race and heading respected and more carefully read . This charts held by that yacht from current for Eden in inclement weather. The is not to recommend that a charge 'Notices to Mariners'. ·notice in question is reprinted not because it is of any greater importance should be made, but they certainly There can be nothing more confusing than most of the others but to draw appear to be largely ignored by the than entering a strange harbour and attention to Notice 126 which precedes yachting fraternity, and for those of searching for a buoy· which may have it regarding Australian chart paper. you who never read them, I must been moved a year earlier or worse, at draw attention to weekly edition 12 night seeing a light Gp.Fl.(3)20 secs. I have inspected a Port Jackson chart of 24 March 1978, Notice Number 155. where none is shown. printed on th is cheap paper and believe this to be a retrograde step which should be challenged. Whether it is a governmental economy procedure or a decision taken within the Navy, surely there should have been some · I consultation with the people who buy and use charts. 155. AUSTRALIA-Maintenance of Australian Charts. We live in an age when inflation is I. From I st May, 1978, stocks of Australian charts maintained in the accepted and a price increase would Hydrographic Office will cease to be corrected by hand. From that date all have been unchallenged, but an item charts will be issued to both agents and other users with a correction slip which, by it's very nature, will be showing all corrections which should be applied by the purchaser. regularly doused with sea water whilst 2. In order to avoid lengthy correction slips, the reproduction material spread on chart tables or in the cockpit from which the chart is printed, will be kept continuously in date for Notices to of small yachts seemingly should be Mariners, and charts will be reprinted at frequent intervals. Whenever a chart printed on the most durable paper is reprinted, a new correction slip will be commenced. available (within reasonable cost), and I The correction slip will show the following: for one, question the decision. (a) Chart Number. I was discussing this matter with John (b) Last Notice incorporated at printing. lvemey of Boat Books in Crows Nest, (c) Number of latest Weekly Edition of Notices to Mariners included who has been appointed an "A" class on the slip. Chart Agent. He points out that he is so (d) Copy of all Notices affecting the chart published in the period disappointed with the quality of the from (b) to (c). paper that he is already producing plastic coated charts which are fully An example of a correction slip is attached. waterproof (at $7 .80), and I was 3. Mariners are advised that "A" Class Agents will be required to insert impressed with their qua I ity (one could additional Notices extant at the time of sale, on to the correction slip before use chinagraph pencils on them for selling the chart, which must be accompanied by the updated correction slip. laying off courses, which could be "B" Class Agents will be required to do no more than provide the chart and slip as received from the Hydrographic Office, and inform purchasers of any wiped off after use). Unfortunately, it additional Notices affecting the chart. does not appear that corrections can be made to these charts, as coffee, claret (24th March, 1978) and other stains wipe off with a damp Hydrographic Service, R.A.N. Sydney. (A.H. 39/52.) cloth, so your corrections would disappear too! Chart Aus.197 "Approaches to Port Jackson" would be an obvious choice for everyone who races in the short ocean races points score to have in this plastic coated version.

20 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 John lvemey also reports that he I proposes to continue correcting charts 126. AUSTRALIA-Australian Chart Paper-Printed Charts. sold through his agency for at least si x months during which period he would It is planned to print Australian and Facsimile Reproductions of British Admiralty charts on lightweight paper, when present stocks of the heavy chart like to hear the vi ews of Members of paper are exhausted, about mid 1979. the C.Y.C. regarding (a) the continuation of this new chart servi ce, for a small fee In the interim period, selected charts will be printed on the lightweight or (b) possible interest in an old-chart paper to familiarize Mariners with the new medium. correction servi ce. (3rd March, 1978) Letters on this subject would be Hydrographic Service, R.A.N. Sydney. (A.H. 14/66.) welcomed by 'Offshore'. Ed .

127 (T). AUSTRALIA- NEW SOUTH WALES-Twofold Bay-Waverider Light-buoys established.

Yellow spherical waverider light-buoys Gp.Fl.(3) 20s have been established, with bearings and distances from the light (37° 04.6' S. , 149° 54.8' E. approx.) URGENTLY WANTED as follows: · (a) 115° 4.7 miles; MEMBERS MALE OR (b) 244-} 0 410 metres (1345 feet). FEMALE INTERESTED IN ASSISTING IN SAFETY The inshore buoy (b) will remain on station about I year, and the offshore buoy (a) indefinitely. INSPECTIONS (10th March, 1978) PLEASE RING OUR Chart temporarily affected.-Aus. 191 (b) (plan, Twofold Bay)-Aus. 806. OFFICE AND GIVE NAME N.S.W. Public Works. (A .H. 61 /80.) AND ADDRESS

Weather-Rail Naviguessing

by David Hocking

Crew has always sat to weather going to major divisions (miles) from the centre I have not al lowed for set becau se of windward in a fresh breeze , but recent away from the indicator and mark its variables of speed and direction design trends have required the 'C' 2.4 major divisions (miles) from depending on distance offshore. navigator to abandon his chart table the centre towards the indicator. Thus Provided it is considered in plann ing and join his pee rs on the wea ther rail; mark C is 4.9 miles from south reef on the approach t o the mark it does not Dividers and parallel rules get lost on a bearing of 126 deg. Each minor present a problem. In th is example, dec k, and charts get soggy when wet, division then represents one tenth of a with a probable southerly set, the so the boffins have designed some new mile, and as most yachts sail t o windward approach is from up set . equipment, a good example bei ng the at around six knots, each minor division 'Pl otmaster Navaid'. The Navaid also represents one minute in time. Now to the vectors to select the consists of a cl ear plastic rotating Upon rounding south reef the helmsman spinnaker. As we approach mark C, prot ector disc mounted on a white can steer 090, and si x minutes elapse our course is 165 deg. and boat speed plastic baseboard which has a graph­ before a tack is required to clear wind. si x knots. Set disc to 165 deg. and paper-li ke grid pattern punched on it. Rotate disc to 86 deg. (allow for leeway) draw a line si x units towards Let us assu me David Goode has and draw a line si x minor divisions up indicator and mark with a single signalled course Tango 130. Pl otting the grid. After three minutes on 170 arrow, the recommend ed symbol this on chart AUS 197 (Approaches to and two minutes on 165 a further for course. Apparent wind is 30 Port Jackson) shows mark C to be 4.9 tack is required. The disc is rotated degrees to bow and 20 knots. Set miles from south reef on a magn etic t o 174 deg. (l eeway) and three minor disc to 135 deg. and draw a line 20 bearing of 126 deg. Taking the Navaid, divisions drawn, then 169 deg . and two units towards ind icator and mark set the top disc with 126 deg. aga inst the minor divisions drawn. In this manner with two arrows, the recommend ed indicator on the base board and with a course and. distance are plotted unt il symbol for apparent wind. Align soft lead pencil mark south reef 2.5 the weather mark is in visual range. disc so that a Ii ne between the ends

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 21 of both vectors is parallel to the must be either on that heading or 90 vertical axis of baseboard. Angle of degrees out of phase. Coastal Navigation Course disc and length of new vector represent The following are common uses of the Navaid Gordon Marshall will be running a true wind angle and speed. A closed 1. Knowing yacht speed and course and Coastal Navigation Course for Club arrow is the recommended symbol for apparent and direction, to Members commencing 25th July. An true wind. The course to mark D is determine true wind speed and direction application form is enclosed with this 345 deg. and estimated speed will be 8 (triangle of problem of this copy of Offshore and additional forms nature can be quickly solved with a knots. Set the disc to 345 deg . and Navaid). may be obtained from the C.Y.C.A. of­ draw a line eight units away from fice. indicator. Re-align the true wind 2. Knowing true wind speed and direction, Gordon has been running celestial vector and re-draw from the centre of yacht course and estimated speed, to classes for Club Members for many determine apparent wind speed and the disc towards indicator. The new years, but this will be the first time he apparent wind is the line between the direction on a new heading. (This is important as it accurately determines the has agreed to run one on Coastal end of the new course vector and the apparent wind speed and direction Navigation. For those interested in redrawn true wind. Draw in, label and relative to the yacht's projected course, ultimately studying celestial, this will be read the angle and speed. In this enabling correct selection of the sail type and weight. an ideal introductory course, since you example it is 100 deg. to bow and 11 should understand coastal before 3. To plot the course to a distant mark. knots apparent - a 1.5 oz spinnaker and undertaking celestial study. tallboy would be recommended . (This enables the yacht racing offshore to be plotted accurately right to the mark, The course will run over eight con­ and with the use of lay lines prevents After rounding mark C you ca n relax secutive weeks on Tuesday evenings; for a few minutes before preparing the overlaying it. The Navaid was used on Gretel II at Newport in 1977 in this the hours will be 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 vectors for the gybe at the wing mark D. manner to complement and as a check on p.m. and the venue will be the C.Y .C.A. For the second beat mark A has been the electronic plotting devices, it being Blue Water Room. marked on the disc 3.5 miles from mark particularly useful as it provides a visual Cat 310 deg . (the reciprocal of the representation of the craft in relation to Fill in your application form and promp­ the course.) course 130 deg.). The record of wind tly return it to the C.Y.C.A. office (we shifts on the first beat is useful data 4. Two bearing running fix. (Having two anticipate an excess demand for ber­ bearings of a single shore feature and ths in this course. and first come first for the second beat. knowing the distance covered between served will be the selection method). I have found the Navaid well worth the taking of the sights, the position can be found very quickly on the Nava id. The Successful applicants will be advised $12-50 (December 1977) investment. advantage of this device is that the plotting by mail, and details of the equipment It can also be used to plot celestial is carried out as though from the yacht required will be enclosed with that ad­ and not from the chart which involves intercepts and this is described in the vice. booklet supplied. reciprocal position lines, one of which must be transferred.) Plotmaster Navaid 5. Simultaneous sights of two conspicuous shore features. (If the bearing and distance between the land marks is The Plotmaster Navaid is constructed of known together with the sights taken from flexible P.V .C. sheeting and comprises a white the yacht, the Navaid will readily solve URGENTLY WANTED baseboard 10" square to which a transparent the position). circular protractor is centrally mounted so 6. Dead reckoning plotting. (When short that it is free to rotate. The baseboard has a tacking to windward the individual MEMBERS MALE OR square graticule immediately beneath the courses can be plotted on th is device and FEMALE INTERESTED IN protractor, while on the reverse side is a drawing the resultant position change transferred ASSISTING IN SAFETY showing the spacings of the meridians of by a sinQle line to vour chart. This is a longitude at various . The protractor considerable time saver and the plotting INSPECTIONS can be done in the cockpit). has a surface specially treated for use with soft lead pencils and on it a wide variety of 7. Plotting celestial sights. (The Navaid was PLEASE RING OUR navigational plotting can be carried out. designed with a longitude scale in order that the triple sight worked resu Its OFFICE AND GIVE NAME The unit sold consists of a Navaid, an can be plotted to produce the observed AND ADDRESS instruction booklet printed on waterproof position in a minimum of time. When the paper and a heavy duty plastic envelope for observed position is required quickly, as storage. The basic concept of the device is for example for a radio schedule position simple. report, this device will be found particularly useful). (a) The baseboard graticule theoretically 8. To determine a craft's position in relation consists of 64 squares each sided 1 Y." to prominent shore features or a particular but in production the squares outside FISHING SPOT' (With the use of a simple the plane of the protractor surface have template, the Navaid and a compass, the URGENTLY WANTED been omitted for clarity. Each square is boat owner can accurately determine the divided into 100 minor units being 10 position of his craft in relation to a such divisions in each direction. The number of previously plotted landmarks MEMBERS MALE OR primary intention is that each major and as such it holds considerable promise FEMALE INTERESTED IN square represents 10 minutes change to the offshore fisherman.Its use m this latitude with each minor division being 1 form is much more effective than visual ASSISTING IN SAFETY minute change latitude, one nautical sightings, transits etc. which have been INSPECTIONS mile or one knot, as appropriate, and relied upon in the past, and as the carrying when used in conjunction with the of a compass is now a mandatory longitude scale on the reverse side of the requirement, its use in conjunction with PLEASE RING OUR base board, a Mercator projection for a Navaid is recommended). OFFICE AND GIVE NAME any particular latitude can readily be The Navaid enables much of the primary AND ADDRESS produced. navigation to be carried out by the crew on (b) With the protractor set to a particular watch while in the cockpit, this is of great heading against the lubber line at the top benefit on smaller yachts where frequent visits of the board, any line drawn on its to the chart table may disturb other surface parallel to the baseboard graticule members of the crew. 22 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 STW2MGR 20 at 2,300 rpm. STW3MGR 30 at 2.300 r p .m. HRW3MGR 44 at 2,200 r p m The cruising HRW4MGR 59 at 2,200 r.p.m HRW6MGR 88 at 2,200 rpm JW6MGR 138 at 2,000 r.p m JWS6MGR 170 at 2,000 r.p.m. yachtsman's JWSC6MGR 250 at 2,000 r.p m. MARINE AUX GEN SETS • LT1MA 5 KVA STW2MA 8 KVA STW3MA 12 KVA engine HRW3MA 25 KVA Air cooled models also available Simplicity. Reliability. Economical operation. Three powerful reasons to investigate the Lister option for cruising yachts from 6m to 20m in steel, timber, ferro-cement and G.R.P. Engines up to 88 b.h.p. are fitted ·with both raised hand and electric start, as standard equipment. Choose: from ~· ·. these water-cooled , propulsion f, .. models from 20 to 250 b.h.p.

MARINE DIESELS

~HAWKER SIDDELEY MUSTER~

LM P1 16"' ~· 151• 115' I I

·-h

._;:i

,. ?I Ii------;;-' ·' ; -·

I ~f ] .!..___ + I -.., '\ '\" I "'!.0 -.... I ' ,-:.,-· ' ,.,. ~---

15"

HAWAII

Hawaii offers a smorgasbord of by Dick Hammond Hawaii having two volcanoes that scenery and adventure, and as a 'blue are still active. Elevations range from water' sailing area I could not think of seal level to nearly 14,000 feet, with one more fitting. It is thanks to the Boats from Australia, New Zealand, numerous peaks in excess of 2500 feet. perserverance of Dick Gooch that an U.S.A., Canada, Hong Kong, international series has been born. In Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, The 20 fathom depth contour is seldom Tahiti, Guam and the Netherlands Dick's own words "My cloud is more than a mile from shore and clearing - I can see all those boats". will compete - a truly international usually is not far from the coral reefs gathering. I think Dick's cloud has cleared, for that fringe much of the coast I ine of the he informed me just a few days ago Hawaii was a Polynesian Kingdom islands. Great depths of water surround that he expects over 80 starters in until 1893, then briefly a republic the islands, as the bottom rapidly the Pan Am Clipper Cup Yacht Series before being granted an annexation to pitches off from a narrow coasta l shelf, during August 1978. the United States in 1898 and given a and the few off-lying dangers are territorial form of Government in usually indicated by breakers or a change The series will consist of five races in colour of the water. Under normal starting on the 5th of August with an 1900. Hawaii officially became the 50th of the United States of America in conditions the water changes from a event to be sailed around the island 1959. deep blue in the open ocean to a blue­ of Oahu in a clockwise direction, a green between 10 and 15 fathoms. The distance of just over 100 miles. The To sail in Hawaiian waters is water is clear and clean, and bottom next three races, designed around an experience never to be forgotten, forms become visible at 6 to 7 fathoms. Olympic courses of 30 miles, will be and the introduction of this great sailed off Waikiki on the 8th, 9th qnd series will produce some The outstanding dimatic·features of the 10th of August. Finally, on the 12th unsurpassable yachting memories of islands are the dominant northeasterly of August, the Royal Hawaiin Cup, competition, comradeship, excitement trade winds, the remarkable variations in an around the State of Hawaii race of and fun. rainfall over adjacent areas and the 780 nautical miles, will decide the The major islands are mountainous and uniform temperature range, which varies winner of the series. of volcanic origin, the island of between 73°F and 80°F throughout the 24 Ql=FSHORE - June/July 1978 year. Thunderstorms are infrequent and an expert, I suppose having sai led in two to any boat tacking too near. There are practically never severe. Hai l seldom out of six races and loca lly out of no sage harbours. South Cape is a occurs. Occasionally loca l storms are Honolulu has qiven me some knowled oe lonely place. The great mass of Mauna accompanied by winds of sufficient force of the probl ems to be faced in August. hoa cuts oft radio contact, and the on ly to do damage, but severe storms, such as I competed in 1974 in 'Ch utzpah', sizeable landfall is Tahiti 2,000 miles hurricanes or tornados, are rare. So-ca lled twice winner of the Transpac, and due south". thick weather is almost unknown and again in 1976 in 'Ballyhoo'. We were Don Johnson, skipper of 'Altercat ion', is usua ll y confined to mist and rai n forced to withdrawn in 'Chutzpah' who sail ed in this sam e race, talked of rather than fog. at Ka hae (South Cape ) the erupting volca noes, winds of 60 knots The prevai Ii ng t rade winds are more southernmost point on the island and waves of enormous height moving persistent in summer than in winter and of Hawa ii some 520 miles along the race in unpred ictabl e directions in the stronger in the afternoon than at night. track. Although any retirement is a pitch black of night. disappointment, t his particular They may blow unceasingly tor long It sound ed frightening, to say incid ent all owed me the opportunity of periods, particularly in summer, but at the least, but it is not all that bad, sa iling close inshore along the leeward times they remain absent tor weeks. although be prepared. side of Hawaii to observe first hand the In some loca l areas deciations from extent of the 'lee', loca l breezes and The t hree 30 mi le inshore races will be this genera l pattern occur because of cu rrents. We stopped over at Kai lua sai led off Waikiki and with normal topography. Kona on this coastline, thence sailed w eather northeast trades ranging from In coasta l areas on the 'leewa rd' sid e the 80 mil es across the Alenuihah 15 to 30 knots shou ld prevai l. These of the islands, and where mountains to Ch annel. The journey was packed should be a true co ntest of hard sai ling the east rise high above sea leve l, as w ith tranquility, turmoil and pl easure in waters deep blue in colour, t hey do, t he trades are cut oft, resu lt in g untold. I had doubted the pre-race bar hopefully against a background of sun I it in genera lly preva iling southwesterly talk describing the enormous 60 mi le skyscrapers and purple ve lvet clouds w inds with land and see breezes in 'lee shad ow' of Hawafi, but it does atop the Koolau Ranges. evidence. These effects may be rather ex ist , and this trip most certai nly proved Clockwise around Oahu shou ld be an general in some areas and extremely loca l the sta ted extent of it not to be excellent warm up tor the Around the in others. These southerly winds are known extravagant. State Race and w ill typify the as 'Kona' weather, the name being Prior to competing in my first jaunt, condition to be found on a differi ng Po lynesian tor 'leeward'. I coll ected cha rts, read t he appropriate scale on the leewa rd and windward The climate of the Hawa iian islands ' Pi lot', studied data on surface winds sides of the other islands. Oahu is the is unusua lly pleasant for a tropical area. and cu rrents, talked to past third largest of the eight major islands Considering the latitude of around competitors and read an article by w ith an area of 600 square miles and 21° N, there is relatively little Ri chard Johnston written fol lowing two major mountain ra nges rising to just uncomfortab le heat. The discomfort t hat the inaugura l A round t he State Race over 4 ,000 feet. In comparison t he is occasionally experienced usually of 1972. He wrote "The south Kona 'Big Island' of Hawai i has an area of occurs when t he trades are temporarily and Kace Desert coasts of Hawa ii just over 4000 square mi les , just on displaced by light variable or southerly don't have ha za rds to navigation - t hey twice that of all the other islands in winds which are accompanied by are hazards. The broken tips of giant the Hawaiian State, whilst the comparatively higher humidities. The lava flows, poured down from Mauna hoa volcanic mountains rise to heights of warm months of August and September over t he centuries, form inhospitable about 14,000 feet. are usually good because of the barricades and promise destruction {more) ~ persistency of the trades. Tidal currents are generally weak and are influenced by the winds and oceanic movements. There is a prevai ling westward oceanic drift in the vicinity of the larger islands. Such currents are mainly reversing channels between the large islands, but they are rotary in more ope n waters, particularly around the western islets, and they shift direction continuously in a clockwise movement. The periodic tides around Hawa ii average only 1 to 2 feet. Unlike England and Admiral's Cup racing, w it h tidal ranges of up to 20 feet, with extremely I ight and variable winds, currents of up to 6 knots, with an abu ndan ce of fog and poor visibi I ity, navigating in Hawaiian waters is relatively easy . However, a rea l and interesting challenge exists, and like any ocean race, a whole new series of uncertainties untold. · Loca l knowledge is limited espec iall y in sectors of the A rou nd the State Race due to the re latively few such races that have been sai led t o date. Although not The Island of KAUAI OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 25 The Around the State Race of 25 to 30 knots can be expected as above sea level. the wind funnels through the Kauai This event, having taken on a truly There appears to be a couple of good and Alenuihaha channels (pronounced international flavour, will hopefully reasons to make a landfal I somewhere 'oily' as in 'jolly', 'nooey' as in 'hooey', be preceded by the 'Ship-A-Hie! along this coast, well north of Ka Lae and 'haha' as in rubber crutch) . In Hie! Hie! traditional pre start (South Cape), as a sea breeze usually Hawaiian "ale" means to swa ll ow or breakfast of steak and eggs, hash browns sets in around 0900 hours and continues engu lf, "nice" means larger or great and hot rol ls and free champagne! With until displaced by a land breeze that "haha" means to breathe hard or pant, a dixieland band providing some great usually springs up after sundown, music, it sets the mood for the race, quite so watch out. whilst the northerly current offshore unlike most other regattas where Approaching Hawai i the wind quite is displaced by a southerly counter­ competitors are sullen faced and don't suddenly lightens some 60 miles off the stream close inshore from Hanamola really seem to be able to enjoy coast as we come into the influence of Point some 20 miles northwestward themselves. the vast wind shadow created by the from Ka La e. This counter-current towering volcanoes rising to 14,000 feet extends some 35 miles up the western Out to the start off Waikiki beach at 1200 hours with the sun shining and a nice 15 knot noreaster. A 15 mile beat to windward to Makapuu Pt. on the eastern extremity of Oahu, the gathering phase, tacking inshore to avoid the westerly current and taking advantage of the easterly inshore counter-current, is followed by a 30 mile shy spinnaker reach along the windward shore to Kakuku Point, where poles are squared for an 80 mile run to Kauai, the 'Garden Island', fourth largest and most beautiful. It covers an area of 550 square miles, with mountain peaks rising to heights over 5,000 feet, nearly always cloud covered and difficult to see from any distance. The trade winds divide on the eastern side following the north and south coasts and uniting again some distance west of the island. It is a temptation to sail the shortest distance close in around the western shore only to find calm or I ight variable airs and see boats sail a wider longer course in stronger winds and disappear·over the horizon. The distance off is a real test of ski ll and alertness, and it should be - remembered that the ear ly morning ·- - trades are usual ly light until 0900 and • ...... ai,'..>- .• • again decrease in strength about 1600 hours. Occasionally Kana winds displace the normal trades and a land and sea breeze pattern can be expected close inshore. This is the first taste of the wind shadows effect. A southwesterly course for 60 miles takes us to the 'Forbidden Isle' of Niihau, where the trades blow directly across this comparatively small, low, last stronghold of the pure Hawaiians. Skirting Kawaihoa Point, the next leg of our course is a 300 mile tight reach to Hawaii. The records reveal that boats that keep to the north of the shrub line to South Cape, making a landfall well north of th is point, have proven to be correct. Win ds can tend to veer to the east on this leg and sagging off to the south can be disastrous. Fresh breezes

26 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 coast to Keauhou Point. Some boats Kunukahi, the northeastern extremity have the entire crew on their toes and have been known to make a landfall of Hawaii. This rugged shoreline is will test the best of nerves. some 50 miles north of Ka Lae in the without I ights, and to take advantage Clearing Cape Kemukah, sh eets ca n be vicinity of Kailua Kana but this does of the inshore counter-current (and eased for a close 100 mile reach with seem a little way out to me. A direct avoid the prevailing southwesternly the breeze veering to permit the popping course from Nihah to Ka Lae or to the offshore current) it is necessary to short of a 'chute'. It is advisable to ease south of the shrub line appears to be ta ck for its entire length. At night it is away from the windward side of Hawaii plagued by light variable winds and excitement plus and in day I ight an to take advantage of the fresher offshore adverse currents. exhilarating experience. trades and avoid the ever present lighter Approaching Ka Lae induces a new How close to go in? - 'Bamboo' winds along the shoreline. scene as 50 knot gusts of wind funnel Opperman, our local knowledge ex pert The wind usually strengthens as it funnels over the cliffs and around the corner, aboard 'Ballyhoo', in 1976 said "till through the Alenuihah Channel and a wild and an easterly counter-current you ca n see the whites of the cows ride may be in store. Passing Maru the stands up the seas and produces a eyes". He was right, for to venture too 'Valley Isl e', the cou rse bends sligh t ly few hours of constant sailchanging far off sh ore was disastrous. Lucki ly, allowing poles to be squared for Mohokai, in bumpy walls of water. At night this we rounded South Cape at 0500 hours the 'Friendly Isle' and, finally, a smoking is a navigator's nightmare, as there is in 'Ballyhoo' and with double-reefed run down the Kai ui Channel to the only one small light with a-9 mile range, main and charging along at 9 knots finish off Waikiki in an accelerating breeze. and visibility may be less th.an with spray that pleasantly coo led the All this followed by a trophy presentation desirable. hot sun and a vista of scenery, th is Around the Cape in steady northeast leg of the course became a memorable and banquet on August 19 will hopefully trades 20 to 30 knots for an experience. If this lee shore is sailed make the Pan Am Clipper Cup Yacht exhilaratin!'.1 beat 65 miles t o Cape during the hours of darkness it will Series an event to remember.

The Island of Molokai The Island of Lanai OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 27 WHITSUNDAY ISLAND

Enjoy these beautiful Sun Soaked Islands in one of our 'Sunbird 25's or our motor sailer. Skipper yourself in this 6 berth yacht with full headroom and all extras except food, birds and booze from the amazing price of $240 per head per week including airfares.

Also available at Gippsland Lakes

Contact:- Sea Safe (02} 92 4555 Careening Cove, Boatyard, Bradleys Ave, Milson's Point 2061

A/hours c a ll: Rob Allen (02) 969 2983 Peter T illey (0 2) 4 6 4 8 8 5

BOB HOLMES

THE YACHTSMAN'S BROKER PERSONALISED PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

BOB HOLMES BOATING SERVICES PTY. LTD.

Agents for MARINE HULL INSURANCE COMPASS Y ACHTS Phone Sydney 32-9991 {3 lines)

Now at the C.Y .C., Rush cutters Bay.

28 OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 older boats gain is not enough for be sure, and that is that obsolescence is them to get on even terms with some still built into the 1.0.R. with all the of the light displacement machines we disadvantages which that entai ls. One have out here in anything like their prominent C.Y.C.A. member would like favoured conditions, which on the to see the I. 0 . R. frozen for five years N.S.W. coast seem s to be most of the regardl ess of what design trends or time. loopholes develop from the 1.0.R. Wh en you think about it some of the in 1979, and maybe that is not su ch a Farr boats and the latest three Peterso n bad idea. 1-tonners out here have been footing It is a forlorn hope, though, beca use it with two tonners and larger, so to O.R.C. policy is quite the opposite, neutralise them on handicap you would and to quote the Chairman of the have to add som ething in the order of O.R .C.," ... the Counci l may wish to four feet to their ratings. No rule be free to modify the rule to take chan ge cou ld possibly contem plate such account of any design trends which drastic surgery. Nevertheless some closely may develop. In fact, if a handicap ca lcu lated level ratings will go out the rul e is to be able satisfactorily to rate window to the chagrin of the owners. older boats equitably with the new This time, however, some older boats designs, it is desirable to modify the will improve their position in the rule at reasonably frequent intervals in handicap quagmire and it may drop a order to take account of the latest few more into a leve l rating arena for des ign trends and compensate for design which they could not previously qualify. obsolescence." That sounds reasonable, but I would think that it places us on Al I of th is has been brought about by a treadmill by making obsolescence the arrival on the scene of the 'u ltra' self perpetuating. light displacement machine, in pargicular the 1-ton cen treboarders. The One thing that all of this seems to safety furore leading up to last year's guarantee is the demise of the level Sydney-Hobart and the savage retire­ rating classes in Australia. Already ment rate which the I ightweights because of rule changes and the fact suffered in the race itself served to that these days a competitive ton class reinforce the previously-held doubts of boat is not much good for anything some influential yachting administrators. else, level rating has become such a In January the O.R.C. further directed c'an of worms that no one outside wants the l.T.C. to look at modifications in to get into it at any price if it means the MR formula (amongst others) building a new boat. Anyone already in (by John Brooks) of the 1.0.R. which would halt or the class is driven mad trying to make reverse the light displacement design his boat rate, keep it rating and rema in trend and make safety and self competitive, all the while bedevilled by righting ca pability a major issue around staggering depreciation costs. Wei I, he In April the Offshore Ra cing Council the world. will not have to worry much longer. came out with a little number decept­ The extensive nature of the new Whether or not they have succeeded in iv'ely fi) ntitled 'Bulletin #22' which was proposals will probably put him out of ca lcu lating changes to the 1.0.R. which a report on the International Technical his agony once and for all unless some will, in fact, achieve any of these aims Committee's latest recommendations form of rule freeze for level rati ng remains to be seen. It will be to the O.R.C. concerning changes to classes is introduced. the 1.0.R. interesting to see what the des igners make of all this. Of one thing we can These recommendations form the basis for O.R.C. deliberations on the nature . of the 1.0. R. for 1979 and, if adopted, wil I come into force next January. Already they have caused something of a stir. Certainly the changes suggested would have the most far reaching effect on ratings since the introduction of the 1.0.R. itself. Understandably, rumours have already started circu lating about sensational rating changes for ce rtain boats. In fact, few boats w ill undergo any rea lly wild ch anges in rating except perhaps BOAT BOOKS (Formerly The Selling • N.vlgetlon • Fishing • for some Whating %-tonners which Specia list library in N.S.W.I Cruising TelH • Boat Bulldlng appear to suffer more than most. In SYDNEY: 35 Hume St., Crows Nest. 2065. Ph : 439 1133 & Design • Canoeing • Neutlcel a subtle way the chan ges are extensive MELBOURNE: 25-27 Alma History • Admiralty Cherts etc. because while some of the modern Road. SI. K1lda. 31 82 Over 700 Titles In stock. Ph· (03) 940446 I ight displacement/ta! I rig yachts receive BRISBANE : 109 Albert St.. Mell Orders & Herd-To-Get what appears to be. a modest penalty, 4000. Ph : 1071 229 6427 . . Titles e Specialty. the older designs will lower their ratings by an even larger amount. IVA J.6.8cm Locally, my own feeling is that what the OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 29 The story of Columbus having trouble with his crew The steering wheel came on the scene at about this because they thought the 'Santa Maria' would time. Until then ships were steered by tillers, often I tumble over the edge of the world is only a fable. controlled by a lever-like device called a whipstaff Columbus's own account shows that the sailors had The wheel and an improved compass made it possible a much more sensible and prosaic reason for their to hold a steady course for hour after hour, which complaints; when half the ship's food is eaten it's gave the navigator a chance to produce a more time to go back. reliable dead reckoning. Actually D.R. stands for Columbus used an astrolabe. He also used the cross­ deduced reckoning, but let it be. Everyone calls it staff which was soon to supersede the astrolabe. dead reckoning. These gave him latitude; longitude was by dead Dead reckoning was never completely trustworthy, reckoning all the way. Perhaps that was why he especially in those days when there was no sure thought he'd reached Asian waters. means of measuring a ship's speed or distance run. The Over the years the backstaff took the place of the log used in English ships was a wooden triangle cross-staff but the next significant breakthrough weighted with lead along one edge so that it floated came with the invention of the reflecting quadrant, upright and offered the greatest resistance to the in 1730. The sextant came on the scene in 1731 and water. Attached to a line on a reel, it was thrown rivaled the quadrant for about a hundred years overboard every so often. The line was knotted at before it took over completely. In essentials it was no 25-foot intervals if a 15-second timeglass were to be different from the present-day sextant. With the used ( 5 0-foot intervals in the case of a 30-second coming of the sextant and the quadrant the sandglass) and the number of knots that ran out in backstaff joined the astrolabe and the cross-staff in a 15-second (or 30-second) period was equivalent to the museums. So did the octant which, invented by the number of nautical miles the ship wo_uld travel Sir Isaac Newton, had enjoyed a short term of if she maintained that speed for an hour. It became popularity. customary to refer to a ship's speed in knots, but

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 3 The ketch 'Calypso', designed by Obviously her rig has been changed Hobart Norman Rydge's cruiser Luders, is another Choy Lee yacht from gaff to bermuda; the only other 'Koomooloo 11 ' hit the trail for New from Hong Kong. Her vital statistics are change, at first glance, is the addition Zealand instead. That was a rather stormy period and 'Koomooloo 11' 47 feet by 12 ft 2 ins and she draws of a doghouse. And this has been 6 ft 8 ins. A 3 cylinder Volvo gives added with thought and care. There is had bad weather all the way. But she never faltered; the auto pilot did all the her auxiliary power. also a Volvo 25 diesel down inside her somewhere. work while the crew just lounged She wears the South African flag, and around leading the life of Riley. It after Alan Ri chards took delivery of Phillip Pleydell does not know who sounds incredible but Adrian Gray her, he sailed the yacht from Hong Kong designed the yacht. He sailed her from assures me it was so. to Capetown. In January, 1976he England ten years ago or thereabouts Arriving after a six day crossing, entered 'Calypso' in the race from and has been cruising ever since, on a 'Koomooloo 11' pulled into Nelson and Capetown to Rio de Janeiro, finishing tour that included five years in Florida. 72nd over the Ii ne. There were 128 went visiting the sou nds of South Island. 'Osmunda' entered the Pacific by way starters. Then, cruising up the east coast of North of the Panama Canal and spent some Island, she entered Auck land before From Brazi l the yacht sailed for the time cruising French Polynesia before setting out for home. She reached West Indies where she stayed for nine heading for Tonga, Fiji and New Sydney on t he 23rd February after months or so; th is was partly because Zealand. She tied up at the marina on another six day passage in which the she was dismasted in the Caribbean the 17th May, 1978, having crossed sea was like glass. Eventually leaving the Virgin Island~. the Tasman with a crew consisting 'Calypso' passed through the Panama only of her owner and one hand, Mary Canal in January, 1977. Her trans­ Ellen Dacosta. They will probably go Pa cific stepping-stones were Mangareva, up to the Barrier Reef, but have not It is a matter of history that the cab le Tahiti, Suvarov, Fiji, New Zealand and planned anything beyond there. on one of the offshore buoy marks Lord How Island. snapped a couple of seasons back, and although the buoy was recovered the 'Calypso' and crew spent a pleasant anchor remained on the bottom eighty four months pottering about in French Another yacht to reach the marina on the 17th May was the 'Kite' of fathoms down. The following week Polynesia and another six months in another mark was laid in its place and New Zealand. Alan Richards claims his Melbourne. There is no plastic rightness about 'Kite'; nor is there any when 'Marabou' raised the buoy and long stay in New Zealand was because anchor after the race , the ground tackle he wanted a break from the sea for a Edwardian elegance. Yet she has solid good looks of her own. lost a week previously came up with while. The yacht arrived at the Rushcutter it. This was proof of remarkably Bay marina on the 5th May. Converted from a Tasmanian cray-fish accurate navigation in laying the marks All things considered , her cru ise has boat which dates back to before 1948 and the mark-laying party felt quite been blessed by the weather. There she is a comfortable yacht, and sea- ' pleased about it. kindly. Rigged as a cutter, 'Kite' is were various crew changes, of course, An even wierder thing happened very but Alan prefers to sail with about 38 ft by 11 ft by 5 ft and full in the bilge. She was three months on passage recently. The wing-mark was laid for five hands. The yacht is now somewhere the Rubber Kellaway trophy, and when up on the Barrier Reef on a leisurely from Melbourne because she pulled into a lot of ports on the way and stayed 'Marabou' went to retrieve the buoy passage to Darwin. From Darwin the after the race it just wasn't there. A idea is to cross the a long time in those that took the fancy of her crew. The crew consists of wide sweep failed tO locate it and touching in at an island here and' there everyone felt a bit glum about the Kevin Grose and his teen-aged son . to reach Durban early in 1979. Three ' whole affair. The buoy must have sunk years, Capetown to Capetown, is the They propose to -continue up to the Reef, spending a lot more time in any and would be in Davy Jones's locker projected time for this round-the- forever, it seemed. world voyage. place they I ike. From Kevin's remarks it seems that the In the short ocean ra ce of 15th Apri I 'Kite' sails well on a reach or downhill 'Marabou' put down the buoys again. Fram the plastic correctness of a alth?ugh, like many boats of her type, She laid Mark D (the wing-mark) and fibreglass yacht we turn to the grace she 1s slow to windward. But with a Marks B and C (way, way out on the and dignity of a past age. 'Osmunda' Pe_rkins 4108 diesel to push her along, wide blue yonder) and came in to set was built in 1906. An English yawl, this doesn't seem to matter very much. Mark A near North Head . But there was 40 ft by 8% ft by 5% ft, she must be Incidentally, the hull is built of already a mark there, exactly in one of the most beautiful little ships huon pine. position, and nobody knew where it to visit the marina. The chainplates came from. · are outside the hull, those for the main Of course it was the buoy that had gone rig~ing being extended by small Last Boxing Day when most yachts missing from positon D, miles away, channels. leaving Sydney were bound for a couple of weeks earlier. Heaven

OFFSHORE - June/July 1978 31 knows where it wandered to during own small environment, mostly that time, dragging its chain and anchor, untouched and unspoiled by the or what induced it to set itself up in sophistication of urban life. the exact position for Mark A. This book was first published in England Some funny things happen at sea. a year ago as 'Seatramps', a better title as Australia is only one place of ca ll somewhere in the middle of their Elsewhere in this issue, I understand, Sea Wanderers to Australia journey. It must have been decided John Hawley has reviewed Sheila Martin's that 'Sea Wanderers to Australia' would book about the world-girdling voyage she by Sheila Martin have more appeal to the Australian and her husband, Norman, made in 192 pages, MacMillan, $10.95* market. 'Shebassa' some years ago . As recorded in ·'Offshore' for February, 1973, I recommend that no male member Norman and Sheila Martin's children had allows his lady to read this book unless 'Shebassa' and her husband-and-wife grown up and launched into their own he wants to go cruising. crew were at the marina for some weeks. lives when Sheila and Norman were 59 The yacht is a 42 foot ketch-rigged and 48 respectively . They took delivery J.H. motor sailer with a clipper stem and of a 42 foot steel Trewes ketch to cruise the highlight of the passage as far as the world. It was not their first boat, Significant dates in navigation Sydney was an encounter with Hurricane but everything was opportune for them (continued from inside front cover) Bebe at F:iji. to take off. 1450's And mention of John Hawley reminds This story of their five year me that, when this goes to press, circumnavigation is written by Sheila Astrolabe and Quadrant qo to sea; 'Geronimo' should be well and truly on Martin, who will be remembered by many these were simplified astronomical shore her way. John is taking her over to member of the C.Y.C. from their visit instruments for observation of the Pole Hawaii, following a most unusual route. in 1973. Of the Club Sheila says, "The Star. Although he means to skirt Lord Howe C.Y.C. gave us tremendous help and 1484 and the Three Kings, the first port-of­ hospitality, with free berthing, although ca ll should be Rarotonga. From there they were full with yachts competing John 11 of Portugal convened a com­ Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Ch ristmas in the One Ton Worlds and, later, mission of mathematical experts to and Fanning Islands are the probable in the Sydney-Hobart Race starting on formulate a method of finding Latitude steps, and 'Geronimo' should arrive long Boxing Day. by Solar Observation. before the race starts on the 4th August. "The C.Y.C. must be the ultimate for 1492 John's reasoning is that, by making use any yachtie - a safe mooring, a shop In the year of Columbus' famous of the prevailing currents, he should gain fifty yards away and a lovely swish voyage, Martin Behaim constructed the an extra knot over the ground . Allowing clubhouse with every comfort earliest known Terrestrial Globe. for a pessimistic hundred miles sailing a imaginable". day, this is equivalent to an extra 1500-1600 It is a book which must be read by hundred miles or so every four days. Compasses were greatly jmproved, with all thinking of attempting long distance well-made pivots, gimba' suspension of cruising and those who prefer to do it bowl and glass covers. In 'Flutters', all from the comfort of their own 'kennings' were abandoned in favour of fireside, brimming with interesting cameos miles or leagues; use of pegged traverse an.d cautions of the pitfalls for the unwary. boards and slates spread; iarge print­ ings of rutters, tidal almanacs and Apart from Sydney, the Martins charts. Navigators came to realise that avoided the cities and encountered the the Magnetic Variation could only be most fascinating people living in their ascertained by observation and, as voyages covered more of the world, so their recording of Variation increased its coverage. 1502 The Portuguese add a central meridian to their charts with degrees of Latitude marked thereon. This was a magnetic meridian but sometimes a second, True Meridian was shown. 1509 Earliest known copy of 'Regimento de Astrolabio e do Ouadrante', a manual ·. of navigation and nautical almanac, containing an improved, directional Traverse Table. Also about this time Schools of Navigation were established in Lisbon and Seville, to train and licence navigators for trade to Indies. Amerigo Vespucci and Sebastian Cabot "We CAN'T be abeam of Cabbage Tree Island; this is the Montagu". served as principals of the Seville School. 32 . OFFSHORE - June/July 19.78 circa 1510 1599 1808 The Cross-staff went to sea , a rule was Edward Wright clarifies the theory of Capt. Thos. Hurd R.N . succeeds Dal­ evolved for dinding Latitude by the Mercator's Projection, providing a table rymple; f irst servuce hydrographer, this Southern Cross. Regional charts of of meridional parts and refinements. tradition being maintained ever since. newly discovered areas produced; Pedro Charts drawn from these date gradually circa 1820 Reinel's being particularly noteworthy. gain acceptance. 'World ' charts increase in accuracy. Metal sextants with accurate details of 1612 construction and standardised; good 1514 'Light of Navigation' published; it quality chronometers of convenient included altitude correction tables with size became common in all well found John Werner of Nuremberg proposes an explanation. vessels of ocean-going tonnage and their the finding of Longitude by Lunar 1671 prices were within the reach of the Distances but the mathematics in­ Masters of the day. volved in construct ing suitable tables John Seller published 'The English ma kes progress slow and it is 200 years Pilot'. 1837 before the method comes into use at 1675 sea (See 1767). Capt. Sumner of the U.S. Merchant King Charles 11 founded Greenwich Marine discovers by practical observa­ 1537 Observatory. tion the significance of position circles Jewish Cosmographer, Pedro Nunes of and formulates his method of their use. 1676 Portugal, devises the ancestor of the 1875 azimuth mirror and writes a treatise to The Meridian of London came into explain its use in finding Variation. wide use as the prime one. Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) carries out research and further 1541 1700-1800 improves the magnetic compass to its Gerardus Mercator constructs an Accurate Tidal Streams datea began present standard. Marc St. Hilaire sets accurate instrumental globe. to be available for North Western out the Intercept Method, stream- Europe Mercator charts became uni­ 1in ing Sumner's method and making it 1550 versal; the finding of Longitude by more suitable for everyday use. First records of measured leeway; observation of the eclipses of Jupiter's 1898 charts used in Northern Europe. From satellites but never became very about this time Ptolemy's incorrect popular at sea; the same was true of the First permanent radio station in a ship continental proportions began to be methoc;J of the occultation of fixed established in East Goodwin Light finally rejected . stars by the moon. Board of Longitude Vessel. 1551 est. 1714. 1900-12 Martin Cortes' Manual of Navigation. The Gyro Compass invented and made practicable for merchant and war ships. 1569 1735 1907 Mercator produced his famous 24 sheet John Harrison preludes the perfecting map of the world on his new projection. The last Natucial Almanac to give Lunar of the marine timepiece by inventing Distances. 1574 the gridiron pendulum. 1914-18 William Bourne published his book circa 1750 "A Regiment for the Sea " - a notable Rad io Direction Finding developed; Doctor Gowin Knoght F.R.S. im­ Micrometer Sextants. navigation treatise. proved the magnetic compss by de­ circa 1580 signing a scientifically correct card and 1920's needles and by constructing binnacles The Backstaff, Davis or "English" Echo (Sonic) Depth sounding machines carefully without magnetic materials. Quadrant invented, making Solar obser­ developed. Hadley's Quadrant became universally vations easier. The "chip" log appeared . used. 1939-1940 1580-1600 1761 Sir Robert Watson Watt and others invent and improve Radio Direction and Specialist Astra-Navigators appeared; Harrison's third chronometer tested on Ranging (Radar). port pilots began to be used by larger a round trip to Jama ica from Ports­ vessels strange to the port. mouth during which it was only 01 m. 1940-45 1581 53s. in error over a five month period . Hyperbolic Navigation and other radio/ 1767 electronic aids developed and improved; Michiel Coignet's Manual of Navigation. pre-computed Altitude and Azimuth 1583 The First Nautical Almanac published, Tables become common; bubble sextants including a table of LUnar Distances. are mass produced and are common 'The Mariner's Mirrour' is published - equipment in aircraft. named 'Waggoner' by the Engl ish , after 1794 its originator Lucas Janszoon Wag­ The Greenwich Meridian became univer­ 1950's henaer; it contained charts, altreatise sally Prime (Vide Capt. James Cook's True Motion Radar display produced. of navigation, sailing directions and charts of New Zealand , etc.). 1960's astronomical data. 1795 1590 Inertial Navigation comes ·into use. Very The British Hydrographic Dept. of the few Vernier Marine Sextants left at sea. "'The Great Rutter' or 'Safegarde of Admiralty founded with first hydro-­ Financial cost now the only barrier to Saylers", translated from the Flemish grapher a civilian - Alexander Dal­ completely automated nav igation in all appears in England . rymple. but the closest waters. if you've heard a rumour we're expanding

you've heard right!

whether you import or export, manufacture or distribute ... the expanding, service-minded Mitchell Gotts Organisation will take a load off your mind. Because we know you want nation-wide service plus top international contacts. ,..,_ Which is exactly what we have Mitch eII CoH~ built. And are continuing to build ... to ensure you get service with MC Freight a style uniquely "MC". Mitchell Gotts Freight (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. ~~Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane •Adelaide Agents world-wide. A member of the world-wide Mitchell Gotts Group.