# Random trivia...can we make this work



## merlin2375

I was reading my spinnaker book yesterday evening, and came across an interesting fact. Anyone care to hazard a guess:

What is the origin of the name "nylon"?
*Answer the question and post a new question *


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## eryka

Great idea! No Wikipedia, right?

Got me - I thought nylon was a made-up word by an ad agency, like Xerox, made to sound good.


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## TrueBlue

Didn't know so used Snopes, (didn't set any ground rules merlin) - the name "nylon" (polyhexamethyleneadipamide . . . that's a mouthful), came about from "the conflatation of New York (NY) and London (Lon)".

Next trivia question.

_What are (were) "thole pins"?_


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## TrueBlue

Alright - sorry, I missed the key phrase "hazard a guess", which eliminates the use of any research sources. Besides, there's no challenge if using Google or Wiki, so will concede and pass.


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## merlin2375

Well let's set this rule 

First 5 minutes NO researching online of any kind (by the time of the post)
after that it's a free for all, it's all good if we're learning something 

Just fill out forms 2938-a, 329j-b, and 2938-c then mail them in triplicate to your local representative if you think that's too complicated  

Fair enough?


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## mstern

Thole pins are pairs of short dowels that stick up straight from the gunwhales of a boat; they are used to hold oars in place while rowing.

Next question: why do they call it a "Crow's Nest"? (credit to this month's issue of Lats and Atts).


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## TSOJOURNER

Nylon - Sounds like a person from New Zealand saying "no" to Lon Chaney, Jr.

Crow's Nest? Hmm, should have read the whole issue. Don't tell Bob... 

I have a production company called Crow's Nest Productions. My guess is that crows (or other birds) used to make nests at the point where the top mast joins the main mast. Good vantage point. When sailors made their little buckets or platforms up there to gain a better view, they must have referred to them as "crow's nests".


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## TrueBlue

Mf,
I'm telling Bob B. you film his shows but don't even read his cruising rag. Shame on you.

Actually, as close as your guess was, I can expand upon it. The navigators aboard early sailing ships would actually bring crows along on sea journeys. Whenever the navigator lost his bearings and/or sight of land, he would release one of his crows from it's cage situated up high on the mast - usually by the platform he used to navigate from.

Being land dwellers, crows always flew towards land - enabling the dim-witted navigator to take a bearing to steer the ship by.


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## merlin2375

Now that's interesting! /\/\

What's the origin of the term starboard? (might be an easy one)


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## flyingwelshman

merlin2375 said:


> Now that's interesting! /\/\
> 
> What's the origin of the term starboard? (might be an easy one)


 My understanding is it's a corruption of 'steering board', 'cause that's the side of the boat that the rudder was attached.

Close?


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## merlin2375

flyingwelshman said:


> My understanding is it's a corruption of 'steering board', 'cause that's the side of the boat that the rudder was attached.
> 
> Close?


Yes very close:


> The origin of the term comes from old boating practices. Before ships had rudders on their centerline, they were steered by use of a specialized oar. This oar was held by a cocksman located towards the stern (back) of the ship. However, like most of the rest of society, there were many more right-handed sailors than left-handed sailors. This meant that the right-handed sailors holding the steering oar (which had been broadened to provide better control) used to stand on the right side of the ship. The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally meaning the side on which the ship is steered. The old English term steorbord descends from the Old Norse words stýri meaning "rudder" and borð meaning "side of a ship". The modern term "steering wheel" comes from the same language root as "starboard" or "steer board".
> 
> Similarly, the term for the left side of the boat, port, is derived from the practice of sailors mooring on the left side (i.e., the larboard or loading side) as to prevent the steering boards from being crushed. Because the words larboard and starboard sounded too similar to be easily distinguished, larboard was changed to port


You gotta post up a question


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## TSOJOURNER

*Don't know the validity of this, but....*

I had read somewhere that there were two research groups trying to come up with a cheaper easier to obtain fiber to replace silk. One group was in New York and the other was in London. Therefore the name NYLON. Anyway, not sure how true that is.

But, here is another questions. Why is Starboard called Starboard and Port called Port?


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## TSOJOURNER

*Yup, the "corruption" is from the old Dutch "Stuerbord"*

Guess you know your marine trivia. The outside rudders on the old Dutch vessels were on the right side of the vessel. The rudder was known as a "stuerbord"


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## flyingwelshman

*What is the origin of the term 'Grog'?*

The term used to describe rum.
Where does it come from?


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## Plumper

I believe it was the nickname of an English Admiral. I'm not sure why.


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## Plumper

Assuming I am correct, my trivia question is:

Where does the name of the sextant come from?


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## Robby Barlow

Eh, just make it simple and tell me where I should send my donation for Wikipedia.


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## artbyjody

flyingwelshman said:


> The term used to describe rum.
> Where does it come from?


Grog is essentially a diluted rum mixture, with two parts water and one part Pusser's Rum. The word "grog" was derived from the nickname for Admiral Vernon who was nicknamed "Old Grogram" (grog, rum - get it?!) based on the waterproof grogram cloak he wore on ships. He first ordered this rum dilution process that yielded grog to be carried out in 1740. This command was called "Vernon's Orders" and it also encouraged the addition of sugar and limes to the grog mixture - which is the present day Pusser's Rum recipe for grog.


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## flyingwelshman

*You are correct.*



Plumper said:


> Assuming I am correct, my trivia question is:
> 
> Where does the name of the sextant come from?


Sorry, I hate when work interferes with socializing on-line.

'Old Grog' was the nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon (from a rough cloak that he wore). The admiral didn't make himself very popular when he recommended watering down the rum rations of the sailors. The watered down rum was named 'grog' in his 'honour'.

Edit: I see Jody gave a complete definition above - slow fingers!


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## sailingdog

The sextant is called a sextant since it is basically a sixth of a circle... 60 degrees in design... measuring twice that. Its predecessor was the Octant, which was an eighth of a circle in design.


Question: What relation to mariners does the expression "let the cat out of the bag" have??


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## Plumper

It is the expression for the Gunners mate to get the cat-o-nine-tails out and prepare to mete out punishment.

Good work on the sextant!

Question: If a sextant is a sixth of a circle, why is it 120 degrees on the arc?


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## sailingdog

Because the mechanics of the mirror setup mean that the angle the sextant moves is only half that of the measurement. For a one degree change in measurement, the sextant actually only moves 1/2 a degree. This is probably due to the fact that it uses TWO mirrors, resulting in the halving of the movement.


Plumper said:


> It is the expression for the Gunners mate to get the cat-o-nine-tails out and prepare to mete out punishment.
> 
> Good work on the sextant!
> 
> Question: If a sextant is a sixth of a circle, why is it 120 degrees on the arc?


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## Plumper

Correct! It also allows you to take sights "over the back" - beyond 90 degrees.

Your question?


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## sailingdog

Hmm...

Here's a simple one... *"Why were British sailors called 'Limeys'?"*


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## Stu01

Is because they took limes along to prevent scurvy? If right please post another question cause I'm at work and might not be back soon.
Stu


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## sailingdog

Correct. 

Where does the phrase:* "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" *come from, and how does it relate to mariners??


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald

A brass monkey held the cannon balls - when it was cold, it contracted and the balls fell off.
*
What is a Rogue Knot?*


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## sailingdog

Correct, but it had to be fairly cold for that to happen though.


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald

* What is a Rogue Knot?
*No takers? Hint: it's also known as a thief's knot.


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## Plumper

I was letting folks have the opportunity to get that one.

Rogue/thieves knot. It looks just like a reef knot, but it can't be tied it has to be threaded through. It is used to secure a bag or whatever, so you can see if someone has been into it. The thief thinks it is a reef knot and when he reties it he ties a reef knot indicating to the owner that someone was in his bag.


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## sailingdog

Plumper-

You're up for a question now... them's the rules.


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald

Plumper, you got it! And all the lore behind it! Good job!

It's also known to lubbers as a Granny.


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## Plumper

Actually, it is not (knot) a granny. You can't tie a thieves knot you have to thread it like threading a needle. 

My question:

What is a pig stick?


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## sailingdog

A pig stick is a stick that raised on a halyard so that it can stick up past the top of the mast. Often a burgee or other flag is attached to it.


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## billyruffn

A flag stick -- 

Why is the left side of a boat called the port side? 

Upps, Dog beat me.


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## sailingdog

Billy-

A flag staff is not always a pig stick...  It has to be raised aloft on a halyard to extend past the mast top to be a pig stick. 

Why is scrubbing the decks called holystoning???


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## Plumper

Good one Dawg. I can tell there is some navy background there.


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## TSOJOURNER

the story i got on thief knot was....a cabin boy was stealing cheese from the food locker and couldnt tie a square knot ...thus thief knot....square knot =left over right right over left


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## sailingdog

Not me...wasn't in the navy... do read a lot though...and have some good friends who were squids.


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## Plumper

In days gone by the wooden decks of ships were scrubbed with a rough stone called a holystone. This was to take the splinters off and keep them clean because most sailors ran around barefoot. typically the ordinary seamen would line up across the deck and all move forward (or aft) together in a big line stretched across the deck of the ship.


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## sailingdog

Yes, but why were the stones called holystones??? This is really picky minutiae.


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## Plumper

You've got me on that one.......


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## nolatom

billyruffn said:


> A flag stick --
> 
> Why is the left side of a boat called the port side?
> 
> Upps, Dog beat me.


Well, up until a about a hundred and fifty or so years ago, wasn't it called "Larboard"?

Which I suppose was some Norse term for the side that didn't have the midships rudder, and which you could therefore put against the dock, or whatever "Lar" meant.

And which term, when shouted to a helmsman in a screeching wind, was too easy to mistake for "Starboard", and therefore caused enough problems that it was changed to "Port", which we may assume means dock, or Lee, or "Lar", or who knows what (the rules are 5 minutes to reply and you can't look it up, right?).

Now go back around a hundred years, and you'll find that helmsmen at the wheel were being given "indirect" helm orders, meaning "Starboard 20" meant "put the tiller (meaning steering quadrant) over 20 degrees to the right, which means put your rudder 20 left. Confusing enough? Only the Brits could dream up such a system. I have an old book about collisions at sea which describes ship A going "hard port" in order to bring her bow around to starboard. Finally they came around to "direct" orders, since no more commercial vessels had tiller steering.

But this completely screwy system lasted at least til 1912, the order from Titanic's chief mate to the helmsman was "hard starboard" which he correctly answered by putting the wheel hard port. In hindsight, the order should've been "midships" or "steady", and they'd all have survived a head-on collision with the iceberg just like the Stockholm survived the collision that sank Andrea Doria.

One last triviata: For reasons I don't know (help from you merchant sailors?) all the world's ships use starboard and port for helm orders (when the language is English), except here in the States where it's "right" and "left". Ask, or watch, any bar pilot in the states, or any US captain or mate.


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## sailingdog

IIRC, on English naval ships, the stones were pieces from a ruined church. The larger ones were called "bibles" and the smaller ones were called "prayer books...and the act of using them was called "praying" of course.  

Don't know whether this is true, but it was what I was told by my ex-squid friend... btw, he was in the British Navy.


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## Plumper

I remember that now. Good one! Next question?


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## sailingdog

Plumper-

have at it...


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## Plumper

Anyone know what a jigger (in the nautical sense) is?


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## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> IIRC, on English naval ships, the stones were pieces from a ruined church. The larger ones were called "bibles" and the smaller ones were called "prayer books...and the act of using them was called "praying" of course.
> 
> Don't know whether this is true, but it was what I was told by my ex-squid friend... btw, he was in the British Navy.


Close, SD. They were called "holystones" because to push them across the deck you had to get down on your knees - like you were praying. The rest is correct. 

I think a jigger is a pole stuck out the back of the boat?..


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## Plumper

Nope. 

Hint: Before winches existed.


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## nolatom

Plumper said:


> Anyone know what a jigger (in the nautical sense) is?


The mizzen on a yawl or ketch. When the breeze dusted up, you didn't have to reef, just drop the main and sail on "jib and jigger".


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## sailaway21

Just a note on larboard and port. The steering board was to starboard and so the vessel always docked with that side off the dock to avoid damage, hence the opposite of starboard became known as port side.


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## sailaway21

A jigger is also another term for a handy-billy or a light 2 to 1 tackle.


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## sailingdog

Hartley-

One of many references to holystoning and churches as the source of the name.


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## Plumper

You got it sailaway. Your question....


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## merlin2375

I'll hop in with a question  This is more of a memory question:

If a monohull boat is 30 feet long at waterline, what is it's hull speed;
What is the formula for hull speed?

Don't forget to post up a new question with you answer


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## sailingdog

1.34 * Sqrt (LWL) or 1.34 * 5.48 = 7.34 knots


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## nolatom

How do we get a number as exact as 1.34?? There are lots of different hull shapes, they have to offer different resistances below the water regardless of exact LWL.

I was told growing up that it was square root of LWL times about 1.3 for a slow boat, and 1.5 for a fast one. This made more sense to me in the real world.


Oops, new question: why are sidestays called shrouds instead of just sidestays, or "starboard upper or lower" etc. This question (meaning knowing the term "shrouds" as being your lateral, as opposed to fore/aft stays) is actually on the ASA Basic keelboat test and I'm not sure it should be.

Second question (a repeat from my last post): Why do US merchant ships use right and left as helm commands, not port/starboard?


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## sailingdog

I believe that 1.34 is a rough average for all displacement hull shapes... it certainly doesn't apply to multihulls of any sort, since I regularly sail at 10-12 knots...with a LWL of 26.5' or so. 

I'm still going to wait for Sway to post a question.


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## TrueBlue

I've always used this calculator for basic sailboat parameters - which most here are familiar with. The calculator predetermines hull speed by particular characteristics per specific boat model and is based upon articles written by Dave Gerr.

An excerpt from the table . . .


> He has determined that the classic formula for Hull Speed ( 1.34 Sqrt(LWL) ) does not always apply, the 1.34 is not a constant, leading to, in some cases, much higher speeds. However, Gerr observes:
> 
> "_For instance, a boat with a DL or 80 might have a SL multiplier of 2.11, but it couldn't achieve that speed under sail unless it had not just sufficient sail area, but the stability to stand up to such a sail area in the wind strengths needed to deliver the required power. Not an easy task!_"​


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## T34C

TrueBlue said:


> I've always used this calculator for basic sailboat parameters - which most here are familiar with. The calculator predetermines hull speed by particular characteristics per specific boat model and is based upon articles written by Dave Gerr.
> 
> An excerpt from the table . . .


And yet my boat, and my last boat, have regularly sailed faster than that calculator says they should.


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## Plumper

I think that the formula just gives the point where, for most monohull boats, the power to drive it faster starts to go up exponentially. Of course boats go faster but they have to get over that bow wave.

Anyhow, next question??????


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## sailingdog

What does the saying "He's Three Sheets to the wind" mean and what does it have to do with sailing?


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## T34C

If you have a CQR anchor, what does the "CQR" stand for?


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## TrueBlue

CQR = secure . . . but it's not your turn T. (g)


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## sailingdog

T34C said:


> If you have a CQR anchor, what does the "CQR" stand for?


You have to answer before you can post... them's the rules.

BTW, CQR originally was shorthand IIRC for Secure.


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## T34C

No, it was still sways- turn from 11 hours ago.


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## JohnRPollard

sailingdog said:


> What does the saying "He's Three Sheets to the wind" mean and what does it have to do with sailing?


SD,

Trick question.

While a lot of folks have heard "Like a sailor, three sheets to the wind", the true expression is "Like a windmill, three sheets to the wind."

"Three sheets to the wind" refers to windmills with only 3 out of 4 sheets spread over the blades. With one foil out of commission, the windmill then works poorly at best, with a lopsided, irregular motion of the blades, and sometimes not at all.


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## TrueBlue

Didn't know that - did you have to look it up John?


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## JohnRPollard

TrueBlue said:


> Didn't know that - did you have to look it up John?


No. Just learned that along the way somewhere...maybe at the the old gristmill windmill in Eastham or on Nantucket as a kid.


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## T34C

On a square-rigged sailing ship, a SHEET is a line attached to the lower corners of a squaresail, used for trimming it to the wind. When sheets are allowed to run free, the sails lose their wind and flap and flutter. The ship's forward motion stops and as she loses steerageway, she becomes impossible to control, thus "THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND"!!


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## sailaway21

How many degrees are in a point of the compass?


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## flyingwelshman

*32?*



sailaway21 said:


> How many degrees are in a point of the compass?


32 points (one for each of the points of wind.)

Edit: 11.25 degrees - note to self: read the friggin' question!


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## flyingwelshman

flyingwelshman said:


> 32 points (one for each of the points of wind.)
> 
> Edit: 11.25 degrees - note to self: read the friggin' question!


If I was correct, my question is: In sailing terms, what is a 'gasket'?

If I was wrong, sorry for the interruption.

(I have to be away from the computer for a while)


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## sailaway21

You're correct with 11-1/4 degrees. I'll pause and let someone else have a shot at gasket.


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## Plumper

A small piece of line used to tie furled sails to the yards (or booms).

My question:
What is Burgoo?


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## sailaway21

Oatmeal porridge, otherwise known as loblolly.

What are navigator's balls?


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## Plumper

The soft iron correctors on either side of the binnacle, normally painted red and green.

What are flinders bars?


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## artbyjody

Plumper said:


> A small piece of line used to tie furled sails to the yards (or booms).
> 
> My question:
> What is Burgoo?


Burgoo is a soup or stew made incredibly thick, usually referred to as hash and has a Norwegian history around it?

Why is Port lights red?


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## sailaway21

Iron bar for correcting for induced ship's vertical magnetism component in the magnetic compass.


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## T34C

Dog- Jody's asking questions out of turn.


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## artbyjody

T34C said:


> Dog- Jody's asking questions out of turn.


Bite ME!


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## Boasun

sailaway21 said:


> Iron bar for correcting for induced ship's vertical magnetism component in the magnetic compass.


That is the Flinders Bar.

Where are the pigeon holes on an older vessel?


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## T34C

artbyjody said:


> Bite ME!


Hey you know how dog- like those rules.


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## sailaway21

Where is the only place in the world that you may pass from the Pacific Ocean into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and yet end up further west than while in the Pacific? And please explain why your answer is correct.


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## JohnRPollard

sailaway21 said:


> Where is the only place in the world that you may pass from the Pacific Ocean into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and yet end up further west than while in the Pacific? And please explain why your answer is correct.


Transiting the Panama Canal, from Pacific to Atlantic. It runs from SE to NW.


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## Plumper

It is the Panama canal because the canal runs SE to NW when transiting from the pacific to the Atlantic.

What is Buys Ballots Law?


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## sailaway21

Your turn, Lego-Man!


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## JohnRPollard

sailaway21 said:


> Your turn, Lego-Man!


Plumper, hold that one for a few moments as I toss out an easy one.

What are Plimsoll marks and what is the origin of the term?


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## Plumper

They are the load lines on a ship marking how deep the ship should sit in the water in various oceans. They were standardized by a guy name Plimsoll.

Now: What is Buys-Ballots Law?


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## Plumper

This is great fun and a good refresher/teaching tool. It should be a shipboard game.


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## flyingwelshman

Plumper said:


> They are the load lines on a ship marking how deep the ship should sit in the water in various oceans. They were standardized by a guy name Plimsoll.
> 
> Now: What is Buys-Ballots Law?


Isn't that the law that says if you face into the wind the centre of low pressure will be behind you and to the right. (The hip pocket rule)?


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## Boasun

No one has given the answer to my question of where the pigeon holes are on a ship... What is the matter with the question? It is a legitimate sea-going question... And any of you that have worked in the fore part of a ship should know it.


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## JohnRPollard

Boasun said:


> No one has given the answer to my question of where the pigeon holes are on a ship... What is the matter with the question? It is a legitimate sea-going question... And any of you that have worked in the fore part of a ship should know it.


Boasun,

I think it got skipped because Sailaway had already answered the question which you answered, so we had moved on to other questions. Rules are you have to be the first to answer a question, then you get to post a new one.

But hang on to that one, I'm intrigued and will watch for an answer.


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## Plumper

flyingwelshman said:


> Isn't that the law that says if you face into the wind the centre of low pressure will be behind you and to the right. (The hip pocket rule)?


I'll give it to you. The rule is: Stand with the wind at your back and the low is on your left in the northern hemisphere.

Your question.....


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## Plumper

I think the pigeon holes are where the bunting tossers (signalmen) keep their signal flags. (A-Z etc) Not sure though. Good question.


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## Plumper

Well, I'll go;

Anyone know what a Fife Rail is?


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## Boasun

Sorry Plumper that is not it. Those are flag bags.
The original Fife Rails were around the masts of square riggers where they belayed some of the haulyards.

Pigeon Holes anybody? And what goes into those pigeon holes?


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## SimonV

Pigeon holes are the holes on the anchor winch that the turning poles go into in the old wooden ships.

Q. Before the use of the term SOS ...---... what was used?


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## flyingwelshman

*'cqd'*



SimonV said:


> Pigeon holes are the holes on the anchor winch that the turning poles go into in the old wooden ships.
> 
> Q. Before the use of the term SOS ...---... what was used?


Somebody else have a go: I'm at work and have to keep leaving my computer.


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## buckeyesailor

Q. Before the use of the term SOS ...---... what was used?
__________________

HELP?


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## SimonV

CQD was the answer. you have a go Buck.


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## buckeyesailor

Oh...who?.....me?.......okay......

Fog comes in several forms.......Steam/Ground/Upslope/Frontal..... name one more.....hint: ss


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## Plumper

Sea Smoke

What are studding sails and when are they used?


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## buckeyesailor

Presumptive of ourselves aren't we Plumper?.......
but of course, you're right.....


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## JohnRPollard

Plumper said:


> Sea Smoke
> 
> What are studding sails and when are they used?


From reading the Aubrey-Maturin series, I gathered that they were extra sets of light air, down wind sails used on square riggers, set outboard, port and starboard, of the primary square sails on each mast. Used in chase or when being chased for an extra measure of speed.


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## Plumper

Way to go John, your go....


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## JohnRPollard

What is a gypsy stud?


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## bobwebster

JohnRPollard said:


> What is a gypsy stud?


Don José, from Carmen?


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## Plumper

I'm drawing a blank. Can you give us a hint? Some thing to do with the chain gypsy on the windlass perhaps?


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## JohnRPollard

Nope.

It's canvas related, but it's not a term exclusive to sailing, and it's probably too obscure -- not the best choice for this trivia game. I won't bore folks with the explanation -- if anyone really wants to know, search the Sailnet archives for "gypsy stud".

I'll try a new one: 

What's a pelorus?


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## nolatom

JohnRPollard said:


> Nope.
> 
> It's canvas related, but it's not a term exclusive to sailing, and it's probably too obscure. If anyone really wants to know, search the Sailnet archives for an answer.
> 
> I'll try a new one:
> 
> What's a pelorus?


No idea about a gypsy stud, without looking it up, which I understand isn't kosher.

A pelorus is an instrument used to measure lateral angles or bearings, sometimes it fits over the compass, also known as an allodade.

A question: from where does the Bosun's chair get its name?


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## SimonV

it was named arter the bosun.


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## sailaway21

I'm going to clarify a bit on the pelorus answer. A pelorus is actually a dummy compass suitable only for taking relative bearings and is used where, for various reasons, bearings cannot be taken from a compass or a compass repeater. The vaned ring that fits over a pelorus or a gyrocompass repeater is called an azimuth ring or a bearing circle, interchangably. An alidade serves the same purpose but comes equipped with a telescope instead of the vanes or "iron sights". The telescope on the alidade is frequently fitted with a prism on the objective end, along with sun shades, that allow azimuths to be taken as well as bearings.


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## JohnRPollard

Sailaway, 

Thanks for the great explanation for pelorus -- much more comprehensive than I could have provided!! My father used them when travelling in the arctic regions due to the extreme offset of magnetic north from true north.

Still, I think Nolatom was close enough. But if you guys want to arm wrestle, have at it. Otherwise, I believe Nolatom's pending question is:

"A question: from where does the Bosun's chair get its name?"


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## sailaway21

JRP,
Absolutely, I'm sorry I held things up. I've no idea on the bosun's chair question, not even a guess.


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## Plumper

The thread is dying. We need an answer to the bosun's chair question and the gypsy stud question and another question.


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## Plumper

The thread is dying. We need an answer to the bosun's chair question and the gypsy stud question and another question.


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## JohnRPollard

I withdrew the gypsy stud question and substituted the now-answered pelorus question. If anyone REALLY wants to know what a gypsy stud is, read here: LINK

I'd say if it stalls, the "owner" of the question should go ahead and post a new one. Don't post if you can't check in now and again to keep things moving....


----------



## merlin2375

Is this right?

Bosun's Chair: 


> From bosun's chair: Information and Much More from Answers.com
> A boatswain is a warrant officer in the U.S. and British navies, or a subordinate officer in the merchant marine, who is responsible for most things that happen on deck. The word boatswain is pronounced bosun and has also come to be spelled so.A bosun's chair is used to haul a sailor up the mast on a halyard to do repair work or inspect the rigging.
> 
> And from wikipedia:
> The word boatswain has been in the English language since approximately 1450.[10] It is derived from late Old English batswegen, from bat ("boat") + Old Norse sveinn ("swain"), meaning a young man, a follower, retainer or servant.[10] The phonetic spelling bosun has been observed since 1868.[10] Interestingly, this spelling was was used in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" written in 1611, and as "Bos'n" in later editions.


Here's an easy one 
What's a chicken gybe?


----------



## Plumper

A tack to bring the wind on the other quarter (instead of a gybe).


----------



## Plumper

What does "doubling the angle on the bow" tell you?


----------



## Plumper

Have I gone beyond trivia?


----------



## nolatom

Plumper said:


> What does "doubling the angle on the bow" tell you?


That the angle you've traveled since the first bearing equals the distance you are offshore of the object you took the bearing on? (this for those of you without GPS, or with dead batteries)

Okay, a question: where does the term, "halyard" come from?


----------



## Lion35

Hauling Yards?


----------



## nolatom

Lion35 said:


> Hauling Yards?


That's what I think, without looking it up (which is the rule, right? we're like Wikipedia that way, unencumbered by actual history)

And a "chicken jibe" is when you tack through about 320 degrees rather than risk bringing the boom over in a crash "real" jibe in order to get from broad reach to broad reach in heavy air. I explain it to sailing students as being like going around the block to avoid a sniper who lives between you and your neighbor...;-)

Okay, so new question (though I asked it earlier, don't recall a response, though I could be wrong on this):

Why are your sidestays called "Shrouds"??


----------



## Plumper

I think you didn't get an answer last time because no one knew, not because we missed the question.


----------



## Classic30

To straighten things out a bit in case of any doubt: A halyard was originally used to haul up a yard (the pole thingy that the sails hung from) - not the sails themselves.  

Shrouds!?! Stuff knows... Maybe you need to ask another question??


----------



## nolatom

Hartley18 said:


> To straighten things out a bit in case of any doubt: A halyard was originally used to haul up a yard (the pole thingy that the sails hung from) - not the sails themselves.
> 
> Shrouds!?! Stuff knows... Maybe you need to ask another question??[/quot
> 
> Well, okay, I assumed the shape of the uppers and lowers looked like a funeral shroud, but who knows? I was acutually looking for an answer on that one.
> 
> Anyways, playing by the rules (big responsibility, if you think you know the answer, you have to keep the string going), new question:
> 
> Why is the bow called the "stem"? I don't know, so it's a genuine question.
> 
> An easier one: Why are the bow (and stern) lifeline support railings called the "pulpit"?
> 
> And a less easy one (meaning I don't know): Why is the trailing edge of a main or jib called the "clew"?
> 
> That's it, I'm tapped out...


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> Anyways, playing by the rules (big responsibility, if you think you know the answer, you have to keep the string going), new question:
> 
> Why is the bow called the "stem"? I don't know, so it's a genuine question.
> 
> An easier one: Why are the bow (and stern) lifeline support railings called the "pulpit"?
> 
> And a less easy one (meaning I don't know): Why is the trailing edge of a main or jib called the "clew"?
> 
> That's it, I'm tapped out...


I'll do the easy one!! 

The "lifeline support railings" at the *bow* is called a pulpit because it is shaped like the pulpit in a church (the place where the preacher gets up to speak from).

The "lifeline support railings" at the *stern* is called a pushpit - probably because it's pushing not pulling!?! wild guess, I know..


----------



## sailingdog

Nolatom-

The trailing edge of a sail isn't the clew...it's the leech... The trailing corner, at the intersection of the foot and leech is the clew.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> The trailing edge of a sail isn't the clew...it's the leech... The trailing corner, at the intersection of the foot and leech is the clew.


This could go on forever (or go absolutely nowhere) if none of us knows the meaning behind basic boat parts... 

You asked for it, SD: Why is the trailing edge of a sail called a "leech"??


----------



## sailaway21

I believe that the stem, which in most ships is an upright metal bar that is attached so as to be a continuation of the keel, comes from the old German word for wood or steel bar or staff.

Leech traditionally can apply to either of the outer edges of a sail, ie..foreleech instead of luff. I'd guess that the term occurs because the wind has leeched away at the edges of the sail, it's thinner there, and not as full? It may even mean something like 'seam' as I believe in most square rigged vessels the leeches were doubled up in sail thickness.


----------



## Rup

Quote: Why is the trailing [corner] of a main or jib called the "clew"?

The word clew refers to cord or twine, and by extension the sheets we attach to the trailing corner of a sail. Thus that corner of the sail is in turn called the clew. If I am not mistaken from my greek mythology classes, the term was in the story of the minotaur's maze in which the hero was given a Clew of twine which he used to find his way back out of the maze. Clew is also used in theatrical settings when tying up scenery on the pin rail. (My part-time job in college)

OK, Here is mine, kind of an easy one, but appropriate after today's sailing adventures...

What does it mean when the order is given to "Splice the Mainbrace" and how did the term come about?


----------



## Boasun

To splice the mainbrace is to serve out an extra ration of grog in bad weather after severe exertion. This was done up to around the mid seventies by the U.S. Navy. Then finally discontinued...by those dirty rats of politically correct bilge rats.

What is the meaning of "Monkey Spars"?


----------



## Plumper

Further to "Splice the main brace", the braces are used to swing the yards to one side or the other on square rigged ships. There were two per yard and they were named after the sail that hung from the yard. The main brace was the brace on the mainsail, splicing it was a particularly odious job and generally earned the sailor an extra ration of rum. The term now means any ration of rum issued to the crew.

Monkey spars are the small rigs set up on shore to teach ordinary seaman how rigging works. They are scaled down versions of the real thing built to learn on.

My question: What is the "Equal Altitudes" fix?


----------



## Boasun

Equal Altitudes; Reference. Bowditch:
Two altitudes numerically the same. The expression applies particularly to the practice of determining the instant of local apparent noon by observing the altitude of the sun a short time before it reaches the meridian and again at the same altitude after transit. the time of LAN being midway between the times of the two observations. 

What are "Timber-Heads"?


----------



## nolatom

On the river at least, it's a round, flat-topped bitt used for mooring or towing wires, presumably it looks like the end of a piece of timber, or actually was one.

Oh, crap, assuming I'm close to being right, I need to come up with a new question?

Well, hmmmm, gotta find something. Okay:

Why is the spinnaker sheet on the pole side called a "guy"?

And why is a tiller a tiller--some agricultural use maybe?


----------



## Plumper

The spin sheet on the pole side is called the guy because it doubles as the after guy in a small boat that doesn't have both a sheet and a guy. On a large boat the spin pole is held in place with a topping lift, forward guy and after guy. through the jaws of the pole both the after guy and the sheet run. The sheet on the pole side is lazy, the guy on the other side is lazy. Separate sheets and guys are essential for double pole gybes.

Tiller?


----------



## Classic30

Plumper, I don't think you answered the question..  

Without looking it up, a "guy" is traditionally a support for something eg. "guy rope" holding up a tent. Perhaps that's why from time immemorial, council workers leaning on shovels were sometimes called guys.  

Tiller? I would have thought it was agricultural. It's not unreasonable to think that anyone hanging onto a piece of wood connected to a piece of board ploughing the water behind the boat could be referred to by a true landlubber as a "tiller".

.. and "monkey" anything on a ship referred to a smaller version of something else.

My question: Why did the helmsman of the "Titanic" turn the ship to port when the helm order was recorded as "starboard"??


----------



## Plumper

In those days the order given was backwards like a tiller order. Putting the helm over to stbd turned the ship to port. It still works that way in some ships with exotic propulsion systems.

Hartley,
I think I answered the "guy" question correctly. You answered the question "what is a guy?" not "why is the pole side sheet called a guy?"

I am still interested in hearing what the correct answer for the tiller question is.


----------



## nolatom

Actually, "why's it called a 'guy'" was my question. I just don't express myself that well I guess ;-)

But I'll take Hartley's answer unless anyone has anything more exotic.

Uh-Oh--does this mean I have to think of another question? Geezum..

Okay: why's the cabin floor called a "sole"

And in case that's too easy, where did the name "scuppers" for drains or freeing ports originate?

(I don't know either answer, so you can fool me if it sounds good...)


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> I am still interested in hearing what the correct answer for the tiller question is.


"Tiller" is actually a difficult one. After much digging, I think it originally came from Old English "telgor" meaning "a small branch" - lashed to the rudder-head.

Soles? Scuppers?? Dunno..


----------



## Plumper

I think the game is to ask questions that you know the answer to. 

My research on tiller gives a similar answer to Hartley.

Your question Hartley.....


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> I think the game is to ask questions that you know the answer to.
> 
> My research on tiller gives a similar answer to Hartley.
> 
> Your question Hartley.....


'kay: What's a "Supercargo"?


----------



## nolatom

That one I think I know. It's someone who rides a ship, typically appointed by charterers who loaded the cargo, who supervises its care and delivery, known as a "supervisor of cargo" or for short, "supercargo".

When there isn't one (and even if there is), the chief officer is the cargo officer.

Okay, a question from the boatbuilding past. What's a "shutter party"?


----------



## MARC2012

Enjoy this thread will guess.Boats are planked from top down & garbord up last plank between the two the shutter plank.


----------



## Plumper

Well? What is the shutter plank? Ooops, shutter party?

With baited breath......


----------



## sailaway21

Pls reread his post. Your turn Marc.


----------



## MARC2012

*trivia*

To what does the term Charley nobles apply.


----------



## sailaway21

The smoke stack from the galley.

How long is a "shot" of anchor chain?


----------



## Classic30

Wild guess here.. 100 yards??


----------



## sailaway21

Hint: The measurement is a number of fathoms.


----------



## sifucarl

A: 15 fathoms

Q: In miles, how far did the Nautilus travel as depicted in the title of the book/movie 20,000 leagues under the Sea


----------



## Plumper

Interesting. We call 15 fathom of chain a shackle:
Imperial Measures of Nautical Units


----------



## bubb2

A shot= 90 feet


----------



## Boasun

sifucarl said:


> A: 15 fathoms
> 
> Q: In miles, how far did the Nautilus travel as depicted in the title of the book/movie 20,000 leagues under the Sea


they went 60,000 nautical miles.

A shot of chain is 15 fathoms or 90 ft pending on how you look at it.

What is 'Mousing' a Hook? This is a very simple deck hand question.


----------



## bubb2

It is like seizing a shackle a safety thing so the line does not come out of the hook


----------



## sailaway21

your question, bubb2. (we know he meant to say that it was accomplished by figure eighting some small stuff between the bill of the hook and the back of the hook so as to secure the load in the hook)


----------



## bubb2

sailaway21 said:


> your question, bubb2. (we know he meant to say that it was accomplished by figure eighting some small stuff between the bill of the hook and the back of the hook so as to secure the load in the hook)


 your response was so much better than mine. I defer the next to you, thanks Sway


----------



## sailaway21

bubb2 said:


> your response was so much better than mine. I defer the next to you, thanks Sway


You are too modest, bubb2. Post one (if you truly do not wish to, what are "scantlings") but I'd ask for all to wait for bubb2.


----------



## bubb2

Ok I'will go, T V M D C and A W T F D


----------



## sailaway21

I've only got half of it, bubb2. True Virgins Make Dull Companions which means that from True course you apply Variation to get Magnetic course to which you apply Deviation to get Compass course. I'll guess that the other is a mnemonic for rembering east is least and west is best, but I'm guessing there!


----------



## bubb2

sailaway21 said:


> I've only got half of it, bubb2. True Virgins Make Dull Companions which means that from True course you apply Variation to get Magnetic course to which you apply Deviation to get Compass course. I'll guess that the other is a mnemonic for remembering east is least and west is best, but I'm guessing there!


you are there very good it has to do if you add it up or down " add whiskey to fall down the formula"


----------



## sailaway21

What are scantlings?


----------



## Boasun

The dimension of the timbers when reduced to its standard size. In other words the thicknesses of the vessel's ribs and planking.

Westings and eastings anyone?


----------



## sailaway21

What are "scantlings"? (that's the question, Boats)


----------



## Boasun

I answered it... the dimensions of the vessels timbers.

Why am I westing?


----------



## bubb2

Boasun said:


> I answered it... the dimensions of the vessels timbers.
> 
> Why am I westing?


Look at your posting times.


----------



## Boasun

It was a case where one person typed a little faster than the other when both had different inquiries. Thus there was a mix up. 

Why am I doing a westing? Or an Easting.


----------



## bubb2

Boasun said:


> It was a case where one person typed a little faster than the other when both had different inquiries. Thus there was a mix up.
> 
> Why am I doing a westing? Or an Easting.


LOL! I have been there!


----------



## sailaway21

Your distance made good in a westerly direction, generally on a course of due west, but can also be used in reference to the amount of westerly set you encounter under prevailing conditions. I believe the term is left over from the really old days of parrallel sailing when only latitude could be reliably determined and thus shipping routes were based upon sailing and arriving at a particular latitude of the arrival point desired.


----------



## sailaway21

If you hear a VHF radio broadcast that uses the word "Interco" what might you expect to hear over the radio next?


----------



## sailaway21

I have to step out. I'll PM the answer to bubb2 in case no one get's it in a timely fashion. No peeking, bubb2!


----------



## bubb2

sailaway21 said:


> Your distance made good in a westerly direction, generally on a course of due west, but can also be used in reference to the amount of westerly set you encounter under prevailing conditions. I believe the term is left over from the really old days of parrallel sailing when only latitude could be reliably determined and thus shipping routes were based upon sailing and arriving at a particular latitude of the arrival point desired.


Thanks for pointing out I am "really old guy (days)." LOL


----------



## chucklesR

International codes - good enough or you need more?
22 years as a radioman in the Navy - they aren't really used by us.


----------



## chucklesR

The only one I remember is IT which is for 'I am on fire'


----------



## nolatom

Re Interco-- The book, International Code of Signals (that right?) was useful to mariners of differing languages trying to communicate. Each would have the book in his own language, but the signal letters were common regardless.

It was the "last resort" for Coast Guard radiomen trying to figure out what some ship needed, but whose voice they couldn't understand. And it worked, as long as the request and the response were in the book, which they usually were. Worked well in Morse code too.

Oh, shoot. There's no question on the floor? Aaack, I have to think, which is always a challenge.

What's a triatic stay?

And on merchant freighters, what's a schooner guy (since I asked about spinnaker guys before)?

Note to self; don't answer unless you've already thought of a question or two.


----------



## sailaway21

The triatic stay spans from the truck of the main mast to the truck of the mizzen mast. It serves, in essence, as the backstay on a two masted vessel for the mainmast.

The schooner guy connects the two boom heads of the yard and stay cargo rig in older styled cargo rigs. It is found only on rigs with just a topping lift to each boom versus the more modern rig which combines the vang with the topping lift. The schooner guy keeps the heads of the booms on those older rigs from seperating as the cargo is lifted from the hold by the stay boom and then swung via the runner towards the yard boom and the dock.

What is lang-lay wire rope?


----------



## nolatom

sailaway21 said:


> The triatic stay spans from the truck of the main mast to the truck of the mizzen mast. It serves, in essence, as the backstay on a two masted vessel for the mainmast.
> 
> The schooner guy connects the two boom heads of the yard and stay cargo rig in older styled cargo rigs. It is found only on rigs with just a topping lift to each boom versus the more modern rig which combines the vang with the topping lift. The schooner guy keeps the heads of the booms on those older rigs from seperating as the cargo is lifted from the hold by the stay boom and then swung via the runner towards the yard boom and the dock.
> 
> What is lang-lay wire rope?


Your answers are right, and right. I was thinking in both instances of rigging connecting two tall spars.

Okay, do I remember this right? Lang lay means the wires are twisted the same way as the strands are. Good for straight-line lifting, but not so good if you have to run it through a block, where "regular" rope, where the yarns/wires and strands are twisted opposite, is better.

I'm either dead right or dead wrong on this answer. I just don't remember.

Now another question?? Big responsibility...

What's useful in anchors, but deadly in prison?


----------



## sailaway21

You're correct. Lang-lay wire rope is not used much as it has a propensity to unlay itself, but it's very durable otherwise.

I'd say a trip-line or trip-wire.

What is a handy-billy?


----------



## nolatom

A good answer, though not the one-word one I was thinking of. The prison term is slang, the anchor one isn't.

Your question: have heard of it, but don't remember.


----------



## JohnRPollard

sailaway21 said:


> What is a handy-billy?


Sailaway,

There is a sort of little utility motor skiff that is generally called a "Handy-Billy", but I seem to vaguely recall that phrase has another meaning as well.


----------



## sailaway21

You're vague recall is not without merit, Lego. (g)

I expect enough time has passed that we should get on to another question. A handy-billy is a light block and tackle, usually stowed in the lazarette or some convenient to hand place, and is generally a luff tackle. (which has a fixed/shackled double sheeved block coupled with a single sheeve block with a pelican hook at the becket.)

What is the transverse metacenter?


----------



## Plumper

Transverse metacentre, not really trivia. The point at which the force of buoyancy cuts the middle line of the ship. The height of the transverse metacenter above the centre of gravity is the metacentric height. Metacentric height gives a measure of initial stability.

Those old seamanship notes come in handy once in a blue moon.

What are heights (power lines. bridge clearances, etc) on nautical charts measured above? Is it the same for British Admiralty and US charts?


----------



## MARC2012

*trivia*

A guess mhw in both.


----------



## Plumper

Good guess. MHW in the US MHWS on BA charts.

Your question.


----------



## MARC2012

*trivia*

the plate on end of bowsprite attatched to bobstay? Will be off line plumper can check ans.Must take girfirnd out for dinner. Good learning center some I have no clue.marc


----------



## JohnRPollard

MARC2012 said:


> the plate on end of bowsprite attatched to bobstay?


Cranse Iron.


----------



## sailaway21

Plumper explains the metacenter in graphic terms that while correct may not be succinct enough for common understanding. The transverse metacenter is the point to which the center of gravity, 'G', can rise and the vessel still possess positive initial stability.

Where's the Lego question?


----------



## Plumper

JohnRPollard said:


> Cranse Iron.


Wow. That was fast and correct. Your turn.


----------



## JohnRPollard

I was waiting for verification.

What is a parrel?


----------



## Plumper

I think a parrel is a piece of line that goes around the mast for hoisting a trysail without putting it in the mast track. Sometimes they have beads on them to help the parrel slide up the mast. They are called parrel beads. The unfortunate part about this system is the sail can only be hoisted as far as the first set of spreaders.


----------



## JohnRPollard

Plumper said:


> I think a parrel is a piece of line that goes around the mast for hoisting a trysail without putting it in the mast track. Sometimes they have beads on them to help the parrel slide up the mast. They are called parrel beads. The unfortunate part about this system is the sail can only be hoisted as far as the first set of spreaders.


That's more or less correct, although you describe more of a modern application.

The parrel is indeed a piece of line, chain, or hoop that goes around the mast. It was traditionally used on gaff and sliding gunter rigs to keep the jaws of the yard nested against the mast both during and after the halyard hoist. Without the parrel, the jaws of the yard would separate from the mast and drift about, especially off the wind. The parrel could pass through the jaws of the yard, or could be threaded through the throat grommet in the sail.

Have at it!


----------



## Plumper

What are baggywrinkles?


----------



## nolatom

Plumper said:


> What are baggywrinkles?


that one I know. it's a piece of frayed line or fabric that's puffed up, and makes a good cushion for a sail. You put it near friction points, like stays and spreaders, to reduce sail chafe.

It's one of the defining indicators of a long-distance cruising boat. You don't see baggywrinkle on a racer or even on a coastal cruiser.

My last question was what's good in an anchor, but bad in jail? the answer I was thinking of was a "shank" (anchor stock/homemade knife).

Now I have to think of another question. Okay.

Why are lines that trim sails called "sheets"? Isn't that something we sleep on?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

nolatom said:


> Why are lines that trim sails called "sheets"? Isn't that something we sleep on?


Because way,way,way back when, ( around the early part of the 1st millinium ) they were made of cloth.

The weren't called sheet then, they were call something else, ( probably something greek ) sheets is what the term has morphed into.

actually, this term that I can't remember was what they called the corner of the sail, so it started out as ????line, then sheetline, now just sheets


----------



## nolatom

I thought if you answered, you had to pose a new question (which could discourage answers, but the rules are the rules). So to restart things:

What's a "fisherman's reef"?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

That's having your main sheeted full out.................I think, to reduce heal when beating to windward


I didn't / haven't pose a new question, cuz I'm not sure if I'm totally correct


----------



## nolatom

Close enough.

You're up...


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Oh crap, I sux at this

Port side, ( what & why ) what was it called prior to port and why was it changed.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

That term I couldn't remember in answering the sheet question was " sceatline "

I had to go look it up..........sorry


----------



## Classic30

poopdeckpappy said:


> Oh crap, I sux at this
> 
> Port side, ( what & why ) what was it called prior to port and why was it changed.


Larboard. It was changed to "Port" because:

1. That was the side they loaded the ships on when tied up to the dock (partly because the 'steer-board' was on the other and might get fouled otherwise)
2. Larboard was getting confused with Starboard when yelled in a +30knot gale from up the bow somewhere


----------



## Classic30

Another piece of trivia which only occurred to me the other day after many years of things "naughty-cal":

1. A *cable* is one-tenth of a nautical mile.
2. Paper charts have graduations in tenths of a mile down the side.
ie. If something is supposed to be '2 cables NE of the lighthouse', you can actually measure it off the chart!!  For some reason, I'd always thought a 'cable' was an old-timers unit of distance and never connected the two ideas before...

Apologies for breaking in, but I can't be bothered doing a Q&A on this one.


----------



## merlin2375

How many nautical miles are there in one minute of latitude?


----------



## nolatom

merlin2375 said:


> How many nautical miles are there in one minute of latitude?


Give me a minute, I'll think of it ;-)

One mile.

Why does magnetic variation have an annual increase or decrease?


----------



## Plumper

Because of the earths precession where the axis of rotation changes slightly every year.

What is the "Dip" of a compass?


----------



## MARC2012

*trivia*

If refering to dip pole over mag n/s.


----------



## Boasun

Refers to the vertical dip of the compass as it nears the magnetic poles.

Where is the spanker on a ship?


----------



## Plumper

It is the fore and aft sail on the aft most mast of a full rigged ship. It is normally used to help steer the ship. On a modern boat it is a version of cruising spinnaker made by Doyle sails.

Some folks say there is no rope on a boat, just lines, but in fact there are several. Can you name one?


----------



## Boasun

Bell Rope, Foot Rope & Wire Rope.

There are many animal names on a vessel; Can you name at least three of them?


----------



## nolatom

Animal names on a vessel, hmmm:

Donkey boiler, donkey winch

Bull gear

Monkey fist

Cat head, catspaw

Dog (on a ratchet or winch)

Moused hooks or shackles

I know there are lots of others, if only my brain worked better..


But, understanding my obligation here, a new question:

What's a Jacob's ladder, and how did it get its name?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> What's a Jacob's ladder, and how did it get its name?


I've always understood a Jacob's Ladder to be a long unstable rope ladder - named after the Bible story... but I could be wrong.


----------



## JohnRPollard

Hartley18 said:


> I've always understood a Jacob's Ladder to be a long unstable rope ladder - named after the Bible story... but I could be wrong.


Used by pilots for boarding or disembarking a ship.

Jacob dreamt there was a ladder between earth and heaven that the angels used to come and go by.

Your turn Hartley!

P.S. Another "rope": Bolt rope


----------



## Classic30

Right then.. What's "scuttlebutt"??

..and if that's too easy, what does the term "in stays" mean and where did it come from?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

scuttlebutt is slang for talk or gossip


----------



## poopdeckpappy

in stays has something to do with sailing to windward ???

That was a wild ass guess, not a answer


----------



## merlin2375

Here's the history of the term scuttlebutt, thought it was interesting:



> Water for immediate consumption on a sailing ship was conventionally stored in a scuttled butt: a butt (cask or small barrel) which had been scuttled by making a hole in it so the water could be withdrawn. Since sailors exchanged gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink of water, scuttlebutt became Navy slang for gossip or rumors.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

What's a binnacle list


----------



## Plumper

In stays is when a ship is in the process of tacking. That is what it used to be called. Nowadays, it seems that in stays is the same as in irons.

No idea on binnacle list. Sounds like a USN expression.


----------



## nolatom

Is a binnacle list like a deviation card? never heard of it before.

If I'm wrong, won't be the first time.

If I'm accidentally not wrong, a new question: there are 2 answers, one practical, one joking:

If at night a sailor sees three whites over red, over white, over red, what's it mean?


PS edit: I'm definitely wrong about the binnacle list, I looked it up (the rules allow this *after* we've answered, right?). So the question, along with mine is still on the floor.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Plumper said:


> No idea on binnacle list. Sounds like a USN expression.


Very OLD ( 18th century ) naval expression; a binnacle list is a list of crew unable or excused from duty due to illness, it was hung at the binnacle for the officer on watch

This question by Nolatom stands alone



> If at night a sailor sees three whites over red, over white, over red, what's it mean?


----------



## Plumper

poopdeckpappy said:


> Very OLD ( 18th century ) naval expression; a binnacle list is a list of crew unable or excused from duty due to illness, it was hung at the binnacle for the officer on watch


US Navy (18th century isn't that old in the rest of the world.)


----------



## Plumper

nolatom said:


> If at night a sailor sees three whites over red, over white, over red, what's it mean?


A vessel towing with a tow longer than 200 meters that is restricted in its ability to maneouvre, but there should be another side light or stern (and towing light) light visible as well. (best guess)

Port side of a vessel towing with a tow longer than 200 meters with a pilot boat alongside, but there should be one more sidelight.


----------



## nolatom

Right you are the first time, and right about the sidelights, I was referring only to the mast. 

The sailor-joke answer would have been: It means the cathouses are on the first and third floors ;-)


----------



## Plumper

My question then.....

What are the HF frequencies normally used for time checks while at sea? (Pre GPS question)


----------



## merlin2375

/\/\ hmm, I don't know! Can we have a hint, how many freqs are you looking for?


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> My question then.....
> 
> What are the HF frequencies normally used for time checks while at sea? (Pre GPS question)


You would be checking USA's WWV 2.5 kH, 5KH, 10 KH, 15 KH, & 20 Kh. 
Plus there are other time checks freqs broadcasted by other countries, Just need to look in pub 117 to find out which ones they are.

What is a Cathead used for??


----------



## LittleMissMagic

Boasun said:


> You would be checking USA's WWV 2.5 kH, 5KH, 10 KH, 15 KH, & 20 Kh.
> Plus there are other time checks freqs broadcasted by other countries, Just need to look in pub 117 to find out which ones they are.
> 
> What is a Cathead used for??


To measure the size of your biscuits?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

To beat the crew with ????


----------



## sailaway21

The cat head was a horizontal large timber projecting from each bow for hoisting and hanging the anchor on old sailing ships. On shore the term is sometimes used to refer to a gypsy head or a winch used with line.

What's a specksioneer?


----------



## Boasun

He was the Chief Harpooner of a whaling vessel and overseer on the flensing of a whale.

What is "Nip"? And this term is still used today on ocean tugs... Talk about a clue.


----------



## Boasun

No one answered it:
Nip; To veer the hawser a couple of feet to reduce chaffing that occurs where the hawser go through the norman pins and crosses the stern gunwhale.

For you wood boaters: What is the water stop and where is it at on the boat?


----------



## MARC2012

*trivia*

Not familar with water stop if refering to stop water plugs where stem hits keel & sternpost meets keel.Usually tapered dry wood.


----------



## merlin2375

/\/\ I'll hop in with a question:

What's a chip log and what was it used for?


----------



## Boasun

the chip log was used to determine the speed of the vessel. 


When taking soundings with a Lead Line, What does it mean to arm the Lead?


----------



## Zanshin

Put wax on the lead to see what the bottom is like.


----------



## Boasun

Zanshin said:


> Put wax on the lead to see what the bottom is like.


Zanshin didn't give us a question, so here is a Sail/Auxiliary question
Your vessel is drifting with the wind broad on the port beam. the marconi sail is set and flapping free. As you sheet in the maximum drive is attained when the sail__________.
a. is at right angles to the true wind.
b. first takes the shape of an airfoil.
c. is filled with a slight flap at the leach.
d. is 45 degree from the apparent wind.

Give an answer correctly and then a triva question.


----------



## nolatom

I vote "b"

"A" is close, except true wind isn't what you trim to, it's apparent wind, which may be more like a beam reach on board.

C and d are just wrong.

This sounds like an Aux. Sail license question?? In real life, if the marconi main will luff (flap free) on a broad reach, then it ain't that broad a reach, closer to a beam reach? So I'd say, "when in doubt, let it out", then trim just enough to put the sail to sleep.

Trouble with the license questions is they're too easy to overthink. Just keep it simple....

Oh, God, a trivia question.. 

Where does the saying "Bristol Fashion" come from?

Or, if that's too easy, what's an "Irish pennant?" (I know, politically incorrect, apologies from an old Scot).


----------



## sailaway21

An Irish pennant is a loose thread, usually on worn clothing, that denotes a less than favourable attention to a squared away appearance by the wearer.

What is precession of the equinoxes?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> ...
> Where does the saying "Bristol Fashion" come from?


Not being a Pom I'm not sure how correct this is, but Bristol is supposed to have one of the highest tidal ranges in the UK meaning ships docked at Bristol dry out at low tide. If things weren't tied down properly they could break loose when the ship dries out and lies over, so everything had to be stowed away 'Bristol fashion'.


----------



## nolatom

Right, and right. On a boat, an Irish pennant was something not squared away, or dangling, or not put away right. And the phrase I used to hear was, "Shipshape and Bristol Fashion".

Okay, one of you have to pose a question. I'm tapped out..


----------



## Classic30

Sway asked "What is precession of the equinoxes?"

I have no idea. (Reminder to self: must buy a sextant one day)


----------



## Boasun

This is in reference to the Vernal Equinox that is creeping eastward at about 50" of arc each year.

Sail/Auxiliary Q: 
Your 80 ton schooner is hove to on the starboard tack under storm trysail and the fore staysail in 45 knots of wind. Your heading is averaging about 000 true and the wind is from the Northeast. There is a dangerous shoal bearing 270 true, range 5 miles. Which action would be appropriate?
A. You need only stay alert for changes, as your present drift will carry you away from the danger.
B. You should strike all sails and get underway under bare poles, making as much way as possible to the north.
C. You should set a reefed foresail and strike the jib.
D. You should tack or jibe to the port tack and make all possible haeadway to the south.

Go for it Guys & Gals.... and come back with a triva question if you get the correct answer.


----------



## Plumper

A couple key pieces of information are missing. Is the boat making any way and if so, in what direction? How long is the storm predicted to last (is the glass rising or falling)? Where is the boat bound? If it is going north then I would choose A and watch my offing on the reef closely. If I was going south I would choose D. Either A or D would be appropriate if heading east or west.


----------



## nolatom

I'd say D, since port tack will carry you away from the shoal, even if you can't point higher than south (but southeast would be better). 

A only works if I'm making headway. If hove-to, maybe I'm not. 

B is stupid, unless I have an engine. Do I? Even if I do, striking all sails will give a horrible unsteadied ride.

c--Strike what jib? I 've got a staysail up already. 

So I'd get onto the tack that tends to set me away from the shoal rather than towards it.

It's too easy to overthink an answer when they don't give you enough info in the question.


Okay, whether I was right or wrong, since it's May 1st, and easy one..

What's the origin of the distress call "Mayday"?


----------



## Plumper

M'aidez! Help me in French.


Which is the preferred end of the start line in a yacht race?


----------



## nolatom

If the line's perfectly square to the wind, neither end is favored. Starboard or committee boat end might be preferred if you expect the wind to shift clockwise, and want to be able to tack early.

Otherwise, whichever end is "closer" to the wind. Head straight upwind on the line, and whichever end your bow points more toward is the favored end.

An old one. What's "Sallying ship"?


----------



## Plumper

Sallying ship was when the crew would all line up on one side and then run across to the other side to rock the ship. I don't remember why they did it though.


----------



## nolatom

Right you are.

It was either to get off ground, or to get out of the ice.

I know I've used a "half-sally" by putting all crew on one side to slide off the mud. I just didn't know what it was called.

Now you have the grave responsibility of posing a new question (and we could then use some new contributors answering and giving us a new question? Don't be shy)


----------



## Idiens

Sallying ship in harbour was used to check its loaded roll stability. The famous case where they broke off the test in panic was the Vasa. It sank in Stockholm harbour a bit later. Too much top weight.


----------



## Plumper

Grave responsibility indeed, here goes:

What does "scandalizing" a gaffer mean?


----------



## Boasun

means dropping the peak of the gaff to quickly reduce the sail area. Thus giving themselves time to put in proper reefs of their sails.

Where is there a truck on a sail boat??


----------



## Plumper

Top of the mast. 

Where is the dolphin striker?


----------



## Rup

Under the bowsprit.

Don't forget that the little thing that attaches the wheels to a traveler is also called a truck!

Why did Joshua Slocum re-rig the _Spray _and to what did he change it?


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Where is there a truck on a sail boat??





Plumper said:


> Top of the mast.


Plumper, are you sure you're not thinking of the mast *crane*?? 

Perhaps the question was a bit mis-leading... there could feasibly be "trucks" in numerous places depending upon how the boat is rigged.


----------



## JohnRPollard

Rup said:


> Why did Joshua Slocum re-rig the _Spray _and to what did he change it?


I seem to recall he re-rigged along the coast of South America (after twice crossing the Atlantic), to improve balance and self-steering. _Spray_ had been sloop rigged (today we would say gaff-rigged sloop, but back then "gaff" was the standard rig so saying as much would be considered redundant), and Slocum re-rigged her by adding a mizzen and creating a yawl. Curiously, he continued to refer to _Spray_ as his "little sloop" for the remainder of the voyage and narrative.

Who was the colorful old salt that accompanied the Walker and Blackett children (of _Swallows and Amazon_ fame), as well as "Captain Flint", on their imaginary treasure-hunt voyage to the Caribbean, in the eponymously named children's book?


----------



## Plumper

Was it Peter Duck?


----------



## Rup

Hartley18 said:


> Plumper, are you sure you're not thinking of the mast *crane*??
> 
> Perhaps the question was a bit mis-leading... there could feasibly be "trucks" in numerous places depending upon how the boat is rigged.


Actually, I think plumper is correct. On old wooden masted ships, there was a block of wood with holes for the rigging to run through placed atop the mast and this block was called a truck.


----------



## JohnRPollard

Plumper said:


> Was it Peter Duck?


Yes!!

Have at it.


----------



## Boasun

We need a triva line.

On what type of chart is the great circle plotted in a straight line?


----------



## Zanshin

The Gnomonic Projection has great circles projected as straight lines.

What was the name of the boat in "Gilligan's Island"?


----------



## merlin2375

/\/\ It was the SS Minow!

What's the wind speed range in Knots for a "6, Strong Breeze" on the Beaufort Scale


----------



## Plumper

Boasun said:


> We need a triva line.
> 
> On what type of chart is the great circle plotted in a straight line?


Gnomonic charts

Here is an old one:

While re-reading the Compleat Cruiser by Francis Herreshoff this weekend, I came across the word "nettles" when he was talking about putting in a reef. Anybody care to guess what they are?


----------



## JohnRPollard

Looks like we have two questions pending, I'll try my hand at both.



merlin2375 said:


> What's the wind speed range in Knots for a "6, Strong Breeze" on the Beaufort Scale


Mid-20 knots, say 22-27 tws roughly, with commensurate sea state.



Plumper said:


> Here is an old one:
> 
> While re-reading the Compleat Cruiser by Francis Herreshoff this weekend, I came across the word "nettles" when he was talking about putting in a reef. Anybody care to guess what they are?


"Nettles"? I'm guessing wildly here, but I'll go with "gaskets". My second guess if I'm allowed one would be the "grommets" that run between the reef cringles.

I'll await answers before posting another one, or someone else can take my turn if I'm entitled to one....


----------



## sailaway21

I think Lego John's got 'em both. Nettles are twisted rope yarns and so conceivably could be quite handy as gaskets. Ask away, John.

I've got a beef. (g) Great circles are straight lines on all charts, I believe, if the GC is the equator. And I've been wondering, for about forty years, how the SS Minnow could be described as a Steamship. That little slip-up has confused more lubbers about the meaning of SS than one could possibly imagine.


----------



## nolatom

The average "Steamship Agent" may go a whole year without ever handling a real S/S.

Then there's "vessels" and the subset "ship". When to use which? S/V commonly means sail vessel, presumably since S/S for a really big sailing ship would be confusing.

M/V and M/S seem to be interchangeable at least for large motor ships, but for smaller craft, the former could describe the MINNOW while the latter wouldn't. T/V and T/S are sometimes used for tankers. Seems like the system (if it is one) can't decide whether to define the vessel by propulsion, or by trade (F/V for example).

Usta have RMS for Brits carrying mail, C/S or even SS/CV to describe a steam-turbine containter ship. Any others you can think of? Who decides these things anyway, just usage?

Uh-oh, I just led myself into having to ask a question:

At night you see one white light over a group of four green lights. What is that guy, and where are you relative to him?


----------



## Boasun

If the upper three green lights are in a triangle then the other is the starboard running light and it is a mine sweeper and you should not/never come any closer than 1000 meters.


----------



## Boasun

What is Two red all around lights with all around white lights that are much lower and far forward and aft of them?


----------



## nolatom

Boasun, I'm sworn not to look it up so I won't, but as a semi-educated guess, I'd say it's a vessel not under command, but still making way?

(that Colregs book, which I used for the question you answered, is so close, but I'm not going to reach for it)

And you're right about the minesweeper, under 50 meters in length (otherwise you'd see two whites), and off whose starboard bow or beam you are.


----------



## Boasun

Nolatom Close but no cigar.... But try again....


----------



## nolatom

I can't, without looking it up.. that's the rules? but someone else can look it up, then *they'll* have to come up with the next question.... ;-)


----------



## sailingdog

The two red all-around lights in a vertical line without the white all-around would be "Vessel not under command".


----------



## sailaway21

Shoot, I was still focused on those green lights. Boasun's vessel is aground.
The key was he said all-round white lights.

What's a road?


----------



## Classic30

sailaway21 said:


> What's a road?


Ahh..  Something you drive on??


----------



## Plumper

sailaway21 said:


> I think Lego John's got 'em both. Nettles are twisted rope yarns and so conceivably could be quite handy as gaskets. Ask away, John.
> 
> I've got a beef. (g) Great circles are straight lines on all charts, I believe, if the GC is the equator. And I've been wondering, for about forty years, how the SS Minnow could be described as a Steamship. That little slip-up has confused more lubbers about the meaning of SS than one could possibly imagine.


Correct on "Nettles".

On every chart projection there will be a great circle that is straight but it is only on gnomonic charts that the lesser great circles are straight. On mercator chart longitudes are straight (and great circles) but navigational great circles are curves like all the lattitudes (except the equator).


----------



## Boasun

sailaway21 said:


> Shoot, I was still focused on those green lights. Boasun's vessel is aground.
> The key was he said all-round white lights.
> 
> What's a road?


A Road or a Roadstead is an Offshore anchorage, normally where vessels are awaiting orders.

To find LAN (Local Apparent Noon) you would use which book?


----------



## nolatom

A "Road"? Isn't that a wide offshore approach to a harbor, the edges of which are sometimes used as a ship anchorage? Like Hampton Roads. Europeans sometimes call them Roadsteads.

Let's go back a few years..what's a "Mae West"?


----------



## Plumper

I would use the nautical almanac to find LAN.

What is MERPASS?


----------



## sailaway21

A Mae West was an old style lifejacket filled with kapok. I forget what MERPASS is and will defer to the answerer of that question.


----------



## Boasun

Mer.Pass. is the time of the Meridian Transit of the Sun or Aries. Will be found at the bottom of the page that Aries is on and the lower righthand block for the Sun. This is in the Nautical Almanac.

What is cable laid line??


----------



## Rup

A "cable laid line" is a line that is made up of three large twisted strands that are in turn each made up of three smaller twisted strands.

What is a Becket?


----------



## sailingdog

A becket is a loop or splice in the end of line, often used to connect the line to block.  Nowadays, it is often used to refer to a block that has a provision for attaching lines to the working end of it.


----------



## Rup

Close enough. Your question.


----------



## sailingdog

"**** and span" is a term used to describe something as very clean or in excellent condition. What were a **** and a span, and how do they relate to sailing?


----------



## nolatom

I forget what the rules are, either you can't look it up, or you can only look it up if no one's answered it after a few hours. If the former, I've outright cheated, if the latter, than I haven't. Either way, to keep this interesting thread going, I've looked on Wikipedia, with the following result:

The product took the name from a common phrase meaning extremely clean, "***** and span", which was a British idiom first recorded in 1579, and used shortly afterwards in Samuel Pepys's diary. A ***** was a spike or nail, a span was a very fresh wood chip, and thus the phrase meant clean and neat and all in place, as in being nailed down. The "span" in the idiom also is part of "brand span new", now more commonly rendered "brand spanking new", and has nothing to do with the words "Spanish" or "Hispanic".[2][3]

Unquote. I really haven't seen it particlularly applied to boats, but what do I know, "I had to look it up"...

Now, I have to pose a new question? Crap, I have to apply conscious thought....

Okay:

What was the "Sultana", and what connection does that have to present-day marine safety?


----------



## sailingdog

IIRC, ***** and span were terms from the boatbuilding trade originally.


----------



## artbyjody

A historical perspective:

World Wide Words: ***** and span


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> I forget what the rules are, either you can't look it up, or you can only look it up if no one's answered it after a few hours. If the former, I've outright cheated, if the latter, than I haven't.
> ....
> What was the "Sultana", and what connection does that have to present-day marine safety?


Okay, I had to look this up too. Interesting reading:

"The most terrible steamboat disaster in US history was probably the loss of the Sultana in 1865. Some 1,700 returning Union Veterans died."

It's connection to marine safety? It sounds like they learnt a bit more about working with steam... 

My question: What's a "Charlie Noble"??


----------



## sailingdog

A Charlie Noble is a stove or heater's deck top exhaust pipe. Many are actually both an air intake and an exhaust. Most have a conical top.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> A Charlie Noble is a stove or heater's deck top exhaust pipe. Many are actually both an air intake and an exhaust. Most have a conical top.


Your question, Dog.


----------



## sailingdog

What is a fraculator and what does it do???


----------



## TSOJOURNER

A line attached to the headsail to keep from screwing up at the leeward mark. Keeps it in place and ready and is disconnected before hoisting the headsail.


----------



## Plumper

I had to look it up. Interesting. There seems to be some debate on what a fraculator actually is and does.


----------



## Classic30

I had a look too and can see how it might *help *you screw up at the leeward mark - if you forgot to release it!

...But perhaps it's meant to stop the headsail falling out of the luff track.


----------



## Plumper

That is one of the two definitions I found and the least plausible. I also learned that it is a line that runs up from the jib tack fitting that is used to attach the jib halyard to so that the halyard can be winched tight to pull the mast forward or even invert it when running downwind under spinnaker. The line is used in Etchells.


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> .... I also learned that it is a line that runs up from the jib tack fitting that is used to attach the jib halyard to so that the halyard can be winched tight to *pull the mast forward or even invert it when running downwind under spinnaker*. The line is used in Etchells.


Plumper, that doesn't make sense. Are you sure you're not thinking of the jib downhaul/cunningham/whatever (luff tension adjustment)? Or do you mean it's used for forestay tension adjustment?


----------



## Plumper

Hartley18 said:


> Plumper, that doesn't make sense. Are you sure you're not thinking of the jib downhaul/cunningham/whatever (luff tension adjustment)? Or do you mean it's used for forestay tension adjustment?


Nope. The fraculator works when the jib is down and the spin up.

It cranks the mast forward in boats where adjustable forestays are not allowed.

Some links:

Stay of Execution: What Needs To Be Fixed on My Sailboat

Shields National Class Association

Five O'Clock Somewhere: September 2006

Re: catalina27-talk: Spinnaker


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> Nope. The fraculator works when the jib is down and the spin up.
> 
> It cranks the mast forward in boats where adjustable forestays are not allowed.


Okay, got it: It deosn't "work" at all. It's a short strop that can be hooked to the jib halyard to allow the forestay to be tensioned in boats without adjustable forestays. 

Why didn't you just say that in the first place? 

The "invert mast" bit is absolute rubbish and threw me completely!! In my experience, if the mast is "inverted" (ie. back of the mast facing forwards) that means a shroud or five has parted and the next thing that happens is "all hands below decks!!!"...


----------



## sailingdog

Hartley-

By invert the mast, they generally mean give it a reverse curvature, so that the mast is bowing aft, not forwards, which causes the sails to have a much fuller shape, rather than the flatter shape caused by bowing the mast forwards using backstay tension.

I was thinking specifically of the use of a fraculator on an Etchells, and as such am giving the nod to Plumper...

What is funny is that Sherry (Stay of Execution) and Carol Anne (Five O'clock somewhere) are online acquaintances of mine and where I first learned about fraculators.  


Hartley18 said:


> Okay, got it: It deosn't "work" at all. It's a short strop that can be hooked to the jib halyard to allow the forestay to be tensioned in boats without adjustable forestays.
> 
> Why didn't you just say that in the first place?
> 
> The "invert mast" bit is absolute rubbish and threw me completely!! In my experience, if the mast is "inverted" (ie. back of the mast facing forwards) that means a shroud or five has parted and the next thing that happens is "all hands below decks!!!"...


----------



## Plumper

How about twings? What are they and what do they do?


----------



## JohnRPollard

The only thing I've used called a twing were lines with lightweight blocks on their ends, through which the spinnaker sheets/guys were led. The twings were led aft, port and starboard, through snatch blocks and used to control the angle of the sheet/guy from the boat to the pole or sail. This could help to minimize oscillation, or just improve the purchase angle for the sheets/guys.

I'll await confirmation. But my internet might be going down today for service/upgrade, so proceed without me if I don't reappear.


----------



## Plumper

You got it! Your turn.


----------



## JohnRPollard

What is the "bustle" of a boat?


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Hartley-
> 
> By invert the mast, they generally mean give it a reverse curvature, so that the mast is bowing aft, not forwards, which causes the sails to have a much fuller shape, rather than the flatter shape caused by bowing the mast forwards using backstay tension.


Thanks for clearing that up, SD. 

There seems to be a lot of sailing terminology that means different things to different classes - and the Etchells seem to be in a league of their own. I'll have to check my books to see what the real term is.

Take "twings" for example: Everyone I've ever sailed with refers to them as "tweakers"... 

You learn something new on Sailnet every day.


----------



## Classic30

JohnRPollard said:


> What is the "bustle" of a boat?


Without looking it up: The "bustle" is the fat bit in the middle of the boat (when looked at end on). Yes?


----------



## JohnRPollard

Yes, essentially. It's actually a bit hard to describe (JeffH could do a good job of it. I'm sure), so I borrowed a description of "bustle" from an old Bob Perry review of the C&C 32:



> The hull design is very moderate. The perspective profile shows clearly a slight tuck at the girth stations aft, but this is the only blatant concession to the IOR that I can see and it is subtle relative to modern IOR yachts. The plan view shows a full ended hull at the deck level retaining much of its beam to the transom. Note the distinct absence of bustle, which means the distended area below the fair canoe body aft, just forward of the rudder. Bustle was originally used to increase the prismatic coefficient and increase the potential full speed. More and more we are seeing the bustle disappear today. There are some designers that cling to it without realizing that you can achieve the same results without distorting the run. Many of the IOR boats that you see will have what appears to be a bustle, but that configuration is a function of the effort to squeeze the after girth stations together. The displacement to length ratio of this design is 288, which could be considered upper medium.


All yours, Hartley.


----------



## Classic30

JohnRPollard said:


> All yours, Hartley.


An easy one: What's a "yankee" and why is it called that.


----------



## Plumper

Hartley18 said:


> Thanks for clearing that up, SD.
> 
> There seems to be a lot of sailing terminology that means different things to different classes - and the Etchells seem to be in a league of their own. I'll have to check my books to see what the real term is.
> 
> Take "twings" for example: Everyone I've ever sailed with refers to them as "tweakers"...
> 
> You learn something new on Sailnet every day.


Twings and tweakers are both slang terms for barber haulers. (I think)


----------



## Plumper

I think a Yankee is a high clewed jib (one you can see under) normally used on a cutter and first made by Yanks.


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> I think a Yankee is a high clewed jib (one you can see under) normally used on a cutter and first made by Yanks.


First made by Yanks?? Now who might they be?


----------



## Boasun

US! 
What are Futtock Shrouds and do you have them on your boat?


----------



## sailaway21

Futtock shrouds are iron rods that connect the futtock chain plates to the futtock band. The futtock chain plates are attached to the topmast shrouds and so the futtock shrouds resist the upward pressure of the topmast shrouds.

What's a "mistral"?


----------



## Classic30

sailaway21 said:


> ....
> What's a "mistral"?


A really light breeze. For some reason, the Meditteranean comes to mind...

..And it's also a class of sailing dinghy, but I don't think that's what you were thinking of! 

If you're "sewed", what happened?


----------



## sailaway21

The only part of Harley's answer that is correct is the reference to wind. I'll give a hint; it has some relation to a sirocco.


----------



## Classic30

sailaway21 said:


> The only part of Harley's answer that is correct is the reference to wind. I'll give a hint; it has some relation to a sirocco.


Time's expired so I looked it up. Okay, its a windsurfer - not a dinghy. Not a bad guess though, hey? 

Mistral can refer to:

1. A wind occurring as an atmospheric phenomenon around France and Italy 
2. A missile; 
3. A typeface; 
4. Maserati Mistral, a Grand Touring sports car 
5. Nissan Mistral, a Japanese sport utility vehicle 
6. Aviasud Mistral, An ultralight aircraft 
7. Mistral, an amphibious assault ship of the French Navy 
8. Mistral, a character in the "Merry Gentry" series of books by Laurell K. Hamilton 
9. Pisco Mistral, a Chilean Pisco 
10. An Olympic sailing class. See windsurfing 
11. A character in the anime, manga, and video game|game franchise, .hack 
12. The French-built version of the de Havilland Vampire jet fighter

Aren't France & Italy in the Mediterranean? Which one were you thinking of??


----------



## eryka

Mistral - strong cold winter/early spring wind that comes off the Alps (France & Italy). I think it's the same phenomenon that's called a meltemi in Turkey and Greece.

"Related to" sirocco but isn't that a warm dry mountain wind?


----------



## JohnRPollard

Yes, the strong wind known as "le Mistral" blows down the Rhone valley from the Alps, disbursing and fannning out as it spreads over the Med along the French (and Italian) coastline. In the winter and spring it has a nasty cold bite to it, and even in the summer months (when it also can blow) it will chill your core if you're soaked wet from reefing work on the pitching foredeck.

The Mistral can quickly increase to gale strength, where over the relatively shallow waters of the Med, it creates steep, frightful seas during the early stages of the blow. It is also a deceptive kind of wind, as it is associated typically with crystal clear blue skies -- a cloudless gale that can catch sailors unawares.

Great for windsurfing, though, hence the name of one popular brand of sailboard.


----------



## Zanshin

I've been hit by Mistral winds in the south Alps and they are fierce. I think they are catabatic but when the Mistral is blowing there are few pilots or sailors out


----------



## Plumper

That should be the next question, what are catabatic winds?


----------



## eryka

Plumper said:


> That should be the next question, what are catabatic winds?


Air that spills down the side of a mountain - gravity driven. Cold & dry - dry air is denser than moist air, and cold air is denser than warm air.


----------



## Zanshin

The most feared catabatic winds that I've heard of are in Greenland (ostensibly the can get over 200Knots {can that be true? Perhaps Km/H?}), where the vast highland plains can generate cold, dry air that only "drains" through a few passes; the winds are called williwaws.


----------



## eryka

Even if it is Km/H, that's a pretty hefty speed! Around 100 mph?


----------



## MMR

In Tierra del Fuego in South America as well as in Alaska, a wind known as a williwaw is a particular danger to harbouring vessels. It originates in the snow and ice fields of the coastal mountains. Williwaws commonly blow as high as 100 knots, and 200 knot williwaws have been reported.

Interesting read: Rounding the Horn: Being the Story of Williwaws and Windjammers, Drake, Darwin, Murdered Missionaries and Naked Natives--a Deck's-eye View of Cape Horn  by Dallas Murphy


----------



## merlin2375

Don't think there is an open question out there so here I go 

What is the Rule of Twelfths both definition and what is the actual rule


----------



## eryka

The way the total tide change is distributed over the tide cycle. i.e., very little change in the hour or so before and after high tide or low tide, and most rapid change midway between high and low. (sorry, that's pretty vague, I think 1/12 in the first 2 hours, 2/12 in the second 2 hours, then 3, 3, 2, 1 and back to slack tide)?

Has anyone gotten Hartley 18's "sewed" question?


----------



## eryka

eryka said:


> The way the total tide change is distributed over the tide cycle. i.e., very little change in the hour or so before and after high tide or low tide, and most rapid change midway between high and low. (sorry, that's pretty vague, I think 1/12 in the first 2 hours, 2/12 in the second 2 hours, then 3, 3, 2, 1 and back to slack tide)?


Okay, now that I'm home I was able to look this up - it is 1,2,3,3,2,1, but it's six hours (approx) between high and low tide, not 12 hours. (duh!)

Anyone want to venture a guess what "kumatage" is?


----------



## sailingdog

Depends on whether you're in an area with diurnal or semi-diurnal tides. Some areas only have one high and low tide per day...so twelve hours between tides.


eryka said:


> Okay, now that I'm home I was able to look this up - it is 1,2,3,3,2,1, but it's six hours (approx) between high and low tide, not 12 hours. (duh!)


----------



## Plumper

Regardless of the time between tides, the rule of twelfths applies. Just divide the time between tides by 6 and apply the rule of twelfths. Works for Diurnal, semi diurnal and mixed tides.


----------



## sailaway21

Just to clean up-the mistral is a cold, dry wind from the NW in the Tyrrhenian Sea that flows down off the Alps. The Sirocco is it's counterpart from the south or SE, mostly in the summer, off the Sahara. Pardon the interruption.


----------



## Classic30

eryka said:


> .....
> Has anyone gotten Hartley 18's "sewed" question?


Nope - it got lost in the wind back there somewhere! 

Since it's related to the current (pun intended) discussion I'll give you the answer: If you're "sewed", you've been left high and dry on a mud flat.

It's a British term - so probably not fair on you lot.


----------



## Boasun

The chock on the bow of the ship is called the Bull's Nose. What is the chock at the stern of the ship is called??


----------



## Boasun

Gesh! No One dared to answer my question!? Wimps!

The chock on the bow of the ship is the Bull Nose. The chock at the stern of the ship is the "STERN CHOCK". Did you think I would have said Bull's A$$?? 

What is an Azimuth used for in navigation?


----------



## nolatom

Azimuth is a horizontal measurement of angle to figure out, say, the bearing of some object compared to your own heading, or to work out a triangular fix. Sometimes an azimuth circle is used over a compass repeater for that purpose.

Who remembers the jingle that describes the mast lights for three different types of boats at night? Starts out, "Red over White....."


----------



## Boasun

Red over White: Fishing at Night
Green over White: Trawling at Night
White over Red: Pilot in Bed...............Pilot boat
Red over Red: Captain is dead............Out of Command

You see Green over White on a vessel and near the stern you see White over White. What is going on??


----------



## nolatom

Good, Boats--I heard it a little different:

"Red over white, fishing at night
White over red, Pilot ahead
Red over Green, sailing machine.."

I'll take a guess without looking at the book, though sorely tempted:

Green over white is a fishing trawler, and if there are two whites "near" the stern, then is he towing something? Either way I keep well clear, since he's fishing off the bottom and can't maneuver much.

And I won't try to think of a new question yet, since I lack confidence in my answer..


----------



## Plumper

White over white, the trawler is shooting his nets.


----------



## sailingdog

My WAG is that the trawler is retrieving or deploying nets.


----------



## Boasun

Yah! Red over Green: Sailing machine. Also heard as Red over Green Sex Machine. 

Plumper has it right. What is you Trivia Question?


----------



## Plumper

If white over white is shooting nets, what are the other light signals for trawlers?

Hauling nets-
Nets fast on an obstruction-
Pair trawling-


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> If white over white is shooting nets, what are the other light signals for trawlers?
> 
> Hauling nets-
> Nets fast on an obstruction-
> Pair trawling-


White over Red: Hauling nets
Red over Red: Nets fast on an obstruction
Searchlight toward the other vessel of paired trawling.

While on Rules:
Name one of the two vessels that have the same Fog Signal while underway or at anchor?


----------



## Plumper

I'd have to look that one up.....


----------



## nolatom

I think small vessels are allowed to make the same sound at anchor as underway, but I've kept my hands off "the book"


----------



## Plumper

I did look it up.

The two vessels are:
A pilot vessel on duty sounds 4 short blasts (H) as well as all the other appropriate signals.
A vessel under 12 metres can sound any efficient signal underway or at anchor.


----------



## sailaway21

Actually an azimuth is not the same as a bearing. An azimuth is a bearing of a celestial body, usually the sun, and it's taken with the bearing/azimuth circle (or an alidade) off a gyro repeater as stated. When the aximuth is then reduced it provides for the calculation of gyro compass error which is then commonly used to calculate steering compass error.


----------



## nolatom

Okay, I don't disagree with anyone, but someone has to pose another question, and I'm fairly sure it's not me...


----------



## Plumper

Isn't the azimuth calculated then the bearing taken? If the two agree then the gyro/compass error is zero?
For example, a celestial object can be directly overhead and still have an azimuth but it would be very difficult to take a bearing of it. That is why gyros and compasses are checked with the suns azimuth when the sun is near the horizon (normally).


----------



## sailaway21

You can do it either way, Plumper. But a bearing is taken in the plane of the horizon while an azimuth is taken at an altitude above the horizon. An azimuth is generally taken each watch at sea. You'd usually take it early on the 4-8 watch and late on the 12-4 watch when using the sun.


----------



## bubb2

sorry for the interuption, the common name for _Crux Australis this one is for Simon!_


----------



## sailaway21

Southern cross.

What is ITCZ an abbreviation of, and what is it?


----------



## bestfriend

Is your name Simon? Wanker.


----------



## sailingdog

Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone... aka the Doldrums.


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> I did look it up.
> 
> The two vessels are:
> A pilot vessel on duty sounds 4 short blasts (H) as well as all the other appropriate signals.
> A vessel under 12 metres can sound any efficient signal underway or at anchor.


The correct answers are:
1. A Vessel restricted in her maneuverability while working will sound One prolong and two short while working at anchor or underway.
2. A Fishing vessel while fishing at anchor will sound one prolong and two short.
Both will have an interval not more than two minutes apart when sounding the fog signal.

A pilot vessel at anchor will sound the bell for 5 seconds that can be followed by four short. At an interval of not more than one minute.

HERE is an easy one: Which vessel will sound a fog signal of one prolong and three short at interval of not more than two minutes?


----------



## Idiens

A vessel being towed, or if more than one vessel is towed, the last vessel in the tow.

What is Rule 10?


----------



## Boasun

Idiens said:


> A vessel being towed, or if more than one vessel is towed, the last vessel in the tow.
> 
> What is Rule 10?


The qualifier for the above is "while Manned." An unmanned tow sounds nothing.

Rule 10 Concerns "Traffic Separation Schemes" The vessel obligations of transiting them, crossing them, entering them, fishing in the separation zone and You Do NOT Anchor At or Near the Termination of a TSS. (It is like parking in the middle of an off ramp of a Highway or an intersection of crossroads.)

Would you follow Rule 5 faithfully, While single handing for long distances?


----------



## Idiens

Not a chance. Hence your other puzzle thread about "not under command".

What has NELS to do with navigation?


----------



## Boasun

Idiens didn't give a question...So Your vessel is in shallow water and the bow rides up on its bow wave while the stern sinks into a depression of its transverse wave system. What is this called:
A. Broaching
B. Fish tailing
C. Squatting
D. Parallel sinkage

Do ye dare answer?


----------



## Idiens

Squatting.

And the answer to my question on NELS - 

Northwest European LORAN chainS. - It takes Euro-pions to fit that abbreviation.


----------



## Boasun

Idiens!? Triva question? Please!!

Heck! I always thought (always in trouble when I think) that LORAN was a US thing.


----------



## Idiens

Nest question:_

What's the difference between Australian and New Zealand Ensigns?


----------



## Idiens

Boasun said:


> Idiens!? Triva question? Please!!
> 
> Heck! I always thought (always in trouble when I think) that LORAN was a US thing.


Isn't LORAN trivia? The US Navy sold their LORAN chain to the EU, some of whom have been trying to find a use for it ever since.


----------



## Boasun

In Dutton's and Bowditch the NELS isn't mentioned. Could be the reason why I was ignorant of NELS.


----------



## bubb2

the stars, just one if I remember right


----------



## Boasun

The Australian Ensign (Blue & Red both) Have two more stars in the field.

Your take bearings of 313 true & 076 true on two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix:
A. 048T
B. 101T
C. 142T
D. 187T


----------



## Idiens

They are both what the British would call defaced blue ensigns. (Union flag in the top corner). Both use the stars of the southern cross constellation, but the stars in the NZ ensign are red while those of OZ are white, in addition, the Ozzie's have a large white star below the corner Union flag


----------



## Boasun

Which would a Yacht fly: The Blue ensign or the red ensign of The UK and Its Colonies?


----------



## bubb2

Boasun said:


> The Australian Ensign (Blue & Red both) Have two more stars in the field.
> 
> Your take bearings of 313 true & 076 true on two objects. Which bearing of a third object will give the best fix:
> A. 048T
> B. 101T
> C. 142T
> D. 187T


D. closer to 90'


----------



## Idiens

A yacht should wear the ensign of is state of registry. The red duster is for normal UK registry, but there are many who have been granted the right to fly various blue ensigns, usually defaced. I think the ANZACs would wear their own.


----------



## Boasun

Who is Charlie Noble??


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

Charlie's been in this thread previously.


----------



## Classic30

Idiens said:


> A yacht should wear the ensign of is state of registry. The red duster is for normal UK registry, but there are many who have been granted the right to fly various blue ensigns, usually defaced. I think the ANZACs would wear their own.


AFAIK, the Navy & Goverment are the only ones allowed to use the Australian Ensign - it's the Blue Ensign for the rest of us (at least as long as we're a Monarchy!).

Here's one example: Royal Warrant - and, no, I'm not a member.


----------



## Idiens

Hartley is right - have a look at

New Zealand Flags from The World Flag Database

Australian Flags (Australia) from The World Flag Database

So it mirrors the UK's traditions.


----------



## nolatom

Let's move on from flags to something else:

What's a tripping palm, and what's it for?


----------



## sailingdog

It is a projecting piece or extension found on a stockless anchor that causes the anchor to turn to the proper position to bury the flukes when you pull on the anchor rode.


----------



## Boasun

What is your trivia question, SailingDog?


----------



## sailingdog

Why did sailors traditionally wear a gold earring??


----------



## Boasun

So they can pay the Ferry man in order to cross the river Stix into the after life.


----------



## Zanshin

I thought you only get a gold earring after having (survived) a trip past the Cape of Good Hope (and coins on the eyes were used to pay the ferryman).


----------



## sailingdog

Close, but no cigar... Charon, the ferryman only accepted silver.


----------



## Classic30

Hartley18 said:


> Time's expired so I looked it up. Okay, its a windsurfer - not a dinghy. Not a bad guess though, hey?
> 
> Mistral can refer to:
> .....


Here's some trivia: Turns out you can't believe all you read on the Internet and that I was right after all!!!   

Page 228 of "The Observer's Book of Sailing Craft of Australia and New Zealand" shows a picture of the 12ft *Mistral* 2-up sailing dinghy and notes that "..it was the first one-design centreboard class in New Zealand."

...we now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming...

*************************************************

I have no idea why sailors wore gold earings particularly, but I know gold was widely used as currency then and that sailors didn't have any safe place to store worldly possessions, so wearing it on your person wouldn't be a bad spot to keep your hard-earned cash??


----------



## fullkeel7

Hey, I think I know this...

The earring(s) were payment for a proper burial to the person who found a sailor washed up on shore in the case of shipwreck or.....

"Horse Latitudes" or "Horse Trades", (generally accepted to be between 30 deg. N and S), Why were they tagged with those names? (my question if I was right about the earrings....I suck at this!)


----------



## sailingdog

Fullkeel's got it... it was so the sailor's would get a Christian burial...  

As for the horse latitudes, it was called such since the winds were often light and fluky, and often horses or other cargo was thrown overboard to lighten the ship.


----------



## fullkeel7

Yep. the dog is correct, I'm guessing they ate their fill before the toss!

Your go dog, that's all for me!


----------



## sailingdog

There are seven chart noted fog signals... four of them are:

Horn, Bell, Whistle and Gong... what are the remaining three???


----------



## Boasun

Time is up: SD will have to come up with the other three.

While underway in thick fog and you hear the cry "man over board." 
Which type of maneuver should you make. 
A. Figure eight turn.
B. Round turn.
C. Racetrack turn.
D. Williamson turn.

I know, I know, sailing in thick fog isn't the way to enjoy sailing.


----------



## Plumper

Williamson turn


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> Williamson turn


At risk of seeming completely ignorant.. WTF is a Williamson turn?? 

Im my humble opinion, if someone goes overboard, you go back and get them - preferably without digging out the textbook first.


----------



## Freesail99

> There are seven chart noted fog signals... four of them are:
> 
> Horn, Bell, Whistle and Gong... what are the remaining three???
> __________________


Now if you just had beans does that count ?


----------



## MARC2012

*turn*

I also would like to here this (wilminson turn,hell may sp wrong)???


----------



## Plumper

The Williamson turn is a turn used to make a vessel go back down its track on the reciprocal course. It is normally executed by turning 60 degrees off course and then reversing your helm until you steady up 180 degrees from the original course (before the first turn). Although not quite perfect in every boat it gets you very close to going back down through the chunk of water you just drove through. It is used for man overboards in limited visibility when you have lost sight of the man. There are also tactical reasons to do the maneouvre but I'd have to ........


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> The Williamson turn is a turn used to make a vessel go back down its track on the reciprocal course. It is normally executed by turning 60 degrees off course and then reversing your helm until you steady up 180 degrees from the original course (before the first turn). Although not quite perfect in every boat it gets you very close to going back down through the chunk of water you just drove through. It is used for man overboards in limited visibility when you have lost sight of the man. There are also tactical reasons to do the maneouvre but I'd have to ........


Thanks, Plumper - I think I get the drift...


----------



## sailingdog

Gun, Siren and Diaphone. BTW, Gun can also be Explosion



Boasun said:


> *Time is up: SD will have to come up with the other three.*
> 
> While underway in thick fog and you hear the cry "man over board."
> Which type of maneuver should you make.
> A. Figure eight turn.
> B. Round turn.
> C. Racetrack turn.
> D. Williamson turn.
> 
> I know, I know, sailing in thick fog isn't the way to enjoy sailing.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Gun, Siren and Diaphone. BTW, Gun can also be Explosion


..of course! Why didn't I think of that! Doh!! 

Lesson learned: When sailing in heavy fog, take lots of ammo!


----------



## Boasun

Here's another question  

Every different type of sailing rig can be dangerous in certain circumstances.
Which situation would most likely be dangerous?

A. A gaff rig is dangerous in a calm wind and sea.
B. A gaff rig is dangerous in a calm wind and a large swell.
C. A square rig, such as a ship rig is dangerous to jibe.
D. A tall Marconi sloop rig is dangerous to tack.


----------



## Plumper

B. Lots of boom and gaff weight slatting back and forth.


----------



## Boasun

18 Hours since the last question was posted...I thought the rules was; *Post an Answer, Ask a Question... *

You are running before a strong wind in a sloop. the most dangerous thing to do is _____________.
A. Jibe
B. Tack about
C. Reef the mainsail
D. Strike the jib

After you post the correct answer, please post a Question!!


----------



## Idiens

Jibing or gybing, depends who you sail with.

Boasun - ask again, I'm all out of questions.


----------



## Boasun

Reaching far back into my mind, which is a dark and scary place, I found another question.

Rules of the Road: International and Inland.
A sailing vessel is proceeding along a narrow channel and can safely navigate ONLY inside the channel. the sailing vessel approaches a vessel engaged in fishing. Which statement is TRUE? 

A. The fishing vessel must sound the danger signal.
B. The fishing vessel shall not impede the passage of the sailing vessel.
C. Each vessel should move to the edge of the channal on her port side.
D. both vessels should be displaying the signal for a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver.


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

B would be my guess.. the fishing boat shouldn't be blocking a navigation channel.


----------



## nolatom

I agree with B. I recall the Rules say "fishing (meaning trawling) over sail", but those classifications are subject to the "vessel constrained by draft" rule, which is the bigger rule, for obvious reasons.

Okay, I agree we have to pose an new question if we want the glory of answering the last one.

At night, you see red, green, and single white above. You know it's a motor vessel heading at you, at least for the moment. She's showing the proper lights for her type and size. What's the largest this vessel can be before she has to show two whites (meaning mast and range)?


----------



## Boasun

Rule 9(c) fishing vessels are not to impede any vessel confined in the channel.

When anchored, increasing the scope of the anchor chain normally serves to ____________.

A. Prevent fouling of the anchor
B. Decrease swing of the vessel
C. Prevent the dragging of the anchor
D. Reduce strain on the windlass.


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun obviously hasn't read the rules...


----------



## Boasun

Nolatom
That would be a vessel less than 50 meters (164.62 feet) Greater than 50 meters you need to show the after mast head light. but remember a vessel less than 50 meters may show that light if they desire to.

Am home right now and am on the slower of the slow dial ups.


----------



## Plumper

Boasun said:


> Nolatom
> That would be a vessel less than 50 meters (164.62 feet) Greater than 50 meters you need to show the after mast head light. but remember a vessel less than 50 meters may show that light if they desire to.
> 
> Am home right now and am on the slower of the slow dial ups.


It could be a warship greater than 50m because warships are exempt for showing the exact rules for length.


----------



## Boasun

Sailed on US Navy ships for years and we complied with the rules, the exempted was the Aircraft carriers and yet they came very close to the rules but for the fact that their masthead lights were over on the starboard side. And the submarines... most of their length was underwater and their exposed conning tower is to small for displaying two masthead lights. But then they have a special flashing light to identifying them.

What is that special flashing light for submarines, the color and sequence of the light?? 

Note: I have observed a submarine of another nation late at night not showing any lights at all. Hmmmmm! Atlantic, off the coast of Canada and it wasn't a Canadian sub either. Possibility an eastern block sub???


----------



## Plumper

How did you know it was not a Canadian sub?

Submarines show a Grimes light - Amber flashing light sometimes.

Question - Which way do subs bank in a hard turn, into the turn or away from the turn? Is it the same surfaced as when dived?


----------



## nolatom

Wow, Plumper, I don't know, so I'll guess (educated, though only slightly). I think a sub on the surface will heel away from her turn on the surface, and into it when underwater. 

And I know warships may be exempt from the Navrules regarding lights, I'm just talking about the more "typical" encounters, i.e., is that a big ship heading for you (two whites, mast and range) or a smaller more maneuverable one (one white only, unless she chooses to carry mast and range)? The answer means something to me in practical terms, as to who's more maneuverable, which is what I think the Colregs ultimately try to address.

On the off-chance that my answer was correct, another question:

What's the primary difference between whistle signals (meaning one or two whistles) under the Inland Rules and under the International Rules? (and it's a meaningful difference in practice).


----------



## Plumper

You're correct. They "fly" underwater and drive like a boat on top.

Typically, warships try to adhere to the rules as much as possible but frequently they are limited by their shape and configuration when it comes to lighting. Most countries have a provision in their interpretation of the rules exempting their warships, especially in local waters.


----------



## Boasun

International:
One short> I am altering my course to Starboard.
Two short> I am altering my course to Port.

Inland:
One short> I intend to leave you to my port side.
Two short> I intend to leave you to my starboard side.

Int & Inland:
three short> I am operating astern propulsion. 
One prolong> blind bend signal.

Inland:
One prolong> Underway at this time.

What is a WIG in the rules??  I don't mean toupee's... Have you seen one in operation??


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> ....
> What is a WIG in the rules??  I don't mean toupee's... Have you seen one in operation??


Wild guess here, not being in the same part of the world..

Could be "Wing In Ground-effect" craft - half-plane, half-boat, and hence has to show lighting for both types.

I have seen one in operation (during daylight hours) and to say the sight was awesome would be an understatement. I would *not* like to be on a small boat anywhere near one at night - they fly very fast and below mast-head height..


----------



## Boasun

Hartley18 said:


> Wild guess here, not being in the same part of the world..
> 
> Could be "Wing In Ground-effect" craft - half-plane, half-boat, and hence has to show lighting for both types.
> 
> I have seen one in operation (during daylight hours) and to say the sight was awesome would be an understatement. I would *not* like to be on a small boat anywhere near one at night - they fly very fast and below mast-head height..


They fall in the pecking order as a sea plane (which is below the power driven vessel). And when they are operating are required to stay clear of other vessels... those things go about 150 to 200 knots. WOW!

Your ship is sinking rapidly. A container containing an inflatable liferaft has bobbed to the surface upon functioning of the hydrostatic release. Which action should you take?

A. Cut the painter line so it will not pull the liferaft container down.
B. Swim away from the container so you will not be in danger as it goes down.
C. Take no action because the painter will cause the liferaft to inflate and open the container.
D. Manually open the container and inflate the liferaft with the hand pump.


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> They fall in the pecking order as a sea plane (which is below the power driven vessel). And when they are operating are required to stay clear of other vessels... those things go about 150 to 200 knots. WOW!


Sea planes take off and fly away - these things don't. Like I said.. it's better not to be anywhere near one on a small boat - particularly at night, when the most common expression from those nearby will be "What the f*** was that??". I reckon a cruise missile would be quieter and less likely to interrupt a fine day's sailing. 

So.. did I get the question right? If so, ain't it my turn to post a question?? 



Boasun said:


> Your ship is sinking rapidly. A container containing an inflatable liferaft has bobbed to the surface upon functioning of the hydrostatic release. Which action should you take?
> 
> A. Cut the painter line so it will not pull the liferaft container down.
> B. Swim away from the container so you will not be in danger as it goes down.
> C. Take no action because the painter will cause the liferaft to inflate and open the container.
> D. Manually open the container and inflate the liferaft with the hand pump.


"C". ...but if the ship is sinking rapidly, you'd better get to the liferaft quick 'cause it's not going to just hang around and wait for you.


----------



## Classic30

Okay.. What's a "frog"??


----------



## craigtoo

Hartley18 said:


> Okay.. What's a "frog"??


Oh OH OHhhHHpoh! Yes.. I know this one!

Maybe I should put down the beer and go to bed....


----------



## Classic30

craigtoo said:


> Oh OH OHhhHHpoh! Yes.. I know this one!
> 
> Maybe I should put down the beer and go to bed....


Predictable, but not quite what I had in mind.. hence the "".  

Anyone else?? C'mon you ex-Navy types, you should know this one!!


----------



## Boasun

The "frog" is the metal buckle of the rifle sling. Also the closures of oil skins.
Also the saber scabbard attachment point on your dress belt.

A Distress signal___________________________-.

A. Consists of 5 or more short blasts of the fog signal apparatus.
B. May be used separately or with other distress signals.
C. Consists of the raising and lowering of a large white flag.
D. Is used to indicate doubt about another vessel's intentions.


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> The "frog" is the metal buckle of the rifle sling. Also the closures of oil skins.
> Also the saber scabbard attachment point on your dress belt.


Bingo. It actually refers to the closure itself, but good enough. 



Boasun said:


> A Distress signal___________________________-.
> 
> A. Consists of 5 or more short blasts of the fog signal apparatus.
> B. May be used separately or with other distress signals.
> C. Consists of the raising and lowering of a large white flag.
> D. Is used to indicate doubt about another vessel's intentions.


Obviously "B"... but, Boasun, where on earth are you getting these questions from? It's supposed to be Trivia, remember?? Not "Navigation 101"...


----------



## Boasun

I'm an instructor of maritime science. 
Trivia? Try this one: What is the Jigger Mast??


----------



## AlanBrown

That's the rear-most or fourth mast around which they take the photos of the Hooters sailing team. Ooops, didn't you say "jiggle" mast?


----------



## Boasun

Nope said "Jigger Mast" But do want to see the Hooter's Pics. _Hey I'm a normal healthy male._

Where is the *'Jew's Harp' *on your boat?


----------



## nolatom

I've heard the "jigger" used to describe the mizzen mast, or sail, on a ketch or yawl.

Before the days of jiffy-reefing, one of the big advantages of a divided rig was that when the wind piped up, you could avoid tying those horrible old reef points and just drop the main, and keep on sailing with jib and mizzen, also known as "jib and jigger".

I can't answer Boasun's question, though I believe at one time when I had more brain cells, I knew it...


----------



## Boasun

Come on folks! What is a Jew's Harp? Practically every boat has one or more of them on board. If nothing else look it up in your Knight's or Chapman's
One hint: It is not the musical instrument that some of you may be thinking of.


----------



## Boasun

Time is up People! You should be ashamed of yourselves 

You use the Jew's Harp every time you anchor. Gesh! 
The Jew's Harp is the schackle that connects the anchor chain to the Anchor shank 
Without the Jew's Harp you couldn't do this. And be unable to anchor your vessel in your favorite cove. 

Now where do you find a gudgeon on your vessel? This is an easy one folks


----------



## JohnRPollard

Boasun said:


> Now where do you find a gudgeon on your vessel? This is an easy one folks


A transom hung rudder is attached to the stern by dropping the pintles into the stern-mounted gudgeons. Also, some keel- and skeg-hung rudders drop into a gudgeon shoe at the trailing lower corner of the keel or skeg.

How many locations are there on earth where you can walk a mile due south, a mile due east, and a mile due north, and end up at precisley the same coordinates where you began?


----------



## nolatom

Well, I'd guess only one the North Pole, if we're talking true compass.

Or is there some magic spot in the northern Canada islands where you could do the same thing with a magnetic compass?

Whether I'm wrong or right, and I don't know, at any rate, another question:

What type of vessel can you be, and how large, to still be able to legally get away with having only a flashlight as your "running lights" at night??


----------



## Boasun

Less the seven meters and under oars or sail.


What and how is the nautical slide rule used for boating?


----------



## Plumper

Speed, time and distance.

No question.


----------



## Boasun

Here's one:
When does a sailboat have a pair of wings??


----------



## tomaz_423

nolatom said:


> Well, I'd guess only one the North Pole, if we're talking true compass.


I do not agree with this:
There are infinite other points on earth where you can do this walk. 
They are located close to South Pole. 
Just think: One mile east can be full circle around the South pole to the same point. So, any starting point a mile north of such point qualifies.
Or One mile can be two circles, ... So there are endless possibilities..


----------



## JohnRPollard

tomaz_423 said:


> I do not agree with this:
> There are infinite other points on earth where you can do this walk.
> They are located close to South Pole.
> Just think: One mile east can be full circle around the South pole to the same point. So, any starting point a mile north of such point qualifies.
> Or One mile can be two circles, ... So there are endless possibilities..


Tomaz got it right: There are an _infinite number of locations_, for the reason he explained.

If I had said "in the northern hemisphere", then the only possible answer would have been the North Pole.

Your turn Tomaz.


----------



## Boasun

JohnRPollard said:


> Tomaz got it right: There are an _infinite number of locations_, for the reason he explained.
> 
> If I had said "in the northern hemisphere", then the only possible answer would have been the North Pole.
> 
> Your turn Tomaz.


You are forgetting the effects of the Precession and the Coriolis effect, both of which will throw the lesser skilled navigator off by several yards.  

Now that I have jerked your chain in the realm of "Wool over the Eyes". The Question that I have presented needs to be answered. Seeing that neither of you have presented one that will stump the less knowledgeable of us. Well?

When will a sail boat have a pair of wings?? And what is the Apparent wind??


----------



## Plumper

There are wing keels so that should constitute a pair. Apparent wind is the relative wind your boat sees when it is not stationary. Apparent wind is why fast boats are always reaching or beating. Apparent wind is why the wind always comes from ahead of your car on the highway.

What is the dip of a compass?


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> There are wing keels so that should constitute a pair. Apparent wind is the relative wind your boat sees when it is not stationary. Apparent wind is why fast boats are always reaching or beating. Apparent wind is why the wind always comes from ahead of your car on the highway.
> 
> What is the dip of a compass?


Not even close When you are sailing with the wind dead astern of you and you have a sail on each side, thus sailing Wing & Wing. Don't you have a pair of wings?

Dipping the compass? Is when you dip your compass in the spaghetti sauce to let it simmer. Mmmmm! tasty compass ala fettuccine

Really is adjusting the compass for heeling error.

What is the basic element for comparing a gyro compass to a Manetic compass?


----------



## Plumper

Boasun said:


> Really is adjusting the compass for heeling error.


Not even close. The dip of the compass occurs as you approach magnetic north and the compass needle is pulled down causing compass error. Heeling error is caused by the heeling of the vessel in which the compass is mounted causing the magnetic field around the compass to change affecting compass accuracy.

Variation is the correction used to convert from magnetic to true (which is usually where a gyro points). Deviation is used to correct the various errors imposed by the ship as it turns through 360 degrees.

What is ice blink?


----------



## cardiacpaul

ice blink...
thats what thecuban does when she wants her malibu and coke cooled off. (yes dear)


----------



## sailingdog

CP-

She has you very well trained...


----------



## nolatom

Following up on that variation question....

What do True Virgins and Dead Men have in common (and I hope the answer has to do only with navigation, otherwise I don't want to know about it..)


----------



## Plumper

True virgins make dull companions as do dead men. They are both part of the mnemonic for remembering how to convert true bearing to magnetic and compass bearings.

True + Variation = Magnetic + Deviation = Compass


----------



## nolatom

Yeah, but we know dead men make dull companions. But what they can do (at least in Louisiana) is vote twice at elections (when going from compass to true (but you knew that).

This all used to make a difference in New England when I grew up, and the variation was 8 or 9 degrees (?). Now I'm down south at 90 west, and the variation is almost zero, it's more of an academic exercise, I can't steer finer than the variation anyway.

Oh, crap, I have to think of a new question. What's a whistle light?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> Oh, crap, I have to think of a new question. What's a whistle light?


That would be a navigational marker (buoy/pole/etc.) fitted with a sound signal for operation in low visibility/fog.

What's a Spanker? (no, not the mother-in-law)


----------



## Boasun

Hartley18 said:


> That would be a navigational marker (buoy/pole/etc.) fitted with a sound signal for operation in low visibility/fog.
> 
> What's a Spanker? (no, not the mother-in-law)




A whistle light is when as in accordance with the rule, is a light synchronized with the vessel's whistle. Inland it can be white or yellow with Vis. 2 NM. Colregs it is white with Vis. 5 NM.

The Spanker is the Gaff sail on the mizzen mast of a full rigged ship.

What is St Elmo's Light/fire?


----------



## Idiens

Visible static electricity discharge, usually seen at the mast head.

What's Region A and Region B?


----------



## Plumper

Could be IALA regions.

If so, what is the major difference?


----------



## Boasun

Region B is North & South America, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
Region A is Every place else. This does include Europe.

What is the main difference between Region A & B??


----------



## Plumper

An even better question: why are there two bouyage systems?

- I don't know the answer to that -


----------



## sailingdog

IALA-B is Red Right Returning, IALA-A is Green Right Returning... VERY BIG DIFFERENCE


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> An even better question: why are there two bouyage systems?
> 
> - I don't know the answer to that -


Because you lot in the US of A like to do things differently to everyone else!   More on that here

Seriously though, colouring of lateral markers (the main difference) anywhere in the world is a reasonably recent thing and, IIRC, developed differently in the US (and it's colonies) at the same time as it did in Europe and the UK (and it's colonies). The two parties simply could not agree.

..but *we* still think System A is wrong!  

IMHO, when running for shelter on a dark and stormy night, it is *way* more comforting to line up the port side with the red lights in the distance and the starboard side with green and know you are thus in safe water. ..but that's something for a whole other thread.


----------



## nolatom

I learn something every day. I've never sailed outside the "New World", and maybe I'd better not, I'll run aground first time in, old habits die hard. I guess this is why we take local pilots.

Okay, slang trivia. What's potentially deadly in a bad guy's pocket, but essential at the top of your mast?


----------



## djodenda

A "shiv"/sheeve


----------



## sailingdog

Nolatom-

If you're talking about shivs and sheaves... you're spelling shiv wrong.  


Besides, it was my turn to ask a question.  I answered the IALA question... you didn't 

What is a moonraker or moonsail??? When is it used??


----------



## djodenda

Guessing... The inverted triangular sail thingy that goes between the masts of a ketch or yawl?


Doohh... That's not it.


----------



## nolatom

That's why I said it was slang.

Uh, sorry. I thought the question came along with the answer. Didn't see one.

Mea Sorta Culpa. And I don't know the answer to the new question.


----------



## sailingdog

The answer will probably have to wait until one of the old-timers gets a peek at it.  I've never used one, since most of the boats I've sailed on are Bermudan rigged. But I have photos of one in use someplace here.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> ....
> What is a moonraker or moonsail??? When is it used??


Thanks for the hint, SD.... I would never have guessed if you hadn't posted that! 

On an old square-rigger it was the sail above the skysail which is up there somewhere above the t'gallant which is above the topsails which is above the mainsails... but I don't imagine it would be used very often. As if the tops'ls aren't far enough off the deck!!


----------



## sailingdog

Good job Cameron.  I figured a hint was probably necessary with that one.


----------



## Classic30

My go, huh? Okay...

What's a "trunnel" and where is it used??


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Damn, this has something to do with joinery, I've heard this before.

I'm going to guess something simular to a dovetailing or finger jointing

definitly woodwork related


----------



## poopdeckpappy

I looked it up, no cigar for me


----------



## Classic30

You're on the right track..  

Would its being a conglomeration of the term "tree-nail" help??


----------



## poopdeckpappy

I know what it is now, but I was closer to wrong than right

great question though


----------



## Classic30

poopdeckpappy said:


> I know what it is now, but I was closer to wrong than right
> 
> great question though


So.. if you know what it is, are you going to post the answer?? Go on..


----------



## sailingdog

A trunnel is a wooden peg that is used to fasten the planks to the frames on wooden boats. Gui and I saw a trunnel making machine back at the Essex ShipBuilding Museum a few weeks ago. Guys were paid a PENNY a trunnel to make the holes in the oak boards and frames... And that was with a bit and brace... Talk about a hard day's work.

Where did the slang term "tar" that refers to sailors originate???


----------



## Boasun

Tar: Here the sailor was a victim of fashion hype. He would tar his que (a braid of his hair in back). 

And what did he use to keep the tar off of his shirt?


----------



## sailingdog

Actually, you're only partially correct IIRC... they also tarred their trousers and hats to waterproof them.


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> Actually, you're only partially correct IIRC... they also tarred their trousers and hats to waterproof them.


I really am not old enough to recall this fact and have to take your word for it.  

What is the difference tween a cutter and a sloop?


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Best thread i read so far. like a nautical encyclopedia, guys!


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Hartley18 said:


> So.. if you know what it is, are you going to post the answer?? Go on..


No sir, I missed it, and I knew someone here would get it.


sailingdogActually, you're only partially correct IIRC... they also tarred their trousers and hats to waterproof them.

and they called them "Jack Tars "


----------



## zz4gta

Boasun said:


> What is the difference tween a cutter and a sloop?


Number of head sails I thought? Cutter has 2 or more? Or is it the type of head sail?


----------



## sailingdog

That's the major difference, but the mast on a sloop is generally further forward than that on a cutter.


----------



## nolatom

I think the idea was to have a slightly smaller main, and with the mast further aft, on a cutter, so it was easier to reduce sail: reef a smaller main, and drop the outer jib, and you're reefed for heavier weather.

Now, you don't see cutters so much, because the winch and jiffy-reefing main and roller-reefing jib arrangements mean you can reduce sail area forward and aft without having to go forward of the mast. So you might as well have a sloop, they're better-balanced, and point better.

Whose question next?


----------



## sailingdog

It also allowed you to reduce your sailplan and keep the center of effort relatively well centered, by using a smaller sail on the inner forestay. Another advantage was that a cutter, having two headsails, would have two slots, and would often be able to get a bit more power that way.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

***deleted****


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> A trunnel is a wooden peg that is used to fasten the planks to the frames on wooden boats. Gui and I saw a trunnel making machine back at the Essex ShipBuilding Museum a few weeks ago. Guys were paid a PENNY a trunnel to make the holes in the oak boards and frames... And that was with a bit and brace... Talk about a hard day's work.
> 
> Where did the slang term "tar" that refers to sailors originate???


To answer the question properly: In the good old days (that were neither good nor old) rigging was coated with Stockholm Tar.

Sailors climbing the rigging would thus invariably get covered with the stuff - hence the term "Tar" or "Jack Tar" - that's what they looked like! ...of course it didn't help that they tarred their clothing as well to keep it waterproof, but since it was likely already partly covered by contact with the rigging it would only neaten the appearance.

They even put the stuff in their hair - mostly by accident (since they already had it on their hands) but also to keep their hair out of the way whilst aloft. (No hairdessers in them thar days, remember.)  

IIRC, the tar is also the reason Sailmakers on board never went aloft - they didn't want to get their hands dirty!!! (Ever wondered where that expression came from?? Now you know!... )


----------



## sailingdog

Hartley-

What's your question.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Hartley-
> 
> What's your question.


On the subject of rigs - what's a "cat" rig?!?


----------



## sailingdog

Sailboat with a mast stepped fairly far forward, single sail, usually gaff rigged.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Sailboat with a mast stepped fairly far forward, single sail, usually gaff rigged.


With the exception of the "usually gaff rigged" bit (there are dozens of cat-rigged racing dinghys and catamarans out there) - correct! 

It's interesting to consider the language where, for example, an International A-Class is a "cat-rigged cat"!! 

Your question, Dog.


----------



## nolatom

Cat rig, to me, just means all main, no jib. A Laser could be cat-rigged, and so could a Freedom or a Cape Cod catboat.


----------



## sailingdog

Nolatom-

The location of the mast is important as well. 

Here's the next question:

What are sagging and hogging when used to describe a ship or boat??


----------



## Plumper

That is the longitudinal action of the ship in a seaway. Sagging is when the ends of the ship are supported and the middle sags and hogging is when the middle is supported and the ends drop.

Maybe it is the other way round.


----------



## nolatom

You're right. And a clever chief mate can hog a ship just a little when he needs to load more cargo but not get past his midships loadline..


----------



## Plumper

My question:

What is the origin of a "Code Zero" sail?


----------



## nolatom

Not only do I not know the origin, I don't even know what a "code zero" sail is. How did I get by all these years without one?


----------



## lbdavis

Wasn't code zero a really bad soft drink from the 80's?


----------



## sailaway21

I don't know the answer either but I know that the Portagee wants one so I can deduce two things; they're expensive and their probable sole function is to extract the last possible bit of speed from your boat. (g)


----------



## sailingdog

A Code Zero is a flat cut asymmetric spinnaker that can be used to go upwind. It acts much like a really oversized Genoa, and is smaller than a full asymmetri. The name comes from the sail loft which invented the sail, Doyle Sails. Don't know why they call it a Code Zero though.


----------



## Boasun

Because they want to. That is why.


----------



## Boasun

the question that everyone should think about is:
On a sailing vessel, it is best to approach a person in the water by placing them on your______________.
A. Leeward side.
B. Windward side.
C. Bow.
D. Transom.


----------



## djodenda

B






Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb


----------



## Idiens

I think it's a debatable point depending on the boat and the wind and waves.

A. You might drift over the MOB and the topsides may be too high.
B. You might drift away from MOB too quickly plus topside issue.
C. Depends on the transom.
D. Bad news.

For my boat, I'd try the stern lee-side, as my best bet of getting a MOB back on board is at the stern. Plus there's something for the MOB to hang onto there.


----------



## sailaway21

You're up, Idiens!


----------



## sgkuhner

You want to be down wind of him. If you approach him from your leeward side (to windward of him) you might be thrown by a wave on top of him. You want to get him amid-ships and get a line from the end of your boom on a block and tackle around him with the boom out to windward so you can winch him up and swing the boom over the cockpit.


----------



## sailingdog

It really depends on the boat, the wind and waves in each particular situation. You can't have a single answer for this, as there are far too many variables.



sgkuhner said:


> You want to be down wind of him. If you approach him from your leeward side (to windward of him) you might be thrown by a wave on top of him. You want to get him amid-ships and get a line from the end of your boom on a block and tackle around him with the boom out to windward so you can winch him up and swing the boom over the cockpit.


----------



## Idiens

Any idea where the name "kedge" comes from?


----------



## Idiens

Yea, well that kinda killed the thread:-

So kedge comes from kedging (it's supposed to be trivia) and kedging maybe comes from old English caggon or Swedish keka, either of which seems imply dragging something along.

So who else has a trivial question?


----------



## djodenda

I do!!! I do!!!

Name at least TWO sailboat models named after celestial bodies.

Yes, I know the first one is easy

David


----------



## djodenda

OK.. This isn't going well.

Time for a hint.

You all know the easy one.

The hard one is named after a type of celestial body that is seen infrequently. The most famous of these types of celestial bodies is only seen by Earthlings every 75-76 years.


----------



## nolatom

Ah, the Comet.

And the Albin Vega

Sky trivia then: Towards where do you "follow the arc"..?


----------



## Zanshin

Towards the Caribbean if you "follow the ARC..."


----------



## djodenda

nolatom said:


> Ah, the Comet.
> 
> And the Albin Vega


Hadn't thought about the Vega. I was thinking of the Star.

We had one Comet we sailed at Summer camp. It had a reputation for being a bit unstable, but was fast! It could certainly beat the Snipes, and gave a good chase to the Lightning

Comet Class


----------



## nolatom

Sorry, I was thinking about something more permanent than Stars, Comets, or Lightning. Though I'd be happy to sail any one of these three.

But my "arc" question I think is still on the floor. I'm thinking of a celestial arc that leads you to other celestial objects...


----------



## sailaway21

I'm thinking of following the arc of the "handle" of Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, to Arcturus and Spica or you can follow the arc of the "handle" of Ursa Minor, the Little Dipper, to Polaris.


----------



## nolatom

That's it, I was thinking of,"follow the arc to Arcturus, then speed on down to Spica".

For Polaris, I always relied on the pointing stars from the spoon of the Big Dipper/Ursa major. Nothing else around Polaris is all that bright.

The floor is yours for a new question....


----------



## sailaway21

What is sidereal hour angle?


----------



## Plumper

The difference between GHA and the observed position of the body if memory serves.


----------



## sailaway21

(the angular measurement westward from the first point of Aries, which is GHA, to the hour circle of the body) You're up, Plumper!


----------



## Plumper

What are "Barber haulers"?


----------



## sailingdog

A Barber Hauler is a Block on a line used to pull another line, usually a genoa or jib sheet inboard to allow the boat to point higher.

To an inuit, a Kayak is only considered a kayak if piloted by a man. What does a Inuit call a kayak if the pilot is a woman???


----------



## nolatom

I have also used barberhaulers to pull a jib sheet outboard as well, to open up the leech on a reach.

And I have no idea about what the guy Inuits call the girl's kayak, and am afraid to guess ;-)


----------



## Boasun

nolatom said:


> I have also used barberhaulers to pull a jib sheet outboard as well, to open up the leech on a reach.
> 
> And I have no idea about what the guy Inuits call the girl's kayak, and am afraid to guess ;-)


The woman's boat is called a Umiak.

What is the narrow shallow boat in the Louisiana bayous called?


----------



## Boasun

Hey guys & gals you never rode in a prorogue? which is a canoe like boat here in the southland of USA.

When will you use the term "Horsing around" on a vessel?


----------



## Plumper

Kinda gave that one away on the other thread didn't you?


----------



## Boasun

OOPSIES!! Sorry about that.... then you or another should be able to answer it.


----------



## Boasun

Okay.... for a question... What is the name of the top of the mast that sticks out for your main or Jib halyards to be attached to


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun—

Wouldn't that be a masthead truck?

My question: What is another name for the RATLINE hitch???


----------



## nolatom

Boasun said:


> The woman's boat is called a Umiak.
> 
> What is the narrow shallow boat in the Louisiana bayous called?


Whoa...

I was away from the keyboard a while. Sorry I missed "pirogue" (as opposed to just a "bateau", which is bigger). A good brown-water question.

I think a ratline hitch is a clove hitch.l

On the chance that's right, I'll go back to the bayou for another question:

You're near an offshore platform. What's an "A-G valve", and why should you care?


----------



## sailingdog

Correct. 


nolatom said:


> Whoa...
> 
> I was away from the keyboard a while. Sorry I missed "pirogue" (as opposed to just a "bateau", which is bigger). A good brown-water question.
> 
> *
> I think a ratline hitch is a clove hitch.l*
> 
> On the chance that's right, I'll go back to the bayou for another question:
> 
> You're near an offshore platform. What's an "A-G valve", and why should you care?


----------



## Boasun

A-G valve? On a platform I would guess it is the relief valve. And you should care because some of the gases released is H2S, Which is highly toxic.

Can you give a boat builder in Iraq, India, or even Bermuda a carving of the boat you want and expect him to build to that spec.?


----------



## nolatom

Correct. Most of the Anderson-Greenwood valves are pressure relief, and around a platform can release gas, with or without hydrogen sulfide. I've heard of at least one casualty (fire) to a boat that was too close and provided an ignition source. So be careful, whether you're a crew/supply boat, or just a yacht tying up to fish or dive.

I'm guessing the carved-boat-as-plans answer is yes, since it wouldn't be an interesting question otherwise, but I have no knowledge behind this answer and would welcome same.

If another question is needed, can you think of two occasions on a small or medium-sized sailboat where you might have to use a rolling hitch (at least I have)?


----------



## sailingdog

By carving, if you mean a half-hull or whole hull model...sure, that was typically how boats were designed and lofted until not all that long ago. Iraq, India and possibly Bermuda are probably still using that method in many places.

Nolatom-

One, using a snubber on an all-chain rode. Two, using a second line to change the boat's angle if the seas and wind aren't aligned when at anchor.


----------



## nolatom

SD, I'll buy that. I've used it to take the load off a jib sheet so I can clear a winch override.

And in smaller boats, where the wind dies on all of you and the tow-all-of-you-in boat just trails one long tow line, that's how you make fast to it whenever you're not the last boat in the tow. And if you don't know how to do it, and your "hitch" ends up slipping, you will get a doofus award from the boats behind you, and the towing boat.


----------



## nolatom

SD, are you the next question-asker? You just got two answers right.


----------



## sailingdog

An aircraft circles your vessel three times while gunning its engine, and then heads off to the north. What do you do, and why?


----------



## Boasun

You would follow the plane to the north to assist a vessel in distress.


What is the "Luminous Range" and how would you use it?


----------



## mabugov

flyingwelshman said:


> The term used to describe rum.
> Where does it come from?


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Grog is short for the name of the coat or cape that a certain Admiral used to wear. When he realized that his British sailors were continually getting drunk drinking their daily rum rations, he ordered that the rum be watered down. In response, sailors named their new drink "grog" in a derogatory way to signify that the Admiral had got at it and it wasn't the same anymore.

Marvin


----------



## nolatom

Without looking it up, educated guess is it's the distance-off at which a fixed light can be seen. You'd use it to gauge your distance offshore when it first comes into view (assuming of course fair skies).

If this is wrong, then I don't have to pose another question.

If by chance it's right:

In fog, you hear somewhere ahead one long and three short; just before that, you heard one long and two short. You're a sailboat. What (if anything) do you do now?


----------



## Plumper

Slow down to bare steerage until you figure out what it is and where it is going. By the signals it is likely a tug with a manned tow.


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> Slow down to bare steerage until you figure out what it is and where it is going. By the signals it is likely a tug with a manned tow.


And don't go between the tug and his tow either!!


----------



## Plumper

You are sailing along the shoreline in the early evening past a view point with a parking lot looking out to sea. As you approach the point one of the cars in the parking lot sounds two one second blasts and a five second blast on his horn. A short time later he does it again and this time accompanies it with light signals on his headlights that are the same, two short and one long. What is he doing? What should you do, if anything?


----------



## Boasun

The driver of the car is signaling to you that 'Your are running into Danger.' And with that information you should reverse course and determine where you are at, whether if it is safe to continue or not due to your draft. And if that driver proves true, thank him.

You hear a vessel near by sound three prolong blasts four times and is flying the international code flag "Oscar." What does this Indicates?


----------



## Plumper

Man overboard. (Crew overboard for those politically correct folks) Maneouvre with caution and offer assistance.

You are approaching a busy shipping lane, a large vessel using the lanes suddenly veers to port and sounds 5 short blasts and hoists flag number five. What is likely going on?


----------



## sailaway21

Luminous range is one of the more worthless items one needs to know about for a USCG license exam. It consists of nominal range, as viewed on either the chart or light list, with which you enter the luminous range chart along with the meteorological code for current visibility (which is available practically nowhere) and then extract the luminous range at which you should expect to see the light in question. This is of course after you've determined the geographic range of the light. I've used the former four times in my life; 3rd mate exam, second mate exam, chief mate exam, master's exam. (g)

Plumper, are you drilling us on icebreaker signals now?


----------



## Plumper

sailaway21 said:


> Plumper, are you drilling us on icebreaker signals now?


Nope. But I have used luminous ranges other than on an exam.


----------



## Plumper

I am going to withdraw my question because I think its use is limited to Naval vessels not to merchantmen like I used in my question. Sorry. What it means to a Naval officer is a machinery failure (this one would appear to be steering gear) and a wake up signal to let everyone know.


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> I am going to withdraw my question because I think its use is limited to Naval vessels not to merchantmen like I used in my question. Sorry. What it means to a Naval officer is a machinery failure (this one would appear to be steering gear) and a wake up signal to let everyone know.


Yah! Lets just stick to the International codes and leave off the Naval codes.
He should have flown "CB 2" or "IA 8" for lost of steering gear.

So what is your question?


----------



## nolatom

It's been a while, so at the risk of jumping in line (forgive me in advance):

What are "hounds" to a sailor?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> It's been a while, so at the risk of jumping in line (forgive me in advance):
> 
> What are "hounds" to a sailor?


Either the Captain's Dog (woof, woof) 

or, IIRC, the connection point of the stays to the mast??


----------



## Boasun

Here is a new question:
Where are the dead lights on a vessel and when do you use them??


----------



## djodenda

Dead lights are the transparent thingys in the deck and let light down into the cabin.

You use them during the day. They are not much work at night.

I think....


----------



## djodenda

The Internet says...

Wrong again, David!


----------



## Boasun

TRY AGAIN Folks!!


----------



## sailingdog

Deadlights are any ports that don't open, and used to either see out or let light into the cabin/hull of a boat. Alternatively, storm covers for opening portlights are sometimes referred to as deadlights, but not as common a usage IIRC. 

 The things in the deck that let light in are deck prisms..

What is a Killick??


----------



## Boasun

SD has it. Well fitted storm covers for your port lights & windows 

SD is up for the question


----------



## christyleigh

sailingdog said:


> What is a Killick??


The classic "Killick" is being exhibited by my height challenged First Mate Abby in the picture below as she licks the deck. The compulsive licking has already resulted in a fist sized hairball that was surgically removed over a year ago and even the Admiral says - no more operations..... so she will lick herself to death one of these days. The Psychotropic type drugs failed and the Admiral says no to my suggestion of Valium ... so......


----------



## sailingdog

Umm... You need to start taking your meds again Stan.


----------



## christyleigh

Hey..... with "Trivia" as part of the thread name I couldn't resist


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Killick is the same as a kellogg hitch ( I think ) and is used to tie off or hoist odd shaped objects


----------



## Classic30

Since I missed a go, and since we're on the subject..

Here's a trick question to make sure your'e all awake: What's a "Blue Heeler"??


----------



## Plumper

A Killick is a small anchor used in boats and is also the onboard nickname for a Leading Seaman.

A Blue Heeler is a dog.


----------



## sailingdog

Actually, that would be a killick hitch, which in not what I asked. 


poopdeckpappy said:


> Killick is the same as a kellogg hitch ( I think ) and is used to tie off or hoist odd shaped objects


----------



## poopdeckpappy

sailingdog said:


> Actually, that would be a killick hitch, which in not what I asked.


Damn.....


----------



## Boasun

Ref: American Merchant Seaman's Manual.
A Killick is an anchor that has a wooden frame and is weighed with stones. 
Was until recently, say the last fifty or more years, used in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. 

Who is Iron Mike? And where does he fit into your crew?


----------



## sailingdog

That's actually the full definition I was looking for btw. 


Boasun said:


> Ref: American Merchant Seaman's Manual.
> A Killick is an anchor that has a wooden frame and is weighed with stones.
> Was until recently, say the last fifty or more years, used in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.
> 
> Who is Iron Mike? And where does he fit into your crew?


----------



## nolatom

"Iron Mike is" the autopilot, so I guess he allows the helmsman to walk around a little, though not too much.

Yikes, a question:

what's a kermath?


----------



## nolatom

Make it a capital K?

Anyone? you know this.


----------



## Boasun

must be a regional term for something...

What is the difference between a boat hook and a pike pole??


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> Make it a capital K?
> 
> Anyone? you know this.


Only reference I can find is to a long-extinct brand of marine engine...

Boasun, I would not have thought there was much difference at all between a boat hook and a pike pole?!? Maybe the usage??


----------



## Plumper

A pike pole is a tool used by loggers and a boat hook is used by boaters. The biggest difference is the pike pole has a very sharp point to spear logs. The boat hook is blunt to fend off boats.


----------



## Boasun

And with a pike pole I could snag your clothing if you have fallen overboard. A boathook is more iffy because of the blunt ends. Thus you could slip away...
Okay, Okay that is a bit weird.... sharp pointy ends on the pike pole and blunted ends on the boat hook. Otherwise they look similar.
And Plumper, Your question is?


----------



## Classic30

Plumper said:


> A pike pole is a tool used by loggers and a boat hook is used by boaters. The biggest difference is the pike pole has a very sharp point to spear logs. The boat hook is blunt to fend off boats.


Neat!... It's amazing what you learn on Sailnet. 

Perhaps the "pike pole" could be used by boaters to fend off pirates?? Now there's a thought.


----------



## Boasun

Okay we have two crewmembers named: Iron Mike and Charlie Noble. Now is there any other crewmembers that are on board with similar personalities and jobs?


----------



## BlowinSouth

Hartley18 said:


> Perhaps the "pike pole" could be used by boaters to fend off pirates


Or power boaters!


----------



## Plumper

Otto Helm

My question:

What are garboards?


----------



## sailaway21

They're the strakes just outboard of the keel.


----------



## sailaway21

What does the term _ad valorem_ mean in reference to cargo?


----------



## sailingdog

Believe it means something like in proportion to value and has to do with customs duties on cargo, which are often taxed/levied at a percentage of the value of the cargo.


----------



## nolatom

Hartley18 said:


> Only reference I can find is to a long-extinct brand of marine engine...
> 
> Boasun, I would not have thought there was much difference at all between a boat hook and a pike pole?!? Maybe the usage??


Hartley, you're right. But I thought more people would remember the Kermath engine, some of them lasted a long time. Guess I'm showing my age.


----------



## Boasun

I believe the Kermath went the way of the Union engine. The Union was direct drive and you could start in forward, stop for neutral and then start it in reverse for backing down. No complex transmission involved what so ever.

How was the power driven vessel powered before there were steam engines?


----------



## sailaway21

ad valorem refers to cargo where the frieght rate is not charged by tonnage, but by value of the cargo. There are two versions of tonnage for rate-paying; weight of 2240lbs/ton and volume of 100cuft/ton. ad valorem cargo can be of any size or weight, or lack thereof, but is always rated by it's value.


----------



## nolatom

Boasun said:


> I believe the Kermath went the way of the Union engine. The Union was direct drive and you could start in forward, stop for neutral and then start it in reverse for backing down. No complex transmission involved what so ever.
> 
> How was the power driven vessel powered before there were steam engines?


Oars? Mules along the canal? I dunno.


----------



## sailingdog

So, was I right SWAY???


----------



## sailaway21

Dog,
Sorta. 
You're correct on value but duty/tariff has nothing to do with it. Probably close enough for gummint work.


----------



## sailingdog

What marine broadcast alert starts with the call sign "TTT", and what does it signify??


----------



## Boasun

It was a one horse powered boat... That's right one horse on a thread mill to power the paddle wheels.


----------



## Boasun

The TTT activates the automated Communication equipment at the RCC.

Why did the back staff become popular??


----------



## sailingdog

The backstaff became popular because it could measure up to 90˚ and eliminated the parallax error that was present in previous navigation instruments. It is also known as a Davis Quadrant IIRC.


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> The TTT activates the automated Communication equipment at the RCC.


There's at least one TLA there... but I have no idea what you're talking about!! Could you please explain?  

A small on-topic aside: Everyone here knows that Morse Code is now no longer required knowledge in any maritime training course??


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> The back-staff became popular because it could measure up to 90˚ and eliminated the parallax error that was present in previous navigation instruments. It is also known as a Davis Quadrant IIRC.


Sorry but that is not correct!!
The Back Staff became into general use because your back was to the sun. While with the Quarter Staff you faced the sun and slowly became blind. And that is what you need on your boat. A blind Navigator.  

Now for those of you who have thread mills at home please note the post on the thread mill operated boat. Maybe you can cobble your thread mill to to propeller of your boat and save on the cost of fuel.

INTERNATIONAL RULES: What are the sound signals for passing another vessel in a narrow fairway?? Are they of intention or action?


----------



## nolatom

Without looking it up, and assuming you mean overtaking and not meeting, I think it's two long followed by: one short to overtake him on his starboard side, and two short for port. I think this is a signal of intention, whereas the other international signals are of action, you're actually moving the rudder.

Did I remember this right or wrong?


----------



## sailaway21

Hartley18 said:


> There's at least one TLA there... but I have no idea what you're talking about!! Could you please explain?
> 
> A small on-topic aside: Everyone here knows that Morse Code is now no longer required knowledge in any maritime training course??


It's still required for a USCG issued Oceans license. You have to read flashing light at four words per minute.


----------



## Classic30

sailaway21 said:


> It's still required for a USCG issued Oceans license. You have to read flashing light at four words per minute.


Interesting!.. People still use flashing lights?? 

I've been told that you no longer need it to get an R/T operators license - something to do with the prevalance of emails and the internet. ..and that is supposed to help the average recreational boat owner? Perhaps you're supposed to email for help now?? Whatever is this world coming to...


----------



## nolatom

Do I have the last answer, and therefore the next question?

In what marine casualty were the survivors very glad to see the "Ile De France" show up?


----------



## djodenda

Sinking of the Andrea Doria?


----------



## nolatom

Yes!! Well done.

Along with the correct answer comes the responsibility of asking the next question.


----------



## djodenda

Fortunately, my extensive Seinfeld knowledge supplemented my limited nautical knowledge allowing me to cruise to to this easy victory.

Ahhh.

OK... In the context of Great Lakes sailboat racing, what's an "Old Goat?"


----------



## TSOJOURNER

djodenda said:


> Fortunately, my extensive Seinfeld knowledge supplemented my limited nautical knowledge allowing me to cruise to to this easy victory.
> 
> Ahhh.
> 
> OK... In the context of Great Lakes sailboat racing, what's an "Old Goat?"


Someone who has raced in the Chicago to Macinak race at least 25 times.

In case I got that right...
In Greek mythology, who is Arcas and what does he have to do with celestial navigation?


----------



## djodenda

lassrl said:


> Someone who has raced in the Chicago to Macinak race at least 25 times.
> 
> In case I got that right...
> In Greek mythology, who is Arcas and what does he have to do with celestial naviagation?


We won't count off for spelling, so, it's all yours!

(Mackinac or Mackinaw is correct)


----------



## TSOJOURNER

djodenda said:


> We won't count off for spelling, so, it's all yours!
> 
> (Mackinac or Mackinaw is correct)


Oops! Sorry!


----------



## TSOJOURNER

lassrl said:


> In Greek mythology, who is Arcas and what does he have to do with celestial navigation?


Sorry, that one required a long answer.... Here's the link to wiki for the full story (Sorry I can't post it as a link yet)... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcas. In a nutshell - Arcas, a son of Zeus, became Ursa Minor whose tail is Polaris.

Here's one with a short answer...
The Atlantic has the Gulf Stream... The Pacific has what??


----------



## sailingdog

Humboldt Current for South America, California Current for North America.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

sailingdog said:


> Humboldt Current for South America, California Current for North America.


Close enough... I was thinking of the Kuroshio Current. 

Your go!


----------



## sailaway21

lassrl said:


> Close enough... I was thinking of the Kuroshio Current.
> 
> Your go!


(pretty generous as those currents are on the opposite side of the Pacific from the kuroshio, the Pacific stream!) (g)

batter up!, Dog


----------



## sailingdog

Here's a simple one. If a boat is made fast to the bottom with a single anchor, it is considered "anchored". What is it considered if it is using two anchors???


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> Here's a simple one. If a boat is made fast to the bottom with a single anchor, it is considered "anchored". What is it considered if it is using two anchors???


He is still attached to the bottom and is "Anchored" and not underway. But I believe that the term changes to that he is moored. Especially if he uses a stream moor with an anchor out fore & aft.  

You can List or Heel a vessel but, what is happening if you LADE a vessel??


----------



## sailingdog

You're loading the vessel. Lade as in laden.  

If you hear someone say "six foot seas", how does that differ from him saying "six foot swells", when describing the sea state??


----------



## sailaway21

Seas are commonly considered wind-driven waves but may, in an abbreviated weather report, refer to the combination of sea and swell. Swells are seas produced by wind not at the vessel's location. Seas and swell often come from different directions although, when they come from the same direction, they can make for a particularly nasty ride.


What is an anti-cyclone and where do they occur?


----------



## Boasun

Anti-cyclone, an area of high barometric pressure around which the wind circulates in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern hemsphere. A slow moving fair weather system. 

What is the difference between a Barque and a Barquentine??


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> What is the difference between a Barque and a Barquentine??


I think I know this one.. both are two-masters, but a Barquentine has the mainsail fore-and-aft.


----------



## Boasun

Sorry Hartley Brigs are the two masted ships.
A Barque is three or more masts the fore & main masts are square rigged and the mizzen is Fore & aft.
A Barquentine has only the fore mast square rigged and all others are fore & aft.

What is a Snow??


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Sorry Hartley Brigs are the two masted ships.
> A Barque is three or more masts the fore & main masts are square rigged and the mizzen is Fore & aft.
> A Barquentine has only the fore mast square rigged and all others are fore & aft.


Oops!!   



Boasun said:


> What is a Snow??


'kay.. Snows are brigs with a small trysail mast stepped immediately aft the mainmast.

Did I get that one right?!?


----------



## Boasun

Yes you did...

What is the Question from you now?


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Yes you did...
> 
> What is the Question from you now?


Seeing as we're on the subject.. What's a Carrack?!?


----------



## sailingdog

A carrack was a large three-or-four masted sailing ship used primarily for cargo that was often found sailing in the Med.  Not exceptionally seaworthy IIRC, and that was the reason it was in the Med rather than the Atlantic.

Here's an odd question for the WWII history buffs. 

During WWII, many ships encircled their hull with an electric cable and ran a current through it. Why?


----------



## Boasun

That was for Degaussing the ship, thus eliminating or reducing its magnetic signature. Influence mines were coming into use and magnetic mines were one of them. 
This is from an Ex-Minesweep bos'n

What type of vessel did that Irish Father Brendan supposedly visited America many centuries ago? About the years 564~73. And would you try it again with the same type of vessel? Some of you should be able to remember when this happened


----------



## sailingdog

Damn... i was hoping none of you dinosaurs were on this forum... 

Well done...


Boasun said:


> That was for Degaussing the ship, thus eliminating or reducing its magnetic signature. Influence mines were coming into use and magnetic mines were one of them.
> This is from an Ex-Minesweep bos'n
> 
> What type of vessel did that Irish Father Brendan supposedly visited America many centuries ago? About the years 564~73. And would you try it again with the same type of vessel? Some of you should be able to remember when this happened


----------



## Boasun

HEY!! I am not an old fossil... Just a well aged young man at heart.


----------



## sailingdog

Was it a coracle??

btw, didn't say you were a fossil...just a dinosaur. Fossils are dead by definition, dinosaurs are just really old...  



Boasun said:


> That was for Degaussing the ship, thus eliminating or reducing its magnetic signature. Influence mines were coming into use and magnetic mines were one of them.
> This is from an Ex-Minesweep bos'n
> 
> What type of vessel did that Irish Father Brendan supposedly visited America many centuries ago? About the years 564~73. And would you try it again with the same type of vessel? Some of you should be able to remember when this happened


----------



## nolatom

Boasun,

This is mostly guess and only slightly educated, but was it a leather-skin boat for Father Brendan? Guessing again, the rig was sloop or lateen.

I've guessed wrong before, and will again. But I didn't look it up, just guessed...


----------



## nolatom

So I looked it up, and it was an "ox-leather curragh" according to wikipedia, so to keep things moving in case the next question is mine.

A marine safety question. What ship was a drifting wreck off Bruce Springsteen's home town, and what changes came to US flag ships as a result?


----------



## Boasun

So Many Wreckage to choose from!? Was it the S.S. Electra? A rusted out hulk still in trade that started to sink because the hatches were like sieves. This tightened up the ABS inspections on freighters.


----------



## nolatom

I was thinking of the MORRO CASTLE, a passenger ship that burned during a storm, with great loss of life, enroute New York from Cuba, in the mid-1930s. She ended up off the beach at Asbury Park.

From that casualty came new fire-resistant building requirements for US ships, so that fire wouldn't spread so fast among all that varnished brightwork. Our ships (like the UNITED STATES) were less ornate as a result.

You may be thining of the S/S MARINE ELECTRIC, a conveted T-2 collier with corroded/patched hatch covers, sank (early 1980s) at night off the Va. capes in a winter storm after having stood by all day for a fishing boat in distress. From this tragedy (only 3 survivors) came survival suit requirements, better inspection methods/training as you pointed out, and a culling out of some of the really old tonnage.


----------



## nolatom

Boasun,

Your answer, though not what I was thinking of initally, is close enough for me, even if Springsteen (who hadn't been born then anyway) was from Jersey not Va/Del capes.

So I guess you're up for next question...


----------



## Boasun

Okay moving on:
What is a breeches buoy and what is it used for???


----------



## Plumper

It is a device used for transferring people between two ships underway. It supports the person while he is run across on a jackstay between the ships.


----------



## Boasun

Close enough, but it was mainly used to transfer people from a ship that has grounded and breaking up. The Life Saving Socialities used a K gun to send the messenger line out to the ship. The crew hauled in on that messenger and when they got the Jackline they secured it to a high point on the ship and then hauled the Breeches buoy out to the ship and put a survivor in it and the people on shore would haul them to safety. Used mainly before they had high power driven rescue boats.

And your question is??


----------



## Plumper

When discussimg booms and bowsprits, what is the steeve (sometimes spelled stive)?


----------



## Boasun

Steeve is the angle of your bowsprit. A Highly steeved bowsprit is cock up very high toward the vertical.
You looked hard for that one 

Along similar lines; What are stirrups on a sailing vessel???


----------



## nolatom

Are they a mast-climbing device?


----------



## sailaway21

Stirrups support the foot ropes in between their attachment points under they yardarm and keep the foot rope from sagging under a man's weight.

What internationally recognized signal is 100 years old today?


----------



## nolatom

I'll guess it's "S O S", which gradually replaced "C Q D" around that time. The Titanic, 4 years after 1908, sent both.

In case this guess is right, a navigtion acronym:


What's "SBDR" and why should we be concerned about it?


----------



## Plumper

Steady Bearing Decreasing Range

What you should do is explained in great detail in the Colregs.


What is the "Bower" anchor?


----------



## sailingdog

The Bower anchor is the primary anchor of a boat. It is one that is generally attached to a rode permanently and stowed ready to use.


----------



## sailingdog

What knot commonly used in sailing has variations called French, Portugese, Spanish, Agonquin and Ontario??


----------



## sailaway21

The bowline, although I must confess to unfamiliarity with the latter two.

Staying on the topic of line, what do we refer to as the "standing part"?


----------



## sailingdog

The standing part is the part that is attached to the ship. 

BTW, it would help if I spelled Algonquin properly. 

Why is a "cocked hat" important to a sailor?


----------



## Plumper

A cocked hat would be a fix where the lines (normally three) don't all cross at the same point. It could indicate several things:
-Compass/gyro error
-poor fixing technique
-long period of time between the first and last bearing. 

In any event, the real position of the vessel is vague and, lacking any other knowledge, one should assume one is in the position nearest the danger. 

On the topic of cocked hats, if all three bearings are within 180 degrees of each other when fixing with a compass/gyro with a constant error, is the actual position of the ship inside or outside the cocked hat?


----------



## Boasun

You would be outside the cockhat...there is a method to determine where you are outside the Cockhat.


What is "Flogging the Glass"? You Old old timers should know this one.


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> What is "Flogging the Glass"? You Old old timers should know this one.


Never heard that before... Is it slang for tapping on the Barometer to ensure the correct reading?!?


----------



## Boasun

Not even close....
But flogging the glass has something to do with watches. And this is an excellent hint. Especially for the Oooolllddd Salts here.


----------



## Plumper

I'm guessing "flogging the glass" is doing whatever to the hour glass to hasten the change of the watch.


----------



## Boasun

Yes! Yes! by flogging the glass, you hopefully will hasten the speed of the sand dropping down. Thus bringing your watch to and end. This was before Chronometers, clocks and pocket watches were carried on board the vessel. 

What is your question Plumper??


----------



## Plumper

In keeping with "Flogging the Glass" what is "Warming the Bell"?


----------



## Boasun

A watchstander who don't show up for watch until the ship's bell is sounding the hour?


----------



## nolatom

Boasun said:


> A watchstander who don't show up for watch until the ship's bell is sounding the hour?


Or is it sounding eight bells just a little early, after "flogging the glass" to make it look legit??


----------



## Plumper

You got it nolatom. It means to start early or quit early, ie; not wait until the proper time.

Your turn.


----------



## nolatom

Okay, good guess, albeit with a little guidance. So....

Before 9-11, what was the worst mass casualty to have affected New York City (and no, it wasn't the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, as bad as that was..)??


----------



## Plumper

Was it the Titanic sinking?


----------



## sailaway21

You almost got me to say the capsizing of the Normandy alongside the dock and then the old grey cells kicked in. Has to be the fire on board and loss of the General Slocum. I forget how many souls were lost just before the turn of the century but I know it sparked (forgive the pun) a radical change in how ships were equipped and the crews trained for fire-fighting. the other lesson learned was that a steamship company will sell out one of their Masters in a heartbeat if it saves them a dime. That part has not changed.

Think it all happened in the East river, not the Hudson, and over a thousand lost.

I think every maritime regulation ever developed has grown out of disaster.


----------



## nolatom

S'way, you're right, it was the Slocum.

I used to hear in the Coast Guard, "all the marine safety regulations are written in blood".

You're up now..


----------



## sailaway21

What are orthodromics?


warning: this one is really trivial. wild guesses will be graded on hilarity among other factors.


----------



## Boasun

A straightening of your teeth the hard way?? 

Or a course that lies on a Meridian or Latitude parallel.

The term "Cut and Run" What is the meaning of it?


----------



## sailaway21

Boats,
Our judges are going to need a little better answer than that one on orthdromics, but you're on the right track so to speak.


----------



## Boasun

This was straight out of "The Sailor's Lexicon" That I got at Barnes & Nobles.

Bowditch: Great Circle: The intersection of a sphere and a plane through its center. The intersection of a sphere and a plane which does not pass through its center is called a small circle. Also called ORTHODROME, ORTHODROMIC CURVE.

Now confussion really reigns.


----------



## nolatom

If ortho means straight, and drome means race course, maybe orthodromics are dragstrips, or straightaways in a track meet?

Moving on, I would guess that "cut and run" means to cut anchor rode or maybe dock lines, and run away under sail (or engine, if the phrase is new enough) immediately, because an emergency (war, fire, aliens, bill collectors, etc) left you no time to heave anchor or cast off dock lines.

I'm willing to be wrong, it would save me having to think of a new question.


----------



## Boasun

Sorry but you do have to come up with a new question. Cut & Run pretty much means cutting your anchor rode and escaping. In today's world can mean "drop what you are doing and escape."


----------



## nolatom

Well, okay.

This is "inside" trivia, since I grew up there, but someone might know:

Which two America's Cup 12-meter contenders were built in Marblehead, Mass. (hint: late '50s, early 60s, wood hulls)?


----------



## Boasun

nolatom said:


> Well, okay.
> 
> This is "inside" trivia, since I grew up there, but someone might know:
> 
> Which two America's Cup 12-meter contenders were built in Marblehead, Mass. (hint: late '50s, early 60s, wood hulls)?


Gesh! Most people here were either a twinkle in their Grandaddy's or daddy's eyes, when those boats were built.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Easterner and Nefertiti?


----------



## sailaway21

Right, Boats. So orthodromics is the art and practise of sailing a great circle. (not a small circle, as originally indicated) (g)


----------



## Boasun

Not quite! If starting at the equator you are taking each meridian at the same angle, you would enscribe an inward spiraling circle, much like a snail's shell until you are at the pole.


----------



## sailaway21

Boasun said:


> Not quite! If starting at the equator you are taking each meridian at the same angle, you would enscribe an inward spiraling circle, much like a snail's shell until you are at the pole.


And you'd then be sailing a loxodromic curve, otherwise known as a rhumb line. Orthodromics refers only to meridians, the equator, and other great circles.


----------



## Boasun

Did I say confussing?? You're right on the loxodromic curve.
I shall let someone else explain it...


----------



## nolatom

TxLnghrn said:


> Easterner and Nefertiti?


Absolutely right, well done. Both built at Graves Yacht Yards, where I used to hang out as a kid. Both were beautiful, though Easterner, being bright-finished, was the real knockout.

And neither got to defend the Cup, though both were fast enough to have done so if they'd gotten through the US trials.

Now you have the privilege of posing a new trivia question...


----------



## sailingdog

Damn you're old...  


nolatom said:


> Absolutely right, well done. Both built at Graves Yacht Yards, where I used to hang out as a kid. Both were beautiful, though Easterner, being bright-finished, was the real knockout.
> 
> And neither got to defend the Cup, though both were fast enough to have done so if they'd gotten through the US trials.
> 
> Now you have the privilege of posing a new trivia question...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Orthodromic Clarification*

Come on guys, it's a simple mathmatical formula  , just look at this page from Wiki

Great-circle distance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Yeah, I got one right*

 
Never thought my fascination with America's Cup would get me anything but beer at the marina 

New Trivia:

In the US Navy, who is *traditionally responsible for polishing the ship's bell?*


----------



## sailaway21

TxLnghrn said:


> Come on guys, it's a simple mathmatical formula  , just look at this page from Wiki
> 
> Great-circle distance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Yeah, if it's so simple-I'll give you an hour to give me the modified great circle route from Fowey Rocks to Bishop Rock Lt Ho with course changes every five degrees of longitude. (g)


----------



## sailaway21

(I threw in the modified part so as to warn you in advance of running aground)


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Texan's are great bullsh&*Ters*



sailaway21 said:


> Yeah, if it's so simple-I'll give you an hour to give me the modified great circle route from Fowey Rocks to Bishop Rock Lt Ho with course changes every five degrees of longitude. (g)


If you leave the NW tip of Grand Bahama Island exactly 32.4 nm to the SE at 1203 GMT on 7-13-08 taking in account tides, current, the current path of Bertha, magnetic deviation throughout your course and compass error on a 37 foot Tayana built in 1979 with Garmin instruments and travel at a steady 5.46 knots for a magnetic course of 32.267 degrees you will arrive just in time for your own funeral

Michael


----------



## TxLnghrn

*21 mins*

And course corrections won't be necessary after leaving Grand Bahama 32.4 nm to the SE....

Prove me wrong


----------



## sailaway21

And you'll be sailing a rhumb line, sir.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*As I said*

Texan's are great bullsh&*Ters

The fine art of BS-ing has nothing to do with minor details like "facts." Heck I only looked at a map to find out where the starting point and destination point were. 

So no takers on my trivial question?


----------



## nolatom

sailingdog said:


> Damn you're old...


Well, yes, but I started early so I'm not totally on the graveyard watch yet...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Reposting*

New Trivia:

In the US Navy, who is *traditionally* responsible for polishing the ship's bell?


----------



## sailaway21

Be patient there, cowboy. Some times it takes hours, if not a day, to get a response here. We hear ya, but apparently nobody currently listening has a good guess. (g)


----------



## TxLnghrn

Just making sure the question didn't get lost in the BS.


----------



## nolatom

I'd guess the Boatswain, though likely this was delegated to the leading seaman...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Sorry*

Incorrect Tom,
In practice, you're probably right, it would be a seaman. But the question is by tradition, who shines the ship's bell?


----------



## sailingdog

Probably the newest or most junior seaman on the ship. Polishing a bell is scut work.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Sorry*

Incorrect SD


----------



## sailingdog

Sorry, wasn't a squid. 


TxLnghrn said:


> Incorrect SD


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Me either*

Just one of those bar trivia questions that got filed away in one of my more alcohol tolerant brain cells.


----------



## flyingwelshman

The ship's cook usually polished the bell.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Ding Ding Ding*

We have a winner....for a prize, you get to pick the next question


----------



## Boasun

Waited long enough:

What are kelds and where are they at??


----------



## Boasun

Doesn't anyone know this?? Those of you along a river should know!!


----------



## Boasun

Don't anyone know what a Keld is??
It the smooth area in the river surrounded be ripples. That smooth area is indicative of an undertow.
What is the difference between a "Swing Keel", a "Center Board" and a "Lee board"?


----------



## Plumper

The swing keel rotates up and down on a hinge, the centerboard slides down through a slot. Both are in the center of the boat. The lee boards are on the sides of the boat and the lee side one is usually down with the windward side one up.

What is a "bald headed schooner"?


----------



## sailingdog

Plumper-

You're wrong IIRC. A dagger board slides down through a slot... like that found on a Sunfish dinghy. A Swing Keel is a weighted or heavily ballasted centerboard effectively. Both rotate around a pivot point and swing up and back into a trunk that is centrally mounted in the hull. 

A lee board does much the same but doesn't generally have a trunk and is usually mounted on the exterior of the boat—and usually mounted in pairs, port and starboard, where the leeward one is kept down and the windward one raised.


----------



## Boasun

A Bald Headed Schooner is one with no topsails on the masts. Thus reducing the number of sails you get to play with.

What are the tides when the moon is at quadrature??


----------



## Boasun

Oh! A swing keel is a center board that has all of the ballast. Like the Catalina 22, it has a 5000# Swing keel
A Center board has enough weight to allow it to swing down. The ballast is either the crew or stowed in the hull, or both.
A Dagger Board slids up and down in a slot, pending on the point of sail.
The Lee board is mounted on the rails or strake and usually in pairs, but the 8 ft sabot has only one lee board.

And when the moon is at quardrature what are the tides?


----------



## Plumper

I think it is arguable depending on what you read. I would say that both swing keel and a daggerboard are center boards vice lee boards (they are in the center of the boat). One swings (swing keel) and the other (dagger board) goes straight up and down.


----------



## sailingdog

I disagree. Some centerboards, like the ones used in many multihulls are buoyant and need to be forced down. Swing keels are ballasted, but may not have all the ballast in a boat.



Boasun said:


> Oh! A swing keel is a center board that has all of the ballast. Like the Catalina 22, it has a 5000# Swing keel
> A Center board has enough weight to allow it to swing down. The ballast is either the crew or stowed in the hull, or both.
> A Dagger Board slids up and down in a slot, pending on the point of sail.
> The Lee board is mounted on the rails or strake and usually in pairs, but the 8 ft sabot has only one lee board.
> 
> And when the moon is at quardrature what are the tides?


----------



## Plumper

When I google the terms, there are definitions that fit all of our answers regarding centerboards. I think the question was poorly worded because there is a great deal of discussion on the definition of the term "centerboard". We all seem to agree on daggerboards, swingkeels and lee boards.


----------



## Plumper

If I remember correctly, when the moon is at quadrature the tides are neaps vice conjunction when the tides are springs.


----------



## sailaway21

Boasun said:


> Oh! Like the Catalina 22, it has a 5000# Swing keel


I've happened upon either an explanation of why Catalina's are so slow or why their owners have such large forearms.


----------



## Boasun

You are sailing in a narrow fairway and ahead there is a fishing vessel doing its thing. Now who has the right away and quote the rule Please?


----------



## Plumper

The sailing vessel has the right of way because rule 9 states that a fishing vessel shall not impede the passage of any other vessel navigating within a narrow passage or fairway.

Had to look up the rule #.

Maybe a thread on just rule of the road questions would be fun and informative.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

How about nautical "nipper" as in a small boy?


----------



## Boasun

The Nipper was a sailor that temporary lashed the Anchor rode to a messenger in order to weigh anchor. In those days the anchor rode was cable laid line that was too stiff to wrap around a capstan and they had to use an endless messenger. The line used was a short braded line called a "Nipper" giving the name to the sailors who nipped the Anchor rode to that messenger. There really weren't that many boys on a sailing ship of those days. 

International & Inland: Whis statement about a 25-meter auxillary sailboat is TRUE?
A. The sidelights and the sternlight may be combined in one lantern.
B. When operationg under sail her fog signal would consist of one prolonged blast.
C. She may show a green light over a red light at the masthead.
D. She must show fixed sidelights.


----------



## nolatom

It's either A or D, but I don't remember the length cutoff for the fixed lantern (which I've hardly ever seen in practice anyway, has anyone else?) without looking it up.


----------



## Boasun

You can look it up, that is kosher. You should keep a R of R book on board you boat anyway for re-enforcing you knowledge of the Rules.
And it is in practice. Professional boat builders will abide by the rules.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Rules of the road*

A)Sidelights and sternlight can only be combined if under 20 Meters
B)Sailing in fog one long, two short ,two minutes
c)May show all round red and green (correct)
D)Does not need FIXED sidelights

Answer is C

Don


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Starboard and Port*

Starboard is short for Steering Board used long ago
and Port is side tied to the pier or wharf or Port.

Don


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Can I play?*

I have a question if you guys don't mind. I don't want to butt in, if you ignore me I'll just go away.

Something I learned this past year:

What is a Dock?
A Pier?
A Wharf?

Don


----------



## Boasun

A Dock was a body of water between two piers. Under the old definition. 
But now days a dock could be about anything that a boat can tie up too. Even your government don't understand the old definition. But then you have to consider the source there...

Oh! the answer is "D" fixed sidelights, for the last question I presented. Remember it was a 25 meter sailing vessel.

International & Inland:
To be considered engaged in fishing under the Rules, a vessel must be_____.
A. power driven.
B. Showing lights or shapes for for a vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver.
C. Using nets
D. Using fishing apparatus which restricts maneuverability.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Dock*

Wow the trivia master!
Yes my understanding is that a boat's Dock is the area of water it takes up when tied to a pier or wharf. A dock is water.

Looking at rules again on last question.

One more for you:

What is a Kellett?

Don


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Fishing Vessel*

I'm going to have to say D on this one. Sailing vessels can fish, some fishing vessels use other things than nets, The lights shown can be different than those used by RIAM.







<Previous Page
Next Page>​ *Rules of the Road*
There are two sets of navigation rules; inland and international. A nautical chart will show you the demarcation lines where the rules change from international to inland and vice versa. In general, these demarcation lines follow the coastline and cross inlets and bays. On the seaward side of the demarcation lines international rules apply. We will concentrate on the inland rules, since most of your recreational boating will occur on the landward side of the demarcation lines.

Rule 18 states that certain vessels must keep out of the way of other vessels due to their ability to maneuver.
A power driven vessel underway must keep out of the way of the following: 

A vessel engaged in fishing, whose fishing equipment restricts its maneuverability. This does not include a sport fisher or party boat and generally means a commercial fishing vessel.
I know that trolling is not fishing. Many of the Charter Captains around here think they are fishing vessels when they have three poles out. I've had them yell at me to keep clear when I am Sailing nearby as they have ROW over me.

Oh well. I keep clear anyway.

Don


----------



## ronspiker

*Nylon*

I worked at Du Pont during the summers where Nylon was invented, It was named by a contest. They liked the way Nylon sounded so they used it.

Ron


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Correct answer is D. A = <20m B = Power vessel making way. C=none, Red over green is appropriate with fixed side and stern light


----------



## kjango

I was told today it's unlucky to rename a boat . Is that true or is some one just trying to disuade me renaming my boat ???


----------



## nolatom

dquack said:


> A)Sidelights and sternlight can only be combined if under 20 Meters
> B)Sailing in fog one long, two short ,two minutes
> c)May show all round red and green (correct)
> D)Does not need FIXED sidelights
> 
> Answer is C
> 
> Don


Is C correct? I still haven't looked at the book, but recall it's "red over green, sailing machine". I believe the question sail green over red. That's why I tossed it.


----------



## Boasun

No C is not correct. It is a 25 meter sailing vessel. and the answer is, I say again, "D" requires fixed lights.

The only vessels that does not require fixed lights are less then 7 meters and are either a sailboat or a boat under oars, such as a rowboat, canoe or a kayak.


----------



## Boasun

And to the last question: What is a Kellet? It is a weight that is place on the anchor rode to increase the catenary of that anchor rode. And maybe increase the holding power of the anchor.

International & Inland
What lights does a tug towing astern display? the tow is < then 200 meters.


----------



## nolatom

Two forward wites, sidelights, and yellow over white sternlights.

If tow is greater than 200 meters then 3 forward whites.

Whether two or three, don't go close astern of this tug. the yellow on the stern tells you there's a hawser and a tow, so get the *)*(& out of there.



You have a crew overboard. 4 crew on board (now 3). Night, 20 knots, water 65F good swimmer with lifejacket on. What recovery method best, figure-8 or "quick-stop", and why.

I know there are a lot of variables in this decision, but worth a discussion.


----------



## Boasun

With a man over board at 20 kts; the boat is traveling 2000 ft per minute and about a minute for someone to tell the wheelhouse watch. The witness has tossed a life ring with an attached water light and ran up to the wheelhouse and informed the Captain. (about a minute.)
Punch the MOB button on your GPS and do a Williamson turn. This will bring back to a reciprocal course on your track line, and at slow bell with every one looking out. Cross the MOB waypoint and continue on the reciprocal for about two thousand feet. When one man spots the victim, he keeps his eyes on him until the Captain has him in sight. Then they go aft to prepare for recovery.
Yes! I know that when someone goes over that you shouldn't take your eyes off of him, but if you have to run to the wheel house to get out the word then there is no recourse but to do so.
The MOB waypoint is the center of your search pattern if you don't see the victim in the first pass. And keep in mind the local currents that may be moving the victim away from the track line.

Note: the Wheel house of a lot of vessels have the doors and windows closed and won't hear someone hollering over the engines and a boombox blaring in said wheel house. No the man in the WH would not hear anything.


----------



## nolatom

I follow you, Boasun, though I was thinking more of sail and 20 knots wind not hull speed (sorry for the confusion), cockpit not wheelhouse, MOB button might not have been clicked, and enough sea that the prop may cavitate out, you might have to attempt this by sail.

I know there are a lot more variables to it than that.


----------



## Boasun

Are you on a beam reach? Close hauled? or running before the wind? Because each will have its own variation of recovery.


----------



## nolatom

Broad reach, stbd tack, reefed main and working jib.

(PS. You've already answered the question I inartfully asked in the first place, this is lagniappe, but may be useful).


----------



## TxLnghrn

*My Take*



nolatom said:


> Broad reach, stbd tack, reefed main and working jib.
> 
> (PS. You've already answered the question I inartfully asked in the first place, this is lagniappe, but may be useful).


I'm going to go with a quick stop variation by turning to starboard until you heave to with the jib backed. By tacking through the wind you will bleed off boat speed quickly. The main position on a broad reach should be sufficiently eased to allow the boat to heave to with minimal sail adjustments and if executed immediately the turn should keep the victim close enough to the boat that a good swimmer can get back to the boat. So you have 1 crew at helm, 1 crew spotting and 1 rigging to hoist victim to get him back on boat as quickly as possible.

Michael


----------



## nolatom

Michael, 
I agree with that answer. 65F is cold enough that you don't want to get too far from Oscar, especially at night. I think this is a situation where the quick-stop method is best (even though the books I teach from preach the figure-8). If it's under 30 knots, I'd rather risk the shorthanded jibe and stay real close to Oscar. He/she feels better and knows you saw them, and the circle around keeps you and Oscar close.

Maybe this isn't a true trivia question, but it's useful.

I'd say both TxLnghrn and Boasun are on the money. So thanks, and toss a coin as to who has to ask the next question.


----------



## Boasun

An easy one.
Int. & Inland:
You are making headway in fog and hear a fog signal of two prolonged blasts on your starboard quarter. You should_____.
A. stop your vessel.
B. change course to the left
C. change course to the right.
D. hold your course and speed.

See! and easy one....


----------



## nolatom

If signal's behind me, and I'm already proceeding at a safe speed under Rule 19, then I'm going to hold my course and speed. Especially since two long blasts means the other guy is not making way. 

So I'll say D. Anything else, except maybe B, is going to get him closer to me.


----------



## Boasun

You are up Nolatom.


----------



## nolatom

Okay. What do the Sunfish, Sailfish, Lightning, and 110 have in common (other than being racing sailboats)?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> Okay. What do the Sunfish, Sailfish, Lightning, and 110 have in common (other than being racing sailboats)?


They're all cat-rigged (no headsail)??


----------



## sailingdog

Nope... The lightning has a head sail...as does the 110 IIRC.


----------



## nolatom

Think about construction materials, and when they were all designed...


----------



## Boasun

nolatom said:


> Okay. What do the Sunfish, Sailfish, Lightning, and 110 have in common (other than being racing sailboats)?


They are all single handed in racing. And required to meet exacting building standards in their class.


----------



## nolatom

Yes they're all one-designs, though Lightning and 110 typically sail with two or three crew. 

But what were they primarily built out of when they were first designed? It was a relatively new material then, which influenced a lot of designs.

I think my question was too simple for this sophisticated group, who are over-thinking it...;-)


----------



## sailingdog

NOlatom-

They were some of the first fiberglass dinghies??

If I am right, here's my question:

Flags are flown or worn on a ship... which flags are flown and which are worn?


----------



## nolatom

I was thinking of some of the first plywood sailboats. Plywood got popular in the late 1930's, and many designs were made with plywood construction particularly in mind. Some could be made with as few as six large pieces of plywood.

Okay, so it wasn't such a good question.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Holystones*

SD

Because when they are used you are on your knees like you are praying.

Don


----------



## TSOJOURNER

*Holystones*

SD,
Because when you are using them you are on your knees like you are praying.

Don


----------



## sailaway21

Flags are flown for signalling. Flags are worn for dressing ship.

If it's any consolation, NOLA Tom, I thought it a good question and even had the answer but was unsure and forgot to post my answer in any event. And most of the people reading this are probably of an age where they'd place the invention of plywood, fiberglas, and the reciprocating steam engine within the same decade. (g)

If I'm correct on Dog's question; what does racking refer to?


----------



## sailingdog

Not the answer I was looking for... 

Ensigns, courtesy flags and signal flags are flown, burgees and other personal flags are worn.


----------



## Boasun

Racking is seizing the parts of two lines together. One reason is so they don't render through a block. And there are a couple of other reasons also.

Some of the officals of your yacht club are "Quarter Deckers." What is a Quarter Decker?


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Quarter Decker*

Is an officer that is better known for his gentlemanship than his seamanship.

It can be argued that _America_ did not win in 1851. Why is this?


----------



## sailaway21

Racking also refers to the horizontal deformation of transverse members on a ship or boat under stress.


----------



## Boasun

TxLnghrn said:


> It can be argued that _America_ did not win in 1851. Why is this?


The race was around the Isle of Wight. The yacht _America_ raced against a fleet of fifteen british yachts. The only reason I can think of is because it was colonist upstart daring to race against proper british gentlemen? Hey! she won the race.

Where would you find the "Apostles" on some sailing vessels?


----------



## TxLnghrn

Boasun said:


> The race was around the Isle of Wight. The yacht _America_ raced against a fleet of fifteen british yachts. The only reason I can think of is because it was colonist upstart daring to race against proper british gentlemen? Hey! she won the race.
> 
> Where would you find the "Apostles" on some sailing vessels?


Sorry Boasun, not the answer I was looking for.... To further clarify _America_ it can be argued, comitted an infraction for which she could have been disqualified, but she was not. What was the infraction?

BTW I believe Apostles are bollards for anchor lines on old sailing vessels.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Too Hard?????*

OK, I'll give it to you. _America_ passed inside the Nab Lightship, the rest of the fleet passed outside the Nab. _America_ probably gained about 2 miles through this error. A formal protest was issued and overruled by the Comodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron. It was stated that a local pilot onboard _America_ had been given two different sets of racing instructions. 

Ok here's a more recent one:

In 1987 Dennis Conner regained the cup sailing _Stars and Stripes_. What was the name of the yacht he beat?


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> In 1987 Dennis Conner regained the cup sailing _Stars and Stripes_. What was the name of the yacht he beat?


An Aussie one we try to forget about..


----------



## sailingdog

Kookaburra III. Forgot who was skippering it.  

Who designed Stars & Stripes???


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> Kookaburra III. Forgot who was skippering it.
> 
> Who designed Stars & Stripes???


Err!? Betsy Ross?

You didn't say the 12 meter _Stars & Stripes_ So I can be considered Correct.


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Err!? Betsy Ross?
> 
> You didn't say the 12 meter _Stars & Stripes_ So I can be considered Correct.


Even then, I guess it depends which 12-meter _Stars & Stripes_ you're referring to.

IIRC, there were more than one..


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Kookaburra III. Forgot who was skippering it.


Nobody important. Don't worry about it.


----------



## sailingdog

LOL... BTW, the only Stars and Stripes of importance is the Catamaran, which was designed by Melvin & Morelli, the designers of the Gunboat luxury Catamaran series..... 

However, I am asking about the 12-meter Stars & Stripes that was often referred to as Stars & Stripes 87 and was the winner of the 1987 America's Cup.


Hartley18 said:


> Nobody important. Don't worry about it.


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> LOL... BTW, the only Stars and Stripes of importance is the Catamaran, which was designed by Melvin & Morelli, the designers of the Gunboat luxury Catamaran series.....


We wouldn't expect any less from you, Dog. 



sailingdog said:


> However, I am asking about the 12-meter Stars & Stripes that was often referred to as Stars & Stripes 87 and was the winner of the 1987 America's Cup.


I believe it was a combination of Britton Chance Jr., Bruce Nelson and David Pedrick all improving on previous designs.

If I'm right: Who designed the yacht that took the Cup from the New York Yacht Club in the first place??


----------



## TxLnghrn

*That would be*

_Australia II_ with the famous winged keel....designed by Ben Lexcen


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Assuming I'm right...*

I'll post one for the Dawg.
What was the sail number on Stars and Stripes '88 (yes that weird looking thing with two _real_ sailboats connected together)


----------



## sailingdog

Stars & Stripes 88 had a sail number of "US55".


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Nope*

S&S 87 was US55, I'm looking for S&S '88...That funny looking 2-hulled boat


----------



## sailingdog

My bad... US-1 Of course, multihulls are always number 1.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Correct Dawg...You're up


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> _Australia II_ with the famous winged keel....designed by Ben Lexcen


Actually, it was Bob Miller..


----------



## sailingdog

*On January 27, 1944, the first quad launching of four new ships, Razorback, Redfish, Ronquil and Scabbardfish, was held in Portsmouth, NH. What kind of ship were they???
*


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> *On January 27, 1944, the first quad launching of four new ships, Razorback, Redfish, Ronquil and Scabbardfish, was held in Portsmouth, NH. What kind of ship were they???
> *


Cactus knows - I don't live in the US. ...and I pity the nation that would name a ship-of-war "Scabbardfish"!! 

"What ship are you from?"
"The _Scabbardfish_ over yonder"
(getting back up off the deck after ROTFL)
"Aye, she's a good ship that one!!"


----------



## Boasun

They were Submarines..... Not Sail boats

The stand-on vessel in a crossing situation sounds one short blast of the whistle. this means that the vessel__________.
A. intends to hold course and speed
B. is changing course to starboard
C. is changing course to port
D. intends to leave the other on her port side


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## nolatom

Inland or International rules? Inland, I'd say D. International, B.


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> Inland or International rules? Inland, I'd say D. International, B.


Is there any difference?? Surely if a vessel alters course to starboard it would naturally intend to leave the other on her port side..


----------



## sailaway21

Yes, there is a difference. International whistle signals are signals of action while inland whistles are signals of intent. Nolatom is correct. Leaving aside the issue that the stand-on vessel is not allowed to alter course except under defined circumstances.


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## Boasun

The question was Inland Rules. I should have stated that fact.

Here is another Inland:
A single vessel being towed alongside shall exhibit__________.
A. one all-round light.
B. sidelights, stern light and a special flashing light.
C. only the out board sidelight and a stern light.
D. a masthead light, sidelights, and a stern light.


----------



## Boasun

You can look at this question as if you are a tug. But the rules have an out if you are not a tug and do not normally tow... Which rule is that also?


I know this is a crude/cruel way to bump it. But it is better than just a bump.


----------



## Boasun

*What!?* Don't anyone here know the rules?? 
Collision, collision, Collision imminent!!


----------



## RickQuann

Boasun said:


> *What!?* Don't anyone here know the rules??
> Collision, collision, Collision imminent!!


Like they taught me in elementary school .. DUCK & COVER!!!

Wild guess .. B


----------



## Boasun

B is correct for an inland tug. But what if you are not set up as a tug. Then what do you do?? (the addum question)


----------



## RickQuann

Boasun, is this what you looking for:

Rule 24

(i) Where from any sufficient cause it is impracticable for a vessel not normally engaged in towing operations to display the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (c) of this Rule, such vessel shall not be required to exhibit those lights when engaged in towing another vessel in distress or otherwise in need of assistance. All possible measures shall be taken to indicate the nature of the relationship between the towing vessel and the vessel being towed as authorized by Rule 36, in particular by* illuminating the towline.*


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Ma? What did we do with that string of Christmas lites that were around here last year?


----------



## Classic30

You've lost me.. Anyone talking about "Inland Rules" over here would be either:

a) on the back of a camel, or
b) competing in the Henley-On-Todd Regatta..


----------



## Boasun

Well Hartley.
Here's one that is both International & Inland:
Navigation lights must be displayed in all weathers from sunset to sunrise. They also_______________.

A. must be displayed when day signals are being used
B. must be displayed when moored to a pier
C. may be extinguished at night on open waters when no other vessels are in the area
D. may be displayed during daylight

And when you give the correct answer, give us a question. Please....


----------



## TxLnghrn

*I'll go with,......*

*D*. Always and Must answers are rarely correct, which leaves turning off at night or may display in daytime.  I'll go with the answer least likely to get me killed.


----------



## Boasun

D. is the correct answer... and is least likely to get you killed. 

Now what is your question....


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Radar*

The word Radar is an acronym. What does it stand for?


----------



## jnew

RAdio Detection And Ranging

"Posh" (meaning fancy or top-drawer) is also derived from an acronym. Anyone?


----------



## nolatom

"Port out, Starboard home", referring to cabin bookings on the old liners from England to India, so the wealthy could stay cooler in the shade in the Indian Ocean and the Med during summer.

When did the 12-Meter Cup yacht VALIANT race, who skippered, and result? I happened to see her docked in M'head today, quite a sight.


----------



## RickQuann

Valiant raced twice as an America's Cup candidate, not defender 
1970, skipper Bob McCullough, lost to US 22 Intrepid 
1974, skipper Dennis Conner, lost to US 26 Courageous 
FYI, both Valiant and Intrepid were wooden boats, Courageous was aluminum and skippered by the "mouth of the south" aka Ted Turner


----------



## RickQuann

Okay, it's been a couple of days, nolatom must be cruising









So ... here's an easy one; what's the origin of the phrase "son of a gun" ?


----------



## tdw

RickQuann said:


> Okay, it's been a couple of days, nolatom must be cruising
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So ... here's an easy one; what's the origin of the phrase "son of a gun" ?


google has two origins,,,

1. Son of a Sailor (RN) born at sea. "Admiral William Henry Smyth wrote in his 1867 book, the Sailor's Word-book:_Son of a gun, an epithet conveying contempt in a slight degree, and originally applied to boys born afloat, when women were permitted to accompany their husbands to sea; one admiral declared he literally was thus cradled, under the breast of a gun-carriage." (wikipedia)_

2. Euphemism "The term is euphemisitic and derived as a conveniently rhyming alternative to 'son of a *****/whore'. That term has been part of the language for centuries, certainly long enough for people to some up with a euphemism for it. Shakespeare used something like it in _King Lear_, 1605 - "One that art nothing but the composition of a Knave, Begger, Coward, Pandar, and the Sonne and Heire of a Mungrill *****."


----------



## RickQuann

Close enough Mr. Wombat, take 'er away

Back in the era of sailing ships, ladies known as "floozies" would come aboard navel vessels to provide entertainment and boost morale. Often this morale boost would take place on the gun deck between the guns. The gun decks also offered convenient spaces (with suitable rings for tying wrists and ankles) for subsequent child-birth.Children born on the gun decks could never be certain of their father's identity and were entered in the Deck Log as the "son of a gun".


----------



## tdw

I havn't really been following this thread, hope this isn't overly obscure for you but here goes....

There is a wreck. It's cargo is highly explosive. If it went off it would supposedly be the largest non nuclear man made explosion ever.

Name the ship. Where is she lying ?

(I'm sure google answers everything in due course)


----------



## RickQuann

The American Liberty ship, 1199 Richard Montgomery now lies at the bottom of the sea in the Thames estuary, close (much to close) to Swale


----------



## tdw

RickQuann said:


> The American Liberty ship, 1199 Richard Montgomery now lies at the bottom of the sea in the Thames estuary, close (much to close) to Swale


Spot on. Obviously too easy. I'll remember that next time. 

Taaaaaaaaaaake it away.

Of interest is the fact that its manifest includes a quantity of mustard gas which both England and the US said they would not use during WWII. Good lord, does that mean they fibbed ? Surely not.

My friend Dylan Winter has a new video that shows the Montgomery site. (UK YouTube "Keep turning left".


----------



## RickQuann

Thank you TD

Again, in the era of sailing ships, why did British costal cruisers carry crows?


----------



## tdw

RickQuann said:


> Thank you TD
> 
> Again, in the era of sailing ships, why did British costal cruisers carry crows?


British coastal vessels customarily carried a cage of crows. These birds hate wide expanses of water and head, "as straight as the crow flies," to the nearest land when released at sea. This was useful to vessels lost in foggy coastal weather before the days of radar. The lookout perch on sailing vessels became known as the crow's nest.


----------



## RickQuann

Nailed it ... your turn tdw


----------



## tdw

RickQuann said:


> Nailed it ... your turn tdw


Whoops. my bad. Forgot to check back in. Will post new conundrum in a couple of minutes.


----------



## tdw

In the days when Hemp was used for anchor line it was subject to significant damge through chafe, where it passed through the hawsehole. The line was wrapped with old rope to protect it.

This was to ???what??? the hemp cable.


----------



## sailaway21

You wormed the line with small stuff to fill in the cant lines and then you parcelled it with canvas. It was then served with line over the top. Hence the phrase, "worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way".

Newcomers to the thread should also note that the original precedent for the thread was not a google, nor even book, exercise but one to see whom remarkably knew the answer to some obscure nautical trivia question. Read the opening post.

I'm not sure I have the answer the Wombat is looking for and will defer until he responds.


----------



## tdw

sailaway21 said:


> You wormed the line with small stuff to fill in the cant lines and then you parcelled it with canvas. It was then served with line over the top. Hence the phrase, "worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way".
> 
> Newcomers to the thread should also note that the original precedent for the thread was not a google, nor even book, exercise but one to see whom remarkably knew the answer to some obscure nautical trivia question. Read the opening post.
> 
> I'm not sure I have the answer the Wombat is looking for and will defer until he responds.


Hi Sway,
Not quite I'm afraid. There is an actual word for it. Six Letters.

Ref your other point, I am guilty I guess but is that really a viable notion ? I'll defer to original post but hmm, workable ? I think not. No big deal. Bit like the location thread. It was decided that it had to be a location actually visited. I simple ran out of possible sights. Anyway, if no one has this by the morning in Oz I'll supply answer and back away.

Cheers mate

Edit - Point of Order......original poster said no online research. Did not disqualify books. 
(I had a quick check and although I did use google I could have answered the Son of A Gun question without going on line but not the Crow one.)

Second Edit - Actually it was no online unless question not answered within five minutes.


----------



## tdw

Well that one stumped them he muttered smugly to himself..... 


The answer is to "keckle". The operation of covering a hemp cable spirally with old rope to protect it from chafing in the hawsepipe.


What's a Lanby Buoy ?


----------



## sailingdog

A Lanby Buoy is probably the largest class of buoys... they're designed to replace Lightships and Lanby stands for Large Automatic Navigation Buoy. 

They're designed for relatively autonomous use, in relatively unprotected waters and can be up to 10 meters in diameter IIRC.


----------



## tdw

All yours, take it away.


----------



## Boasun

Yahhhhh! what is the question???


----------



## Boasun

What no Question?? 

Okay here is a simple one. And please ask a question after you answer this one correctly....

How much weight can you lift by applying 100 lbs. of force to a twofold purchase rigged to disadvanage (do not consider friction)?
A. 200 lbs
B. 300 lbs
C. 400 lbs
D. 500 lbs


----------



## sailingdog

B-300 lbs. 

A two-fold purchase should be rigged to give four-to-one mechanical advantage. Rigged wrong, it only gives three-to-one mechanical advantage.

Why are the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer named as they are??


----------



## Boasun

Errr! When the twofold purchase is rigged to disavantage. It has a mechanical avantage of four to one, not three to one. And means that you errored by a tad amount. You must have been thinking of a luff tackle.

And the Tropics are named for the constellations that the sun is in when it enters solstices.

New Q: You are running before a rough sea and a strong wind. Your sailing vessel is yawing. If the wind should catch the mainsail on the reverse side you will___________.
A. broach
B. tack
C. jibe
D. go in irons


----------



## sailaway21

The answer to Boasun's question is four hundred pounds as a two-fold purchase, or Burton tackle, has a four to one mechanical advantage. Rigged to advantage it has a five to one mechanical advantage. The easiest way to remember the MA of a tackle is to count the parts at the moving block. Rigging to advantage involves inverting the tackle so that the hauling part is now at the moving, or floating, block instead of at the secured, or head, block. This adds to the mechanical advantage as can be intuitively observed since you're pulling upwards on the additional part.

To calculate friction losses add 10% for each sheave. Including friction losses you'd be able to lift 240 lbs with 100 lbs effort.


----------



## sailaway21

Actually the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn are the constellations that the sun entered at the solstices when so named a couple of thousand years ago. Due to precession of the equinoxes, they now enter the constellations to the west but have retained the same names.


----------



## Boasun

So what happens to that guy whose boat is yawing all over the place and the wind catches the backside of his mainsail???


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> So what happens to that guy whose boat is yawing all over the place and the wind catches the backside of his mainsail???


Errr.. He goes swimming?!?


----------



## Boasun

Will one of you put more than two brain cells together and give an answer??
A great many of you have had this happen, so reflect back on your experiences.


----------



## Seafire327

Um, would a crash gybe be too obvious of an answer?


----------



## Boasun

Go ahead SeaFire Ask the next question You Got It....


----------



## Seafire327

Cool.

I'm new here and didn't have a chance to read all 70+ pages of trivia, so this may have been asked before:

During the time of clipper ships, there was a sail that was hoisted very high aloft. It's know by hopesail or this other name, which is the title of the 3rd James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming?

*Bonus if you get the name of the actor who played Bond in the film version


----------



## sailingdog

It's called a moonraker. btw it was roger moore.


----------



## Seafire327

sailingdog said:


> It's called a moonraker. btw it was roger moore.


Yes, Roger and his perfect hair... Btw, the book is much better than that soft focus 70's nightmare....


----------



## sailingdog

You are at a lock and see a single ship being locked through alone. What is the cargo on the ship and what signal flag is it flying?

BTW, never was that big a fan of Roger Moore. Always thought Sean Connery was a better Bond. Bonus points if you can name all the actors who have portrayed James Bond.


----------



## Seafire327

sailingdog said:


> BTW, never was that big a fan of Roger Moore. Always thought Sean Connery was a better Bond. Bonus points if you can name all the actors who have portrayed James Bond.


Too easy Cap'n:

Connery
George Lazenby
Roger Moore 
Timothy Dalton
Pierce Brosnan
Daniel Craig

and if you include the Casino Royale in the 50's, Barry Nelson and the spoof with David Niven...

As for the nautical portion of the quiz, I'm stumped... That would require useful knowledge


----------



## nolatom

Without looking it up, I'd say it's a tanker or chemical ship with hazardous cargo, and would fly a red flag?

Bond stuff I'll stay away from, except that I too preferred Sean Connery, but then again, that was more my generation.


----------



## sailingdog

Not quite good enough Nolatom...  Let's see if someone else can get it.


----------



## Boasun

It would be a bic's lighter ship.... er!! I meant an LNG ship


----------



## sailingdog

NOlatom,

Since no one's gotten it, I'm giving it to you. The flag is a Bravo flag, which while red is a specific shape, and the boat is carrying hazardous materials... not specifically anything in particular, could be hazardous waste, could be explosives, could be Boasun's LNG...


----------



## Boasun

Well I'm red faced over this one. Just going by other's answer and not reading the question. Excuse me while I will go into the corner and sit with a dunce cap on......sigh....


----------



## nolatom

Okay, "pushing two red flags" is a common radio call on the Miss. River.

Staying on that theme: What 's the "point-bend" custom on the Mississippi, what does it mean, and why did it originate? (sorry, this is basically power-driven vessels not sail)..


----------



## Boasun

I have never worked the Mississippi on the Western River part. But to hazard a guess. It is when the upbound power-driven vessels wait below the point until the Down bound vessel clears it. Seeing that the Down bound vessel has the right of way. 
And if not then someone else can take a chance at it.


----------



## nolatom

Close enough, Boats..

an additional reason is that the current runs harder in the bend, and lighter below the point. So upbound steamers/ships make better time holding the points, while downbounds go faster running in the bend side. This works out normally when the curve in the river is to starboard for the upbound vessel (one-whistle makes sense) but counter-intuitive for a bend to port for the upbound vessel (two whistles) means a green-to-green meeting.

It's sanctioned by Inland Rule 14(d), which lets downbound propose how to meet, and in narrow stretches by Rule 9(a)(ii), which says downbound "shall propose the manner and place or passage" and the upbound shall "hold as necessary to permit safe passage". So this could mean one whistle or two, depending on the direction of the river bend and what the downbound wants. Usually both vessels want to follow the point-bend custom, so usually it works.

Though occasionally it doesn't. River navigation is interesting...


----------



## Boasun

Educated guesses do come in handy from time to time.

Rules of the Road:
*International & Inland; * 
The rules require that a stand-on vessel SHALL take action to avoid collision when she determines that______.
A. risk of collision exists
B. the other vessel will cross ahead of her
C. the other vessel is not taking appropriate action
D. collision cannot be a voided by the give-way vessel's maneuver alone

You can add the appropriate rule # to the answer if you so desire.

Note: The Rules questions that I use, are from USCG's tests. Go for it.


----------



## Plumper

D. collision cannot be avoided by the give way vessel's maneuver alone.


----------



## sailingdog

It is rule 17, and the correct answers are A and C (17:A:ii) or A and D (17:b). Answer A alone is not sufficient a reason to take action, as it may make the situation worse. I've quoted the relevant rule here:



> RULE 17
> Action by Stand-on Vessel
> (a)
> (i) Where one of two vessels is to keep out of the way the other shall
> keep her course and speed.
> (ii)* The latter vessel may however take action to avoid collision by her
> maneuver alone, as soon as it becomes apparent to her that the vessel required to keep out of the way is not taking appropriate action in compliance with these Rules. *
> (b) *When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and
> speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision. *
> (c) A power-driven vessel which takes action in a crossing situation in
> accordance with subparagraph (a)(ii) of this Rule to avoid collision with
> another power-driven vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit,
> not alter course to port for a vessel on her own port side.
> (d) This Rule does not relieve the give-way vessel of her obligation to keep
> out of the way.


BTW, I prefer to avoid the situation entirely, if at all possible, by making large and obvious course changes to prevent such a situation from arising.


Boasun said:


> Educated guesses do come in handy from time to time.
> 
> Rules of the Road:
> *International & Inland; *
> The rules require that a stand-on vessel SHALL take action to avoid collision when she determines that______.
> A. risk of collision exists
> B. the other vessel will cross ahead of her
> C. the other vessel is not taking appropriate action
> D. collision cannot be a voided by the give-way vessel's maneuver alone
> 
> You can add the appropriate rule # to the answer if you so desire.
> 
> Note: The Rules questions that I use, are from USCG's tests. Go for it.


----------



## Boasun

Well SD it is up to you to stump the panel now....


----------



## Plumper

I'm sorry, my experience with multiple choice questions only permit one answer normally. I guess my correct single answer doesn't count.

SD, making large and obvious course changes to avoid R of R situations must make getting anywhere quite challenging. Probably half the time you could just stand on and the other vessel would alter.......in accordance with the rules.


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> I'm sorry, my experience with multiple choice questions only permit one answer normally. I guess my correct single answer doesn't count.
> 
> SD, making large and obvious course changes to avoid R of R situations must make getting anywhere quite challenging. Probably half the time you could just stand on and the other vessel would alter.......in accordance with the rules.


The Stand-on Vessel as by law maintains course and speed. But she has to watch the Give-way Vessel to ensure that they will indeed give way. And if they don't then and only then will you have to maneuver to avoid or lessen the impact of a collision caused by the idiot on the Give-way Vessel. That is why I prefer to be the Give-way vessel. It allows me to maneuver as necessary and only depend on the Stand-on vessel to maintain course & Spd.


----------



## nolatom

I may have seen this in a book, so probably not an original thought, but I think you have "zones" as vessels become aware of each other.

First is the evaluation zone. You look, visually, at lights, at radar (and AIS and ARPA/ plotting,) if you if you have it, and figure out if you have a close-quarters situation.

Second is the reaction zone. You realize you have a steady bearing-decreasing range situation, figure out if you're the stand-on or the give-way vessel, wonder if the other vessel is aware of you, maybe you get on the radio, and try to sort it out. If you're the give-way, this would be the time to make a sharp course change as a "signal" to the stand-on that you see him and realize that someone has to make a course change.

Third is the "avoiding action" zone. Here's where the give-way actually gives way, and when the stand-on makes sure he is..

Fourth is the "I gotta get out of this now, or we'll collide" zone. This is when the stand-on vessel can alter course and speed while there's still just enough room to avoid it even if the other guy is asleep at the wheel/autopilot. Here's where the danger signal comes in, if not sounded earlier.

Fifth is the "it's too late/general alarm" phase. Give-way hasn't given, stand-on hasn't taken sufficient action, and you're going to collide, only question is what type and angle of collision it will be.

I don't need to say what the sixth zone is, except you don't want to get there.

I've mostly been thinking of crossing situations here. The toughest are the not-quite-head-on, when one vessel thinks green to green is acceptable, while the other doesn't and alters to starboard. A recipe for a hit or a near-miss.

And in fog, bear in mind that Rule 19 trumps all the other meeting and crossing rules. There's really no "right of way" in fog. All vessels of all types have to navigate with caution until any close situation has passed.


These zones may be miles apart for fast oceangoing vessels, or only a few hundred yards apart for smaller recreational boats at a harbor entrance, and can expand or contract depending on visibility, weather, sea state, darkness, lots of factors.

And these zones depend on both vessels seeing each other, visually or electronically. If they do, usually things work out. If one or both of them don't, then they often don't.


----------



## Plumper

Boasun said:


> The Stand-on Vessel as by law maintains course and speed. But she has to watch the Give-way Vessel to ensure that they will indeed give way. And if they don't then and only then will you have to maneuver to avoid or lessen the impact of a collision caused by the idiot on the Give-way Vessel. That is why I prefer to be the Give-way vessel. It allows me to maneuver as necessary and only depend on the Stand-on vessel to maintain course & Spd.


I also prefer to be the give-way vessel, then you have all the cards.

My question to SD dealt with actually getting somewhere not really anti-collision. My experience has been that altering for everyone is not really desirable. It is probably fine on a pleasure craft out for a daysail, but for boats with a purpose and schedule it would be maddening.


----------



## sailingdog

I don't find it all that much of a problem. I find that if you make small course alterations, the other skipper may not recognize them in time and it leads to a close contact situation. By making course changes fairly obvious, it simplifies things for both vessels. I'd rather be proactive and work early to avoid a collosion, than be reactive and have a closer call or collision.



Plumper said:


> I'm sorry, my experience with multiple choice questions only permit one answer normally. I guess my correct single answer doesn't count.
> 
> SD, making large and obvious course changes to avoid R of R situations must make getting anywhere quite challenging. Probably half the time you could just stand on and the other vessel would alter.......in accordance with the rules.


New question:

At the end of a storm, your first mate comes up to you and says he sees "Dutchman's Breeches". What did he see???


----------



## Boasun

A small patch of blue sky, just large enough to make a pair of breeches for a Dutchman.

What is happening when there is a BLAD in the area??


----------



## Boasun

A BLAD folks, is a Squall with rain. A term use on the north coasts...

Here is an easy question:* International & Inland*; Which signal is recognized as a distress signal?
A. Directing the beam of the search light at another vessel.
B. A smoke signal giving off orange colored smoke.
C. A whistle signal of one prolonged and three short blasts.
D. The International code "Pan" spoken on the Radio Telephone.


----------



## Plumper

B. A smoke signal giving off orange colored smoke.

Now I'm going sailing.


----------



## Boasun

Plumper said:


> B. A smoke signal giving off orange colored smoke.
> 
> Now I'm going sailing.


Up to me for another question I guess: A tad bit of weather!?
The direction of the surface wind is__________________.
A. directly from high pressure toward low pressure
B. directly from low pressure toward high pressure
C. from high pressure toward low pressure deflected by the earth's rotation
D. from low pressure toward high pressure deflected by the earth's rotation


----------



## sailingdog

C. from high pressure toward low pressure deflected by the earth's rotation


----------



## Boasun

What is your Question SD??


----------



## sailingdog

IIRC, there were two freshwater aircraft carriers made, the Wolverine and the Sable...What made them unique other than the fact that they were freshwater boats.


----------



## Boasun

They were both side paddle wheelers on Lake Michigan during WW-II.

What is a "Bank Cushion"?


----------



## nolatom

It's one of those comfortable seats at the First National while you talk to the loan officer?

Sorry. It's the compression of water between a moving ship and a nearby (river) bank. It tends to create high pressure at the bow, which sends it away from the bank, and suction at the stern, where the prop is "removing" water by thrusting it aft. So as a ship gets close to a bank, she may need more rudder towards the bank to keep her from cushioning off of it.

A related question. What's the "Texas Chicken", navigationally speaking?


----------



## Boasun

A Road Runner being chased by Wilely E. Coyote....??

Your term is a new one on me!!??


----------



## Boasun

Pt Judth Lt is 65 ft 20m, Your hgt of eye is 16 ft. How close will you be when you first see it on the horizon??


----------



## nolatom

I can't answer Boasun's question, other than to say, "earlier than us shorter people will see Point Judith light".

But the answer to my question is well-known to the Houston pilots who meet each other on ships in the narrow Houston Ship channel. They don't try to get out of each other's way too early, because doing so would only result in "bank cushion" from both ships, and a bow-on collision. What they do instead is head right at each other until the last minute, then both steer to starboard, get "cushioned" back off the respective banks, and rebound back out into mid-channel only after their sterns have cleared each other.

If they try to avoid each other too early, they cushion off the bank and hit each other (see above). If they wait and maneuver only when they're almost about to hit, it works out much better. I heard it's "if you want to hit him, then try to miss him, if you want to miss him, then try to hit him".

I was an observer on the bridge wing of a ship involved in the "chicken". What a white-knuckle experience it was for one who hadn't been through it before. 

But it really illustrates what bank cushion is all about.

I'm not sure we get any of this effect on slower-moving and much-smaller sailboats, though theoretically it's there.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Boasun said:


> Pt Judth Lt is 65 ft 20m, Your hgt of eye is 16 ft. How close will you be when you first see it on the horizon??


Approximately 14.04 nm (1.17*(8+4)).

Missed my chance at the Texas Chicken question...no fair  
With the HSC as my backyard sailing region, it makes for some excitement. My answer when in the channel is to stay on the 15 foot shelf...That way those big mamba ships will hit the bottom long before hitting me. 

Let me know if my math is correct Boasun

Michael


----------



## nolatom

Since there hasn't been a new question in a few days, and I actually thought of one....

Where along the coast do you get a signal that says "I love you"?


----------



## Boasun

Your math is correct....

You love me? Gosh!


----------



## tdw

nolatom said:


> Since there hasn't been a new question in a few days, and I actually thought of one....
> 
> Where along the coast do you get a signal that says "I love you"?


Thats cool. I cheated so I'm not claiming the prize nor spoiling but I do like it.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Cannot tell you where....*

but I'm guessing I love you is a 1-4-3 morris code. So I've got us heading in the right direction toward an answer I hope.



nolatom said:


> Since there hasn't been a new question in a few days, and I actually thought of one....
> 
> Where along the coast do you get a signal that says "I love you"?


----------



## nolatom

Very big hint....

New England.


----------



## nolatom

Mass. Bay.....

anyone?


----------



## nolatom

"signals" means by light, not sound..

I'm out of hints after this.


----------



## nolatom

I give up (almost).

South Shore. 

Lighthouse.

And TxLnghrn is right about 1-4-3.

There have to be some Mass Bay sailors who know this.....


----------



## TxLnghrn

*I had to cheat*

 And google the answer. Great story though. I'll give honest folk some time to come up with it.
Michael


----------



## talismansigns

Minots Ledge Lighthouse. I have kayaked to it. It is off the coast of Cohasset in Boston harbor. I have not sailed by it though. They were going to update the lights but people squawked and put a stop to it. It was in the news a few years ago...

Easy one: why was the Americas Cup held off Spain in 2007?


----------



## RickQuann

because Switzerland is landlocked


----------



## jnew

Since Rick didn't post a question, I'll jump in:

What is club-hauling? When might it have been used?

(Bonus points if you can name a [relatively] recent movie in which it was employed)


----------



## tdw

jnew said:


> Since Rick didn't post a question, I'll jump in:
> 
> What is club-hauling? When might it have been used?
> 
> (Bonus points if you can name a [relatively] recent movie in which it was employed)


It's a way of tacking a square rigger using an anchor to assist. More than that I do not know. Something to do with getting the ship out of a tight spot.

My guess would be that the movie may well have been Master and Commander but again, not sure.


----------



## sailingdog

IIRC, it is using an anchor spring line to help angle/turn the ship so that the sails can be set and drawing when anchored off a lee shore. *One of the good reasons to have an anchor set to seaward whenever anchoring close off a beach.

*Was it used in Pirates of the Caribbean at World's End??


----------



## nolatom

Dog, as a fellow New Englander (albeit now in New Orleans sweating out a Labor Day hurricane) I was waiting for you to scoop up that Minot's Light question...

I think you're up. Though I may be on the road running out of town, depending on Gustav..


----------



## sailingdog

I was thinking of what light it might be, but didn't have my charts and don't sail Cape Cod Bay normally, being on Buzzards Bay. 


nolatom said:


> Dog, as a fellow New Englander (albeit now in New Orleans sweating out a Labor Day hurricane) I was waiting for you to scoop up that Minot's Light question...
> 
> I think you're up. Though I may be on the road running out of town, depending on Gustav..


----------



## freddyray

we have all heard the expresssion "that raises a red flag" how does that tie in with sailing?


----------



## nolatom

No idea. On a barge or a tanker, it means you have flammable cargo on board, so kindly watch the h*&k out.


----------



## Classic30

freddyray said:


> we have all heard the expresssion "that raises a red flag" how does that tie in with sailing?


Strange question: Perhaps you are referring to hoisting a (red) Protest Flag??


----------



## freddyray

didn't think it a strange question in a trivia thread, but Harley you are right.


----------



## freddyray

didn't think it a strange question in a trivia thread, but Hartley you are right.


----------



## Classic30

freddyray said:


> didn't think it a strange question in a trivia thread, but Hartley you are right.


Freddy, it's "Hartley", not "Harley" (though I'd love to have one if you're offering...) 

Question: Why did Chay Blyth pull out of the Golden Globe non-stop round the world race??

Cameron


----------



## jnew

tdw said:


> It's a way of tacking a square rigger using an anchor to assist. More than that I do not know. Something to do with getting the ship out of a tight spot.
> My guess would be that the movie may well have been Master and Commander but again, not sure.


Right; it was sometimes used to make sure that you didn't miss stays on a lee shore (which would be bad)

And SD is almost right; it was used in the first "Pirates of the Carribbean" movie (unrealistically) to bring the Interceptor about to cross the T on the Black Pearl (she should have lost most of her masts, doing that)

We now return you to the ongoing trivia game


----------



## TxLnghrn

Hartley18 said:


> Freddy, it's "Hartley", not "Harley" (though I'd love to have one if you're offering...)
> 
> Question: Why did Chay Blyth pull out of the Golden Globe non-stop round the world race??
> 
> Cameron


 IIRC Blyth received assistance when his generator and radio stopped working

Michael


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Freddy, it's "Hartley", not "Harley" (though I'd love to have one if you're offering...)
> 
> Question: Why did Chay Blyth pull out of the Golden Globe non-stop round the world race??
> 
> Cameron


He received assistance from a ship off Tristan de Cunha (sp?). While his radio was dead he also had contaminated fuel which was more of a worry for him. He went on board the ship (funny name, can't remember exactly but sounded like Bilbo Baggins) was fed and watered and even slept on board. He returned to his own boat next day when it nearly ran aground.

Blythe eventually pulled into CapeTown after he broke part of his self steering gear but it was the earlier incident for which he would be formally excluded.

I should have added that by the time he got to Cape Town Blyth was scarred witless and knew that the pos he was sailing would never make it across the Pacific.

LongHorn was correct, I'm just filling in the details.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> ....
> I should have added that by the time he got to Cape Town Blyth was scarred witless and knew that the pos he was sailing would never make it across the Pacific.
> ....


That's the answer I was looking for... also the bit about broaching several times in a row. 

The others at least seemed to have boats that could handle the conditions, and yet, even as a self-confessed rookie sailor, he knew his limits got a better boat and went round 2 years later to prove he could do it.

You're up, TD!


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> That's the answer I was looking for... also the bit about broaching several times in a row.
> 
> The others at least seemed to have boats that could handle the conditions, and yet, even as a self-confessed rookie sailor, he knew his limits got a better boat and went round 2 years later to prove he could do it.
> 
> You're up, TD!


Hmmm...interesting point....I guess the way your question is posed I got it..not sure.....if Longhorn is around I'll pass to him.......if he's not.......I'll hurl in a question in half an hour.

cheers


----------



## TxLnghrn

I pass to you Wombat.... 
Your answer was much better than mine.


----------



## captbillc

Sailing dog ! when i was a deck ape (before i switched to the black gang) i holy stoned the decks on the USS Paducah. this was in the summer of 1940. we would wash down the deck with the fire hose and the bos'n would scatter sand on the deck. we would then have the pleasure of using the holystones to get the deck a lighter color. we slept in hammocks and had to trice them up with 7 half hitches & and stow them in the hammock nettings. ( bulwarks wide enough to stow them) this offered some protection in battle. the ship was built in 1905. i retired from the navel reserve in 1982 when i was 60 captbillc


----------



## captbillc

Sailingdog i read the posts & then put in my bit about holystoning. it ended up on number 86 and i should have put it here. i'll have to watch that next time. i suppose you all have spliced the main brace ! my favorite!


----------



## tdw

On the first of January 1946 a rather unique yachting trifecta was made.

Details please.

For a bonus point all three records were broken again this century for the first time since 1946.

When and by whom ?


----------



## tdw

What ? No one at all ? Maybe you are just sleeping . I'll check in again morning Oz Time.


----------



## tdw

I realise that the trick to posing impossible questions is to run the question through google until nothing comes back.

Deary me, maybe I was being too parochial but I thought at least someone like Hartley would have got this one easily.

Here's a clue.....


----------



## Classic30

Sorry, TD - you've lost me on this one..

..although I eagerly await the answer from someone more knowledgable than myself.


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Sorry, TD - you've lost me on this one..
> 
> ..although I eagerly await the answer from someone more knowledgable than myself.


Six Days previously it was Boxing Day.......


----------



## tdw

*Wombat Stuff Up.*



tdw said:


> Six Days previously it was Boxing Day.......


Mea Culpa. I actually have to admit that I am probably a day out. If the race started at the same time back then as it does now then by the time the winner crossed the line it would in fact have been the 2nd.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Mea Culpa. I actually have to admit that I am probably a day out. If the race started at the same time back then as it does now then by the time the winner crossed the line it would in fact have been the 2nd.


I know you're referring to the Sydney-Hobart, but the only group of threes I can think of is that in 2007 Bob Oatley's _Wild Oats XI _became the first boat to win line honours 3 times in a row since _Morna_ won in 1946..

..but that's not all in one year, so you must be thinking of something else?

Cameron


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> I know you're referring to the Sydney-Hobart, but the only group of threes I can think of is that in 2007 Bob Oatley's _Wild Oats XI _became the first boat to win line honours 3 times in a row since _Morna_ won in 1946..
> 
> ..but that's not all in one year, so you must be thinking of something else?
> 
> Cameron


Here's a clue.....Morna the 1946 race. But if it had taken her six days to finish what year would it have been ?

Now back to my question......oh this is a dirty one.....


----------



## tdw

Wow, this one really went through to the keeper. It really wasn't all that difficult. On the 2nd of January 1946 Rani crossed the finishing line to complete the first Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the 1945 race but by the time she finished it was 1946. Originally I said 1st of January but she took six days and 14 hours which took it into the early hours of the 2nd.

In doing so, Rani

Set the course record

Took Line Honours

Won on corrected time.

a feat not repeated until Wild Oats XI did it in 2005. 

I'm going back to talking about beer and food.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Here's a clue.....Morna the 1946 race. But if it had taken her six days to finish what year would it have been ?
> 
> Now back to my question......oh this is a dirty one.....


TD, I reckon you've lost the Yanks completely. Congratulations on finding a topic they know nothing about!! 

That must be a record in itself!  

Tricky one... I'm working on it..


----------



## tdw

*Here's an easy one.*

"The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet
so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and
impatient when least effective."

Who said that ?


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> TD, I reckon you've lost the Yanks completely. Congratulations on finding a topic they know nothing about!!
> 
> That must be a record in itself!
> 
> Tricky one... I'm working on it..


Damn, I thought even you had given up. We must have been typing at the same time.

Cheers and apologies if i spoilt it for you.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> "The sail, the play of its pulse so like our own lives: so thin and yet
> so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest, so noisy and
> impatient when least effective."
> 
> Who said that ?


Henry David Thoreau

It was in my sig not all that long ago.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Damn, I thought even you had given up. We must have been typing at the same time.
> 
> Cheers and apologies if i spoilt it for you.


It was a good question. ..and Rani is a legendary boat. 

'Kay.. on the topic of boats:

What kind of boat (builder/model) was Chay Blyth trying to sail in the Golden Globe Around The World race??


----------



## TxLnghrn

Chay Blyth sailed a Kingfisher 30.
It's name was Dytiscus.....
What is a Dytiscus?


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> Chay Blyth sailed a Kingfisher 30.


Spot on! I'm impressed!! 



TxLnghrn said:


> It's name was Dytiscus.....
> What is a Dytiscus?


Some form of exotic diving beetle. In hindsight, a very prophetic name really.  

Blyth must have been nuts - but then I suppose you have to be a bit nuts to try and sail around the world non-stop in a bilge-keeler..

Moral of the story: Be careful what you name your boat - it might decide to live up to it!


----------



## Classic30

My apologies - you're all probably waiting for a question: 

On the subject of famous boats - an easy one: What class of vessel was the schooner _America_ (acquirer of the Auld Mug) modelled after??

Cameron


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> My apologies - you're all probably waiting for a question:
> 
> On the subject of famous boats - an easy one: What class of vessel was the schooner _America_ (acquirer of the Auld Mug) modelled after??
> 
> Cameron


No..no..take your time...no hurry....got the rest of the year.......ahem !!

I'm not sure i understand the question but looking at her lines she does bear a ressemblance to a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack.....she's also a gaff topsail Schooner.......

(Hey Cameron, you see my email earlier on today ?)

(Food and drink time, gotta go)


----------



## tdw

We may have something of a delay happening here. Right now Cameron (presumably) is on his way to Melbourne airport to catch a plane to Sydney where he is joining an antique liner for a voyage back to Melbourne. 

I might have to beat the answer out of him when we meet.


----------



## Boasun

The schooner America is more on the lines of a Fishing Schooner of the New England & Canadian style.


----------



## tdw

Boasun said:


> The schooner America is more on the lines of a Fishing Schooner of the New England & Canadian style.


As in the Grand Banks schooners ? You'd be right too as the Skipjack from memory is quite shallow draft. While I don't know America's draft one would guess she would not be shallow.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> As in the Grand Banks schooners ? You'd be right too as the Skipjack from memory is quite shallow draft. While I don't know America's draft one would guess she would not be shallow.


I'm back! Did you miss me? No?? Oh well... 

You're both on the right track: America was a modified Sandy Hook Pilot Boat - basically the fastest craft known to both the designer and the captain at the time.

New question: What was the name of the ship used in the film "Master & Commander" and (for bonus points) where is she now??


----------



## mrwuffles

the hms surprise at the san diego maritime museum

where is the worlds largest fleet of schooners located in?


----------



## nolatom

Camden, Maine?


----------



## mrwuffles

they are all over the penobscot but at least you had the place next question?


----------



## Classic30

mrwuffles said:


> the hms surprise at the san diego maritime museum


She was actually called the 'HMS Rose' before extensive modification (or is that restoration?) for the film - but I'll give it to you. Carry on..


----------



## nolatom

To what do sailors "add whiskey"?


----------



## Classic30

nolatom said:


> To what do sailors "add whiskey"?


To their stomachs?!? ..at least that's where I would.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

nolatom said:


> To what do sailors "add whiskey"?


a shot glass ???


----------



## Stillraining

To the trading stock for Rum...


----------



## nolatom

not quite what I was thinking of..

Think piloting/charts


----------



## jnew

Hartley18 said:


> She was actually called the 'HMS Rose' before extensive modification (or is that restoration?) for the film - but I'll give it to you. Carry on..


Can I kindly add one small correction? The definite article "the" is not properly used before "H.M.S." ("The His/Her Majesty's Ship" makes no sense). My father was R.N.V.R. during WWII and this used to drive him crazy, second only to people referring to the "British Open" Golf Tournament (It's "The Open Tournament" people)

Carry on.


----------



## Classic30

jnew said:


> Can I kindly add one small correction? The definite article "the" is not properly used before "H.M.S." ("The His/Her Majesty's Ship" makes no sense). My father was R.N.V.R. during WWII and this used to drive him crazy, second only to people referring to the "British Open" Golf Tournament (It's "The Open Tournament" people)
> 
> Carry on.


You make a good point, jnew - except that, in this instance, the ship/s are replicas.

ie. At no point in their lives were these ships ever in His/Her Majesty's service - so the "HMS" is just part of the name. ...as in "HMS Rose" - not H.M.S "Rose". It's a trap for young players..

Carry on.


----------



## jnew

Good point. Still sounds lubberly though ...


----------



## nolatom

nolatom said:


> To what do sailors "add whiskey"?


You know this, it ain't PC, but trust me, you know this.........


----------



## mrwuffles

well isnt whiskey the flag that represents w?


----------



## freddyray

jnew said:


> Can I kindly add one small correction? The definite article "the" is not properly used before "H.M.S." ("The His/Her Majesty's Ship" makes no sense). My father was R.N.V.R. during WWII and this used to drive him crazy, second only to people referring to the "British Open" Golf Tournament (It's "The Open Tournament" people)
> 
> Carry on.


It was called the Open Tourament before the US Open, but here in the states if you refer to the Open we would think if the US open for golf.


----------



## ccriders

*Qhat's the difference*

What's difference between a "thing-a-ma-jig" and a"thing-a-ma-bob" and what are their sources? I know these are sailing terms as my various crew use them all the time, yet I never know what they are talking about.


----------



## sailingdog

Here's an odd one... Where did the phrase "To whale on someone" which means to beat, come from? Its origin is remotely nautically related in origin.


----------



## nolatom

mrwuffles said:


> well isnt whiskey the flag that represents w?


you'll all kick yourselves when I tell you. Think True and Magnetic.


----------



## mrwuffles

you turn more west?


----------



## nolatom

Okay, total giveaway here...



"TVMDC--add W"


----------



## Boasun

nolatom said:


> Okay, total giveaway here...
> 
> "TVMDC--add W"


True Virgins Make Dull Companions at Best.....

And for the politically correct: TV Makes Dull Children at Best.


----------



## nolatom

"...add Whiskey (West)

thanks, Boats, I knew you were out there somewhere.

I don't like the politically correct version, but since you teach navigation, you may be stuck with it.

Is "can dead men vote twice at elections" still PC?


----------



## Boasun

In Chicago, dead men are still voting several times in each election.


----------



## Boasun

Both International & Inland: Which vessel would have no white lights visible when meeting her head-on?
A. A vessel trawling
B. A vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver
C. A vessel mineclearing
D. A vessel not under command


----------



## mrwuffles

i dont know just a guess c?


----------



## Boasun

mrwuffles said:


> i dont know just a guess c?


Nope.... C isn't it. 
Someone will have to open his/hers rule book and look it up...


----------



## sailingdog

D—it would have two red lights in a vertical line. BTW, didn't look that up....


----------



## Boasun

You got it SD: Now is your turn to ask a ponderous question of questionable value... Or something like that.


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

Here's the one I asked earlier....



> Here's an odd one... Where did the phrase *"To whale on someone"* which means to beat or thrash someone, come from? Its origin is remotely nautically related in origin.





Boasun said:


> You got it SD: Now is your turn to ask a ponderous question of questionable value... Or something like that.


----------



## flyingwelshman

sailingdog said:


> Boasun-
> 
> Here's the one I asked earlier....


Isn't it a play on words on 'to wail' - to make a loud, mournful or sorrowful noise?

So to "whale on someone" would be to berate them loudly and mournfully.

Just a guess....


----------



## sailingdog

Nope... sorry try again..BTW, when I whale on someone, they usually deserve it and I'm usually smiling because I get to give them what they deserve.  <muhahahhahahhahahha>


----------



## Boasun

To Whale on someone is to beat or thrash them. Or just plain thump them a good one.

Here is an easy one:
Jettisoning weight from topside_______________.
A. returns the vessel to an even keel
B. reduces free surface effect
C. lowers the center of gravity
D. raises the center buoyancy


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

My question is why is the phrase for beating or thrashing someone "To whale" on them?? Which you haven't answered.

BTW, C Weight from higher in the boat being dropped into the water lowers the Center of Gravity. If it is done unevenly it may not return the vessel to an even keel. Free surface effects are caused by large volumes of liquid sloshing about in the boat...and dumping stuff from he top of the boat in the water doesn't affect teh center of buoyancy.


Boasun said:


> To Whale on someone is to beat or thrash them. Or just plain thump them a good one.
> 
> Here is an easy one:
> Jettisoning weight from topside_______________.
> A. returns the vessel to an even keel
> B. reduces free surface effect
> C. lowers the center of gravity
> D. raises the center buoyancy


----------



## Boasun

The Dictionary didn't go into the history of that phrasing. Sorry


----------



## Classic30

Dictionary?!? Who uses a dictionary?

"Here's an odd one... Where did the phrase "To whale on someone" which means to beat or thrash someone, come from? Its origin is remotely nautically related in origin."​
I suspect SD might be referring to the wallopping a whaling boat's crew (and their whaleboat) might get if they got too close to a whale's tail during a chase..

In that case, "to whale on someone" would be the equivalent of pounding them to little pieces with a large flat object.  

Cameron


----------



## sailingdog

Nope... I'll give you a hint, in the old days, you'd whale on someone with a horse whip or riding crop.  


If no one figures this out by the morning, I'll post the answer.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Then I'd say that the riding crops were made out of whale bone and leather, using whale bone as the stiff core.


----------



## sailingdog

Charlie-

I'm gonna give it to ya...actually, the riding crops and horse whips were made of Baleen, which is gotten from baleen whales, like the right whale and humpback whale.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

I'll let someone else jump in with a question if they want, as I don't have one right now.


----------



## Boasun

A Navigation Problem:
Departing at 0916 from your position and you noted that you have 20.1 NM to go at 12.3 Knots, what is your ETA?


----------



## flyingwelshman

ETA would be approx 1054 - unless wind or currents are a factor.



Boasun said:


> A Navigation Problem:
> Departing at 0916 from your position and you noted that you have 20.1 NM to go at 12.3 Knots, what is your ETA?


----------



## Boasun

FWM your question is up now.


----------



## flyingwelshman

What is the significance of the ships tenders _Nomadic_ and _Traffic_?


----------



## Boasun

What is the significance??

But moving on to a question that many can possiblely answer:

What is a Rolling Period and how is it used on a vessel??


----------



## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> What is the significance??
> 
> But moving on to a question that many can possiblely answer:
> 
> What is a Rolling Period and how is it used on a vessel??


I would have thought that the 'ic' endings would have been a clue. Seeing as the ship they tended was, arguably, the most famous ship of the 20th century. At least 3 of the White Star Line vessels names ended with 'ic' (Britannic, Olympic and, of course 'Titanic')Nomadic and Traffic were the ships tenders that serviced Titanic in Cherbourg before her ill-fated maiden voyage.

As far as I understand it the 'rolling period' has to do with the 'tenderness' or 'stiffness' of a vessel. A longer rolling period is found on vessels that are said to be 'tender' and 'stiff' vessels have a shorter rolling period.

You go ahead and ask the next one as I don't seem to be able to wrap my head around the concept of 'trivia'. I understood it to mean "matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities." My bad


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Rolling Period*



Boasun said:


> What is the significance??
> 
> But moving on to a question that many can possiblely answer:
> 
> What is a Rolling Period and how is it used on a vessel??


Rolling Period is the length of time that it takes a ship to complete a roll from port to starboard and back to port (or vice versa). It provides an estimate of stability. All other things being equal, a short rolling period is more stable than a longer one.

And now for something completely different: 

George Washington chartered a schooner as the first armed vessel under Continental control. What was her name?


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Providence


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry Charlie,
Wrong answer


----------



## flyingwelshman

TxLnghrn said:


> Sorry Charlie,
> Wrong answer


The schooner _Hannah_


----------



## TxLnghrn

flyingwelshman said:


> The schooner _Hannah_


Correct Welshman,  
You're up.


----------



## flyingwelshman

What famous mariner was called 'The Dragon' by his foe?

Hint - a little knowledge of Spanish will help.


----------



## tdw

flyingwelshman said:


> What famous mariner was called 'The Dragon' by his foe?
> 
> Hint - a little knowledge of Spanish will help.


I'm having a shot at Francis Drake.

edit - from memory Drake sounds like Spanish word for Dragon....maybe Draco or Draquo something like that.


----------



## tdw

tdw said:


> I'm having a shot at Francis Drake.
> 
> edit - from memory Drake sounds like Spanish word for Dragon....maybe Draco or Draquo something like that.


OK. Waited a day but the Flying Welshman is off watch. I was correct although an internet search shows the answer to actually be 'El Draque' .

"To the Spaniard of the late sixteenth century, few sights terrified him more than to see on the horizon, a fleet of British brigands led by Sir Francis Drake. To the Spaniards, he was _El Draque_, the Dragon.(1) Drake earned this title through his privateering exploits from 1570 to 1595 in the Spanish West Indies."

Articles: Drake, Sir Francis:"El Draque" The Dragon - Historical Text Archive

Funnily enough in Spanish Dragon is Dragon. Looking for Draque does not generate a response and my English-Spanish dictionary does not have the word listed.

What does it mean to flog a dead horse ?


----------



## RXBOT

I believe it is a waste of time and effort.


----------



## sailingdog

Flogging a dead horse refers to the first month at sea, when getting them to do any additional work was almost impossible since sailors had already been paid ahead of time. 

What is a Napier Diagram used for???


----------



## tdw

sailingdog said:


> Flogging a dead horse refers to the first month at sea, when getting them to do any additional work was almost impossible since sailors had already been paid ahead of time.
> 
> What is a Napier Diagram used for???


Dog is correct.


----------



## sailaway21

A Napier diagram is a nomogram where magnetic and compass headings are listed and then a deviation curve is drawn. It allows the user to glance at it and determine deviation at a glance for any particular heading. It is particularly useful for uncorrected (unadjusted) compasses where the deviation has a wide variance. Modern adjustable compasses usually use a deviation card instead.

What is right ascension?


----------



## TxLnghrn

Right Ascension is a measurement of longitude measured form the March equinox instead of Greenwich.


----------



## sailingdog

Nicely said sway...


----------



## sailaway21

TxLnghrn said:


> Right Ascension is a measurement of longitude measured form the March equinox instead of Greenwich.


Incorrect.


----------



## Boasun

Right Ascension: Angular distance East of the vernal equinox; the arc of the celestial equator, or the angle at the celestial pole, between the hour circle of the vernal equinox and the hour circle of a point on the celestial sphere, measured eastward from the hour circle of the vernal equinox through 24 hours.


----------



## Boasun

What is the difference between a Honolulu tow and a Christmas tree tow?


----------



## TxLnghrn

Snow?


----------



## Boasun

TL you are guessing with tongue in cheek.
Nope that not the answer


----------



## sailingdog

In a Christmas tree tow, all the barges are hanging off of a single tow line, like Christmas Tree lights... on a Honolulu Tow, they're on separate lines on the towing vessel. The Honolulu Tow, IIRC, is used when one of the barges is only going part of the way along the trip... so that it can easily be disconnected. 

Generally, the Honolulu tow is used with two barges, where the Christmas tree tow can be used with far more. 

Trivia question coming up in a bit.


----------



## Boasun

Been 5 days so here is another question for you to ponder. 
Why would I carry Pub H.O. 102 on board my vessel??


----------



## sailingdog

If you had crew that wasn't fluent in English, Pub 102 might be nice, since it contains pictures of what the various international signals mean.


----------



## sailingdog

Is there a good reason to keep the last four years of nautical almanacs aboard a boat???


----------



## mrwuffles

ya because usually when someone asks tht kinda question there is a reason?


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> If you had crew that wasn't fluent in English, Pub 102 might be nice, since it contains pictures of what the various international signals mean.


actually H.O. 102 is printed in a large variety of languages. And if you need to communicate with someone from Indonisia or from Estonia. They would have their copy in their language and with your copy you could talk about most anything including Medical needs. Its not the pictures at all.

You could keep the Alamnacs on board but I'm ruthless with pubs and toss them when I have a new replacement. One reason is that the moon is in a nineteen year phase cycle and any old alamnac will be out of date just for that reason alone.

Where do you acquire the latest copies of Local Notice to Mariners??


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Where do you acquire the latest copies of Local Notice to Mariners??


Ahh.. downloaded from the Internet?!?


----------



## Boasun

Right!! Down load the LNTMs from the net...
At: www.navcen.uscg.gov/

You're up Hartley


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Right!! Down load the LNTMs from the net...
> At: U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center
> 
> You're up Hartley


Crikey!    That was unexpected!! 

Trivia... lessee.. Here's an easy one:

How did the famous "Beken of Cowes" (senior, not junior) take such amazing photos of various racing yachts under full sail??


----------



## Classic30

Hartley18 said:


> How did the famous "Beken of Cowes" (senior, not junior) take such amazing photos of various racing yachts under full sail??


Hmm.. no-one knows, huh? Apologies for it *not *being a question on American maritime regulations. 

Mr Beken Snr got rowed out into the middle of the race-course by one of his assistants (sometimes his son) in a tiny 2-man dinghy until well within striking range of the 100' monsters he was photographing!

That's what is so amazing about the photographs he took. The platform he was working from wasn't exactly stable and there was no escape slide. Bloody lucky he never got run over if you ask me..

Try this: What's the nautical meaning of "pipe down"??


----------



## Boasun

Pipe Down: 1. The order to dismiss the men from the deck when a duty has been preformed on board ship. 2. To quiet down.

You can do this on a universal plotting sheet if you don't have the chart:
At 0919 your position is 37 deg 00.0'N 75 deg 30.0'W. You are on a course of 270T at 8.7 Knots. At 1031 your position is 36 deg 59.5'N 75 deg 44.9'W.
What is the Set & Drift that you have encountered??


----------



## Boasun

A side bar question: Are there any treaties between the various countries as to where the Prime Meridian should be located?


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Pipe Down: 1. The order to dismiss the men from the deck when a duty has been preformed on board ship. 2. To quiet down.


Number 1 was what I had in mind.. all yours Boasun.


----------



## tdw

Boasun said:


> A side bar question: Are there any treaties between the various countries as to where the Prime Meridian should be located?


A Side Bar Answer......I'm not sure of the full details but from memory there was a treaty signed years ago between the major seafaring nations, presumably all European plus the USA I guess that confirmed the Prime Meridian as passing through Greenwich. Again from memory I think the French might have abstained and in fact didn't come on board until a few years later...

ps - missed the Beken of Cowes question Cameron...I knew that....do you have the book ?


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> ps - missed the Beken of Cowes question Cameron...I knew that....do you have the book ?


The book.. and some old photos, signed by the old man himself, handed down from my Dad that are not in anyone's general collection.

The book was compiled by Beken Jnr and, to my mind his photos just don't have the same something that Beken Snr's had.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Maybe*



Boasun said:


> Pipe Down: 1. The order to dismiss the men from the deck when a duty has been preformed on board ship. 2. To quiet down.
> 
> You can do this on a universal plotting sheet if you don't have the chart:
> At 0919 your position is 37 deg 00.0'N 75 deg 30.0'W. You are on a course of 270T at 8.7 Knots. At 1031 your position is 36 deg 59.5'N 75 deg 44.9'W.
> What is the Set & Drift that you have encountered??


Did it on a higher lattitude chart so I'm not sure if the narrower longitudes will affect the calculation but I got a set of 236T with a drift of 0.75


----------



## Boasun

Not quite! Good try though....


----------



## TxLnghrn

Boasun,
Does the narrower longitude of the higher lattitude chart affect the calculation?  It seems like it might on a true westerly course.


----------



## stroudw

1 NM equal 1 minute of latitude. You were set .5 minutes S or .5 NM.


----------



## Boasun

This is where a universal plotting sheet helps. The problem is done on chart 12221 Chesapeake Bay Entrance. But the UPS will work. Also Plain/meridian sailings could give you the answer if your math is excellent.

But higher latitude charts would throw you off some what and give an erroneous answer.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Second Try*



Boasun said:


> Pipe Down: 1. The order to dismiss the men from the deck when a duty has been preformed on board ship. 2. To quiet down.
> 
> You can do this on a universal plotting sheet if you don't have the chart:
> At 0919 your position is 37 deg 00.0'N 75 deg 30.0'W. You are on a course of 270T at 8.7 Knots. At 1031 your position is 36 deg 59.5'N 75 deg 44.9'W.
> What is the Set & Drift that you have encountered??


First time using a UPS....Cool sheet. Lets try 242.5 at 1.25 kts


----------



## Boasun

That is close enough... In determining Set & Drift. You can have a + or - 15 deg in error on the Set. But it is the Drift that tells the tale and 1.25 is close enough. 252 @ 1.3 kt. would be the answer. but .05 of a kt?? Hey! You are on the mark.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Thanks Boasun*

Now back to more trivial matters  
What is meant by the phrase "Commodore's Privilege" when it is pointed out to a crewman?


----------



## badsanta

It means "Because I said so"


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry not the answer I'm looking for...Hint it's more something a crewman "shows or exhibits"


----------



## tdw

TxLnghrn said:


> Sorry not the answer I'm looking for...Hint it's more something a crewman "shows or exhibits"


Damn that took awhile. I've been hunting through all sorts of stuff and finally found it.........Something do to with a star shining in the east ?

The actual saying was "showing the Commodore's Privilege.

Exhibition of a one eyed trouser snake.

Purple Percy on display.

Dangling your donger.


----------



## TxLnghrn

The Wombat got it.


----------



## tdw

TxLnghrn said:


> The Wombat got it.


Alfred "Centennial" Johnson

Who was he ?


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Alfred "Centennial" Johnson
> 
> Who was he ?


Ahh.. is that a trick question TD?? 

From the link: "Alfred "Centennial" Johnson (1846-1927) was a Danish-born fisherman from Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1876, in a 20-foot (6.1-m) sailing dory, he made the first recorded single-handed crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, as a celebration of the first centennial of the United States"


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Ahh.. is that a trick question TD??
> 
> From the link: "Alfred "Centennial" Johnson (1846-1927) was a Danish-born fisherman from Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1876, in a 20-foot (6.1-m) sailing dory, he made the first recorded single-handed crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, as a celebration of the first centennial of the United States"


Well it was certainly a dumb one..... I thought I'd taken out the link but whoops......such it is.....all yours Cameron.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Well it was certainly a dumb one..... I thought I'd taken out the link but whoops......such it is.....all yours Cameron.


Hmm.. interesting technique!.. 

Which well-known designer is famous for his contention that "the best ocean racer makes the best cruiser"??

(Hint: ..the fact that, here in the 21st century, it's probably wrong should give you a strong clue.)


----------



## tdw

I'd hazard a guess....Nathanial Herreshoff


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> I'd hazard a guess....Nathanial Herreshoff


Nope.. but not far off. 

20th Century. Early 20th Century...


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Nope.. but not far off.
> 
> 20th Century. Early 20th Century...


Hmmm....L Francis then I guess...but I am still guessing....that's not far off.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Hmmm....L Francis then I guess...but I am still guessing....that's not far off.


Nope.. you're getting colder. 

Big Hint: He was the "Burt Rutan" of sailboat design... best known for some radical designs - at least one of which is still a popular racing yacht today and largely unchanged decades after it left the drawing board.


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Nope.. you're getting colder.
> 
> Big Hint: He was the "Burt Rutan" of sailboat design... best known for some radical designs - at least one of which is still a popular racing yacht today and largely unchanged decades after it left the drawing board.


Olin Stevens ? (whoops Stephens !!)


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Olin Stevens ? (whoops Stephens !!)


Nope.. he designed some really nice yachts, but I wouldn't have thought any of his ideas were particularly "radical".

Bigger Hint: The guy I have in mind designed the first planing dinghys and was one of the first proponents of trapezes... If it weren't for his contribution to design, the 18-footers you get to see from your window would be just ponderous clunkers..


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Nope.. he designed some really nice yachts, but I wouldn't have thought any of his ideas were particularly "radical".
> 
> Bigger Hint: The guy I have in mind designed the first planing dinghys and was one of the first proponents of trapezes... If it weren't for his contribution to design, the 18-footers you get to see from your window would be just ponderous clunkers..


Well that has to be Ben Miller...aka Lexcen.

His Gingko was a ground breaker, he revolutionised the 18'ers and of course the somewhat overated though ultimately successful Australia II.

whoops again - Robert (Bob) Miller aka Ben Lexcen


----------



## sailingdog

Nope...my guess is that it's UFFA FOX. He designed the O'Day Javelin among others...


----------



## Classic30

sailingdog said:


> Nope...my guess is that it's UFFA FOX. He designed the O'Day Javelin among others...


We have a winner!! It's all yours SD. 

Sorry, TD - better luck next time. 

(Edit: I dunno about the O'Day Javelin, but most people have heard of the Flying Fifteen..)


----------



## sailingdog

Hartley-

The planing dinghy statement gave it away.  I knew that from doing research on the Javelin, right after my friend bought one.  

What is a Cutty??


----------



## tdw

I'm absolutely mortified. Going to my room to have big sulk. <SOB>

Actually what confused me re BL was your 18' reference. His TAIPAN completely revolutionised those critters, was the genesis of modern 18'er design.

I met Lexcen just after the 83 AC when he opened an exhibition of photography on the 83 AC by a great friend of mine. Lovely bloke, which is more than you can say for his patron, that mongrel Bond.

Lexcen's Apollo remains one of my favourite racing boats. She passed me going uphill one day on Sydney Harbour, oh my she was a grand sight but like Bond her owner was another one who couldn't lie straight in bed.

Lexcen later designed Ballyhoo (later to become Mistress Quickly) for Rooklyn. I'd love to know what happened to her.

(I have no idea what a Cutty is and anyway I'm sulking so I wouldn't tell you if I did know. So there nyaa !!)


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> I'm absolutely mortified. Going to my room to have big sulk. <SOB>
> 
> Actually what confused me re BL was your 18' reference. His TAIPAN completely revolutionised those critters, was the genesis of modern 18'er design.


Apologies, TD.. I was trying to link the guy who invented the dinghys/planing/trapeze mix with something you might know.. without giving the game away entirely by even *hinting* about FF's.  

I happen to be reading one of his books written right on the outbreak of WWII. Interesting character! 



tdw said:


> I met Lexcen just after the 83 AC when he opened an exhibition of photography on the 83 AC by a great friend of mine. Lovely bloke, which is more than you can say for his patron, that mongrel Bond.


The impression I got was that he was a bit of a nutter running away from his past, but he certainly knew about "radical design". Hey, Catalinas wouldn't have winged keels without him! 



tdw said:


> Lexcen's Apollo remains one of my favourite racing boats. She passed me going uphill one day on Sydney Harbour, oh my she was a grand sight but like Bond her owner was another one who couldn't lie straight in bed.
> 
> Lexcen later designed Ballyhoo (later to become Mistress Quickly) for Rooklyn. I'd love to know what happened to her.


I can still remember as a kid the sight of Apollo heading south for Hobart under that sky blue spinnaker.. a grand sight indeed!

No idea what happened to Ballyhoo.. AFAIK she is not down here. On that topic, Wild Thing is still at Mornington - and what a monster that is! 



tdw said:


> (I have no idea what a Cutty is and anyway I'm sulking so I wouldn't tell you if I did know. So there nyaa !!)


I have no idea what a Cutty is either - although if it's anything to do with the "Cutty Sark" it probably refers to a witch of some dishevelled description... back tomorrow.


----------



## sailingdog

BTW, Uffa Fox designed a small boat that could be airdropped IIRC to the survivors of downed aircraft...


----------



## tdw

Hmm....Cutty in Gaelic means 'short'. The ship Cutty Sark's name means 'short chemise'. As to what a 'cutty' is as such I still have no idea even though my sulk was short if not sweet. 

"Her cutty sark, o'Paisley harn
That while a lassie she had worn
In longitude tho' sorely scanty
It was her best and she was vauntie"

Robbie Burns 'Tam O'Shanter'.

The Cutty Sark herself carried a figurehead of the witch Nannie so the name became synonymous with an 'erotically beautiful witch'. (sounds like my kind of gal !!)


----------



## sailingdog

Cutty by itself does not have anything to do with Cutty Sark or the origin of that name.


----------



## flyingwelshman

A cutty is a short pipe for smoking (tobacco or something else I guess*)

*see 'Stoner' thread.


----------



## Boasun

Cutty means short. I.E. Cutty Sark, a short chemise; Cutty gun, a short pipe.

Then you have Cuddy. a small cabin or cook-room on a boat.


----------



## tdw

sailingdog said:


> Cutty by itself does not have anything to do with Cutty Sark or the origin of that name.


Ok, but to clarify we are looking for a noun, correct ?

Not an adjective.

You wish to have us answer the question 'what is A cutty'.

I did find one reference to a vagina but I guess that's not what you are after.


----------



## sailingdog

FlyingW has it... a cutty is a short pipe.


----------



## tdw

I call bollocks on this one SD. A Cutty Pipe is a short pipe. While a young girl was sometimes referred to as a Cutty , the world itself means SHORT.

So you can have ........
*Cutty Pipe*

A short clay pipe. Scotch,_ cutty_ (short), as cutty spoons, cutty sark, a cutty (little girl), etc., a cutty gun (a pop-gun). 
Source:


> Dictionary of Phrase and Fable


, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Anyway no big deal, just me being a tad anal.

I stand with SD's decision.


----------



## flyingwelshman

tdw said:


> I call bollocks on this one SD. A Cutty Pipe is a short pipe. While a young girl was sometimes referred to as a Cutty , the world itself means SHORT.
> 
> So you can have ........
> *Cutty Pipe*
> 
> A short clay pipe. Scotch,_ cutty_ (short), as cutty spoons, cutty sark, a cutty (little girl), etc., a cutty gun (a pop-gun).
> Source:
> 
> 
> 
> Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
> 
> 
> 
> , E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
> 
> Anyway no big deal, just me being a tad anal.
> 
> I stand with SD's decision.
Click to expand...

Your a bonza bloke Mr. Wombat, and that's fair dinkum.

Here's an easy one:
What is the "head of navigation"?


----------



## tdw

flyingwelshman said:


> Your a bonza bloke Mr. Wombat, and that's fair dinkum.
> 
> Here's an easy one:
> What is the "head of navigation"?


You are too kind. Thanks for understanding where I was coming from.

The highest point or most inland point on a body of water that is navigable.

Often some point of obstruction such as a dam or a weir of some kind.


----------



## flyingwelshman

tdw said:


> You are too kind. Thanks for understanding where I was coming from.
> 
> The highest point or most inland point on a body of water that is navigable.
> 
> Often some point of obstruction such as a dam or a weir of some kind.


That is the correct answer.

The field is yours, sir.


----------



## tdw

On board ship....where is 'no man's land' ?


----------



## flyingwelshman

tdw said:


> On board ship....where is 'no man's land' ?


No Man's Land is the foc'sle - especially where chains, lines etc. are stored on deck.

Assuming that is correct, and speaking of lines etc.:

When you look along the dock you can see some fastidious sailors will coil their docking lines in nice, tidy, flat coils.

What is the name of that type (i.e. coiled and flat) flake?


----------



## Boasun

That my dear fellow is the Flemish coil. 

Who is Charlie Noble and how does he affect the morale of your crew??


----------



## stroudw

Charlie Noble was the cook.


----------



## Boasun

stroudw said:


> Charlie Noble was the cook.


Close but no cigar here. Try again...


----------



## flyingwelshman

Charlie Noble is the galley smoke stack.
He affects moral because if Charlie is hot, there will be hot grub for the crew.
Crews would 'shoot Charlie Noble' by firing a pistol through the chimney in order to clear out any built up soot. Perhaps moral would have been improved by watching some poor sap get coated in black dust.


----------



## Boasun

That is RIGHT!! 
Flyingwelshman it your turn to ask the nautical (naughty?) triva question.
Have Fun


----------



## stroudw

OK, I looked it up on the internet. Charlie Noble was the Old Man's name. It was the cook who had to polish the smoke stack. His moral wasn't very good at that point. I figured it was just right to name the smoke stack after the guy who polished it, but that's not the Navy way. I should have known that.


----------



## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> That is RIGHT!!
> Flyingwelshman it your turn to ask the nautical (naughty?) triva question.
> Have Fun


Okay, naughty-nautical time.

There were 50 Nereids (Sea nymphs) in Greek mythology.
One was married to Poseidon. What was her name?


----------



## Boasun

Amphitrite was her name..... (had to look it up. dang it!!)

When you cross the Equator you become an old shellback... What do you become when you cross the arctic circle??


----------



## flyingwelshman

Blue Nose

The Bluenose (schooner) is featured on which Canadian currency?


----------



## TxLnghrn

*That would be....*

The Canadian Dime 

Put on your thinking caps.....
Is it possible to stand on a dock? Explain your answer please.

Michael


----------



## tdw

John Lennon says yes....."standing on the dock at Southhampton, trying to get to Holland or France....."

Otis Redding preferred to sit.......

While the Judge made me stand before he sent me down...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Hate to argue with John and Otis*

But the answer is no....
Now someone just needs to explain why.


----------



## Classic30

Good question Tx: The "Dock" typically refers to the *area of water *for building/repairing or loading/unloading vessels. So it's a bit hard to stand on the "dock" - you'd get your feet wet!!

The thing you stand on is a "wharf"... 

..and we've had the Charlie Noble question before in this thread.. at least once - perhaps twice.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Great Job Hartley  
The next bit of worthless knowledge is for you to share.
Michael


----------



## Classic30

Oh, joy 

What are "buttock lines"??


----------



## TxLnghrn

Buttock lines are lines parallel to a longitudinal axis. On a ship this would be a line parallel to the centerline of the boat from bow to stern.


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> Buttock lines are lines parallel to a longitudinal axis. On a ship this would be a line parallel to the centerline of the boat from bow to stern.


Mmmm.. kind of. Buttock lines are slices through the hull from top to bottom, running parallel to the keel.

That's what you said, right?? 

If you did, it's all yours!


----------



## flyingwelshman

Hartley18 said:


> Good question Tx: The "Dock" typically refers to the *area of water *for building/repairing or loading/unloading vessels. So it's a bit hard to stand on the "dock" - you'd get your feet wet!!
> 
> The thing you stand on is a "wharf"...
> 
> ..and we've had the Charlie Noble question before in this thread.. at least once - perhaps twice.


Don't mean to nit-pick but here in Ontario you would be able to stand on a dock between January and March.

I don't want to take anything away from Hartley - I'm just sayin'...


----------



## Boasun

And you can stand inside a "DRY" dock.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Hartley18 said:


> Mmmm.. kind of. Buttock lines are slices through the hull from top to bottom, running parallel to the keel.
> 
> That's what you said, right??
> 
> If you did, it's all yours!


Yeah...that's what I meant 

Welshman and Boasun.....

*Bite Me*
     

All right Next Question:

An aircraft circles your boat three times while gunning its engine then heads off to the east. What is the pilot trying to tell you?


----------



## Boasun

To Get out of Dodge quickly!?

Really, it is to follow him toward a vessel in distress. 

In the Ontario area to seaward you could come across a growler. What is a growler??


----------



## TxLnghrn

You got it Boasun....your up.


----------



## Boasun

Done did it....


----------



## TxLnghrn

*That's easy*

It's a half gallon glass jug used for beer by homebrewers. 

Probably not the answer you are looking for though.


----------



## Boasun

not even close and besides isn't the half gallon jug for white lightening??


----------



## sailingdog

I don't think it would technically be a growler, since a growler is a small iceberg or piece of sea ice that is less than a meter above the water and less than 20 meters square. While you have ice on the Great Lakes, it isn't iceberg material or sea floe ice.


----------



## Boasun

nick picking aren't we 
We'll have to send the Welshman out on the lakes in the dead of winter to check out what you stated.
And your Question is??


----------



## sailingdog

Yup...it was a lousy question... 

Here's mine:

Grog was often referred to by the points on a compass. Which was stronger:

North, Nor'West or West Grog???

Which would ChucklesR prefer...assuming they were civilized and used Dark Rum to make it.  


Boasun said:


> nick picking aren't we
> And your Question is??


----------



## TxLnghrn

North - Pure Rum
West - Pure Water

How come I get all the booze questions right? 

What do _Dutchman's Breeches_ refer to?


----------



## Boasun

Those breeches are what you ride in when being high lined from your wrecked vessel to the shore. 
Note: I have rigged and have been in charge of many high lines between ships but I myself have never ridden one... and never will. Do I look crazy??


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Sorry Boasun*

Not the answer I was looking for.

The term I can find for what you are describing is a breeches buoy.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*I'll have to pass this on*

I'm going to be at the boat all weekend and may not have internet access, So I will give the answer and pass on the next question to someone else.
Dutchman's Breeches are the patches of blue sky seen at the end of a gale.

Michael


----------



## sailingdog

Actually, I believe dutchman's breeches was mentioned earlier in this thread... you're repeating....


----------



## Boasun

Oh NO! Two repeats nearly in a row...... Oh Me Oh My!!


----------



## sailaway21

Seems we're lacking a question.

What are meridionol parts used for in practical navigation?


----------



## Classic30

sailaway21 said:


> Seems we're lacking a question.
> 
> What are meridionol parts used for in practical navigation?


Sway, assuming there's a typo in your question:

*Meridional* means "along a meridian" or "in the north-south direction". I suppose the spelling changed someplace from "meridianal" to prevent people being "anal" about it, but I digress..

So.. what was the question??


----------



## TxLnghrn

*This is Sad*

I googled it, read many of the answers and still don't understand it well enough to type out an answer. 

Michael


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> I googled it, read many of the answers and still don't understand it well enough to type out an answer.
> 
> Michael


Don't stress.. Methinks Sway needs to re-phrase his question to make it somewhat meaningful. 

EDIT: Actually, seeing as it was your go anyways - go right ahead!


----------



## tdw

Celestial is not my strong point but aren't MPs used to measure the distance along a meridian ?


----------



## sailaway21

Nothing to do with celestial navigation. Meridians are on the terrestrial sphere not the celestial sphere. 

I did spell meridional parts incorrectly above.


----------



## TxLnghrn

My best understanding is that it is a form of measurement to normalize the distance between longitudes at varied latitudes, sort of like the small curved graph at the bottom of universal plotting sheets. Basically it mathmatically reverses the distortion created by Mercator projections. But I still have no idea how to use it.  

Michael


----------



## Boasun

Bowditch Glossary:
Meridional Parts; The length of the arc of a meridian between the equator and a given parallel on a Mercator chart, expressed in units of minute of longitude at the equator. 

When and where do you Fother??


----------



## TxLnghrn

You fother your ship after she was penatrated below the waterline. It is done by dragging a sail across the hole so water pressure puts it in place stopping the leak.

Question to come soon


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Flotsam, Jetsam and .....*

Flotsam is floating debris unintentionally lost,
Jetsam is debris intentionally thrown overboard,
What name is given to debris tossed overboard with a buoy attached for later retrieval?


----------



## Boasun

Politicans...
Lawyers...
Hair Dressers...

Well it is a start.     But do we want them back??


----------



## KODAD

ligan (sp?)


----------



## Classic30

TxLnghrn said:


> What name is given to debris tossed overboard with a buoy attached for later retrieval?


Boats of Shame??


----------



## TxLnghrn

KODAD said:


> ligan (sp?)


ligan or lagan...you got it and you are up kodad.

Boasun, they would absolutely be jetsam...intentional loss overboard. 

Michael


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Thats the answer, so why Port?


----------



## flyingwelshman

Cbeejr said:


> Thats the answer, so why Port?


Because it pairs so well with Stilton?


----------



## sailaway21

Meridional parts are used to mathematically do what you graphically do on a mercator chart, be it course and distance, or Lat/Long of Arrival.


----------



## philsboat

The "running martingale" was adapted from equine tack to control what part of a sailboat only in the oposite direction?

Phil
(my daughters have horses)


----------



## philsboat

Answer;.............................................................Scroll down







































Boom Vang


----------



## KODAD

where was the caesar salad invented?


----------



## Classic30

KODAD said:


> where was the caesar salad invented?


On a boat somewhere??


----------



## flyingwelshman

KODAD said:


> where was the caesar salad invented?


Tijuana, Mexico.

Someone else ask a question: I've got to go haul out my boat.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*On behalf of Welshman*

How did the horse lattitudes get there name?


----------



## sailingdog

Asked previously... from dumping horses overboard to lighten the boat... 


TxLnghrn said:


> How did the horse lattitudes get there name?


----------



## Boasun

Are we running out of questions?? Hmmmmmm!


----------



## TxLnghrn

*You are up SD*



sailingdog said:


> Asked previously... from dumping horses overboard to lighten the boat...


And let's try and get something original this time


----------



## Boasun

Why do we need a Crow's Nest??


----------



## TxLnghrn

Crow's nest - point high on the mast used as a lookout station. Name originated when Navigators would release crows to find the nearest point of dry land. (I'm not sure but I think we will be hearing from Dawg on this one Boasun).

What name do Australians use in place of hurricaine or tropical cyclone?


----------



## Boasun

Typhoon.


I was going to use hurriclone but your tastes might be higher than mine.


----------



## stroudw

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology calls it a Tropical Cyclone


----------



## stroudw

Ah yes - Typhoon


----------



## stroudw

I only answered the last question because I had a good trivia question to post.

What colors are used for Cardinal buoys?


----------



## Boasun

North is Black over Yellow
South is Yellow over Black
East is Black, Yellow, black
West is Yellow, Black, Yellow.

What is the difference between the laterial buoys of Inland and Western Rivers?


----------



## Classic30

Boasun said:


> What is the difference between the laterial buoys of Inland and Western Rivers?


Boasun, coming from the other side of the world from you, I have absolutely no idea, but...

Are you implying that they *are* different and that you crazy Americans can't make up your mind??   

EDIT: I'm sure we've had the Crow's Nest one before - but I always thought we called them "Tropical Cyclones" and our northern neighbours called them "Typhoons". 

Funny.. you learn something new every day on SailNet..


----------



## tdw

Oi , 

I've lived in this joint for over 56 years and I have never, ever, heard a hurricane/typhoon/cyclone called anything other than a cyclone in Australia.

It is my understanding that they are called Huricanes in America and Europe, Typhoons in Asia and Cyclones in Oceania.


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Oi ,
> 
> I've lived in this joint for over 56 years and I have never, ever, heard a hurricane/typhoon/cyclone called anything other than a cyclone in Australia.
> 
> It is my understanding that they are called Huricanes in America and Europe, Typhoons in Asia and Cyclones in Oceania.


Hmm.. obviously our friends on the other side of the world know something we don't!! 

Maybe it's a sneaky governmental cover-up?? I feel a great conspiracy theory coming on.. 

BTW: I didn't think you were that old TD. You've aged well!!!


----------



## T37SOLARE

tdw said:


> Oi ,
> 
> I've lived in this joint for over 56 years and I have never, ever, heard a hurricane/typhoon/cyclone called anything other than a cyclone in Australia.
> 
> It is my understanding that they are called Huricanes in America and Europe, Typhoons in Asia and Cyclones in Oceania.


TDW, 
You can call them what you want, but when you guys have a tropical storm we call them Typhoons


----------



## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> Hmm.. obviously our friends on the other side of the world know something we don't!!
> 
> Maybe it's a sneaky governmental cover-up?? I feel a great conspiracy theory coming on..
> 
> BTW: I didn't think you were that old TD. You've aged well!!!


Yah sure but you should see the picture in the attic....

T37S - but you buggers call us ossies and prawns shrimp so what would you know.. (mutter mutter gribble gribble bloody septics,,,,,,,grawnch and fart)


----------



## Classic30

tdw said:


> Yah sure but you should see the picture in the attic....
> 
> T37S - but you buggers call us ossies and prawns shrimp so what would you know.. (mutter mutter gribble gribble bloody septics,,,,,,,grawnch and fart)


TD, you forgot to mention the kangaroos they expect to see hopping down the streets of Sydney... 

IMHO "Reckless Kelly" should be required viewing by all Yanks wishing to understand more about our enlightened culture.


----------



## Boasun

And the new question is:

What is the difference between a Soft patch and a Juliet patch. (used in damage control)?


----------



## TxLnghrn

A soft patch is a rubber patch over wooden plugs
A *jubilee* patch is a metal collar over a rubber patch.

A juliet patch 

Michael


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Bump*

Boasun? Hellooooooooo...is anybody out there?


----------



## Boasun

TxLnghrn said:


> A soft patch is a rubber patch over wooden plugs
> A *jubilee* patch is a metal collar over a rubber patch.
> 
> A juliet patch
> 
> Michael


NOT Quite: A soft patch is a rubber layer covered by a canvas layer and served for a temp repair on a pipe.
A Juliet patch is a metal collar with a rubber inner surface for patching a pipe.
Juliet patches have to be sized for that pipe. So you carry several Juliet patches in the various standard pipe sizes that are on your vessel.

What is the main difference between IALA's Buoy systems Region A & Region B?
And IALA means what??

Heard one yachtie complain about being confused about this difference. 
Gesh! Read your Light List & List of Lights on this. Or your Coast Pilot & Sailing Directions.


----------



## sailingdog

The red and greens are reversed. IALA-B is used in the Americas (except Greenland IIRC) and Japan IIRC, and IALA-A Europe, Asia, Oceana, and Africa. 

IALA-B is right, red, returning. IALA-A is Right, Red, leaving... also, in IALA-B red are nuns, green cans, in IALA-A, red are cans, green are nuns.

IALA-Internation Association of Lighthouse Authorities... Basically the guys in charge of navigation...


----------



## Boasun

Time for a new Question:
A weather forecast states that the wind will commence backing. In the Norther Hemisphere, this would indicate that it will________.
A. shift in a clockwise manner
B. shift in a counterclockwise manner
C. continue blowing from the same direction
D. decrease in velocity


----------



## sailaway21

The wind will shift in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere when it is "backing". (commonly associated with the passing of a cold front) the wind "veers" when it shifts in a clockwise fashion, in the northern hemisphere.

With the word veer in mind, what does it mean to "veer your anchor"?


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Veer*

Means to let out, so veering your anchor is to let out more rode or chain.

Next question:

"What is the nautical name for the same knot commonly used to tie a necktie (traditional, not Windsor)?"


----------



## Boasun

You have the "Four in Hand" and the "Half Windsor"

R of R: International & Inland; The rules state that vessels may depart from the requirements of the when_______________________________.
A. there are no other vessels around
B. operating in a narrow channel
C. the Master enters it in the ship's log
D. necessary to avoid immediate danger


----------



## sailingdog

D—

Necessary to avoid immediate danger.


----------



## Boasun

SD You are up with the next Question.


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

That one was way too easy... just common sense... 

Here's my question:

*What are the two time-honored rules for abandoning ship... and the answer isn't "Step up into the liferaft" though I agree that should be the third. 
*


----------



## OBXMariner

*2 Rules*

women & children first
Captain last


----------



## sailingdog

Close, but no cigar...


----------



## TxLnghrn

Boasun said:


> You have the "Four in Hand" and the "Half Windsor"
> 
> R of R: International & Inland; The rules state that vessels may depart from the requirements of the when_______________________________.
> A. there are no other vessels around
> B. operating in a narrow channel
> C. the Master enters it in the ship's log
> D. necessary to avoid immediate danger


Actually Boasun, 
I was looking for a Buntline Hitch as the answer. I will defer though, it was a poorly worded question.


----------



## tdw

Rodents first...
Where the hell did I put that dress ?

I always thought the Captain was supposed to go down with the ship....


----------



## sailingdog

Rats are always the first ones off a sinking ship for some reason... but that's not it either.


----------



## Boasun

OBXMariner said:


> women & children first
> Captain last


And here I thought it was the cook that went down with the ship.:chaser

Get the word out and preparation (i.e. drills) for abandonship.

Follow me!! Your Captain


----------



## nolatom

Get off an effective mayday signal, by radio, EPIRP, or both.

Have a distress "bail-out" bag, and bring it.

Lifejackets for all hands.

Optional, though mandatory for me: pray real hard.


----------



## sailingdog

Nolatom-

Those aren't time-honored rules... those are rules for cruising sailors...


----------



## Boasun

Make sure that the tastiness person is in your raft in case that it may be forever before they rescue you.


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

That is very twisted...


----------



## Boasun

Twisted??  
You hear about this from a friend of a friend of a friend, who knew someone that may have done it...

Make sure that the cutest person of the opposite genere is on board so you may something to do to help pass the time while waiting for a rescue. 

Is that better?


----------



## sailingdog

Then again, they could be the same person.... killing two birds with one stone so to speak. 

As I said... very twisted... Donner, Party of Four... you're table is ready.



Boasun said:


> Make sure that the tastiness person is in your raft in case that it may be forever before they rescue you.





Boasun said:


> Twisted??
> You hear about this from a friend of a friend of a friend, who knew someone that may have done it...
> 
> Make sure that the cutest person of the opposite genere is on board so you may something to do to help pass the time while waiting for a rescue.
> 
> Is that better?


----------



## OBXMariner

*Two time-honored rules for abandoning ship*

Passengers before Crew
Women & children first 

Whats the nautical meaning of "****" ? ...maybe with a little history behind its slang origin; no pun intended.


----------



## OBXMariner

The filter ate that one up ****=S.H.I.T.


----------



## TxLnghrn

OBXMariner said:


> Passengers before Crew
> Women & children first
> 
> Whats the nautical meaning of "****" ? ...maybe with a little history behind its slang origin; no pun intended.


OBX, Welcome to sailnet, as you can see the site occasionallly blocks words it finds offensive. If you meant the more vulgar version of excretion, then the nautical rumor is that it stood for Ship High In Transit and applied to manure shipments. However, per Snopes.com this is a fallacious. 
I'll wait on SD ruling on your answer to post the next question.

Michael


----------



## sailingdog

OBX has it...  and I believe TXLNGHRN has solved OBX's question, although it was debunked by Snopes.com.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*New Question*

"What name is given to the compass error caused by friction of the compass liquid during a turn?"


----------



## stroudw

No answers after 15 hours. This must be a tough one. Good questions Tx. I'm going to float a guess and say Hysteresis. Did I spell that right?


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry No, 
Hysteresis can only occur when magnetic fields are being turned on/off IIRC. Neat trick if you can turn off the earths magnetic field though


----------



## Boasun

You do have the Gaussin error when the vessel is turning...
Also the fluid will dampend out the card's tendency to oscillate as the vessel rolls.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry Boasun,
Not it. A hint for all, this is one of the types of compass errors mentioned in Bowditch


----------



## OBXMariner

TxLnghrn said:


> "What name is given to the compass error caused by friction of the compass liquid during a turn?"


Is it Swirl effect or rather Swirl error...


----------



## TxLnghrn

Ding Ding Ding  
We have a winner, Tell him what he has won Johnny....

"For answering the incredibly poignant question asked by TxLngHrn, OBX gets the amazing one of a kind prize of asking the next question"


----------



## OBXMariner

*The amazing one of a kind prize !!*

If someone asks you to "box the compass" what should you do?


----------



## Boasun

A. Get a Fedex shipping box and pack the compass inside with those plastic peanuts.

B. Name all of the Cardinal & inner-Cardinal points of the Compass. That is all 32 points of the compass.

N, NxE, NNE, NExN, NE, NExE, ENE, ExN, E, & so forth.

The answer is *B*


----------



## OBXMariner

*N, NxE, NNE, NExN, NE, NExE, ENE, ExN, E, & so forth.*

B is correct; next?, if u please, Mr.B.


----------



## Boasun

You have a wood boat: What and where is the stop water on it?


----------



## sailingdog

On a proper wooden boat, a "Stop Water" is a wooden dowel, usually made of softwood, that is inserted into a hole drilled along the rabbet at the point where the stem and keel meet to prevent water from entering via the stem-keel join.


----------



## sailingdog

What do these actions all have in common:

1) Sticking a knife point into the mast
2) Throwing a penny overboard
3) Saying "pig"
4) Saying "black pig"
5) Saying "black pig" and throwing a penny overboard.


----------



## Boasun

All are superstitious ways of creating wind.


----------



## sailingdog

I knew you'd know that one Boasun...should have put an exclusion for you on it...


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> I knew you'd know that one Boasun...should have put an exclusion for you on it...


   :laugher

R of R: International & Inland; 
You are in charge of a power-driven vessel making way in dense fog. You observe what appears to be another vessel on radar half a mile distant on your port bow and closing. You must ____________.

A. sound the danger signal
B. exchange passing signals
C. sound one prolong blast
D. sound one short, one prolong & one short blast.

This gets a few people


----------



## sailingdog

C—One prolonged blast 

This should normally be sounded about every two minutes to indicate that you are a vessel under power underway.


----------



## Boasun

You got SD
Have fun coming up with a question now.


----------



## sailingdog

Here's the next question:

What is *"Hangman's Blood" *and where would you find it on a boat?


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> Here's the next question:
> 
> What is *"Hangman's Blood" *and where would you find it on a boat?


Where did you come up with this one?? What is the history behind it??


----------



## sailingdog

Yay!!!! Finally stumped Boasun... Bonus points to anyone answering this one...


----------



## Idiens

A pop song on the CD player?


----------



## sailingdog

Nope...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Hangman's blood*

1 1/4 oz gin
1 1/4 oz rum
1 1/4 oz whiskey
1 1/4 oz brandy
1 1/4 oz port
5 oz Guinness® stout or stout beer
4 oz Champagne

Add all five shots to a pint glass.

Top to desired level with stout beer, 5 oz is just about right.

Fill to top of glass with champagne.

Note: No room for ice. You don't need it if you chill most of the ingredients. Highly suggested.

Found on the lee rail with whatever I had for dinner. uke


----------



## sailingdog

Slightly different ingredients than what I had listed, but close enough.  Take it away TXLNGHRN.


----------



## TxLnghrn

I knew my college bartending days had to be good for something....I think I was a bartender, I don't really remember. :laugher 

What is the difference between seas and swells in a forecast?


----------



## sailingdog

Seas are locally derived from winds, swells are seas generated in distant locations which have traveled to your location.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*That one...*

Only lasted nine minutes, I'll have to try harder next time. You are up SD.


----------



## sailingdog

What does the Nautical phrase *"Beating the booby"* mean? and no, it has nothing to do with women's anatomy you sick puppies...


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Actually*

Unless you are a sexist puppy and assume women have no place on a ship. To beat the booby is to hit ones arms/hands across ones chest in order to warm oneself. Realistically it probably has to do imitating the actions of the boobies (the seabirds that is).

Michael


----------



## sailingdog

Well done... you're up again...


----------



## TxLnghrn

What is an "ash breeze" and why is it called this?


----------



## sailingdog

That's an easy one-rowing a boat when there isn't enough wind to sail...so the ash breeze is OARS... and it's cause oars used to be made of ash. 

What's a *"Nantucket Sleigh Ride"*??


----------



## OBXMariner

*Nsr*

Go to ----- youtube.com/watch?v=q0JrV86EKCs


----------



## TxLnghrn

Looks to me like you got it OBX, with style points to boot.  
You're up.


----------



## sailingdog

Yeah, he nailed that one with an answer in a form I definitely didn't expect.


----------



## OBXMariner

TU TU......next ? is : Define the term "ahull".


----------



## Boasun

OBXMariner said:


> TU TU......next ? is : Define the term "ahull".


Ahull: this is an archaic term for the position of a ship in which all her sails are furled and helm lashed a-lee, as in heavy weather, so that she lies nearly broadside to wind and sea; also, postion of an abandoned vessel with decks awash.

What and how would the term "Handsomely" be used??

And no I am not referring to your looks either...uke


----------



## TxLnghrn

Other than generous, gracious, and pleasing to the eye. Handsomely can refer to skillfull. e.g. My docking procedures are not performed handsomely.


----------



## Boasun

And your question is??


----------



## TxLnghrn

Wasn't sure I had the answer you were looking for Boasun  

Here goes:
"What is the name given to those contour depth lines we see on our charts?"


----------



## Boasun

Those Contour lines you see on the chart are in accordance with Chart 1 are known as Depth Contours. 
But I just say 'contour lines' myself.

Why is there a poem about Micheal O'Day?


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry Boasun, Not the answer I'm looking for


----------



## sailaway21

Isometric depth contour lines.


----------



## OBXMariner

*those contour depth lines*

The lines of equal depth are called isobaths .or isobath if speaking singular, I think.


----------



## Boasun

OBXMariner said:


> The lines of equal depth are called isobaths .or isobath if speaking singular, I think.


The depth contour. A line connecting points of equal depth below the sounding datum. It may be called FATHOM CURVE or FATHOM LINE if depth is expressed in fathoms. Also call Depth Curve, Isobath.

This is according to Bowditch. So in one sense I was right and you are right in another. So I shall leave it as it stands.


----------



## OBXMariner

*So I shall leave it as it stands.*



TxLnghrn said:


> Sorry Boasun, Not the answer I'm looking for


Bosun- I Hansomly await TxLnghrn's judgement.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Isobath was the answer I was looking for, OBX you are up. I will give credit to Boasun as well.
According to Chart 1 and Bowditch he is also correct. I'm sure it won't be long before Boasun gets another one correct and gets to ask his question.  
Well done both,
Michael


----------



## OBXMariner

When a vessel approaches a drawbridge with the draw in the open position, the vessel shall give the opening signal. If no acknowledgement is received within 30 seconds, the vessel may proceed, with caution, through the open draw. 

??? What is the opening signal???


----------



## TxLnghrn

I was going to go with "Shave and a Haircut" 
But then I remembered 1 long followed by 1 short (or VHF 13,16 or if in Florida 9).

On bridges: Green lights are used to mark the center of the Navigable channel under a bridge. If a bridge has more than one channel, what mark is used for the prefered channel?


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Bump*

No takers on this one?


----------



## Boasun

The perfered channel would be the green light on your side of the channel. that is on bridges.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry, Let me try to clarify the question.
When multiple navigable channels exist under a bridge, the preferred channel is marked with a different light sequence than the single green light. What is this light sequence?


----------



## Boasun

The preferred channel is marked by three vertical white lights above each green light. As in accordance with 33 CFR 118.65c.

R of R: International & Inland; The rules state that vessels may depart from the requirements of the Rules when_________.

A. there are no other vessels around
B. operationg in a narrow channel
C. the Master enters it in the ship's log
D. necessary to avoid immediate danger


----------



## TxLnghrn

Well done Boasun,
I'll go with D When necessary to avoid immediate danger
Michael


----------



## Boasun

Immediate danger is the one you want to avoid... So D is correct.


----------



## TxLnghrn

All right, 
Time for a very trivial question.
The mariner's astrolabe was used on a cap badge of what British special forces unit during WWII?

Michael


----------



## Boasun

I believe the Brits or Giu will have to answer that one.
At least with the Astrolabe on their caps they didn't get lost


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

I think you're repeating yourself... 



Boasun said:


> You have the "Four in Hand" and the "Half Windsor"
> 
> R of R: International & Inland; The rules state that vessels may depart from the requirements of the when_______________________________.
> A. there are no other vessels around
> B. operating in a narrow channel
> C. the Master enters it in the ship's log
> D. necessary to avoid immediate danger





Boasun said:


> The preferred channel is marked by three vertical white lights above each green light. As in accordance with 33 CFR 118.65c.
> 
> R of R: International & Inland; The rules state that vessels may depart from the requirements of the Rules when_________.
> 
> A. there are no other vessels around
> B. operationg in a narrow channel
> C. the Master enters it in the ship's log
> D. necessary to avoid immediate danger


----------



## TxLnghrn

Absolutely not Dawg. As you can clearly see the blank in the second question is much shorter than the blank in the first.


----------



## sailaway21

Tex,
I'm going to take a guess; the SAS? The Special Air Service.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Sorry, but no


----------



## TxLnghrn

*A hint*

This unit of the 8th army existed from 1942-1945 and had actor Christopher Lee (of Dracula fame) attached to it.


----------



## sailingdog

TxLngHrn—

Was it the Special Operations Executive group??? That's the only other special forces type force I can think of from the UK in WWII.


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Another Hint*

Sorry Dawg, that's not it. 
The name the unit was commonly referred to had the intials PPA.


----------



## sailingdog

If you're talking about Popski's Private Army, it wasn't an official unit IIRC. I've got


> Peniakoff's book on the shelf here someplace.  I'll have to dig it out and re-read it.


----------



## TxLnghrn

I was, and it was an official (although irregular) unit. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popski's_Private_Army

WD, Dawg. You're up


----------



## sailingdog

Wikipedia isn't always an authoritative source... but good enough...I'll dig up a question and post it this afternoon.


----------



## sailingdog

Here's an easy one:

What is the Devil and where does the expression "The Devil to pay" come from. Yes, it is nautical, not religious, in origin.


----------



## sailaway21

The "devil" refers to any planking that is difficult to access for caulking it's seams. Specifically, it was used in reference to the seam between the keel and the garboard strake which, when careened, was the seam that was available for work for the least amount of time as the tide returned. The phrase, "the devil to pay" came to denote someone who wasn't properly prepared and likely to suffer grievous consequences. A more complete phrase which sheds light on it's origin is, "the devil to pay, and no pitch hot!".


----------



## sailingdog

Take it away Sway...  BTW, Paying was the act of caulking the seam IIRC.


----------



## Boasun

Why did the ship's Boa'suns carry Rope Starters long before there were Out Board Motors or Lawn Mowers???


----------



## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> Why did the ship's Boa'suns carry Rope Starters long before there were Out Board Motors or Lawn Mowers???


The 'starters' were used to 'motivate' (read: 'beat') the crews into doing their work.


----------



## Boasun

flyingwelshman said:


> The 'starters' were used to 'motivate' (read: 'beat') the crews into doing their work.


Yes those Starters were motivation tools used to keep the seamen working. And we didn't beat them, just gave them a sharp crack or two across the back for lolly-gagging on the job. Only the Captain can award a flogging.
See! I can be politically correct.   

You have the next question now Flyingwelshman.


----------



## flyingwelshman

Okay, cruelty aboard Royal Naval vessels has been personified (extremely unfairly!) by William Bligh of Bounty infamy.
A better example of Royal Naval cruelty is Captain Hugh Pigot. For what event is he most famous?


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun-

A Rope Starter was basically carried and used as a flog to help get sailors working and motivated... 

Damn... welshman beat me to it.


----------



## sailingdog

Pigot was killed in a mutiny on the HMS Hermione, following the deaths of three sailors, who had fallen to their deaths while trying to avoid earning a flogging.


----------



## flyingwelshman

That's right.
The Mutiny on the Hermione is the bloodiest in Royal Naval history.
Pigot and some of his officers were hacked with swords and hatchets before being thrown overboard.
Pigot was renowned for his cruelty and indifference to his crew. The sailors who fell from the rigging were racing down as Pigot would flog the last one off the shrouds. He unceremoniously had their bodies dumped overboard. This was probably the last straw that led to the mutiny.

You go Dog!


----------



## sailaway21

What is the origin of the word, "ton", and what did it describe. (I jumped in Dog, as I missed my turn by my own negligence. Don't bite!)


----------



## TxLnghrn

Are you looking for the wine cask a tonneau? 900ish Litres of french vino?


----------



## sailaway21

Tex,
More details are needed.


----------



## Boasun

sailaway21 said:


> What is the origin of the word, "ton", and what did it describe. (I jumped in Dog, as I missed my turn by my own negligence. Don't bite!)


Actually this one should be for those who are wine connoisseurs. But the word ton have derived from the word Tun which is a large wine cask, equivalent to four hogsheads or 252 old wine gallons. Thus ships were measured in their tunnage capacity. Now days a ton is equivalent to 100 cubic feet.

What is a "Cog" and where was it used.


----------



## sailaway21

More details,boasun! What remains of the old tun?


----------



## Boasun

sailaway21 said:


> More details,boasun! What remains of the old tun?


Ref: the Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea.
Tun: a large cask used for the transport of wine, with a capacity of two pipes, or four hogsheads, or 252 old wine galons. In shiping terms it is the origin of the word "ton" and was the normal means of measurement of the carrying capacity of a ship. The number of tuns of wine which a ship could stow in her holds was the figure of her tunnage (tonnage) or burthen.
What remains of the old tun?? Well!? How many glasses of wine did you have today?? Subtract that from the Tun of Wine you have in your cellar and there is your answer. That is if you broached that tun today. If you broached that Tun last week well probably just an empty cask.

Now what is a "Cog"? and where was it used?


----------



## sailaway21

What did a tun weigh? (g)


----------



## TxLnghrn

sailaway21 said:


> What did a tun weigh? (g)


Okay Sway (grumble, grumble, AFOC, grumble  ) a tonneau weighed close to a current short ton (2000 lbs). A English tun was slightly larger 950ish litres and heavier and weighed closer to a metric ton (1000 kg). I'll defer the question to Boasun's cog now. I owe him one from his equally correct answer on my question last week. 

Michael


----------



## TxLnghrn

*As for Cog's*

They were medieval European trading ships, used to haul among other things  Wine


----------



## sailaway21

Well. (grumble, grumble, grumble)

You fellows have managed to get every currently useless piece of information available except the one piece that still has relevance!

A tun just happened to weigh 2240lbs and that is what a ton weighs today! The short ton of 2000lbs has no standing in the maritime world. The metric ton comes in at 2200lbs and is virtually interchangeable with the long ton unless you're actually loading a ship. The metric ton has been around quite awhile but not enjoyed much significant use until the last 25 years or so.


----------



## Boasun

Wow! A Tun weights 20 hundredweight or 160 stone

For those of you from Scotland or there about, what is a Zulu??

And for those of you whose spouse will be a tad heavier after the Holidays, convert her weight to stone and she will sound so much slimmer. I weigh 13.9 stone, see it works!


----------



## Boasun

For those of you from Scotland or there about, what is a Zulu??

Does anyone here know what a Zulu is??


----------



## sailingdog

A Zulu is a human being belonging to a ******* group native to eastern South Africa. I believe it is also a dialect of the Bantu language. *Zulu is also a name for UTC or Greenwich Mean Time*


Boasun said:


> For those of you from Scotland or there about, what is a Zulu??
> 
> Does anyone here know what a Zulu is??


----------



## Boasun

Not even close, for the definition that I am looking for. 
Try, Try, Again.

The clue is there for you to use.


----------



## sailingdog

Are you talking about an old, late 1800s-early 1900s, Scottish fishing boat, usually gaff-rigged, often a ketch?


----------



## Boasun

That is what I was looking for. A scottish double ended fishing vessel, with a plumb bow and a raked stern of up to 45 degrees.


----------



## sailingdog

Had to ask my friend's grandfather that... he's almost 100 and was a fisherman in Scotland.  Normally, I wouldn't know where to find him, but he happens to be visiting for Thanksgiving.. 

Question up in a bit... 


Boasun said:


> That is what I was looking for. A scottish double ended fishing vessel, with a plumb bow and a raked stern of up to 45 degrees.


----------



## Boasun

*Been Five days now!!!*

You are landing a single screw vessel with a right-hand propeller, Port side to the dock. As you approach the dock, you back down on your engine with rudder amidships. You would expect the vessel to
A. swing its stern towards the dock
B. Swing its stern away from the dock.
C. drift away from the dock
D. lose headway without swinging.


----------



## sailingdog

Sorry bout that Boasun...got distracted...


----------



## TxLnghrn

If I'm reading the question correctly, I'll go with *A.*
That's unless I bought extra right hand prop walk at Gui's sale


----------



## Boasun

You're up TxLnghrn


----------



## TxLnghrn

*"There are few sights as beautiful to a sailor as the rays of the sun shining skyward through breaks in a cloud bank. Sometimes referred to as 'Jacob's Ladder' by seafarers, what is the scientific name for this optical effect?"*


----------



## Boasun

TxLnghrn said:


> *"There are few sights as beautiful to a sailor as the rays of the sun shining skyward through breaks in a cloud bank. Sometimes referred to as 'Jacob's Ladder' by seafarers, what is the scientific name for this optical effect?"*


You must be referring to the Crepuscular Rays. Also know as the Backstays of the Sun.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Well Done Boasun


----------



## Boasun

TxLnghrn said:


> Well Done Boasun


Thank You....

Why is a Crow's nest called a crow's nest??


----------



## poopdeckpappy

They used to launch birds (crows) from there, the crows would fly towards land


----------



## Boasun

Go ahead with a Question Poopdeckpappy


----------



## poopdeckpappy

Where or how did the term Aloof originate


Got a better one; if a plane circles you 3 times gunning his engine and then goes out to sea, what is he trying to tell you ??


----------



## Boasun

Wasn't his engines he was gunning. You just didn't notice the splashes around your boat.

There is someone in trouble and to follow his lead.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

your play Boasun


----------



## Boasun

While on watch, you notice that the air temperature is dropping and is approaching the dew point. Which type of weather should be forecasted??
A. Hail
B. Heavy rain
C. Fog
D. Sleet


----------



## poopdeckpappy

C..........


----------



## Boasun

C. Fog is what to expect.

you're up PDP


----------



## sailingdog

Here's one...  

These are all names for a familiar sight at sea, 

Helena
Castor and Pollux
Corbie's Aunt
Jack Harry
Sailor Devil
Corpo Sancto
Corpusant
Cormazant
Capra Saltante

what is it more commonly known as??


----------



## poopdeckpappy

St Erasmus's finger


----------



## sailingdog

Nope...sorry PDP, not on the list of approved answers.


----------



## Boasun

The constellation "Gemini"?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

St Erasmus's finger is also known as St Elmos's fire, St Elmo is or was St Erasmus

Could never understand why a Lighting bolt at the top of a mast was precieved as protection by St Elmo, but if the light shined your face it was a bad omen


----------



## Boasun

Actually it was Ball Lightening at the mast tops and yard ends. And when you provided a pathway with your body then it grounded out with the ocean.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

SD should post another question


----------



## sailingdog

Got it...  Was looking for St. Elmo's Fire ... 


poopdeckpappy said:


> St Erasmus's finger is also known as St Elmos's fire, St Elmo is or was St Erasmus
> 
> Could never understand why a Lighting bolt at the top of a mast was precieved as protection by St Elmo, but if the light shined your face it was a bad omen


You are being towed by another boat. You hear them sound two long blasts and five short blasts on their horn... what should you do???


----------



## Boasun

That isn't a standard tug signal. Nor a bridge open request. So it must mean bend over and kiss your potooty good bye.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

First 2 were from the fog horn you narrowly missed, next 5 are panic signals from towed boat that wont


----------



## Boasun

But you don't mix Fog and Visual signals... You have to use one or the other and never the two together.


----------



## sailingdog

LOL... no, it isn't a standard signal today, but was used to mean something historically...  But I like both of your answers... however wrong they are.


----------



## sailaway21

St Elmo's fire is not lightning although, it is more likely to occur during storm type conditions.


----------



## poopdeckpappy

I think SD has stumped the panel



Sway, I think the new sig ...........


----------



## sailingdog

The hint is that the boat towing yours is the one making the signals..  Conversely, you could make the same signal and have basically the same result as the vessel being towed. 

This was used up until at least the Civil War...so I figured some of the old-timers here might remember it...  :laugher


----------



## Boasun

I might be OLD, but I am not that OLD!


----------



## sailingdog

Boasun— 

Did I say it was you??? Any inferences you make are purely your own fault. :laugher


----------



## TxLnghrn

Just a SWAG (scientific wildass guess) I know the signal corp was on tugs to direct fire during the civil war. Did they use sound as well as flag signals?


----------



## sailingdog

Nope... wasn't anything to do with the signal corps...


----------



## Boasun

Okay! Okay! What is two prolongs and five shorts????


----------



## sailingdog

Its a signal to release the tow line... 

The other signals used in towing a vessel were:



> I am turning to starboard - 1 short blast
> I am turning to port - 2 short blasts
> Go Ahead - 2 long blasts
> Stop - 1 long, 2 short blasts
> All fast - 2 long, 1 short blasts
> Haul away - 2 short, 1 long blasts
> Pay out more line - 1 short, 2 long blasts
> Avast Hauling - 3 short blasts
> I am letting go (emergency) - 5 short blasts repeated three times


----------



## Boasun

Now we need a series of questions that our new members here can have a go at. Such as what state of the U.S. does not abid by Inland Rules?
Or What is the Difference between IALA Region "A" and Region "B"?


----------



## sailingdog

We did the IALA Region A and Region B thing earlier.  No n00bs applied.  It would also help if the same group of people didn't bat around the questions and answers continuously.  

BTW, Hawaii would probably be the state that doesn't abide by the inland rules, not being inland and all.  Alaska probably has some waters large enough to qualify, but I doubt Hawaii does.


----------



## Boasun

Reference: Navigation Rules 
*Alaska*
The 72 Colregs shall apply on all sounds, bays, harbors and inlets of Alaska.

The Pacific Islands (such as Hawaii) all have areas that are considered to be under the Inland Rules.

The main difference between IALA Region A & B is that; 
Region A, Red right Departing.
Region B, Red right returning.

The Red and Green laterial buoys are painted opposite. The Cans & Nuns are still on the same side with just a different coat of paint.


----------



## sailingdog

Hmm.. that's interesting...wonder how they came about that decision??? any background on it Boasun???


----------



## Boasun

We really need some new blood here for the Triva portion of Sailnet.


----------



## Boasun

sailingdog said:


> Hmm.. that's interesting...wonder how they came about that decision??? any background on it Boasun???


The only thing I know is that politicans were involved.


----------



## Boasun

Why was the Prime Meridian chosen to go through Greenwich Enland and not the Rose line which was in France?


----------



## sailingdog

The French suck militarily and are just as bad when it comes to sailing...  

Actually, it was because of a conference, which was held in the USA in 1884, the International Meridian Conference. The vote was nearly unanimous in favor of Greenwich being the prime meridian—1 vote against, two abstentions, 40 or so voting for England.  

Its one of the weird pieces of trivia I've picked up over the years. 

Assuming it is the answer you're looking for... here's my question:

What is a dead rope???


----------



## Boasun

A rope that does not run through any blocks.


Now for you who race. What is a Sand Bagger?


----------



## sailingdog

Well done Boasun.


----------



## nolatom

It's a racing boat that's tender enough to need moveable ballast in the form or sanbags, shifted to the windward rail after every tack (great fun for the crew). Pretty much history by now.

Let's stick with racing:

What's a "twing"?

What's a "cunningham cringle" and for whom named?


----------



## sailingdog

Nolatom—

Pick one question or the other... not two..


----------



## sailaway21

The cunningham is named for Briggs Cunningham who seemed capable of racing anything. At one time he had one of the nicest collections of racing cars in his Florida museum.


----------



## nolatom

Sailaway's right about Briggs Cunningham

And SD, I withdraw the question about twings and save it for another day.


----------



## sailaway21

What's a "twing"? (heck, I want to know!!!)


----------



## nolatom

a "twing" is a downhaul line rigged about halfway along the length of a spinnaker sheet or guy. When tensioned, it's used to move the lead of the sheet forward to flatten and stabilize the spinnaker in a breeze. It's also handy at the beginning of spinnaker takedown, you can pull on it to grab the sheet which otherwise may be out of reach.

I'm almost out of questions, but what's another name for a boom vang (think British)?


----------



## nolatom

Someone else has to know this. What do the Brits call a boom vang? I never knew why they used that name til recently, it makes a good story.

Having said that, I usually can't answer other people's questions either ;-)


----------



## sailingdog

A boom kicker???


----------



## nolatom

You're awful close. That may be an abbreviation for the two-word term I was thinking of.


----------



## nolatom

Aw, what the heck, I'm not trying to be a tease, SD's answer is close enough. Called in slang a "kicker", the Brit. term for a boom vang I heard and read about some time ago was "kicking strap". 

I never understood why they called it that. So after I asked the question, I Googled the term, and found that is comes from horses in harness ahead of a wagon or carriage. To avoid them from kicking, and injuring others or themselves, a strap was rigged from the harness over the horse's hindquarters. This strap prevented the horse from lifting his hind legs off the ground, which the horse has to do before he can kick, so it prevented him from lifting his "ass end" upwards.

A vang, or "kicking strap" does the same with the boom. It keeps the "ass end" from lifting up. 

SD, good job, it's your question. I'm tapped out.


----------



## sailingdog

Thanks, I'll post a question when I get back to the house tonight.


----------



## sailingdog

If you were a sailor on a ship in the early twentieth century and told you were having _Albany Beef_ for dinner, what were you going to be eating??


----------



## nolatom

I have a feeling it's some kind of fish....

but don't know enough to answer.


----------



## Boasun

Albany Beef: Hudson river Sturgeon.
Yes Nolatom, you would be eating fish.

I have need of an Aldis Lamp. What would I be doing??


----------



## sailaway21

You'd be sending flashing light signals.


----------



## sailingdog

Nicely done Boasun.


----------



## sailaway21

What is a D.B.S.? (It's a colloquial term.)


----------



## sailaway21

It's a Distressed British Seaman. That is, a British tar without a ship in a foreign port.

What's a "Hooker"?


----------



## Boasun

sailaway21 said:


> It's a Distressed British Seaman. That is, a British tar without a ship in a foreign port.
> 
> What's a "Hooker"?


A. A very naughty lady.

B. A short tubby vessel (a ketch) with square sails forward and a gaff on the mizzen with a square topsail.

What are Hope-In-Heavens?


----------



## nolatom

Boats, I have absolutely no idea, but thought I'd type something so this thread doesn't get buried.


----------



## Boasun

Hope in Heavens are the sky sails on the clipper ships. The very upper most sails of those ships. 

When they measured the speed of the ship in the olde days what was used to measure the time and what was the time increment used in those days?


----------



## nolatom

This is an educated guess, here goes.

it had something to do with a rope trailed over the side, with knots in it at equal intervals.

Then you'd toss a wood chip off the bow and time it's travel to the stern. However many "knots" it traveled was your speed through the water.

Modern GPS is wonderful, but it can't tell you your speed through the water, unless you're in zero current, which is hard to tell.

Even now, some oceangoing tugs still time a wood chip to get their speed through the water. It's reliable regardless of the current, and gives you a benchmark from which to measure whether you're in current or not.

This isn't really an answer to your question, since I don't know whether it's righ, nor the time interval nor the spacing of the knots.


----------



## mrwuffles

I thinks its like a foot and a half apart over 1 minute??? Just a guess probably way off though


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Are you wanting the short glass or the long glass?


----------



## sailaway21

The chip log had a chip of wood spliced onto the end of a knotted line. The chip of wood was perpendicular to the run of line. The chip produced the tension to pay out the line and the knots were counted, as they were timed, to determine speed. This proved more reliable than tossing the chip of wood over the side where it might soon be lost to sight and even worked at night!


----------



## TSOJOURNER

But the instrument to measure the time was a sand glass. A short glass was used most of the time, except for slow speeds, when a long glass was used. The long glass was 28 seconds and the short was 14 seconds. With the short glass, the number of knots was doubled to give the speed.


----------



## Boasun

Yes it was a Chip Log. And the time increment was 28 seconds. The knots were 47'3" apart on that line.

Werebeagle is up with Sailaway21 as back up if necessary.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

What is the origin of the term "deep six"


----------



## Boasun

Deep Six is the archaic term for the big locker, where we wet stow various items that we feel are no longer needed on the boat. Thus we "deep six" those items.

You hear the clock chime eight bells. Though you can't see it what time or times could it possibly be?


----------



## nolatom

Does it have anything to do with a Fathom being 6 feet? So if you deep-six something, you've put it at least a fathom below the surface?

As to the bells, don't they toll one bell each half-hour, increasing by one additional bell each half-hour, up to the completion of a four-hour watch, which are completed at midnight, 4am, 8am, Noon, 4pm, 8pm, Midnight, and so on, etc. ?

So each change of a seagoing watch is at 12, 4, 8, 12, etc...

If you have a different watch system, bear in mind that the ship who is getting closer to you changes watches every four hours, at which time it's possible no one's looking...;-)


----------



## TxLnghrn

0400 0800 1200 1600 2000 0000

Question to come


----------



## TxLnghrn

*Next Question*

Class A and Class B EPIRBS should be checked once a month during the boating season. When during the day is it permissible to conduct this test?


----------



## sailaway21

To "deep six" something is to toss it overboard. Traditionally, and practically, one did not do so in shallow water. Today, distance offshore has taken the place of water depth for where it is appropriate to toss something overboard.

The exact expression deep six refers to six fathoms as observed on a lead-line. Lead lines are not marked for each or every fathom of depth and, as depth increases, the markings become further apart. On a hand lead, as differentiated from the deep sea lead, 2 fathoms are marked, then 3 fathoms, 5 fathoms, 7 fathoms, 10 fathoms, etc... The markings are not knots but devices that can be felt and seen for what they denote. For instance, 5 fathoms is marked by a white rag while 10 fathoms is marked with a leather with a hole in it.

If one sounded 5 fathoms of water they'd report, "by the Mark Five!". Anything measured between 5 fathoms and the next mark, at 7 fathoms, would be reported preceded with, "by the Deep....". Thus a depth of six fathoms would be reported as, "by the Deep Six!".

So historically, if you "deep-sixed" something you disposed of it in water deeper than 36 feet, making it relatively irretrievable.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

Lots of different answers. The one I'd heard and was looking for was that a for a burial at see you needed at least 6 fathoms of depth.


----------



## Boasun

TxLnghrn said:


> Class A and Class B EPIRBS should be checked once a month during the boating season. When during the day is it permissible to conduct this test?


Class A & Class B epirbs are illegal. You have to have a Catagory I or II 406 MegaHz EPRIB on board.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Good catch Boasun. That's what happens when I turn off my brain while typing. I meant Cat I or II. But it looks like I jumped the line on Sway, so I will defer to his question and use this one later.

Michael


----------



## sailaway21

TxLnghrn said:


> Class A and Class B EPIRBS should be checked once a month during the boating season. When during the day is it permissible to conduct this test?[/QUOTE
> 
> A better question than any I was likely to come up with. I defer to Tex!


----------



## xort

What's a henway?


----------



## TSOJOURNER

a little bit less than a rooster?


----------



## Boasun

What is a Henway?

A Hen weights about 4 pounds.


----------



## sailingdog

TxLnghrn said:


> Cat I and II EPIRBS should be checked once a month during the boating season. When during the day is it permissible to conduct this test?


First five minutes of the hour IIRC.


----------



## TxLnghrn

Not sure were we are at with questions, but correct SD. Welcome back.


----------



## sailingdog

Oh...shoot...that means I have to come up with a question... hold on a sec.


----------



## sailingdog

What is the general rule-of-thumb ratio between line size and cleat size, and why??? 

a) 8:1
b) 12:1
c) 16:1


----------



## Boasun

A WAG is (B) But after all of these years I never really paid attention except when I noticed that either the line is too large or the cleat to small. And on a lot of boats I did notice that they (the builders) put way too small a cleat for it to do its job properly.


----------



## tdw

c - 16:1


What is the etymology of the word CRUISE and what was its original meaning ?


----------



## sailaway21

I believe it's a Dutch word in origin and means to zigzag, or to sail in many directions, as a warship or yacht would.


----------



## tdw

sailaway21 said:


> I believe it's a Dutch word in origin and means to zigzag, or to sail in many directions, as a warship or yacht would.


you are essentially correct Sway BUT......why are you zigzagging ?


----------



## sailingdog

Well done... and the reason for the 16:1 ratio is that a cleat that large can generally handle two lines without trouble. Smaller than that, rotsa ruck trying to get two lines on it...


tdw said:


> c - 16:1
> 
> What is the etymology of the word CRUISE and what was its original meaning ?


----------



## sailingdog

It means to sail back and forth, and the reason you're doing so is you are on patrol, as a privateer or naval warship would be when looking for pirates or enemy ships.


tdw said:


> you are essentially correct Sway BUT......why are you zigzagging ?


----------



## Boasun

According to my Webster's Dictionary: Cruise; [From the Dutch word _Kruisen_ To make a Cross. Cruise] 
1. To sail about touching at a series of ports.
2. To travel for enjoyment.
3. To travel about the streets at random.
4. To travel at the most efficient operating speeds.

Note: To patrol on station is toMod-Loc; for modified location as a Navy vessel patrol in a pacific location or some Navies would call it "station keeping".


----------



## tdw

I think Sway was close enough for jazz but the piece I read about it said that the zizzag course was in order to avoid pirates.

Anywho...Sway can have it.


----------



## sailaway21

What is the manger? Where is it found and what is it's purpose. It's found on board ship.


----------



## TSOJOURNER

where livestock was kept for milk or fresh meat in the voyage, located in the bow between the anchor cables.


----------



## sailaway21

You're on the right track, Charlie. Or, at least, the correct end of the boat!


----------



## TSOJOURNER

More than that I don't know. Is your answer pertaining to a modern ship? Mine was referring to tall ships.


----------



## sailingdog

Why would naval ships be avoiding pirates???


tdw said:


> I think Sway was close enough for jazz but the piece I read about it said that the zizzag course was in order to avoid pirates.
> 
> Anywho...Sway can have it.


----------



## Boasun

The ZigZag courses were used to foul the firing solutions of the torpedos from submarines during the wars. Starting in WWI. It has nothing to do with Pirates.
So refer back to post 1294 you will have an understanding of the word cruise.


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## tdw

sailingdog said:


> Why would naval ships be avoiding pirates???


Good point SD.....should have been merchant vessels in fact....?? Then again Boasun's citation indicates that naval ships did the zig zag thing as well so perhaps that was to find pirates , not avoid them.

Boasun.......the term predates powered vessels......

I found it referred to in the context of ships zigzagging to avoid the attention of pirates. I'm presuming because it created a less predictable course.


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## sailaway21

The only references I have refer to zig zagging in terms of exploring the waters the vessel is within.

Now, what's the manger? (g)

Hint: it's a specific part of a ship, sail or motor, with a specific function.


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## tdw

sailaway21 said:


> The only references I have refer to zig zagging in terms of exploring the waters the vessel is within.
> 
> Now, what's the manger? (g)
> 
> Hint: it's a specific part of a ship, sail or motor, with a specific function.


Part of the foredeck. An area that is isolated from the after deck by a coaming. It isolates the hawser pipes openings from the after deck to prevent water washing back.


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## sailaway21

I'll accept that one, tdw. It's correct but the term is more commonly associated with the perforated decking within the chain locker that allows the water to flow to the drains.

Wombat's up!


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## tdw

sailaway21 said:


> I'll accept that one, tdw. It's correct but the term is more commonly associated with the perforated decking within the chain locker that allows the water to flow to the drains.
> 
> Wombat's up!


Whoops, sorry, I havn't been here.

Thanks Sway.

whats the etymology of MAIN as in mainsail and its nothing to do with size.


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## Boasun

Main means that it is the principle sail, mast, stays or shrouds. 

That is my reasoning and I sticking to it. So there! 

What does it mean to "Sail Large"??


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## tdw

Boasun said:


> Main means that it is the principle sail, mast, stays or shrouds.
> 
> That is my reasoning and I sticking to it. So there!
> 
> What does it mean to "Sail Large"??


Obviously no one is going to get this but it stands for strength as in 'might and main'.

Go for it Boasun....I'm at the coalface so don't have the two books I use for the questions (and answers) so no point me offering answer.


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## sailingdog

That means to sail the boat with the wind crossing it such that the sails are full and you have maximum power to the sails.



Boasun said:


> Main means that it is the principle sail, mast, stays or shrouds.
> 
> That is my reasoning and I sticking to it. So there!
> 
> What does it mean to "Sail Large"??


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## Boasun

SD not quite what I'm looking for. 
I did get one email from TDW who gave me the correct answer... So that proves that there are people out there on this site that knows what 'Sailing Large' means.


Don't it turk you off when people confuse site & sight when writing something. I have found that confusion even in text books.


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## Boasun

Sailing Large is when the wind is on the beam or abaft of the beam. A broad reach in other words. TDW Emailed the correct answer & SD came close.

We do need other mariners stretching their knowledge here without going too deeply into racing history. 99% of us don't have the stats in that area.

New Question: Some of the older boats have a Gammon on board. What and where is that Gammon??


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## Boasun

Come on People!! If you have a bow sprit you may have a Gammon. Now what is it??


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## RanAweigh

Look for your gammon at the mast. Could be iron, hemp or a combination of both.


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## Boasun

Close RA the gammon is used to secure the Bow Sprit to the stem post.
Now what is your question??


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## RanAweigh

Any stationary spar can be affixed with a gammon. 

Oft times the crew will gripe about the food aboard. What happens when a sailing vessel GRIPES?


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## nolatom

Does this have anything to do with the gripes on a lifeboat?


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## RanAweigh

Although gripes do secure the lifeboats when the vessel gripes the lifeboats aren't in consideration. But, you do get points for knowing about those old gripes as well.


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## Boasun

A sailing vessel Gripes when it is carrying to much weather helm. She also Gripes when she tends to come up into the wind when close hauled. And she Gripes according to her trim. Note: moving weight aft will reduce much of the gripping and have her draw deeper aft.
Now about that chow you are planning on serving....!!!


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## Boasun

What fish was used as a design standard for many of the old sailing ships before the clipper ships came popular?


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## TxLnghrn

SWAG
Mackerel as in Cod's head and mackerel tailed?


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## RanAweigh

quit your griping we have a winner! BoaSun has it To Gripe is to carry a weather helm. Good Show


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## Boasun

Yes TxLnghrn. that is correct....


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## TxLnghrn

What is a Geedunk?


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## nolatom

TxLnghrn said:


> What is a Geedunk?


I used to think it was the snack bar (usually not all that good) at a Coast Guard base.

But I'm likely wrong.....


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## TxLnghrn

Close enough Nola, Geedunk refers to ice cream, snacks and the location on ship or base that sells them.
You are up.


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## nolatom

okay,

What was the Morro Castle and what did we learn from it??


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## sailaway21

_SS Morro Castle_ was a passenger ship that burned while at sea in the 1930's. The disaster was the proximate cause of a massive re-writing of ship-building standards as well as the training and licensing of merchant marine officers and crew. The US Merchant Marine Academy was one of the institutions that grew out of the disaster. Fireproof bulkhead requirement were a notable feature to grow out of the disaster.

Ironically, long after the US merchant marine had ceased to be viable internationally, many foreign built and foreign flagged vessels continued to be built to standards far beneath those of the US. As late as the end of the eighties I advised friends to avoid certain Carnival cruise line ships due to the presence of nothing more than cardboard bulkheads within the house of such vessels.

A glaring example of the importance of such standards in morem modern times was the allision of the SS Seawitch with the MV Esso Brussels in lower New York Harbor. Both vessels were relatively new and a conflagration broke out when the Seawitch' steering gear suffered a failure and she allided with the fully laden Esso Brussels which was anchored within Stapleton anchorage off Staten Island. It is no hyperbole to say that the harbor was a sea of fire.

The house of the Esso Brussels was gutted completely by the flames with massive loss of life. The house of the Seawitch was smoke damaged with the only loss being one man succumbing to a heart attack.


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## nolatom

I really threw that one down the middle of the plate, didn't I?

Another example was the YARMOUTH CASTLE back in the '60's, an old-lady ship with many layers of paint, which became a floating torch. The only effective way to prevent fires form spreading is to build the ships out of flame-resistant material. The SS UNITED STATES is a prime example.

The old saying is, "all the marine safety regulations are written in blood", and it's true.

You're up....


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## sailaway21

What was Nathaniel Bowditch's first job?


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## TSOJOURNER

cooper


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## sailaway21

Correct, Charlie! You be up.


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## TSOJOURNER

OK, following that line, (And maybe we should let the young s**t's have a try) 

What does a cooper do?


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## poopdeckpappy

werebeagle said:


> OK, following that line, (And maybe we should let the young s**t's have a try)
> 
> What does a cooper do?


about 145 with nitous 

sorry........I'm leaving


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## TSOJOURNER

poopdeckpappy said:


> about 145 with nitous
> 
> sorry........I'm leaving


Downhill with a tailwind?


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## Omatako

werebeagle said:


> OK, following that line, (And maybe we should let the young s**t's have a try)
> 
> What does a cooper do?


Makes barrels


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## TSOJOURNER

Close enough, as that is the standard definition, but it includes any conical woodden staved vessel. Your up.


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## Omatako

What is a flitch?


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## Boasun

the outside cut or slab of a tree. very seldom used in wood boats.


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## Omatako

Boasun said:


> the outside cut or slab of a tree. very seldom used in wood boats.


Mmmmm. Yep, Ok.

My flitch was a thinly sliced pice of wood peeled off a log to form a veneer.

But there is more than one definition, yours is good.

Your go.


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## Boasun

What is the difference between the various types of LOPs??


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## poopdeckpappy

two parter:

Ducks and Drakes

where'd did it originate and what did it disscribe ?

what does it disscribe today ?


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## sailingdog

It originally described the act of skipping shells or stones on a pond... and is used to describe acting recklessly today.


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## Boasun

Didn't you see my question? Are ye blind? Can't see? Didn't look? Gesh! No wonder why you all keep bouncing off of other boats out there.

The question was and is: What are the differences of the various types of LOPs? 
A clue; there are three types... hope that helps. four if you count the fathometer.


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## poopdeckpappy

sailingdog said:


> It originally described the act of skipping shells or stones on a pond... and is used to describe acting recklessly today.


Also a disscription of cannon balls skipping across the water before hitting or in most cases missing their target.

Sorry Boasun, my fault


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## sailingdog

Boasun—

Compass bearing
Range or Transit
Radar (used for distance and marked as an arc)
depth contour.


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## Boasun

SD you miss one.... a clue is that it has lines all over your offshore charts.


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## TxLnghrn

Loran?


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## Boasun

TX got it!! Yeah! Yippee!

Note: Here they are the various LOPs and you can combine them if/as necessary.
Bearings have a straight line from you to the object.
Ranges (Radar, sextant, stadimeter) are Arcs
Loran are hyperbolic curves
Fathometer the depth of water minus your draft.


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## sailingdog

Hmm... but Loran is a dead service, it's getting killed off shortly.


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## Boasun

Damn Socialist Government!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrr!

What is the next Question!!??


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## Boasun

Okay I'll ask another one:
What is the difference between a Snow and a Topsail Schooner and a Brigatine??? 
Inquiring minds need to know the Snow....:laugher


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## Classic30

Boasun said:


> Okay I'll ask another one:
> What is the difference between a Snow and a Topsail Schooner and a Brigatine???
> Inquiring minds need to know the Snow....:laugher


I've been gone a while (several months now) and I'm not yet quite back and I find that (a) this thread is still running and (b) the Venerable Wombat is now a Moderator!!   Anyone miss me?

To answer the question:
Brigantines and Topsail Schooners have the main mast rigged fore-and-aft and the foremast carrying square sails. The schooner carries the foresail fore-and-aft rigged whilst Brigantines set the foresail square. 
A Snow (a brig, really) carried square sails on both masts.

My question: If a "Slutter" is a sloop with two headsails but no bowsprit - what's a "Sketch"??


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## Boasun

Well it isn't a ketch and it isn't a schooner... So it must be a sketch.
Some one dropped the ball here....


What is a pelorus used for ???


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## RanAweigh

bearing to target


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## Boasun

What kind of a bearing and how would you convert to a usable one?


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## RanAweigh

That wasn't the question! You said what is a Pelorus used for. 

What kind of bearing: Relative
Convert to usable: FIRE!


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## TSOJOURNER

"Convert to usable: FIRE!"....... I LOVE IT!


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## Boasun

Now that depends on who you are aiming at....

Now you can ask a question... On most any maritime subject that is readily available to most of us.


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## RanAweigh

We all know that once cordage has been cut from the reel, spliced or seized it is now known as "line" not rope. There is, however, a length of spliced cordage on many vessels that is a rope. Where is it?


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## poopdeckpappy

Along the rub rail and bow


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## Boasun

It is the Bell Rope and the Foot Rope of the life lines.


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## RanAweigh

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Give that man a Quepie Doll

You Win!


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## Boasun

I Won!! I Won!!.... Ten Zillion of Lower sobokeyian Dollars... Or about 3 Cents in US money.

How would you determine the speed of a displacement vessel?


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## RanAweigh

Speed Length Ratio = V over the square root of LWL

where:

v = speed in knots 
LWL = length of waterline in feet


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## Boasun

You have it.... and awards you the Cool look

And your question to stump the panel is???


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## RanAweigh

Although not exactly sailing this question is navigational in nature therefore I think it is applicable.

I like to read both nautical and aeronautical based novels. As the author describes the movements ships or planes I maintain a mental plotting board. One of the things that drives me mad is when the author doesn't do proper research and has the characters performing impossible maneuvers or following a series of maneuvers has the vessels in the wrong place. This is the basis of my trivia question.

A pilot takes off from a clandestine location and is instructed to fly due north 0.00 True. After having flown for 1 hour at 550 knots he is then instructed to turn to starboard to a heading of 090 true maintaining his current speed. Again one hour later he is instructed make another 90 degree starboard turn to a heading of 180 true. In one hour he is instructed to land at which point he notices that he will be landing at the same airport from which he departed three hours ago.

The questions are:
Is this possible and if so, how?

For the purpose of this question wind, set and drift are not considered.


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## Boasun

it is the rotation of the earth...


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## RanAweigh

Boasun said:


> it is the rotation of the earth...


Well, ... yes the earth was rotating at the time but earth's rotation has little else to do with the answer.


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## Boasun

RanAweigh said:


> Well, ... yes the earth was rotating at the time but earth's rotation has little else to do with the answer.


The earth is always rotating.... don't know or heard of any time of its stopping   :laugher


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## RanAweigh

Sure. If it stops rotating the water will spill out of the oceans.

To solve the puzzle think out of the box


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## GreatWhite

I think it would be if the wind was blowing out of the E at about 183 knots...but you said wind set and drift are not applicable so I guess I don't know!


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## sailingdog

Boasun said:


> I Won!! I Won!!.... Ten Zillion of Lower sobokeyian Dollars... Or about 3 Cents in US money.
> 
> *How would you determine the speed of a displacement vessel?*


Actually, RanAweigh didn't answer this question. He said:



> Speed Length Ratio = V over the square root of LWL
> 
> where:
> 
> v = speed in knots
> LWL = length of waterline in feet


That is the speed length ratio... not the speed. The hull speed of a displacement vessel is:

Vmax=1.34 * sqrt(LWL)

Where Vmax is the hull speed.


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## RanAweigh

sailingdog said:


> Actually, RanAweigh didn't answer this question. He said:
> 
> That is the speed length ratio... not the speed. The hull speed of a displacement vessel is:
> 
> Vmax=1.34 * sqrt(LWL)
> 
> Where Vmax is the hull speed.


Part of my original post got gobbled up when I edited it to include reference to the consideration of a Froude number.
"The rule of thumb" answer is Velocity (max) = 1.34 * sqrt LWL. However the constant can actually be 1.34~1.51.

But if you want to provide the next one I would be happy to concede and withdraw my quiz question.


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## flyingwelshman

RanAweigh said:


> Although not exactly sailing this question is navigational in nature therefore I think it is applicable.
> 
> I like to read both nautical and aeronautical based novels. As the author describes the movements ships or planes I maintain a mental plotting board. One of the things that drives me mad is when the author doesn't do proper research and has the characters performing impossible maneuvers or following a series of maneuvers has the vessels in the wrong place. This is the basis of my trivia question.
> 
> A pilot takes off from a clandestine location and is instructed to fly due north 0.00 True. After having flown for 1 hour at 550 knots he is then instructed to turn to starboard to a heading of 090 true maintaining his current speed. Again one hour later he is instructed make another 90 degree starboard turn to a heading of 180 true. In one hour he is instructed to land at which point he notices that he will be landing at the same airport from which he departed three hours ago.
> 
> The questions are:
> Is this possible and if so, how?
> 
> For the purpose of this question wind, set and drift are not considered.


The pilot took off and landed from the South Pole.


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## RanAweigh

Yes, There are two possible answers. Something to factor in is the circumference of 89th parallel is, you guessed it fans, 550 nautical miles. So there are two ways to complete this flight one answer for each hemisphere. Southern hemisphere: take off from the south pole. The solution in the northern hemisphere is to take off from a point 550 nautical miles south of lat 89. In either solution, the legs of the trip do not form the expected box. FlyingWelshman was thinking out of the box. Here's your trophy:









Your Turn


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## flyingwelshman

Okay, not really ‘trivia’, but an exercise in piloting:
You are cruising on a heading of 027°T at a speed of 5.0 knots.
At 0930 you take a sighting on a lighthouse using your pelorus (see above) and find it is at 022°R.
At 0945 you take another sighting and find the lighthouse at bearing 034°R.
What will be your distance off the lighthouse when it lies abeam?


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## Boasun

ETA & CPA would be 1007 @ 1.2 nm

Nav Question: Cn & Brgs are in True.
C-297
S-11
Light brg
0019 @ 274.5
0048 @ 252
ETA & CPA???
And Which Dist. Off Rule is this??


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## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> ETA & CPA would be 1007 @ 1.2 nm
> 
> Nav Question: Cn & Brgs are in True.
> C-297
> S-11
> Light brg
> 0019 @ 274.5
> 0048 @ 252
> ETA & CPA???
> And Which Dist. Off Rule is this??


Boasun, if the '@' represents 'approximately' then you are very close (I estimated 1.25 nm)
I think we were thinking in the same direction as my question is based on a similar concept to yours. Trouble is you need tables (or a good memory) to know the pairs of relative bearings that help to establish CPA to easily answer mine. (Bowditch, 1984 ed. vol.2, table 505)

Answers to your problem:

ETA = 0117
closest point of approach = 5.32 nm
Rule: "doubling the angle on the bow"


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## Boasun

FW you miss it..... This is a 7/10th rule...
the @ means > At
The problem is easily done on a manuevering board... but can be done using math.
No tables needed for this question...


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## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> FW you miss it..... This is a 7/10th rule...
> the @ means > At
> The problem is easily done on a manuevering board... but can be done using math.
> No tables needed for this question...


Did I get the answers right (other than the rule)?
I don't have my notes in front of me, but from what I recall, the first angle was half of the second angle, which means that the CPA would be equal to the distance traveled between the first and second sighting. This is the 'doubling the angle on the bow' rule.
As the second angle is at relative 045°(red), and the light is abeam at 090°(red), then the triangle created by the second sighting, the CPA and the light is a right-angled isoceles one, with two sides of equal length. Therefore the distance of the CPA is equal to the distance travelled between the second sighting and the CPA.

Sorry - I meant that the tables were needed to solve my question, not yours.


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## Boasun

The 1st brg is 22.5 degrees off the bow
The 2nd brig is 45 degrees off the bow. 
Thus you have the 7/10 rule with those two brgs.
The time difference between the 1st & & 2nd brg is 29 minutes.
S x T / 60 = D or DR to the 2nd brg in this case.
11 x 29' / 60 = 5.3nm
7/10 Rule has the DR X 0.7 = dist to CPA from 2nd brg.
5.3 x 0.7 = 3.7nm
D / S + Time = ETA
3.7 / 11 + 0048 = 0108 
or 
3.7 / 11 x 60 = 20' 
0048 + 20' = 0108

The answer is CPA of 3.7nm @ ETA of 0108

For some people it is easier to do on a Manuevering board...


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## flyingwelshman

Boasun said:


> The 1st brg is 22.5 degrees off the bow
> The 2nd brig is 45 degrees off the bow.
> Thus you have the 7/10 rule with those two brgs.
> The time difference between the 1st & & 2nd brg is 29 minutes.
> S x T / 60 = D or DR to the 2nd brg in this case.
> 11 x 29' / 60 = 5.3nm
> 7/10 Rule has the DR X 0.7 = dist to CPA from 2nd brg.
> 5.3 x 0.7 = 3.7nm
> D / S + Time = ETA
> 3.7 / 11 + 0048 = 0108
> or
> 3.7 / 11 x 60 = 20'
> 0048 + 20' = 0108
> 
> The answer is CPA of 3.7nm @ ETA of 0108
> 
> For some people it is easier to do on a Manuevering board...


Boasun, I am not trying to argue with you - I respect your knowledge and experience. I am new to this and want to learn.
I am confused. I was taught that if the angle of the second bearing is twice the angle of the first bearing, then the CPA is equal to the distance traveled between sightings.
In your example the first bearing is 022.5 and the second is twice that at 045.
We agree on the distance traveled (5.3ish nm), so I don't understand why this rule wouldn't apply.
I don't recall hearing about the '7/10' rule. Would you mind clarifying that for me?
If this has de-railed the trivia thread, I apologize. Perhaps, if you don't mind, Boasun you and I can take this over to PM?
Thanks


----------



## Boasun

You have several rules for various sets of brgs.
7/10 rule is for the 22.5/45 brgs
7/8th rule for 30/60
1.4 rule is for 26.5/45 
Plus about 6 other rules in brg sets, including the Natual Cotangent rule.

You can find these rules in either Bowditch or Dutton's or Formulae for the Mariner. There may be other books on navigation that will have them. But the ones I've named are my references for class.

But the easiest way is to use the manuevering board and you needn't worry about which rule to use for distance off. Plotting on a chart works but the MB is the way to go for ease.


----------



## Boasun

Seeing that everyone is totally confused, lets go with something easier:
Where would you find CARLINGS on your boat??


----------



## nolatom

Boasun said:


> Seeing that everyone is totally confused, lets go with something easier:
> Where would you find CARLINGS on your boat??


along the centerline, fore and aft, to support the deck?


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## deberg351

I am loving this entire thread. I read through the first 30 pages or so, and was content to be in the ballpark with around half the answers. I'll hop in eventually if I'm in the right time and the the right place (and I know the answer).


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## Boasun

Sorry NOLATOM, you are warm but not close enough to be even considered in the ball park.


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## poopdeckpappy

As we know a caboose is the last car on a train but, where else was it found and what was it used for


----------



## dacap06

poopdeckpappy said:


> As we know a caboose is the last car on a train but, where else was it found and what was it used for


Hmmm ... I have a fuzzy recollection of a conversation I had as a Midshipman with a mustang LCDR who prided himself on his knowledge of nautical terms and history. He mentioned that a while back a caboose used to refer to the cast iron cooking ranges in the galley, or even to the galley itself. Anyway, how close is that definition to what you had in mind?


----------



## poopdeckpappy

very close,

Answer: a iron pot on the deck of old whaling ships to boil whale blubber


----------

