More whales off the ship today, but too far off to identify. Celestial navigation classes have reached a key point – putting all of the threads together to be able to draw a line of position on the chart based on the height of any celestial body at a known time. We’re using the sun because it’s easy to see and identify, but the same technique
works for stars and planets too. It really is a bit like magic. Noon sights are getting pretty accurate too, figuring latitude consistently within a couple of nautical miles now.
SHIP’S WORK: KARL mast and planking continues, paint stone thwarts in MONOMOY, spot paint green galleyhouse trim, paint starboard focslehead railing grey, and spot prime to port, 2 coats of varnish on helm grates, main yard footrope completed and sent up, sailmaking: roping continued on t’gallant studdingsail and gaff topsail, rope cover on t’gallant staysail, corner patches on KARL sails. Cel Nav: introducing the celestial triangle and lines of position.
FROM: Mindelo, Sāo Vicente, Cape Verde
TOWARDS: The West Indies
TIME ZONE: ZD+3
NOON POSITION: 16°27.7’N /048°28.4’W
DAYS RUN: 139nm
PASSAGE LOG: 1,455nm
DISTANCE REMAINING: 723nm
COURSE AND SPEED: West by half North (CMGT 266°T)
WIND: Force 5, East
WEATHER: 6/8 cloud cover (cumulus, cumulostratus), air temp 78F (25.5°C), barometer reading 1021 millibars, visibility good
SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: approx 3-5 feet, East by North
SAILS SET: Al square sails to the royals, except the mainsail; fore topmast staysail. Braced square and running downwind in the tropical trade-winds as our barque was built to do.