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I had written-

| > The approach to St Helena is of interest. "We hove-to at 4am, July 12th,
and
| > at daybreak found the island bearing north-west 10 miles, as expected.".
| > Shows some confidence in their astro navigation, doesn't it? That they
press
| > on in the dark towards a rocky steep-to island until they reckon to be
| > within 10 miles, and only then do they heave-to. Would we be as bold, I
| > wonder?
| > George.

and Jeremy replied-

| I would.  The approach to St. Helena (and Ascension Island) is an easy
| one.  There are no outlying shoals and the mountain rises very steeply
| from the bottom.  You practically have to run into the island before
| you run out of water, even for a deep draft ship.

==================

But just that approach, that to Jeremy seems easy, is what I would see as
the problem. No chance of taking soundings to give advance warning of that
approach. Just a great rocky lump sticking out of the sea in the dark to
menace an unwary vessel. I don't know whether St Helena was lit, in any way,
in 1853. Certainly no GPS, and no radar. Jeremy is more confident of his
astro navigation than I would be of mine.

Fred added-

"And if the weather is clear and the moon is fairly bright, it shouldn't be
a problem."

The Moon was down.

George.

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


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