NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Taffrail log and an alternative
From: Bob Young
Date: 2002 Jun 23, 11:38 -0400
From: Bob Young
Date: 2002 Jun 23, 11:38 -0400
On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 05:23:19 -0700 Walter Guinonwrote: > The chip log seems like a good idea if it is streamed regularly but I > never figured out how to reteive it easily at speed due to its drag. The traditional design of the chip log addresses that problem. The rectangular wood "chip" is towed by a bridle consisting of two lines, one permanently connected to the upper edge of the chip, and the other to a cork which is inserted firmly into a hole near the lower edge. The lower edge of the log is also weighted with a lead slug so that it will float vertically, and the length of the two lines is adjusted so that it is normally towed in that position. To retrieve the log, a sharp tug on the tow-line causes the cork to be dislodged from its hole, and the log is then towed only by the upper line, and assumes a horizontal attitude in which the drag becomes very low, making retrieval easy. Bob Young