NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: taffrail log (Walker's log)
From: Bruce Hamilton
Date: 2008 Oct 12, 16:54 -0700
From: Bruce Hamilton
Date: 2008 Oct 12, 16:54 -0700
One of the nicest taffrail logs I ever saw was on a family friend's Grampion 30. I can't remember the maker but it was black and not much bigger than a big tin can. It did it's job well as we wound out way from Rossport Ontario to Grand Manan Island. In the days when pleasure sailors navigated with a compass, a hand held pelorus, and a simple RDF, it was nice to have the log to keep track of your distance run. I am always keeping my eye out for one. We had logs on the ships I worked on later in life in the 80's as they were still on the required equipment list, but never used. They were quite big and the fish was about 2 feet long.They were looked at once for spring outfit and never used. In the days when they were used, they were apparently the responsibility of the navigation apprentice (that was me), and the mates would take great pleasure in giving you hell if you forgot to take it in before slowing down or maneuvering. Ah, the brass polishing days. I thing they only stopped beating apprentices about 10 years before I entered the business. Ah, tradition. :-) Bruce Hamilton Vancouver, BC. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---