Nothing to report today except really light winds and the prospect of the same to come for the next few days. Consequently the engine goes on, but hey, it’s a beautiful day.
There’s a difference between the miles we travel through the water and the equivalent miles we travel over land which I am only just beginning to understand. The miles travelled over land are just that – the distance over static ground. However, the miles we travel through the water do not take account of any currents we have going with, or against us. If we have current with us it appears that we are doing less miles as we are carried by the water as we move. This means that we have actually covered more miles than my distance calculations show because most of the time we have travelled in the same direction as the current.
Each day this week I have been having some sort of nautical lesson. The difference between true north and magnetic north was one. The difference between course and course over the ground was another. As he tries to explain some of these things, I can see Mike almost going blue in the face trying to get me to understand. Most of the time I give him my most cultivated blank look, not wanting to admit that actually, some of it is actually going in. Whether it will stay is another matter. Today he starts explaining about curves in sails and how the wind makes the boat move through the water even if it appears to be coming from the wrong direction. He almost convinces me that it is the same principle that keeps airplanes in the sky, but I’m afraid that is my stumbling block and at this point, as my eyes glaze over Mike finally loses the will to live and gives up, saving his strength for another day.
Late in the afternoon, Mike realises that the starboard engine no longer seems to be charging the batteries. That will give him something to think about tonight and tinker with tomorrow. There’s always something with boats!
Our position is: 14 deg 55 min S, 20 deg 04 min W
Distance so far: 21020 nautical miles
My Yachtmaster instructor used teaspoons to demonstrate the wind over
ReplyDeletethe sails thing.... totally confused me. I'm convinced its a Mars v
Venus thing. No mater how many times it's explained to me it just does
not compute. Drives JB nuts. He's given up!
Big hug
Olly x
OMG
ReplyDeleteI am just as confused but would love to understand..so..are the miles where you are carried through the water by current sort of like a people mover at the airport? Where you cover more ground than the movement (steps) you take? They didn't cover this in Sailing for
ReplyDeleteDummies! ;)
Love,
Heather
xxxx
Exactly that, Heather. A good analogy. It still does my head in though!!
ReplyDeleteXXXX