Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3
Results 21 to 21 of 21

Article: Amazing Feat of Navigation

  1. Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Battle - East Sussex
    Posts
    1,584
    Thanks (Given)
    105
    Thanks (Received)
    2058
    Likes (Given)
    127
    Likes (Received)
    1733

    Jump to Comments

    Amazing Feat of Navigation

    20 Comments by Brian Probetts (Site Admin) Published on 17th July 2017 02:29 PM
    Once in a century!!

    Amazing Feat of Navigation


    The passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia.
    The navigator had just finished working out a star fix and brought the result to the master, Captain John Phillips.
    The Warrimoo's position was LAT.0 degrees 31' N and LON.179 degrees30'W.

    The date was 30 December 1899.
    First Mate Payton broke in....."You know what this means.....we're only a few miles from the intersection of the
    Equator and the International Date Line"
    Captain Phillips was crafty enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving this navigational feat of a lifetime.

    He called his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ship's position.
    He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark.
    Then he adjusted the engine speed. The calm weather and clear night worked in his favor.
    At midnight the SS Warrimoo lay on the Equator at exactly the point where it crosses the International Date Line.

    The consequences of this bizarre position were several.

    The bow of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere and the middle of summer.
    The stern was in the Northern Hemisphere and in the middle of winter.
    The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December 1899.
    Forward it was 1 January 1900. This ship was therefore not only in two different days, two different months,
    two different years and two different seasons, but in two different centuries all at the same time.


    Attachment 23641
    Brian Probetts (site admin)
    R760142

  2. Total Comments 20

    Comments

  3. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Torquay
    Posts
    11,467
    Thanks (Given)
    3440
    Thanks (Received)
    7758
    Likes (Given)
    11953
    Likes (Received)
    34924

    Default Re: Amazing Feat of Navigation

    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Murphy View Post
    A great story, and as long as they beleived it, thats good enough, we all know the reallity, Given that even in the mid 1980's many landmarks, Lighthouses, reefs etc in Indonesian waters had "reported to lie 7 cables east" or similar, as these were based on Japanese navy surveys from the 1930's. Even Pulau Rondo, a major landmark heading to the Mallacca straits from Sri Lanka had a note that it was probably a couple of miles to the east, as I seem to remember around 1992. As I havent been around that part ofthe world for a while, I don't know what things are like now, I would imagine, positions have now been confirmed to three decimal places
    Yes a good story, see number 8.

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •