A navigation question.

[Chris Isaac]

Steer 000 True until you get to the pole, then ask again!

[Captain Kong]

I still cannot get past the bleddy North Pole, I steer 000`T to the North Pole, the next course should be 180`T to London, I alter Course to 180`T and I find myself back on Fanning Island.
There has to be an answer somewhere. I am getting no sleep over this.
Maybe easier to go across to Panama and get home that way.
.
I wonder if John Arton could ask his Students for an answer.
Cheers
Brian.

[John Pruden]

ask Jeeves brian or google it{everyone else dos}why not just reverse course steering position must be logged?jp try nitrazipan for sleep?jp

[robpage]

Well as you are up anywaty Brian you moight as well do the 12 - 4 for teh second mate

[j.sabourn]

Ask the Staff Captain on your next cruise Brian. Dont know what a staff captain does but he must know something about poles with a title like that. JS

---------- Post added at 12:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:52 AM ----------

#21... Face the other way and go backwards, think of yourself crossing the Irish sea and going to Ireland. JS

[Captain Kong]

I think the only way to do it would be,,,,,
get to the Pole, alter course 180` and then go astern all the way to London.????
What a daft subject.


Cheers
Brian.

[Jim Brady]

Here you go Brian take John S advice. I thought just the one would come up I'm walking backwards to Christmas.
Regards,
jim.B.http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...621E0BBD409390

[Don Rafferty]

get to the Pole, alter course 180` and then go astern all the way to London.????


...........but the ships heading will still be North/360'

[Captain Kong]

Good one Jim,
I canplay that all night instead of lying awake thinking of the Prob.
Cheers
Brian.

[John Arton]

If you are steering north by magnetic compass then you will eventually arrive at a point in Canada where the magnetic pole is situated and your compass needle will be pointing directly downwards unless it is on an axle that allows it to remain horizontal in which case it will be spinning round like a mad dervish.
Correcting the compass for variation and dip angle (if obtainable at such high latitudes) then you may actually be able to arrive at the geographical north pole.
So you have arrived at the North Pole successfully, which way do you head?
Well in which ever direction you head you will be going SOUTH, the trick is to go South on the correct line of Longitude. As you are removed from the Magnetic pole your magnetic compass when again corrected for dip etc. will give you a heading of 180 to steer, now whether or not you will be following the correct line of longitude, then only celestial fixes can determine that or the sun at meridian passage.
With the gyro compass pointing to a fixed point in space and compensation forces being applied to the sphere in order that it always points north, at the geographic north pole it would spin round and eventually settle with north still being north and a heading of 180 pointing you in the direction you want to go. It is only when you actually move away from the geographic pole can you determine if you are following the correct line of longitude (180/000) so you really do need your back up hand held GPS (cost around £100) to ensure that you eventually do end up back at Greenwich and not in some god forgotten place like the centre of Paris (LOL). This because in all the excitement of reaching the Pole, your Nories fell over the side and in attempt to retrieve it you smashed your chronograph and your sextant telescope was so cold that when you tried to take a meridian passage on the way up to the pole, it froze to your eye lid and in getting it off you not only damaged the scope but blinded yourself in one eye.
I recommend forgetting about dreaming of Polar exhibitions (never seen an Eskimo pole dance anyway) and instead find some liquid libation or tablet that causes you to dream of South Sea Islands, swaying palm trees and half naked ladies in grass skirts (but remember to keep a box of matches with you, no flint on South Sea Islands).
Here endeth the lesson
rgds
JA