Does anyone still (a) use, and or (b) carry aboard, any or all of these?

Kukri

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East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
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1. Binoculars
2. Hand bearing compass
3. Stopwatch
4. Lead line
5. Admiralty Pilots
6. Walker log
7. Sextant
8. Deck watch
9. List of Lights
10. Norie’s Tables (or the one the Navy use).
11. The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide
12. International Code of Signals
13. Signal flags
14. Nautical Almanac
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables
16. C A Handbook.
17. Paper charts, Portland plotter or parallel rules and dividers.
18. Station Pointer...
19. Aneroid barometer?
20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts?
 
1. Binoculars
2. Hand bearing compass
3. Stopwatch
8. Deck watch
13. Signal flags (incomplete set)
14. Reeds Nautical Almanac- the main one
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables
17. Paper charts, Portland plotter & parallel rules and dividers.
19. Barometer
20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts, (& general radio progs)
Re the pilots- Not admiralty but yachtsman's ones like Channel pilot & East coast,Irish, various Scottish ones, Belgium Netherlands & French coast ones

Of course!
Would have thought standard equipment for coastal sailor.
 
Last edited:
1. Binoculars
2. Hand bearing compass
3. Stopwatch
4. Lead line
5. Admiralty Pilots
6. Walker log
7. Sextant
8. Deck watch
9. List of Lights
10. Norie’s Tables (or the one the Navy use).
11. The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide
12. International Code of Signals
13. Signal flags
14. Nautical Almanac
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables
16. C A Handbook.
17. Paper charts, Portland plotter or parallel rules and dividers.
18. Station Pointer...
19. Aneroid barometer?
20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts?



1,2,4,12,15,17,19(electronic), 20(navtex) plus a big selection of pilot books
 
I suggest that you have some redundancy in there and some stuff which is outmoded.
- I don't believe a "station pointer" is used in any rya navigational training and not sure what it gives me which can't be done with a portland plotter. But then I always thought that RDF stood for Radical Dance Faction
- Do we need Norrie's tables if we have 3 volumes of np303?
- In the 21st century they have mostly combined the deck watch and the stop watch
- I actually do carry a walker log because my through-hull log is a bit rubbish but I don't have sufficient concerns about my depth sounder to purchase a lead line
- Do I need a list of lights if I have charts for everywhere I sail?
- I joined the CA once. Their bar is rubbish for vegetarians. What does their handbook give me I don't get from elsewhere?
- I question why the barometer needs specifically to be aneroid, but yes I have one of those.

I confess that I should have the ship's captain's medical guide but would argue that the st john's ambulance first aid book I do have should be sufficient for coastal sailing
 
Broadly speaking, yes:
Green = Yes, carried and used
Orange = Substitute carried and (except where noted) used
Red = Not carried or used

1. Binoculars
2. Hand bearing compass
3. Stopwatch - On phone.
4. Lead line
5. Admiralty Pilots Other pilots
6. Walker log Electric paddlewheel log
7. Sextant
8. Deck watch Ship's clock and other devices
9. List of Lights In almanac
10. Norie’s Tables (or the one the Navy use).
11. The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide Medical guide in Reeds Handbook (though can't remember using it in anger)
12. International Code of Signals In almanac
13. Signal flags
14. Nautical Almanac Though not always in date
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables
16. C A Handbook.
17. Paper charts, Portland plotter or parallel rules and dividers.
18. Station Pointer...
19. Aneroid barometer?
20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts?
 
12. International Code of Signals In almanac

This probably only gives you the one flag signals. Not sure of the legitimacy of the download but there's an easily googleable pdf of the ICOS which will tell you that you shouldn't be stuck at a dull pool party where the margaritas are running out without knowing bravo romeo 4.
 
1. Binoculars
2. Hand bearing compass
3. Stopwatch
4. Lead line
5. Admiralty Pilots Got other pilot books.
6. Walker log
7. Sextant Sometimes, just for practice.
8. Deck watch
9. List of Lights
10. Norie’s Tables (or the one the Navy use). I use ones of my own devising.
11. The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide Something similar. Why no mention of a first aid kit?
12. International Code of Signals
13. Signal flags Bunting for dressing sgip.
14. Nautical Almanac My own Sun Almanac
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables
16. C A Handbook.
17. Paper charts, Portland plotter or parallel rules and dividers.
18. Station Pointer...
19. Aneroid barometer? I call it a paranoid barometer.
20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts? Not used it for years
 
I don’t have any opinions on the list (and anyone is welcome to add to it!)

I was just pottering around on board and was struck by both the quantity of stuff my MAB is obliged to tote round with her and by how ancient some of it is... the Walker log and the stopwatch were inherited from my father, I bought the hand bearing compass in 1973, the sextant in 1982, the binoculars in 1986, and so on. It all gives me a nice warm glow but most of it gets used once a decade.
 
I don’t have any opinions on the list (and anyone is welcome to add to it!)

It's a fine list and the things I don't think I need it was legitimate to think about whether I needed them or not. Having only really been sailing for the past 15 years all my stuff is relatively new (except walker log of indeterminate age form eBay)

Omissions may be Ocean Passages for the World and admiralty tide tables?
 
My copy of Lecky’s Wrinkles has gone back to proper seagoing as I gave it to the Chief Officer who took my son under his wing when the latter was a deck cadet. The chapters on deviation and correction of the magnetic compass were always two grades above my pay grade.

I actually do have Ocean Passages second edition on board, but I think I’m more likely to rely on Jimmy Cornell’s books.
 
JSATSC Yachts were equipped with everything from a generation ago. And kept up to the latest ammendment state.
Makes me feel good thinking about it!
We all recognise things move on but what memories you have invoked thanks.
Im the only person I know who owns two sextants, knows how to use them, has a wife who does to but out of the two of us Im the only one who has one tattoooed on their arm. ☺
 
1. Binoculars

Yes, kept on deck and used regularly.

2. Hand bearing compass

Have one on board, but mostly prefer the compass built into the binos.

3. Stopwatch

No, and can’t immediately think of what I might use one for. Though I have a stopwatch app on my phone...

4. Lead line

No, but I have a self-contained battery-operated sounder for backup to the main one. I do vaguely intend to put a line on board for things like checking sounder calibration and feeling around the boat if grounded, my not currently having one isn’t a deliberate decision.

5. Admiralty Pilots

Several pilot books covering my cruising area, but not Admiralty ones. I imagine being aimed at commercial shipping their selection of information isn’t the most applicable to me.

6. Walker log

No.

7. Sextant

No. I only sail coastally and cross-Channel.

8. Deck watch

Don’t have a sextant.

9. List of Lights

Charts are either up to date or, at worst, have the corrections sheet tucked into the pack if I haven’t got round to applying them. So I don’t see the point of a stand-alone list of lights.

10. Norie’s Tables (or the one the Navy use).

No sextant.

11. The Ship Captain’s Medical Guide

Yes, actually, though not sure how applicable much of it is to coastal yachting.

12. International Code of Signals

No. If I need to communicate with someone at sea it’ll be by VHF voice in English.

13. Signal flags

Only a Q flag and relevant courtesy flags.

14. Nautical Almanac
15. Yachtsman’s Almanac / Tide Tables

Reed’s.

16. C A Handbook.

Not a member, have other pilot books.

17. Paper charts, Portland plotter or parallel rules and dividers.

Yes. And a Yeoman which makes GPS-integrated chartwork effortless and has probably done a fair bit to delay their complete abandonment in favour of the two plotters ;)

18. Station Pointer...

Nope. The Yeoman goes some way to doing its job in practice.

19. Aneroid barometer?

Yes, on the cabin bulkhead next to the clock and rarely consulted ;)

20. Long wave radio for shipping forecasts?

No, I get the shipping forecast from the Navtex (as a backup and comparison for more detailed forecasts via the Internet.)

Pete
 
My ex JSATSC boat had been meticulously swept clean of everything except:
The Raymarine transducers (including the radar scanner and the masthead wind things)
The binnacle compass
The Walker log plate
The stability book.
I’ve put it all back, with current versions of the electronics apart from the ICOM M801E which they no longer make and which I am still looking for
 
I don’t have any opinions on the list (and anyone is welcome to add to it!)

I was just pottering around on board and was struck by both the quantity of stuff my MAB is obliged to tote round with her and by how ancient some of it is... the Walker log and the stopwatch were inherited from my father, I bought the hand bearing compass in 1973, the sextant in 1982, the binoculars in 1986, and so on. It all gives me a nice warm glow but most of it gets used once a decade.


I only put my Walker log ashore three years ago and it vacated a nice stowage space for my house slippers. I also had a hand bearing compass from the 1970's but stupidly got rid of it on the shaky grounds that it was showing it's age, the replacement is very poor. I have new bins as well, the key use is checking if there is a bar or pub in any new anchorage.

Of the rest, charts are vital for me and so is the radio for test matches, I have a barometer it looks the part and tide tables for Dover each year - pinched off the tint'erweb
 
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