zoidberg
Well-Known Member
As i understand it that is, for many, the constraint. It was originally intended to demonstrate the practical management and navigation of a suitable yacht well offshore, for a suitable period. Among the creative ways that have emerged is the wheeze of a sailing school instructor taking a school-prepared boat down Channel and out into the Western Approaches, then south to somewhere like Lisbon, with half-a-dozen aspirants sitting on the foredeck trying their hands and their patience every noon-time. They then all compare Hs as measured, come to a consensus on 'corrections' to apply, then do a group-hug on their Sight Reduction forms. The half-dozen 'remarkably similar results' are carefully stored for later presentation to an exalted Examiner....
There is another way, besides signing up for the Golden Globe 2018 and heading off solo, with a pile of 'How To' books from Adlard Coles Publishing.
For my own 'odyssey' quite a few years ago, a friend phoned to say he wanted to get some significant miles for his logbook and ask if I had any ideas...! We left the Liverpool River laden with twice-baked bread and muesli, stuck a wet forefinger up to determine - as did the sailing masters in the Days of Sail - where the wind was likely coming from, then headed up along the Antrim Coast and out the North Channel into the Atlantic. Once Ireland was well and truly sunk below the bubbles of our wake, we turned south and followed one of them longitude lines on the chart until the margarine melted, then turned half-left for Iberia. All on astro and DR..... and LOPs whenever Antrim was visible..... just as the sailing masters of old had to do, and - for my own satisfaction - just as I wanted.
The 'bit of Iberia' turned out to be La Coruna, as I'd sorta hoped. As did my mate/host, whose comfortable Antigua catamaran I'd 'borrowed'. He hid his surprise quite well.
I wrote the whole thing up, in the old way, as a passage log and journal, which allowed the Examiner later to share in the pleasure of the voyage, and to find pertinent questions to ask regarding nav decisions - such as how did we avoid bumping into Ireland here and there, and who took the night watches and why.
It must have been an effective process, for we also managed to avoid making a dent in foggy Ushant on the way back, and even found our way into the intended pub in Newlyn. What helped a bit was having our compass properly calibrated for errors, something I'm told certain of the GGR 'Provisionals' have yet to discover. And also the knowledge that we were following in the footsteps of countless thousands of sea-traders down the centuries - Phoenicians, Romans, Barbary pirates, Dutch, Spanish and Portugeezers - few of them as well trained or equipped as us.
I dare say - but not too loudly - that it could have been done with a £5 Ebbco 'Stargazy Special'.... for it's not the navigation that the 'Zaminer is looking for, so much as the seamanship.
Doanchathink?
