favourite sea novels

Forgot this one until I was dusting off the bookshelf the other day...looking for something to read (Barbara Cartland pales after a while...) and rediscovered:

'The Custom of the Sea', by Neil Hanson. Highly recommended tale of survival at sea - and the aftermath.

 

I was reading one of the Coast Pilots (SE) for Alaska last night. Did you know it is part fiction? Redfish Point is said to be at 58,18.1 N, when in reality it is at 56,18.1 N. Only a 120nm difference, better than Magellan did. No, I'm sorry, his errors involved longitude.

Just reread a book on Magellan titled "Over the Edge of the World" by Laurence Bergreen. Good read. Read Pigafetta's account years back.

Tim

 

May not be 'fiction' Tim...May just be outdated. Many of my 'Pilots' assure me that 'so-and-so' port is ideal for bunkering: "But the quality of coal is variable..." "Fresh fruit and vegetable are available - in season..." "Sweet water is available from itinerant traders..."
But still great reading. Such stuff as dreams are made....

 

It is slightly outdated (2001) but a 2 degree error in Lat. was definetly a misprint. When critical data is involved they should proofread more thoroughly.

I like the Canadian Pilots, as far as readability is concerned, better than the US. They even have pictures & eveything!

Tim

 

"Notice.–Amendments are issued to this publication through U.S. Coast Guard Local Notices to Mariners. A subscription to the Local Notice to Mariners is available upon application to the appropriate Coast Guard District Commander (Aids to Navigation Branch). Consult the Appendix for addresses. All amendments are also issued in National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency Notices to Mariners. Mariners may also download and print amendments from the Internet at http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm.
Mariners, and others, are urged to report errors, omissions, and differences from the information published in the Coast Pilot or on the charts, so they may be fully investigated and corrected. A Coast Pilot Report form is in the back of this book, and a Marine Information Report form is in the National Geospatial–Intelligence Agency Notice to Mariners for your convenience."

Hopefully, the error was corrected in a Notice to Mariners. Typical government practice: "Pay more for more publications to fix the inaccurate publication you already paid for... "

I know the folks who research and compile the data are dedicated and well qualified. They probably do as good a job as a huge beauraucracy is capable of in keeping the guides accurate and timely.

That being said, I've noticed that typos and proofreading errors, like poor grammar, are becoming endemic in the US. Annoying in most cases, but potentially dangerous in things like navigation guides.

 

Didn't realise I wandered into the Joke page!

But seriously, that happens to a lot of good stuff, the compiler works his arse of the get it right and some couldn't give a damn printer gets it wrong and doesn't bother to proof read it - or gives it to some one else to proof read who doesn't understand the question anyway! It can be pretty frustrating for the compiler, the user and all the other printers who also work their backsides off getting it right for one cowboy to ruin it for them!!

 

i was down on the beach in turkey, had my trusty Magellan with me, , took the mark, put it on google earth, placed me 3 mile inland

 

Be fair Stu - that was probably a measure of your navigational skills...

But in defence of my 'Pilots' they are, for the most part wat, way, way out of date and any 'addendum' have long since been lost - or used as bum paper. As I'm unlikely ever to use them again - other than for 'armchair' travelling..I prefer them as they are 'warts' and all...

 

noooooooo you missed the point was my handheld Magellen gps, which is a very handy tool in a car, sometimes the sun in europe aint there so you cant tell norf from sarf, that thing along with a compass was essential on my long car journey Also when I parked, say in Budepest, I would hop out, take a mark, and then could walk for miles and find my way back to the car, see, up here:?: for thinking, down there for walkin
however the distance by roiad was always abt 25% more than what the gps gave as stright line distance Would like one of those in car tom tom things esp. when alone in car, navigating those big cities is damn hard, at night, rain, 5 lanes cars trucks, signs in every language