«Gosh! In a few hours from now, one of the basic concepts we tell our children (and I was once) will crumble. Let me explain: "Tell us the story of the sun coming from behind us, Grandad. Well, twenty years ago, as I was going down the South Atlantic trying to round the St. Helena high, (yes, once again she's on our mind), I was at the helm early in the afternoon and I couldn't see the sun, but the previous helmsman had told me to head south. I look at the compass: 180°, all is well, but still no sun ahead of me. It is behind me! Amazement. I check the compass; 180°. Did they lie to me? They (in fact it was my mother, who told me this and so I thought it was the absolute truth) taught me: the sun rises in the east, is at its zenith in the south and sets in the west. East-west. OK. But for the south, there's a problem! Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Time for some practical work. When did the sun suddenly move behind us? Another three days of heading south , before we turn left, so I'll have plenty of time to get used to it. No moon, but the stars are out. The waves are coming in every direction, so impossible to go quickly. We're leaping up and down, slamming, being shaken around. Not nice. Variable winds, and consequently speeds too.
Mich DESJ »