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» Online Classroom   » Celestial Navigation   » Public Discussion of Cel Nav   » Trailing Taffrail Log Availability

   
Author Topic: Trailing Taffrail Log Availability
rbunn


 - posted July 07, 2007 10:31 AM      Profile for rbunn           Edit/Delete Post 
My interest in CelNav is so that after lightning blows out my GPS, and the batteries are gone in my handheld, I can still stay off reefs and pirate ridden shores and find a place to buy beer using only my sextant and paper charts.

But if the lightning gets my GPS it will probably get my speed log as well. Since DR is the foundation for making some of the sights, any suggestions regarding getting accurate Speed Over Water numbers without the aid of electronic gadgets (exclusive of collector items)?

Thanks, I'm just into Lesson 5 and so far I love what the course is doing to me! We'll have to wait and see to be sure but so far I would highly recommend it!

Richard L. Bunn
s/v Martha Daggett

David Burch


 - posted July 07, 2007 11:46 AM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
Yes indeed. A taffrail log is the answer, and the most famous of these is the Walker Log, made in UK. Remarkably accurate and durable, the same design dates back 100 years or more. They are getting harder to find and they always were expensive.

Over the years there have been various alternatives. We have a batterly operated one here that works the same but the mechanism that counts the miles is electronic... not as good as the pure mechanical clockwork of the walker log.

Taffrail log or patent log would be the way to start searching.

From: Starpath, Seattle, WA
David Burch


 - posted July 07, 2007 11:49 AM      Profile for David Burch           Edit/Delete Post 
Note that you will read in the magazines and some books that the sharks eat them off the lines, but my own experience with these at sea is that they are most likely lost by lack of maintanence as they do fray and need to be shortened a bit. They should be checked every day or so till you see how they are riding... there are also optimum lengths to set them etc.
From: Starpath, Seattle, WA


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