No excuse

[Captain Jerry]

I know this is not a navigation topic but since it turned that way it is worth saying that the shortest distance, even with detours around obstacles like reefs and land mass, is almost never the fastest trip.  There are at least two factors that are more important. Three if you want to include politics.

Care to guess?

Hint: AC/DC

Jerry

[Dan Rowe]

Hi Jerry,
I was in the black gang...the only time I saw charts on a regular basis was to make paper gaskets from the out of date ones, but it is my understanding that after departure the ship generally traveled a great circle across the pond. The exception to the rule was weather routing, nothing like a big storm to make life interesting.

AC/DC yep I sailed with both types of sparks.

Dan

Edit: I forgot about the sailboat that we rescued the crew from near the Canary Islands that was an emergency course correction. I have also been at the throttle for a Williamson turn to recover a man overboard.

[MuellerNick]

Hint: AC/DC

If there is smoke on the water?
Oh no, that was someone else.


Nick

[mklotz]

Regardless of how short the distance to the next waypoint, the minimum distance path (geodesic) to it is still a portion of a great circle.

[Captain Jerry]

Yeah, Dan.  Weather is probably #1 for short term planning, particularly if you are sailing.  For long term planning, currents, both AC and DC, play a big part.  A course change that adds 50 miles to the trip is worth doing if you can pick up 6 knots of speed (fuel free)!

Ocean currents are mostly DC but inland currents are generally AC.   Leaving Jacksonville at the wrong time of day can add hours and dollars to get to the ocean.

Did you ever hear a transcontinental pilot come on and say " We've been cleared to alter course a little so we can pickup the jet stream, so we may be arriving in Baltimore about a half hour ahead of time."  He is not thinking about your schedule, he is thinking fuel savings.

Jerry

[Lew Hartswick]

What are they afraid of when they use expressions like:

It runs real good.
Where it's at.

They are afraid people will think they went to school.  At least a recent one. :-(
   ...lew...

[mklotz]

What are they afraid of when they use expressions like:

It runs real good.
Where it's at.

They are afraid people will think they went to school.  At least a recent one. :-(

That's not too far from the mark, Lew.  I know a number of people who think using correct English will make people think they're being "uppity".  Sadly, they want to trumpet their ignorance, and not just in English, so they can "fit into" the sad society in which they move.

[Tin Falcon]

Amazing when we think about it the first production calculators (electronic) calculators were  $99.99   and IIRC  a unmat lathe was            $ 199.99 .and another $100 for the mill conversion parts.

These super scientific one dollar calculator are great. but where is my two or 3 dollar lathe ????

crazy even the humble chines  7 x 12s are around $ 600.

Tin

[Captain Jerry]

A redneck friend of mine, an ex-marine with a PhD in physics was attending Harvard on a scholarship. He tells the story of walking across the campus on his first day.  Needing directions, he stopped an upper class man and said, "Can you tell me where the registrar's office is at?"  The upper class response was, "Of course, if you could ask without ending your sentence with a preposition".  My friend replied "Let me rephrase that then. 'Can you tell me where the registrar's office is, A$$hole?' "

Jerry