# Days run calculation pillock



## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

Did you ever drop a bad one and make a complete and utter pillock of the run up to noon calculations? I did once and will never forget it! We had President Tubman and his retinue aboard for the inaugural trip of the mail boat service to Monrovia, Liberia. The days run auction which used to be around a couple of 100 G.B.P. took place at 10:00. The pool had shot up with the $ being aboard! I was extra Second mate and we had had heavy overcast from the previous noon so no stars. I managed in the morning with a bit of luck to get a snap sun shot for a longitude. I put it on the chart and worked everything up to noon and calculated the days run. There I made my big mistake. I sent this down to the Captain and this became his number. The Senior Second mate took over at 12 and I was having lunch when the Head Waiter taps me on the shoulder and says 'Phone'. I went to the phone at the Head Waiters station and it was Peter the Senior Second mate. He had just managed to get an ex-meridian and says 'Woody you're in the sh*t you are 25 miles out at noon'. At that time they sold the Captains number, 15 up and 15 down and a high and low field in the auction. I was out in the field for the first time ever! Noon came just after 13:00 and sure enough I was 26 miles out. I went down to the Captain and told him expecting the sky to fall in on me. However all he said was 'that will stop the buggars winning'! I heard later that the days run pool was scooped for 2/6 and I was not very popular with the passengers for a few days.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Arival 13.00 hrs that meant we were on stand by, so slow the ship down and flog the counters. The ER log showed perfection. The mates knew but could prove nothing. Do not upset engineers.


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## Supergoods (Nov 25, 2007)

Which all goes to prove that navigation in those days was more art than science.
Ian


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## Julian Calvin (Feb 2, 2011)

Liverpool to Penang (via the Cape during Suez closure). As 2nd mate was my responsibility for ETA.
First ETA after leaving was 24 hours adrift. Daily updates followed with small adjustments according to days run. Only realised when we were passing South Africa and then sheepishly confessed. Head office never even realised thank goodness. Old Man wasn't very impressed though.


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## oldseamerchant (Sep 8, 2012)

Supergoods said:


> Which all goes to prove that navigation in those days was more art than science.
> Ian


Would you care to elaborate.


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## Supergoods (Nov 25, 2007)

There were so many variables in navigation that you made the best observation you could in marginal conditions and were often surprised when the noon results revealed a different result than expected.
Science consisted of the old DF stations which could provide false indications where a DR was closer to reality.
On a passenger ship the days run observation had financial implications not usually found on other vessels.
Ian


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## oldseamerchant (Sep 8, 2012)

Many thanks Ian,

Good response and quite agree.


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