On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:35:49 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
 wrote:

>On Sep 4, 2:48 pm, Ignatios Souvatzis 
>wrote:
>> Martin wrote:
>> > On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:33:43 +0200, Ignatios Souvatzis
>> > wrote:
>> >>(...) We must get an old-fashioned globe, then.
>>
>> > or a boat?
>>
>> Alas, my boat isn't suitable for ocean trips.
>
>
>Alas, even if it were, it wouldn't help to answer the question. It
>requires a globe, not a boat!

Not having an accurate globe didn't stop Magellan :o)
-- 

Martin

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 03:19:04 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
 wrote:

>On Sep 4, 5:55 pm, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>> On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:35:49 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
>>
>>  wrote:
>> >On Sep 4, 2:48 pm, Ignatios Souvatzis 
>> >wrote:
>> >> Martin wrote:
>> >> > On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:33:43 +0200, Ignatios Souvatzis
>> >> > wrote:
>> >> >>(...) We must get an old-fashioned globe, then.
>>
>> >> > or a boat?
>>
>> >> Alas, my boat isn't suitable for ocean trips.
>>
>> >Alas, even if it were, it wouldn't help to answer the question. It
>> >requires a globe, not a boat!
>>
>> Not having an accurate globe didn't stop Magellan :o)
>> --
>>
>> Martin
>
>But he didn't know where he was going, and when he got there he didn't
>know where he was, and when he returned he didn't know where he'd
>been!

but he had got himself "an old-fashioned globe" :o)

>
>But more seriously - he couldn't know whether he was sailing in a
>straight line unless it was N-S or along the equator.
>Now we have it cracked - computers and GPS.

-- 

Martin

Martin wrote: 
> On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:35:49 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
> wrote:
>
>>On Sep 4, 2:48 pm, Ignatios Souvatzis 
>>wrote:
>>> Martin wrote:
>>> > On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:33:43 +0200, Ignatios Souvatzis
>>> > wrote:
>>> >>(...) We must get an old-fashioned globe, then.
>>>
>>> > or a boat?
>>>
>>> Alas, my boat isn't suitable for ocean trips.
>>
>>
>>Alas, even if it were, it wouldn't help to answer the question. It
>>requires a globe, not a boat!
>
> Not having an accurate globe didn't stop Magellan :o)

Yeah, but he didn't sail the longest great circle course, either.

	-is
-- 
seal your e-mail: http://www.gnupg.org/

"Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"  wrote in message 
news:c29e10fc-d23f-4cdd-b887-a87eedbfb6cd@n38g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
On 4 Sep, 18:25, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:

Yes, but he still couldn't do the straight line thing! AFAIK it's not
possible by traditional navigation methods - except in the special
circumstances already mentioned. I am willing to be corrected, of
course.

Navigators absolutely did sail great circle routes by traditional methods. 
You have to change your heading as you go along  but calculating a compass 
course for a great circle route every day or every watch was one of the 
standard navigation skills.

Tim w

On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 03:49:08 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
 wrote:

>Yes, but he still couldn't do the straight line thing! AFAIK it's not
>possible by traditional navigation methods - except in the special
>circumstances already mentioned. I am willing to be corrected, of
>course.

We still can't do the straight line thing. We haven't yet built a boat
that can sail in a straight line across the Solent, never mind half
way round the world.


--
Alastair

On Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:45:58 GMT, "Tim W" 
wrote:

>
>"Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"  wrote in message 
>news:c29e10fc-d23f-4cdd-b887-a87eedbfb6cd@n38g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
>On 4 Sep, 18:25, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>
>Yes, but he still couldn't do the straight line thing! AFAIK it's not
>possible by traditional navigation methods - except in the special
>circumstances already mentioned. I am willing to be corrected, of
>course.
>
>Navigators absolutely did sail great circle routes by traditional methods. 
>You have to change your heading as you go along  but calculating a compass 
>course for a great circle route every day or every watch was one of the 
>standard navigation skills.

Also done by airline pilots at one time.
-- 

Martin

We have evidence that on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:19:04 -0700, Paul {Hamilton
Rooney} wrote:

> On Sep 4, 5:55 pm, Martin <m...@address.invalid> wrote:
>> On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 02:35:49 -0700 (PDT), "Paul {Hamilton Rooney}"
>>
>>  wrote:
>> >On Sep 4, 2:48 pm, Ignatios Souvatzis 
>> >wrote:
>> >> Martin wrote:
>> >> > On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:33:43 +0200, Ignatios Souvatzis
>> >> > wrote:
>> >> >>(...) We must get an old-fashioned globe, then.
>>
>> >> > or a boat?
>>
>> >> Alas, my boat isn't suitable for ocean trips.
>>
>> >Alas, even if it were, it wouldn't help to answer the question. It
>> >requires a globe, not a boat!
>>
>> Not having an accurate globe didn't stop Magellan :o) --
>>
>> Martin
> 
> But he didn't know where he was going, and when he got there he didn't
> know where he was, and when he returned he didn't know where he'd been!
> 
Bzzzzt. He didn't return.

> But more seriously - he couldn't know whether he was sailing in a straight
> line unless it was N-S or along the equator. Now we have it cracked -
> computers and GPS.

-- 
Dick Georgeson
Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time
to reform. -- Mark Twain