Day 462 – 29th August 1987

Noon Summary Log

Day: 462
Date: 29th August 1987
Latitude: 33° 16.5′ S
Longitude: 86° 16.5′ E
Water Temperature: 15.7°C
Wind @ Noon: 8 ESE
Max Wind /24 hours: 18 SSW
Min Wind /24 hours: CALM
Cloud Cover 4/8
Cabin Temperature: 19.5°C
Outside Temperature: 17°C
Barometer: 1023

Source: CUL00045/12

Log

  • Sun between clouds, otherwise mild quiet progress. Got two sights with sextant. Generally it is a good yacht to take sights from. If there is any speed on a yacht bumpy, as often is, I wear a safety harness.

Source: CUL00058/1

What is a sextant?

A sextant is an instrument for determining the angle between the horizon and a celestial body such as the Sun, the Moon, or a star, used in celestial navigation to determine latitude and longitude. The device consists of an arc of a circle, marked off in degrees, and a movable radial arm pivoted at the centre of the circle. A telescope, mounted rigidly to the framework, is lined up with the horizon. The radial arm, on which a mirror is mounted, is moved until the star is reflected into a half-silvered mirror in line with the telescope and appears, through the telescope, to coincide with the horizon. The angular distance of the star above the horizon is then read from the graduated arc of the sextant. From this angle and the exact time of day as registered by a chronometer, the latitude can be determined (within a few hundred metres) by means of published tables. (Source Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Day 460 – 27th August 1987

Noon Summary Log

Day: 460
Date: 27th August 1987
Latitude: 33° 13.2′ S
Longitude: 81° 44.2′ E
Water Temperature: 15.4°C
Wind @ Noon: 20 SSE
Max Wind /24 hours: 28 SSE
Min Wind /24 hours: 20 SSE
Cloud Cover 5/8
Cabin Temperature: 17.5°C
Outside Temperature: 15.6°C
Barometer: 1019
Ships Seen: 1

Source: CUL00045/12

Log

  • Picking up Western Australian local broadcast radio. Got Dave Ellery on the ABC at the moment.

Source: CUL00058/1