my sincerest apologies to those of you that
spent last week researching seamanship texts
for evidence of a "hammerfer"...the devil
made me do it!
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Nancy B. of Port Clinton, OH
Tom B. of Vancouver, WA
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
YukonB of Woodstock, NY
Week beginning 26 April 1997 -
"If you are in VHF radio contact with the
Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary, they may direct
you to switch to a channel followed by the word "alpha".
What does the "alpha" designation mean?"
Answer: Alpha designates that your radio must
be set on "U. S." rather than "International" to receive
and transmit.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Nancy B. of Port Clinton, OH
Capt. Steve of Younkers, NY
Tom B. of Vancouver, WA
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
John S. of Charleston, SC
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
YukonB of Woodstock, NY
JLB of Charleston, SC
RWH of Fenton, MI
Bob C. of Stratford, NJ
C-Vamp of Worton, MD
Week beginning 19 April 1997 -
"When very cold air moves over warmer coastal water,
wisps of visible water vapor may rise from the
surface as the water "steams". In extreme cases, this
type of fog can rise hundreds of feet above the surface.
It's called ________."
Answer: Frost Smoke, or Arctic Sea Smoke.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Yukonb of Woodstock, NY
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
RWH of Fenton, MI
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Nancy B. of Port Clinton, OH
Bob of Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Whitewuf of Bismarck, ND
C-Vamp of Worton, MD
LT_W of USS Typhoon, USA
John S. of Charleston, SC
Week beginning 12 April 1997 -
"What is the name of the most reliable and
effective gasoline fume detection system you can
have aboard your vessel, and how is it activated?"
Answer: Your nose, and it is of course activated
by "sniffing".
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Rick of S/R Long Beach, CA
Captain Steve of Younkers, NY
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Russ of Macon, GA
Bob C. of Hubertus, WI
John S. of Charleston, SC
Bob of Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
Tom B. of Vancouver, WA
Nancy B. of Port Clinton, OH
Dave D. of Oswego, IL
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
Iam of MD
C-Vamp of Worton, MD
Week beginning 5 April 1997 -
"An alternative to a drogue when running
before a sea, is to tow a long length of heavy line
with nothing attached to the end. It will act as a
brake, help keep the boat running straight, and help
quiet the sea astern of the boat. What is this name
for this line?"
Answer: A Warp (Many of you answered
"storm anchor". Note that the question states
that nothing is attached to the end of the line.)
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
Steve of Leitchville, Australia
Week beginning 29 March 1997 -
"Within one knot, what is the speed
of sound in 3.485% saltwater at 60 degrees F.?"
Answer: 2,930.05 knots
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Week beginning 22 March 1997 -
"Proceeding up the Mississippi River,
you spot a nun buoy which is obviously
off station and adrift. Your alert to
other boaters by VHF marine radio should
be prefaced with the word ___________"
Answer: Securite (pronounced Se-cure-ih-tay')
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
RWH of Fenton, MI
Rick of S/R Long Beach, USA
J. L. B. of Charleston, SC
Captain Al of Anna Maria Island, FL
John S. of Charleston, SC
Al W. of Green Bay, WI
Bob of Los Osos, CA
Derrick of Peterburg, VA
Bob L. of Lanoka Harber, NJ
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
Nancy B. of Port Clinton, OH
Rick D. of Sun Prairie, WI
Capt. Steve of Younkers, NY
JGK of Manassus, VA
Week beginning 15 March 1997 -
"The crew of an icebreaker
is watching a large 'hummock' off
the starboard bow. What are they
looking at?"
Answer: A hummock is a ridge of broken
ice which has been forced upwards
by pressure.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Rick of S/R Long Beach, USA
John S. of Charleston, SC
Matt P. of Dexter, NY
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CN
Swashbuckler of Castine, ME
Captain Al of Anna Maria Island, FL
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
Elda M. of Pacific Grove, CA
Week beginning 8 March 1997 -
"An aircraft circles your vessel three times
while gunning its engine, and then heads off in
a northwesterly direction. What is the pilot signalling?"
Answer: "Please proceed as rapidly as
possible in a northwesterly direction.
There is a vessel in distress or
other emergency requiring assistance."
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Kirk of Cleveland, Ohio
Rick D. of Sun Prairie, Wi
John S. of Charleston, SC
Mike M. of Glastonbury, CT
Dennis of Redondo Beach, CA
Captain Al of Anna Maria Island, FL
Iam of Maryland
Matt P. of Dexter, NY
Rick of S/R Long Beach, USA
Week beginning 1 March 1997 -
"A Weaver's Knot is known by seamen as the
common ____________!"
Answer: Sheet Bend
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to: Swashbuckler of
Castine, Maine Bob C. of Stratford, NJ
John S. of Charleston, SC
Week beginning 22 February 1997 -
In the North Atlantic, they're called
hurricanes; in the North Indian Ocean, cyclones. But the
Australians occasionally use a different name
for what we in North America
call tropical cyclones. What is it?
Answer: Willywah, Willie-Willie, Willy-Willy,
Willi-Willi or anything similar.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Mike M. from Glastonbury, Ct.
Swashbuckler from Castine, Me.
Patrick D. from Fairfax, VA
John S. from Charleston, SC
Week beginning 15 February 1997 -
What is the purpose of a
"Napier Diagram"?
Answer: It's a diagram used to plot deviations
of a compass against headings, and
to convert compass and magnetic headings.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
John S. of Charleston, SC
Patrick D. of Fairfax, Va
Swashbuckler of Castine, Maine
RWH of Fenton, Mi
NO CONTEST THIS WEEK!
Week beginning 1 February 1997 -
If "UT" is the abbreviation for
Universal Time, then what is "CUT"?
Answer: Coordinated Universal Time
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
RWH of Fenton, MI
Matt P. of Dexter, NY (another three time winner)
Mike of Brooklyn, NY
John S. of Charleston, SC
Swashbuckler of Castine, Maine
Week beginning 25 January 1997 -
What are the light characteristics
of a nav aid when it is shown on the chart
as "ISO", for ISOPHASE.
Answer: All durations of light and darkness
are of equal length.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
John S. of Charleston, SC (I'm impressed...this is John's THIRD
correct Trivia answer!)
J. L. B. of Charleston, SC (also a repeater)
Patrick D. of Fairfax, VA
Week beginning 11 January 1997 -
What is the name of the law used to
determine the center of a low-pressure system
from wind observation? (when facing the wind,
the center of low pressure is to your right
in the Northern Hemisphere).
Answer: "Buys Ballot's Law"
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
J. Leo B. of Charleston, SC
Ellsworth N. of Annapolis, MD
Week beginning 4 January 1997 -
Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1961,
prohibited zones are generally areas within
how many miles of shore?
Answer: 50 miles
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Matt of Dexter, NY
Week beginning 28 December 1996 -
On a nautical chart, you see an indication
of the quality of the bottom, marked as "fly".
What bottom quality characteristic can you expect?
Answer: "Flinty"
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Rick D. of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
John S. of Charleston, S. C.
Week beginning 21 December 1996 -
What are (were) "thole pins"?
Answer: Pairs of vertical pins,
set in the gunwales of a pulling boat (rowboat)
in which the oars were set.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Roger D. of Albuquerque, N.M.
Greg C. of Satellite Beach, Fla.
Week beginning 14 December 1996 -
The "plow" anchor was designed by
Professor G. I. Taylor
of Cambridge University in England. He called it
the "CQR".
What do the initials "CQR" stand for?
Answer: "CQR", if said rather quickly,
stands for the word "SECURE"
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to: Sorry, no one got the
correct answer to this week's question.
Better luck next week.
Week beginning 7 December 1996 -
A single line of position, when combined with a
dead reckoning position, results in a/an:
Answer: estimated position
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
John S. of Charleston, S. C.
Rick D. of Madison, Wi
Ostend of Maryland
Week beginning 30 November 1996 -
What is a Kamal, and what is its basic construction?
Answer: A navigation instrument consisting of a piece of
string attached to a block of wood. The device is used with
the measured string held in the navigators teeth, and the block
of wood stretched to the string's length.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Neted76, Sparta, NJ, who pointed out that Kamal's are
still in use in some parts of the world, particularly off
Africa's coast.
Week beginning 23 November 1996 -
In a Williamson turn, the rudder is put over full until:
Answer: the vessel has turned 60 degrees from its original
course.
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Rick D., Madison, Wisconsin
Rick D. has caught "Trivia Fever", and wins for the second
week in a row. Rich C. from Yelm, Washington gets an
honorable mention for at least relating the answer to a
man-overboard situation.
Week beginning 16 November 1996 -
How many feet of chain has a vessel laid, when it has paid
out two "shot"?
Answer: 180 feet (a "shot" is 15 fathoms, or 90 feet)
"Waydago", "Ooh", and "Aah" to:
Rick D., Madison, Wisconsin
Jeffrey L., Buffalo, NY
Nice goin'. Rick D. even gave me the equivalent in British terms. Dennis C. from
W. Bloomfield, Mi gets a "nearbie" with his guess of 200 feet.
