They also have a 5 dipole VHF radio direction finder that gets a bearing on you as soon as you key the mike. This verifies that the information you give is for the correct blip on the radar. I was fortunate to have been granted a tour of the installation in 2003. They have a lot of really cool stuff, and it resembles an air traffic control centre in some respects. It is located on a needle of rock accessible only by an aluminum foot bridge and surrounded by ancient guns. There must have been a virtually impregnable fort there at one time. My guide informed me that I was fortunate both because there just happened to be enough officials on duty just then that he could take the time, and also that due to the creeping 911 paranoia new security rules would soon ban visitors altogether. I might have been among the last "regular people" allowed to visit if his prediction came true.
Steve Thomas -----Original Message----- From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com]On Behalf Of Rick Brass Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 12:36 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant These days you'd be REALLY far out to sea. You are supposed to check in with Bermuda Traffic Control when you reach 50 NM from the island. Imagine my surprise when we were hailed by Bermuda just after dawn, while the GPS showed us 45NM west of the island, steering about 115 true toward a landfall 5nm off the lighthouse on the SW point of the island. That they could see and track a 39 ft sailboat, even a steel one, speaks to a kick butt radar. And the VHF must be really powerful and really high to have a conversation over that distance. Rick Brass From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Della Barba, Joe Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 2:57 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant Hint: Don't tell the Sunfish rental guy you were miles out to sea. They get annoyed for some reason. Joe Della Barba From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Andrew Burton Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 2:29 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant Nice, Joe. : ) The old red lightship with "Nantucket" in big letters on the side is often anchored outside Newport harbor. I imagine there are some who are a bit confused by this. I've got to try your Jamaica trick, though. That's classic! Bermuda is harder in some ways. As the many wrecks can attest to, you can be on the reefs before you see the island. We did create some confusion by sailing a Sunfish west from the island until you couldn't see land and waiting for an incoming boat. Their expression when we said "Welcome to Jamaica" was priceless. Joe Della Barba From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Steve Thomas Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 12:54 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant Some people have used jet contrails to find Hawaii. Steve Thomas -----Original Message----- From: CnC-List [ mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com> ]On Behalf Of Joel Aronson Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 12:34 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Subject: Re: Stus-List Sextant Those were the days! Joel Aronson On Jan 29, 2013, at 12:30 PM, "Della Barba, Joe" < joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov <mailto:joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov> > wrote: We used a sextant to find Bermuda in 1980 and it was a major PITA. In rough seas on a small boat getting any accuracy beyond maybe +/- 15 miles is doing very well. Just taking the sight and not falling overboard or dropping the sextant was an accomplishment. We ended up running a latitude line north of the island until we picked up the radio beacon on the RDF and followed that in. Joe Della Barba Coquina _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com <http://www.cncphotoalbum.com> CnC-List@cnc-list.com <mailto:CnC-List@cnc-list.com> _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com -- Andrew Burton 61 W Narragansett Ave Newport, RI USA 02840 http://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/ phone +401 965 5260
_______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
