what is that thing called that charts course on old ships?

What are ships used for Today?

The path that a vessel follows over the ground is called a ground track, course made good or course over the ground. For an aircraft it is simply its track. The intended track is a route.For ships and aircraft, routes are typically straight-line segments between waypoints.A navigator determines the bearing (the compass direction from the craft's current position) of the next …

What are the tools and equipment used on board a ship?

A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a sea area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land (topographic map), natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and human-made aids to navigation, information on tides and currents, local details of the …

What is the intended track of a ship?

May 19, 2017 · The log line is an old instrument for measuring the speed of the ship. It consisted of a flat piece of wood which was weighted at the bottom edge to enable it to float upright in the water. The log was attached a long rope. The log line was wound on a spool so that it could be reeled out after the log was thrown into the water at the aft of the ship.

How many types of equipment present onboard a modern-day ship?

Apr 14, 2015 · Instruments For Measuring Latitude. The celestial globe was a mounted sphere depicting the heavens instead of the earth. While many were designed to grace private libraries, some were used as navigational instruments. With the introduction by Gerardus Mercator, in 1569, of practical, affordable sea charts, on which were shown parallels of latitude and meridians of …

What is a ships navigation instrument called?

What tool is used for navigation in ancient times?

What did old sailors use to navigate?

What are charts for sailors called?

What tool did ancient sailors use to prevent getting lost at sea?

How did ships navigate in the 1700s?

How did the Vikings navigate at sea?

How did ships navigate in the 1600s?

How did Christopher Columbus navigate?

What are the 4 types of nautical charts?

What is the difference between nautical chart and a map?

How many types of charts are there in navigation?

How are nautical charts based?

Nautical charts are based on hydrographic surveys. As surveying is laborious and time-consuming, hydrographic data for many areas of sea may be dated and not always reliable. Depths are measured in a variety of ways. Historically the sounding line was used. In modern times, echo sounding is used for measuring the seabed in the open sea. When measuring the safe depth of water over an entire obstruction, such as a shipwreck, the minimum depth is checked by sweeping the area with a length of horizontal wire. This ensures that difficult to find projections, such as masts, do not present a danger to vessels navigating over the obstruction.

What is nautical chart?

A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a sea area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land ( topographic map ), natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and human-made aids to navigation, ...

What is chart 1?

Many countries' hydrographic agencies publish a "Chart 1", which explains all of the symbols, terms and abbreviations used on charts that they produce for both domestic and international use. Each country starts with the base symbology specified in IHO standard INT 1, and is then permitted to add its own supplemental symbologies to its domestic charts, which are also explained in its version of Chart 1. Ships are typically required to carry copies of Chart 1 with their paper charts.

What is the International Chart Series?

Coordinated by the International Hydrographic Organization, the international chart series is a worldwide system of charts ("INT" chart series), which is being developed with the goal of unifying as many chart systems as possible.

How to keep track of corrections on a chart?

A good way to keep track of corrections is with a Chart and Publication Correction Record Card system. Using this system, the navigator does not immediately update every chart in the portfolio when a new Notice to Mariners arrives, instead creating a card for every chart and noting the correction on this card. When the time comes to use the chart, he pulls the chart and chart's card, and makes the indicated corrections on the chart. This system ensures that every chart is properly corrected prior to use. A prudent mariner should obtain a new chart if he has not kept track of corrections and his chart is more than several months old.

What information does a chart provide?

The chart uses symbols to provide pilotage information about the nature and position of features useful to navigators, such as sea bed information, sea mark, and landmarks. Some symbols describe the sea bed with information such as its depth, materials as well as possible hazards such as shipwrecks.

When should a prudent mariner obtain a new chart?

A prudent mariner should obtain a new chart if he has not kept track of corrections and his chart is more than several months old. Various Digital Notices to Mariners systems are available on the market such as Digitrace, Voyager, or ChartCo, to correct British Admiralty charts as well as NOAA charts.

How to determine the latitude of a ship at sea?

The astrolabe was an inclinometer used to determine the latitude of a ship at sea by measuring the sun’s noon altitude (declination) or the meridian altitude of a star of known declination.

How is the log line used in sailing?

The log line is an old instrument for measuring the speed of the ship. It consisted of a flat piece of wood which was weighted at the bottom edge to enable it to float upright in the water. The log was attached a long rope. The log line was wound on a spool so that it could be reeled out after the log was thrown into the water at the aft of the ship. The friction of the water held the log in place as the ship sailed away from it. As the ship sailed away from the log, the sailors taking the reading would count the number of knots that passed over the rail in a period of half-a-minute.

What is sand glass used for?

With records dating back to the 14th century and with likely use before in ancient times, the sand glass is a primitive timepiece used to measure the time (usually 30 seconds at a time) on a voyage, or on a specific navigational course.

What is the main task of a navigator?

That said, the navigator’s basic task remains constant: to monitor where the ship has been and where it is now, and to plan where it will go next on its voyage.

When did compasses become magnetic?

In later years, compasses used iron needles, which were magnetised by striking them with a lodestone. By 1300 in Medieval Europe and the Islamic world, dry compasses started to emerge, replaced by liquid-filled magnetic compasses in the 20th century.

Where did the compass come from?

We’re pretty sure you got this one, but do you know the origins of the compass? Originating in the Han dynasty China between 300 and 200 BC, the compass uses the magnetic poles of the earth to find magnetic north. In later years, compasses used iron needles, which were magnetised by striking them with a lodestone. By 1300 in Medieval Europe and the Islamic world, dry compasses started to emerge, replaced by liquid-filled magnetic compasses in the 20th century.

Why were roses drawn on maps?

Before compass roses were used on maps, lines were drawn from central points. These lines were hard to follow since there were so many lines intersecting each other on one map. The rose design was typically drawn in a way that made it easier to follow the directional lines.

What was the purpose of navigation in the sixteenth century?

Although the relationship of certain heavenly bodies to time of day and terrestrial directions had been known since ancient times, the first two decades of the sixteenth century saw the rigorous application of astronomy and mathematics to navigation. The new learning met the New World.

What tools were important for effective navigation?

Tools such as an hourglass, a quadrant, a compass and a nautical chart were vital for effective navigation.

How long is a crossstaff?

The cross-staff had developed from the tenth-century Arab kamal. It consisted of a square staff 3.5-4 feet in length, bearing a scale, with four sliding cross-pieces or transversals of graduated lengths. Only one transversal was used at a time, its selection being based upon the height of the heavenly body in the sky - the higher the body, the longer the transversal. The user held on end of the staff to his eye, then slid the transversal onto the far end and moved it back and forth until its upper and lower edges seemed to touch, respectively, the observed body and the horizon. The location of the transversal on the scale was converted by a table into degrees of latitude.

How was the Polaris quadrant measured?

The user measured the altitude of Polaris by sighting through a peephole and taking a reading where a short plumb line intersected the scale on the outer edge of the arc.

When was the magnetic compass invented?

As a result, mariners relied on the magnetic compass, an instrument developed, probably independently, by Chinese in the eleventh century and Europeans in the twelfth. Day or night, fair weather or foul, Northern or Southern hemisphere, the compass always points more or less north.

Which star is used to measure latitude?

The astrolabe was used to determine latitude by measuring the angle between the horizon and Polaris, also called the North Star, the Pole Star, or Stella Maris (Star of the Sea). Polaris was the preferred star for measuring latitude because it is less than one degree from the north celestial pole (the point in the heavens directly above the geographic north pole).

Why was smoked glass used in the Lock and Key?

A piece of smoked glass was frequently used to keep the user from blinding himself. Under lock and key, for use by the captain and pilot only, were highly prized declination tables or astronomical charts showing calculated heights of the sun above the equator at noon for every day of the year.

What are ships used for?

Daniel. For centuries ships have been used for various purposes such as a means of transport, to carry cargo, and for battles, etc. Ships have been used for trade and travel since the earliest times. Even today, ships have not lost their importance.

How many equipment are onboard a modern day ship?

There are thousands of equipment present onboard a modern-day ship. Several of these are relatively new and have made it easier for a pilot to navigate through the waters. Here is the list of different types of navigational equipment used onboard modern ships explained briefly.

What is a wheelhouse poster?

A wheelhouse poster is a poster that displays all the information about the maneuvering characteristics of the ship in great detail. It is present in the navigation bridge. Every ship nice to have a wheelhouse poster.

What is a gyro compass?

A Gyro Compass is a kind of compass used at the time of a sea voyage. Unlike ordinary compasses, a gyromagnetic compass does not get affected by an external magnetic field. It automatically finds a geographical direction based on the rotation of the earth. These compasses have two main advantages over magnetic compasses. Firstly, they find the true north which is more useful than the magnetic north for navigation. Secondly, they are not affected by other ferromagnetic material like the parts of the ship.

What is ECDIS navigation?

An Electronic Chart Display and Information System or an ECDIS is a geographic system of information. It is used for nautical navigation. This system complies with the IMO or the International Maritime Organization. This system makes it easy for the crew of a ship to pinpoint different locations and get directions more easily than using the conventional nautical charts.

What is the purpose of a magnetic compass?

A magnetic compass is a navigation device used to find the northern direction with the help of the earth’s magnetic field. Magnetic compasses are the most commonly used type of compasses. The compass has a diagram on it that has the four direction that is North, East, West, and South marked on it.

What is a pilot card?

A pilot card is a booklet of information provided to the pilot of the ship. It consists of information about the ship such as dimension, draught maneuvering, propulsion equipment, turning circle, etc. The main purpose of it is the safe maneuvering of the vessel.

When was the shipworm method first used?

The process was first used on ships of the British Navy in 1761 to defend their wooden planking against attack by Teredo worms a.k.a. Shipworms and to reduce infestations by barnacles. The method was successful in protecting ships’ timbers and in increasing speed and manoeuvrability and soon became widely used.

What is an iron ball attached to a long handle called?

At loggerheads - An iron ball attached to a long handle was a loggerhead. When heated it was used to seal the pitch in deck seams. It was sometimes a handy weapon for quarrelling crewmen.

What does "cut and run" mean?

Cut and run - most often thought to mean the cutting of an anchor line in an effort to make a quick getaway. Hard to imagine that many ship’s masters enjoyed routinely losing an anchor or two, so it is probably more likely referring to the practice of securing the sails of a square-rigged ship with rope yarns that could easily be cut away when a quick departure was necessary.

What does "crammed so tightly together as to prevent movement" mean?

Clean bill of health - A certificate signed by a port authority attesting that no contagious disease existed in the port of departure and none of the crew was infected with a disease at the time of sailing.

What does "above board" mean?

Above board - Anything on or above the open deck. If something is open and in plain view, it is above board.

Why is seafaring considered a false etymology?

It is an undoubted fact that seafaring is also the source of more false etymology than any other sphere. This can be attributed to the attractiveness of the romantic image of horny-handed sailors singing shanties and living a hearty and rough life at sea.

What does "shore side" mean?

Shore-side, it means in good shape. Clear the deck - One of the things done in preparation for battle. Current usage similar to batten down the hatches. Close quarters - In the 17th century, the barriers that sailors laid across a ship’s deck in order to provide a safe haven from the enemy were called close-fights.

What is the figurehead on a ship called?

What Is the Figurehead at the Bow of a Ship Called? A carved figure mounted on a ship's bow is called a nautical figurehead. In the early days of seafaring, when wooden ships sailed the seas, carved figureheads depicting women were also known as "Neptune's wooden angels.".

Why do ships have figureheads?

Throughout the history of wooden ship building, ships' bows were fitted with figureheads to act as lookouts and to lead sailors safely on their way. Animals were the first subject of choice for figurehead design, but by the mid-1700s, human-design figureheads became the new style.

What was the first nautical chart?

During the mid-thirteenth century, mariners began realizing that maps could be helpful and began keeping detailed records of their voyages. Thus, the first nautical charts were created. These first charts were not very accurate, but were considered valuable and often kept secret from other mariners. There was no latitude or longitude labeled on the charts, but between major ports there was a compass rose indicating the direction to travel. (The term "compass rose" comes from the figure's compass points, which resemble rose petals.)

What were the first tools used by ocean navigators?

Maps, compasses, astrolabes, and calipers are among the early tools used by ocean navigators. In the modern era, these tools have been largely replaced by electronic and technological equivalents. Despite these early beginnings, it would take many centuries before global navigation at sea became possible.

Why was the mariner's compass inaccurate?

Early mariners thought the mariner's compass was often inaccurate and inconsistent because they did not understand the concept of magnetic variation, which is the angle between true north (geographic) and magnetic north. It was primarily used when the Sun was not visible to help identify the direction from which the wind was blowing.

What are the advances in navigation?

The twentieth century brought important advances to marine navigation, with radio beacons, radar, the gyroscopic compass, and the global positioning system (GPS). Most oceangoing vessels keep a sextant onboard only in the case of an emergency.

What is GPS in marine navigation?

In the late twentieth century, the global positioning system (GPS) largely replaced the Loran. GPS uses the same principle of time difference from separate signals as Loran, but the signals come from satellites. As of 2002, the system consisted of 24 satellites, and gave the mariner a position with accuracy of 9 meters (30 feet) or less.

How to determine latitude?

In the Northern Hemisphere, mariners could determine the latitude by measuring the altitude of the North Star above the horizon. The angle in degrees was the latitude of the ship.

What was the name of the meridian that Cook used to chart the world?

In 1884, by international agreement, the Prime Meridian (located at 0° longitude) was established as the meridian passing through Greenwich, England.

Why do ships have figureheads?

For illiterate and uneducated seafarers, these figureheads became the vessel’s pseudonym. Thus in many cases, the vessels came to be identified, tagged and known by the figureheads on ships rather than their name itself. Similarly, the figureheads on the naval ships aimed to show the wealth and might of the owner.

What is the purpose of figureheads on ships?

Similarly, the figureheads on the naval ships aimed to show the wealth and might of the owner . The figureheads were a carved representation of the spirit of the ship, in the form of people, beasts or mythological figure.

What is a figurehead on a ship?

The ship figureheads were the highlight of ancient shipbuilding and architecture till their redundancy on account of developments in vessel-building and architecture. However, these decorations can be regarded as noteworthy relics of maritime history. Built primarily of wood, a figurehead prominently represented the frontal part of the vessel, contributing to a singular identity to the vessel itself. The real motive behind the placement of a carved figurehead at the bow of a vessel remains uncertain. But, it is a confirmed fact that these decorations had been used historically with a belief that those icons have strong magical or religious significance.

How did shipbuilding start?

The history of shipbuilding goes back to the Medieval times when the sailing boats were made by attaching the wooden planks together. Since then, the process of building a ship has witnessed immense transformations, eventually building modern superyachts and cruise ships. However, even in the modern times, the construction of a vessel remains a much complicated and lengthy process that includes several of interesting stages of production- from keel laying to the christening. Among them, the decoration of vessels, especially of the luxury cruise ships in these days, represents one of the fascinating elements of shipbuilding. However, in the earlier days of shipbuilding had witnessed the immense presence of several forms of decorations and carving of vessels, including the ship figureheads.

Why are figureheads on ships called figureheads?

Similarly, the figureheads on the naval ships aimed to show the wealth and might of the owner.

What did the Romans use to represent valour?

Meanwhile, Romans used a carving of a centurion to represent valour in battle. Credits: wikipedia.org. On the other hand, the carved wooden forms of dragons, dolphins, serpents and bulls were the most common ship figureheads of northern Europeans.

Why did the swan become a figurehead?

In the 13th Century, northern Europeans introduced the swan as the figureheads in order to symbolise grace and mobility. Later, the lion on the English ships and the figure of a partially clothed woman became the most common figureheads in use across the world.