Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/240

 CHAPTER XI

DESCRIPTION OF A VOYAGE

Taking the departure by cross-bearings—Underbowing the tide—Ascertaining one's position at sea—Current sailing—Making a landfall—Employment of the ground-log—Running for shelter.

In the last chapter I have shown how, by the use of charts, lead-line, log, calculation of the tides, etc., the mariner is enabled to direct his course along the coast and find his way when out of sight of land. In the present chapter I propose to make this more clear by conducting the reader on an imaginary voyage from one port to another, across a broad channel.

Fig. 69 roughly represents a portion of an ordinary chart, the soundings and other numerous details which appear on a chart being omitted. We will suppose that our little vessel is lying at anchor off the port at X, in the lower left-hand corner of the chart, and that it is our object to cross to the opposite coast and sail into the estuary Z, which is to the north-east of us. We have been for some days awaiting a 'slant'; and now, at last, our barometer, the weather forecast in the papers, and the appearance of the sky indicate settled fine weather, so we