Day #30: One of the things I enjoy most about cruising is the connection with the past. For example, much of our understanding of the night sky comes from the work of early navigators who were simply trying to figure out where they were. Using the north star they could determine latitude, i.e. their distance north of the equator, with great accuracy. To make landfall in Veracruz, Mexico, a Spaniard sailing from Seville would head south until the north star was 19 degrees above the horizon and then head due west. The only problem with this solution is that the sailor had no idea how close he was to Veracruz--in other words, his longitude remained a mystery. It wasn't until the British, in the 18th century, developed the chronometer (i.e. the watch) that the problem of longitude was solved. Dava Sobel's Longitude is an excellent book which covers this entire topic. It was therefor a great pleasure to hear Dava speak at a session of today's Miami Book fair.
We did a 10nm cocktail cruise of Miami harbor today; sure is a pretty place. Total mileage is 1129nm thus far. DBH
