#pilotage

You are now aware that Iron Mike has been around for about 100 years now.

http://www.sperrymarine.com/corporate-history/sperry-marine

(thanks for eating my hyperlink, Tumblr)

Nobody but training ships go across the ocean in hand steering anymore. It’s exhausting (the most time anyone stays on the wheel on average is about an hour), and needlessly exact.  Ships just go in straight lines, so all you need is a system that can keep them on that line.  Officers have a set voyage plan they are following, and just adjust the Mike as the situation calls for (for currents, wind, traffic, and the like) without going back into hand.

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Small nuggets of fact often are below mountains of folklore. Getting to the nugget is usually impossible. So it is with most sea stories. But this story is true. It was told to me by an admiral I knew back in my Navy days. My first father-in-law, the Cap’n, confirmed it.Navigation and pilotage are difficult. The texts would have you believe that we have a science before us. In truth, they are…

My guide to maneuvers because I need to remember them somehow

Steep Turns

Set up throttle at 2300 rpm, no flaps, trim to maintain altitude

Pick landmark straight ahead to use as reference for turn, note attitude on attitude indicator

Start bank using same rudder and aileron

Hit 30 degrees of bank, then start adding back pressure to reach 45 degrees

Maintain altitude using pitch and throttle