Lost Seamanship Tip Contest

[john]

On our most recent blog post, Google Books - Supercharge Your Maritime Career, we announced the following contest:

Here at gCaptain we are really excited by the possibilities of Google Books. Not only to help us study for the next license exam but to do research of all sorts. So here's a challenge... Use Google search to find a book published before 1900 to look for a seamanship technique that has been lost in time. The catch? It must be still relevant today.


The person who finds the best tip (with book/page reference) will win a gCaptain t-shirt.

Post your answers below!

[skycowboy]

My personal Diary, Page one.

Don't Panic, unless your in a panic situation

[Old Bakelite]

The Mariner's Handbook (NP100) I eventually found to be interesting reading...sheesh the things you will read when bored on watch! Anyway, up until around the early 1980's in the section covering Arctic survival there was a very important reference to the dangers of eating polar bear liver (high vitamin A content or some such)...although it never gave any hints on how to kill the animal first!


The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist by E. Billings, April 1856, Volume I, Number II (page 111) has this reference:


“One of the most singular facts relative to the polar bear is, that its liver is to a great degree poisonous, a circumstance unknown in almost every other animal. Three of Barent'z sailors were very much injured by eating of it; and Capt. Ross, in his late Arctic voyage, verified the observation by experiment.”



Even though there is no longer mention of this in the current Mariner's Handbook, I believe that the advice is still relevant today.

[Old Bakelite]

Well I notice this topic was a hit John...and I did my best (which I admit is not always that much these days!)

The person who finds the best tip (with book/page reference) will win a gCaptain t-shirt.

mmmm....thinking I should go to local t-shirt printers and get something fudged. Maybe enter the "best fake gCaptain t-shirt contest".

[stevefoster]

On our most recent blog post, Google Books - Supercharge Your Maritime Career, we announced the following contest:

Post your answers below!

I have three; 'Never stand in the bight of a line', 'Acta non verba', and 'Give me a stout ship with a good crew and I will sail her to the ends of the earth and back again'.

[seadawg]

"and don't you eat the yellow snow"!!

[Captain Electron!!]

I've always liked the "Burning Tar Barrel" to indicate distress myself . . .

[10talents]

"and don't you eat the yellow snow"!!

Yea, but their nose is always up someone's A??
(referring to the dog philosophy)

[seadawg]

Yea, but their nose is always up someone's A??
(referring to the dog philosophy)

suspect that somewhere in the early evolutionary process humans were "ass sniffers" as well..perhaps some still are..hence the exclaimation.."some thing smells like ass"!!

[stevefoster]

suspect that somewhere in the early evolutionary process humans were "ass sniffers" as well..perhaps some still are..hence the exclaimation.."some thing smells like ass"!!

I've never heard that exclamation, did you make it up, or were you in the pen?

[stevefoster]

I've never heard that exclamation, did you make it up, or were you in the pen?

or Navy subs.........don't ask, don't tell.........

[seadawg]

I've never heard that exclamation, did you make it up, or were you in the pen?..or Navy subs.........don't ask, don't tell.........

a quote from one of my heroes, eric on south park..also from the urban dictionary..do find your posts a bit disturbing??

[stevefoster]

a quote from one of my heroes, eric on south park..also from the urban dictionary..do find your posts a bit disturbing??

I find a portion of my posts highly disturbing but I know my disturbing (to some) sense of humor.......please don't take any of my posts personally. I shall endeavor to curb my occasional sarcasm...............