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THE MARINE. REVIEW : oe times setious mistakes are made, because the study of coast- ing in thick weather is neglected. | Coasting has always been considered an inferior branch of navigation, requiring no_ scientific study, because in clear weather, with land in sight, a familiarity with the coast is sufficient to keep clear of dangers and find the place the ship is in. But when land is out of sight, as in thick weather, the difficulty of keeping track of the vessel and clearing dan- gers comes in, a difficulty increased by the lack of proper training and the lack of proper instruments aboard vessels. On the ocean this, in a great measure, does not make such great difference, because the vessel is almost exclusively guided by astronomical observation, compass and log serving only as a makeshift during the intervals between observations, and therefore no great precision is required of them, more es- pecially the log. This dead-reckoning on the sea furnishes only approximately the place the ship is in, because the cor- rection for current, as a rule, is wanting. In thick weather such vague estimates do not insure the safety of vessels in the vicinity of land where the utmost precision in courses and distances is required, in order to avoid dangers, a pre- cision not attainable by the instruments in use. When coast- ing on the ocean, astronomical observations are of no more use than they would be in our lake navigation. That coasting is a neglected science is evident from the use in thick weather of a defective log and of soundings without system and a reliable basis, all of which inevitably lead to disaster, the numerous strandings of vessels in all parts of the world in proof thereof. Verifying position in thick weather by the lead is some- times one of the most intricate problems in navigation, and, therefore, needs a special course of study and training to solve it. Migcas Whenever a vessel fetches the beach and strands, the cause is laid to the compass, which shows looseness of navigating principles. .It is not all with the compass, for the log, the current, or the wrong application of any of the corrections can be the cause as well. Every master knows that it is an. impossibility to make the. same course good every time, although he is almost positive that the course by compass is correct. This is more especially true with vessels running crossways of the lakes, in- stead of the length of the lakes; the current, which seems to follow round the shores on both sides, for from 20 to 30 miles from the shore, has a greater influence on the course, and is consequently more perceptible. Many and many is the time that the current has carried vessels 10 and 12 miles off their course in the run from Grand Haven to Milwaukee, a distance of about 80 miles. This had nothing to do with the compass but was the current, because of the opportunity to verify the course when coming out of the piers at Grand Haven as follows, and which was done in this case: The true course from Grand Haven to Milwaukee is W % S; the piers of Grand Haven extend into the lake in a true W 45 direction; coming out directly parallel with the piers and then porting 5 of a point by compass from the course as shown when parallel with the piers is bound to fetch Mil- aukee ahead, provided the course is steered and no effects from current or leeway, and the compass moves in exact coincidence with the ship's head. Had the above circum- stance occurred at a time when the course at departure could not be verified it would be hard to determine whether the cause was from the compass or something else. In this case there was no wind to speak of during the entire run, though there was a good deal of it afterwards, which will account for the current. When in doubt as to whether it is the compass that causes the wrong steering or attraction in the cargo, or other effects, a couple of azimuths taken on that particular course will tell the tale. In the above oc- currence the captain laid it to his compass, thinking some- thing might have been changed in the wheel house during the run over. But this was disproved when he entered the piers at Milwaukee and noted the course by compass when he was parallel therewith. The piers of Milwaukee run true W % S and within %-point of the course from Grand Haven -- to Milwaukee. When the vessel's head was parallel with the piers and her head noted by compass, the course was within "s-point of the course that was steered the night before. This was positive proof that it was not the compass; it was either current or leeway, and as there was no wind it could not possibly have been the latter. Boats have left Manitowoc for Ludington and set the course according to the piers as described above (in this case the course is true E 7% S and Manitowoc piers true east-- port 7%-point from the course as shown going out of the pier will' fetch Ludington), and have made good their course until within 15 or 18 miles of the other shore; for when the high elevator at that point is picked up the vessel may be heading right for it, but the run in from the time this object is first made, the vessel's course would have to be altered gradually to keep the object ahead. It is not unfrequently the case that the course will have to be altered as much as a point and a point and a half, which again goes to show the effect of currents in the lakes. This would not be so bad were it constant or in the same direction, but this is not so, for it is just as apt to be running to the south'ard as to the north'ard. ; This again goes to show that courses jotted down, as is ° the practice on the lakes, are not at all times to be depended upon, although the vessel may have gone over the same course several times. And, it is no less a fact,' thaf the courses steered are always more or less influenced, some- times considerably, by currents changing with the wind and weather; so that courses jotted down one day may be en- tirely wrong another day. The only invariable standard of courses, is the true course obtained from the chart, from which the courses to be steered are found by applying the corrections for variation, deviation, leeway and current. Each of these corrections has sometimes to be applied to the right, sometimes to the left of the true course, some according to 'their signs and some according to wind and weather. From which follows, that nobody can foretell with any degree of certainty what the course to be steered ought to be, if wind and weather, and set and drift of current are not known. This does not mean that thé jotting down of courses should be dispensed with, but merely points out what is and may be expected under certain conditions. There are cases where masters have come very near "planting" their vessels from causes of this kind. The writer. knows of several cases: One particularly was where the compass adjuster set the course by an azimuth, and the ves- sel made a good course of it; and as a consequence this course was duly entered in the log-book as the proper medi- cine. Twice after this, or for two trips the vessel made good © this course, but the third time she was some 12 miles off the "track" when the end of the course was reached. The first thing the captain did was to blame the compass, so when the next time came for, him to steer this course he altered it in order to make allowance for the (apparent) wrong steering of the trip before. This time the weather was thick, 'and it was through good luck that he kept his vessel off the beach. He should have steered the same course as' before, for it was the current, and not the compass, that caused 'the mischief; and as has already been said, the compass is too apt to be blamed rather than something else. This does not signify, though, that the compass is not to blame as often as the current, and in the majority of cases it no doubt Phe navigator must be cautioned against an error that is liable to occur at any time, in the practice of setting the