me when i start talking about the history of sea navigation - ThreadSky

swordsjew.bsky.social • 86 days ago

me when i start talking about the history of sea navigation

"that's crazy"
"oh wow"
"nice"

if you hear all three, it's time to 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱

Comments

a ship's log used to be literally a log tossed overboard then timed to calculate their speed 😭

"under the weather" is from letting sick sailors go belowdecks to get out of the wind!!!!!!

"toeing the line" means standing barefoot for the captain's inspection on a ship's seam!!!!!!

cjackmanson.bsky.social•86 days ago

Thank you! I try not to nurture my pedantry, but "tow the line" really grates!

sarahejoyal.bsky.social•86 days ago

It doesn't even make *sense*

reddtrain.bsky.social•86 days ago

I knew it was "toeing the line", but I thought towing the line had something to do with tugboats, so it didn't seem too nonsensical to me.

cjackmanson.bsky.social•86 days ago

I can see how that's a possible source of the error, sure.

(I was in Scouts as a kid and we had to line up with our toes on a painted line for parade so that's always what it meant to me)

matthewfjohnson.bsky.social•86 days ago

Knots

Ded reckoning

The bitter end

ok-sure.bsky.social•86 days ago

Please explain. I *must* know why it’s a bitter end

jaimel.bsky.social•86 days ago

It's the end of an anchor cable onboard ship; it's secured with bitts and so when you're hanging on til the bitter end you've payed out as much slack as possible and are now hoping that the cable holds and preserves you from the impervious horrors of a leeward shore.

jackie-jackpot.bsky.social•86 days ago

Assuming you’ve read Longitude by Dava Sobel?

https://www.worldofbooks.com/products/longitude-book-dava-sobel-9780007214228

marspidermonkey.bsky.social•86 days ago

I can’t believe a ship’s log literally involved logs!

owejessen.de•86 days ago

Knot is related somewhat to this, because to measure speed you'd though a log overboard which was tied to a long rope, which had knots in it in regular intervals, and you'd count how many knots passed through your hands within a given time interval.

marspidermonkey.bsky.social•86 days ago

Good to know! I thought it might involve actual knots, but wasn’t sure if it could be an abbreviation from “nautical”

damewritesalot.bsky.social•86 days ago

See, now this stuff is cool. More please.

anaideia.bsky.social•86 days ago

https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/nautical-origins-everyday-phrases

kahbn.bsky.social•86 days ago

Oh, THAT'S why it's not "towing the line." I always assumed it was a common typo.

Thanks!

bcartwright.bsky.social•86 days ago

The show Black Sails had a lot of fun ship stuff, I thought.

adenmurphy.bsky.social•86 days ago

Honestly, feel very free to post tangents about nautical terms and the history of navigation. It’s a topic that has infinitely deep lore that I and most people are only faintly aware of. Fun facts cry out to be shared!

bodubya.bsky.social•86 days ago

i like the cut of your jib.

chaoticsequence.bsky.social•86 days ago

This is the good stuff right here. Just did a stupid amount of research on boats for the novel only to have about 0.5% end up in said novel.

alexandraknew.bsky.social•86 days ago

Please may we have regular seafaring facts because this is extremely my shit. I love it.

silvergoldsea.bsky.social•86 days ago

I too would like to request more nautical facts! ⛵️ ⚓️ 🏴‍☠️

jannaz.bsky.social•86 days ago

Stop, I did not know these incredible facts!!! 😮

strivingally.bsky.social•86 days ago

Okay this is fascinating and I would happily listen to you infodump about this all day. 💜

chatsubo657.bsky.social•86 days ago

An annoying trait of my dad was he frequently said he was allowed to put his elbows on tables as he had been round both Capes (Cape Horn and Cape Hope. Fuck you Cape Leeuwin, you ain’t in the game).
Some sort of Royal Navy bullshit you can add to your repertoire.

tahtah.bsky.social•86 days ago

Under the weather is great
&Always wanted to know where toeing the line came from

nothingsmonstrd.bsky.social•86 days ago

"the devil to pay"
"mainstay"

I learned a ton of nautical etymologies from Patrick O'Brian

essaywells.bsky.social•86 days ago

I went through the CS Forester (Hornblower) phase as a kid and then the Patrick OBrien (Aubrey/Maturin) phase later and now I know a whole bunch of niche things about Napoleonic-era ships that I have absolutely no actual use for :)

I regret *nothing*.

maxellxlii.bsky.social•86 days ago

Knots too

eyesontheright.bsky.social•86 days ago

That's crazy

sethhyneswriter.bsky.social•86 days ago

I have a dear friend who will often say “Yeah, right” (she’s Australian, so imagine that in a sarcastic Aussie accent) if she’s not invested in a conversation.

zubatman.bsky.social•86 days ago

If they don't care about the advancements in naval clocks eliminating the need for dead reckoning, they're not your real friends

swordsjew.bsky.social•86 days ago

JOHN HARRISON WHAT A LEGEND

zubatman.bsky.social•86 days ago

If you haven't read The Wager, highly recommend

aiila.bsky.social•86 days ago

More, please.

gnomicheresy.bsky.social•86 days ago

TELL ME OF THE SEA I BEG YOU

badgerwthumbs.bsky.social•86 days ago

Leaving this here for the history/sailing/murder fans. The Spice must flow. 😂 https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tkFIl95JOXVkGJV8EW39D?si=8KL8dgE2T1uCr1fRRiHqnQ

nekrotzar.bsky.social•86 days ago

Have you heard of the Fram museum in Oslo? The ship was designed to get wedged in polar ice without breaking, and drifted for years measuring the currents.

Later it took Amundsen to Antarctica.