Monday was a beautiful day! I was on the day cruise and the Atlantic does not get much flatter than it was yesterday. We came in just outside the 3-mile limit off Cocoa Beach and drifted in the Florida sunshine. The vessel had nearly “0” motion.
The evening cruise was very similar, we cruised smoothly at about 3-5 miles offshore.
Today’s cruises will be the same. Light winds in the forecast and the seas will be calm again…..In fact the entire week looks great!
Ship handling: Transverse Thrust: As I mentioned in the last blog a propeller is designed to move (“propel”) a ship through the water. The pitch and size of the propeller is designed for a particular hull design. Now if you suddenly decide to turn this propeller in the opposite direction all this science goes out the port hole………The first thing you lose is efficiency….the “slip” factor increases dramatically…Transverse thrust is the most noticeable effect to the Captain. This makes the stern of the ship move to the right or left….As you are approaching the dock and put the propeller in reverse to slow down…..well with a little pre-planning this can make you look real good….as the ships stern will move smartly in toward the dock…and you look like a real expert….But……
Come sail with us….
Capt Tim
