The great mass and size of this vessel must necessarily render it
so much less affected by the ordinary disturbing causes of wind and
sea, that, practically, little attention ought to be paid to these,
at least not as expecting the ordinary results; but other effects
may be produced which must be carefully studied and learnt in the
early voyages, so that they may be met and counteracted as they
have been by experienced men under the present system. Thus, as an
example of this class of effects to which I would refer, there is
reason to believe that this vessel, although apparently unaffected
by a wind on the beam, or a cross sea, which would be very
noticeable even with the largest of the present steamers, would
nevertheless have a steady and rather strong tendency to come up to
the wind. A certain direction of a cross sea is not unlikely to
produce a contrary effect. It is quite possible also that the
apparent lee-way, or the deviation of the axis (or keel) of the
ship from the line of the course, will be greater with the wind on
the beam than with smaller vessels, although the actual drift or
lee-way may be less; and all these effects will result from her
great length (unless counteracted by causes I do not now foresee),
and will probably be totally different in degree from any similar
effects now felt. These effects must be carefully studied, and with
a mind prepared to consider them as new, for they will be new and
distinct from anything now experienced. In the same manner, and to
a much greater degree, the effects of the speed which we must hope
to attain will upset all the usual methods of determining
accurately the position and the course of the vessel, and still
more the precautions to be taken in approaching land. A 24 hours’
run, at 20 miles per hour, without a good observation, and with a
possible error of estimate, or a doubt, at all events, of the exact
effect of the set of currents, or of the speed of the ship through
the water, or of the precise amount of lee-way, may easily make an
error of 20 or 30 miles in position at the end of the day’s run.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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