Navigational feat

[REBrueckner]

Don't post much since selling my Hatt, but I thought many would appreciate the following.
Am land bound for another fourth...sigh!!! Enjoy yours.

Navigational feat………..
The passenger steamer SS Warrimoo was quietly knifing its way through the waters of the mid-Pacific on its way from Vancouver to Australia.
The navigator had just finished working a star fix and brought the master, Captain John Phillips, the result. The Warrimoo’s position was latitude 0 degrees x 31 minutes north and longitude 179 degrees x 30 minutes west.
The date was 31 December 1899.
“Know what this means?” First Mate Payton broke in, “we’re only a few miles from the intersection of the Equator and the International Date Line.”
Captain Phillips was prankish enough to take full advantage of the opportunity for achieving the navigational feat of a lifetime.
He called all of his navigators to the bridge to check and double check the ships position. He changed course slightly so as to bear directly on his mark. Then he minutely adjusted engine speed.
The calm weather and clear night worked in his favor.
At exactly midnight ships time, the Warrimoo lay on the Equator at precisely the point where it crossed the International Date Line.
The consequences of this bizarre position were many:
The bow of the ship was in the Southern Hemisphere and the middle of
summer.
The stern was in the Northern Hemisphere and in the middle of
winter.
The date in the aft part of the ship was 31 December 1899.
Forward it was 1 January 1900.
In summary, this ship was not only in two different days, two different months, two different seasons, and two different years; but also in two different centuries -- all at the same time!

[drburke]

Good to hear from you, Rob! And quite an interesting story--thanks.

I have experienced a similar feeling, but I believe tequila was involved...

DAN

[Glory]

I know some people that think that happens at happy hour every day!

JM

[BobWaz]

Pretty cool! Thanks for sharing.

[captddis]

Very interesting.

[SEVEN]

Love the history. I try to do something memorable on special days like that. 11/11/2011 at 11:00 and so on. Great story and thanks for sharing. I'm going to read it to my grand kids later today.

[Boatsb]

Not to be the one that pees on the corn flakes but I have navigated by sextant. Even with accurate timepieces the accuracy is at best 1/2 mile .

100 years ago timepieces were not as accurate. That would make the whole story seem like an exaggeration.

Entertaining but not easily believed.