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Subject: QE2 grounding (was: Mercator vs. Great Circle)
From: Richard B. Emerson (navsys@XXX.XXX)
Date: Wed Aug 29 2001 - 18:06:13 EDT
Rodney's right, the QE2 grounding was not a GPS error or trusting to
(incorrect) instruments. Also, it's the "Rude" (actually the [Given
name something] Rude, pronounced "Roody" as I found when I spoke her
last summer off Block Island). I think the ship's named after a
geographer or oceanographer but I wouldn't care to bet on that.
Rick
S/V One With The Wind, Baba 35
Smith_Peter@XXX.XXX writes:
> Rodney Myrvaagnes [mailto:rodneym@XXX.XXX] said:
> > Please, Rick. You larger point is well taken, but you are confusing
> > the QE2 with other vessels that did what you said. The QE2 was
> > another problem entirely.
> >
> > The one that grounded off Nantucket was doing automatic ded reckoning
> > almost all the way from Bermuda, because nobody looked at the computer.
> > I feel pretty sure it started blinking as soon as the GPS > became
> disconnected.
>
> Actually, I think Rodney is thinking of the _Royal Majesty_ which went
> aground on the Nantucket Shoals in June 1995 due to an unnoticed GPS
> failure.
>
> The _QE2_ nicked the ground in August 1992 near Sow and Pigs Reef at
> the entrance of Vineyard Sound (west of Martha's Vineyard which is west
> of Nantucket). What made it worse was that they knew exactly where
> they were and overruled the local pilot. The pilot suggested a course
> that kept them in deep water, but the captain was trying to make up
> time and chose to cut the corner, believing the charted depth (39 feet
> from the 1939 survey) to be sufficient (_QE2_ draws 32 feet).
>
> After the incident, the US Coast Guard dispatched the survey vessel
> _RULE_ to re-survey the area. In keeping with current practice, the
> rock they found (with the QE2's bottom paint on it) was provisionally
> named "Rule's Ledge", but locals are lobbying to get it named "The
> Queen's Bottom".
>
> -- Peter
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