I used to install security systems for a living about 10 years ago, and I remember a job I did for a clockmaker. On his work bench he had a maratime chronometer that dated back to the late 1790's. I was told that it belonged to a Ship's Captain, and it had been in his family for over 200 years, and even though it served no purpose on a modern bridge, he still carried it to keep the tradition alive. As both a maratime and a clock nerd, it made me so happy to see and hear the story behind it.
Same here the Titanic is one of those subjects with lots of hype and sensation people saying things with no sound judgment; that's why I took it all up in the 1st place
“Fortunately Titanic and her passengers were spared the unimaginable fate of docking in New Jersey” -my words exactly (In all seriousness, your channel is great and incredibly well presented, and you honor their memory in the best way. Cheers!)
Not docking in New Jersey? Think of all the great pizzarias they would have missed out on! And the diners, and the bakeries, and the bagel shops, and the burger and hot dog joints! I'll tell you as one who knows if the food in NJ wasn't so good EVERYONE would have moved away years ago!
@@sunshineimperials1600 You know what? When the burned-out hulk of the Morro Castle beached itself in Asbury Park NJ the locals DID get the idea of turning it into a tourist attraction! But they gave up that idea pretty quickly, the wreck stunk to high heaven! Now if Titanic ran so hard agound in Atlantic City it couldn't be hauled off it might have made a pretty good hotel!
FOR THE RECORD. Mike Brady *is* my friend! What an incredibly bright and charming gentleman. I have seen so many of his videos. They are excellent and highly informative. A joy to watch!
It had an odometer! I never would've thought. All this advanced preparation. This would make an interesting movie in its own right, no need for a Jack and Rose.
Hi Mike. I’ve been binge-watching your videos most of today! They’re awesome! However, just to clarify, the big iron balls either side of the compass binnacle are to compensate for the effect of the ship’s steel. There’s also a set of iron bars inside the binnacle that move up/down. Together, these all can be adjusted to get the compass calibrated. In trials they would’ve “swung the compass” through known headings, referenced against known points on land, so that they could get it pointing right. The wood etc. only helps make all that much better. Also, magnetic north is not actually constant; it varies depending on where you are. All the more reason for knowing what your instruments are telling you.
I’m imagining today that if her and her twin sister BRITTANIC hadn’t sunk, then we would still be riding in ships exactly like these but at the same time look at the lakonia and look at the straps paper they were but I called the start of modern ship design now look at Costa and look at some of those carnival ships. I feel like no matter what it was inevitable also let’s look at the obvious styles and tastes change but it would be cool to have old liners again Edit my mic misspelled strathnaver
@@goosehubtheshipnerd not really since the advancements of ship design will be based on comfort and what the trend is. Much like how building designs shifted from classical to neo-modern architecture. Also, Olympic didn't sink. Only Britannic and Titanic sank.
@@MiniMC546 oops I said Olympic sunk nope I’m fully aware she didn’t sorry Olympic Also I give my own reasonings for why inevitably we would have these ships we have today Before replying on something like this please click read more next time
@@goosehubtheshipnerd Unlikely. Olympic never sank, she had a 30+ year life and ended up scrapped. Today the United States is still around laid up in port, but nobody wants to take on the cost of restoring her or doing anything with the ship. Reality is cases like the Queen Mary where ships are saved and converted into floating hotels or such, it is extremely rear. Also keep in mind Titanic only became famous BECAUSE it sank. Olympic was the first ship launched and had all the fanfare and news coverage, hell most photo's you see online used for Titanic are phot's of Olympic. When Titanic was launched she wasn't really a big deal, she was basically just "the second Olympic". Same with Britannic, she got her fame from being a hospital ship that was sunk during war time. But before that, how many people in the general public really cared? Point is without their disasters few would probably even know of Titanic or Britannic as they'd most just be mentioned in passing as being "the Olympic's sisters" So if Olympic wasn't spared from the scrapyard, what chance would a barely known Titanic or Britannic had? Chances of them surviving into modern day would of been extremely slim to no chance at all.
I was on a modern cruise ship recently (Volendam). On the top passenger accessible deck, I noticed a compass platform. The unit was covered, buy you could tell by the shape that it was near identical to the ones used in Titanic. Interesting to see these centuries old methods still used as backups.
The other question is if mariners are still trained in these techniques, and do they stay proficient in them in spite of having all the modern systems? I could imagine some might just out of interest and tradition, while out at sea taking measurements the old ways and comparing their answer with the GPS.
@@quillmaurer6563 yes, compasses are literally still used today lmfao. but even other things like celestial navigation is taught, because redundancy is important and computers can fail.
Iron...not steel. They are properly called "quadrantal spheres", but more often go by the moniker "navigator's balls" in the Navy. Their positions are adjusted (during an annual process called "swinging ship") to reduce the amount of error introduced as the ship turns thru the points of the compass, as the ship's relation to local magnetic fields also affects compass accuracy. They are regularly put thru a process of heating to cherry red and then slow cooling (called "annealing") to remove residual magnetism. There are also iron rods called "Flinder's rods" contained in a vertical tube contained within the compass stand. These are for reducing magnetic effects from the ship pitching up and down fore and aft.
"Everything had a backup" Yeah...everything but the lifeboats...the irony is so cruel. Titanic was fitted with so much and yet it all didn't help in the end. Great video!
absolute fan of your channel. also i find your introduction of yourself as "our friend" exceptionally pleasant and somewhat soothing. cheers from continental Europe
As a US Air Force Navigator I used a sextant to do celestial navigation on the C-130 transport aircraft in the late 80s-early 90s while flying across large spans of water (like the North Atlantic). Sometimes the moon was above the horizon during the day but if only the sun was visible it would give you a "line of positioning" and you were somewhere along that line. To narrow the position we used other means such as "dead reckoning" (involving a compass, a clock and an airspeed indicator). Celestial navigation can be very accurate.
In the last century (!) the CAA Airline Transport navigation exams had insanely difficult procedures to get bearings _from_ (!) far distant non directional radio beacons across the earth's curvature. They might have been of some use in a pre war flying boat doing just over a hundred knots with a dedicated navigator's office and table. Pass the exam and forget it (it would be gone after a week anyway).
Deduced reckoning or pilotage, is the most basic form of navigation. It is also the core of celestial navigation. By tracking speed, course and time, the position of a ship (or aircraft or ground vehicle) can be deduced. Small errors will add up over time, which is where CN comes in.
Excellent video! To add a bit more to the Magnetic Compass section of the video, as a trainee (Cadet) Deck Officer, we learn how the various errors are corrected (with hard and soft iron) on the Magnetic Compass and it is quite an involved subject in of itself. Usually specialist compass correctors come aboard to do this job, the ship being "swung" in the process, but it can also be done by the Master if needs be/doing so can be justified. On contemporary ships the Magnetic Compass is mounted on the bridge roof, called the Monkey Island, or elsewhere high up in the forward superstructure to reduce the errors caused by the ship, a periscope being next to the helm position so we can use the Magnetic Compass on the bridge. We keep a book on the bridge with the Magnetic Compass errors in it as it is regularly checked, as we have to take this into account when navigating the ship. We tend to prefer the Gyro Compass when all is said and done though as it's more reliable, the Gyro Compass Repeaters being found on the bridge wings as the Gyro Compass itself is usually deep down in the ship, for example in the engine room. We usually have at least one permanently mounted Pelorus midships on the bridge.
I've been obsessed with Titanic since I was a kid, and as I've learned more and more about it throughout the years, I'm already feeling like a Titanic historian and somewhat of a Titanic expert. It's all thanks to you, Mike Brady, all the love to you!❤
I have the training and the education to navigate the Titanic. I am currently working as a navigational officer cadet. This is an excellent and well done video.
Another wonderful video! I would recommend the book "Longitude" by Deva Sobel, about the quest for accurate timekeeping and the sleazy politics that held back the development of an accurate chronometer by John Harrison, the English clockmaker. I am also reminded of the wonderful book, "Sailing Alone Around The World" by Captain Joshua Slocum, who sailed his boat, "The Spray", eastward from New England, in 1895. He had bought a used chronometer, but it got drenched with seawater, so he boiled it. The minute hand fell off. He then used dead reckoning in his journey. It is one of the must delightful nautical stories ever written.
@@maryeckel9682 I made a bucket list trip to England this past year. I saw the Harrison Clocks at the Greenwich Museum. I also visited Brunel's great bridges and "The Great Britain" in Bristol.
Both of thoe books are excellent references, Longitude fire it's technical info, Slocums for it's human adventure aspect in particular, Mustreads for any maritime enthusiast !
Hi Mike. It might be worth doing a follow up on this episode. For example I think your viewers would be interested in how the ships magnetic field was nulled out around the compasses. Something to do with those big red and green balls I suspect. There is history behind using a log to measure speed and keeping a log of the voyage. In the old days it literally was a log of wood thrown over the side and the number of equally spaced knots on an attached rope counted over a short time period - measured by a sand filled 'hour glass'. There's a lot more of course, I'm not sure how far (!) you would want to go with this level of detail - it's your channel after all!
Most excellent!! Very very well done. I love when people criticize Capt. Smith for failing his navigation exam. I think it goes without saying after watching this video how extensive Navigation is. A lot of what you’ve touched on here is still required to be known by masters and mates of today.
The bridge being made of wood is why it is no longer on the titanic wreck. As the bow section torpedoed it’s way down, anything loose or not strong enough was ripped away. The bridge was completely ripped away, leaving only the metal control equipment behind.
You do notice on the side of each compass the large steel balls painted red and green? These are movable and used to compensate for the steel of the ship and it's interaction with the magnetic compass. No matter where you place a compass on a steel ship, it will need to be adjusted and calibrated with a compass that is not in the magnetic field of the ship by using these steel balls.
Also the Flinders Bar mounted vertically in front of the binnacle adds to the compensation. A ship's compass is "swung" when the compass is compared to known bearings with the ship on different headings. Correcting magnets are placed around the compass bowl and the process repeated until all the differences (deviation) are reduced to minima. This is recorded on a card which is used to correct compass bearings to magnetic and true bearings. A quick and easy compass check when in sight of land is a "transit" when a bearing is taken on two objects marked on the chart are in line. The equivalent when out of sight of land is a bearing on the sun at sunrise or sunset. The bearing being a simple exercise in spherical trigonometry.
Iron...not steel. They are properly called "quadrantal spheres", but more often go by the moniker "navigator's balls" in the Navy. Their positions are adjusted (during an annual process called "swinging ship") to reduce the amount of error introduced as the ship turns thru the points of the compass, as the ship's relation to local magnetic fields also affects compass accuracy. They are regularly put thru a process of heating to cherry red and then slow cooling (called "annealing") to remove residual magnetism. There are also iron rods called "Flinder's rods" contained in a vertical tube contained within the compass stand. These are for reducing magnetic effects from the ship pitching up and down fore and aft.
I love the new intro, but I feel like the old intro will always be attachment for those of that around since the early days Kind of a we were there for everything type scenario and that’s kind of cool I think
There are a couple really good articles on the subject especially on the titanic. Everything from the company who made it to the way the chains and gears worked. if you want I can go back to some of the blogs and look
A professor at the US Naval college said when they finally discontinued teaching celestial navigation he was so happy. He said teaching cadets celestial navigation was as hard as trying to teach them electrical engineering.
Get better cadets.... I know officers are stupid and self centered assholes, but they should have the ability to learn basic electronics engineering and celestial nav. I am just a low brained E4 and I know both. Taught myself celestial nav. And was a sat/cryptography tech. Oh wait....now I know why they did not like me. They were beneath me without me even trying.
Annapolis had in fact dropped C-Nav for a time, but quickly realized what a big mistake that was. We mariners have learned the hard way just how fussy GPS can be. For a naval vessel, if GPS gets jammed you simply still must know where you are.
Another great video Mike...... The design of the Titanic has took on a whole new look. Redundencies for everything was a far seeing thought that really wasn't heard of until the space race era, well at least not by me anyway. With all the safety features mentioned and the magnicent water tight doors throughout the ship, This ship really shouldn't have sank........ The ships safety measures were betrayed by letting her run so fast rather than slowing for the known berg fields. Belief in the in-built safety technology worked against them... I think this is a trait from the Victorian age where they thought Technology will take man to a Utopia or a Zenith..... H G Wells thought this way in the Time Machine.
Hi Mike, It''s your friend Winton McReady again. Could you make a video about a modern ship e.g. Freedom of the Seas, maybe not even a specific ship, but just that type and speculate about 1. In a similar collision with with an iceberg as Titanic had, would a modern ship sustain as much damage, and 2. If somehow a modern ship did encounter something that damaged it to the same extent as Titanic, what would happen, and how likely would sinking / deaths be?
Already knew the vast majority of this. But dude, your storytelling skills still made it damned interesting. Have you considered a video on the logistics of these ships? How they packed and organized cargo, and other ways the staff made everything work. How and where food and drinks were kept. Maybe more info into the ship elevators. Other interesting inner workings bits like this. Stuff that usually is glossed over, at best.
Wow!!! Now THIS is the kind of video I've wanted for ages! I've seen the pelorus mount in photos of the bridge before, and always wondered what it was! I always assumed it was an ashtray or something, since it was 1912 and smoking was common, and I guess I thought the bridge crew would be chimneys considering how stressful their jobs must've been, but it seemed too high up for that! And now I know!! I wonder if any of that tech has survived or been recovered. Having the ship's chronometer would be just aces! And that patent log and submarine signalers are completely new information to me, somebody who's been reading about Titanic his entire life! That's astounding! You never stop learning! It's crazy to me that Titanic had such advanced technology over 100 years ago! But amazing! Thanks for another excellent video, Mike!
The invention of the chronometer in order to address "the longitude problem" is a worthy story unto itself, and was actually the subject of a terrific book ("Longitude," by Dava Sobel), back in 1995. It was subsequently adapted as an epsiode of "Nova" and as a TV series in 2000 (with Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons, no less).
Interesting fact: one of the small bits of wreckage from the Edmund Fitzgerald was approximately half of her pilothouse sounding board, where the crew would record the results of sounding using a line with a weight on the end. Some sites claim Fitzgerald had an echo depth finder, but depth finders were *not* required on commercial vessels until 1977. So even as late as the 1970's, the old fashioned way of determining water depth was still in use.
Very clearly commentated! I love these videos about quirky little questions that have bounced around in your head for years but were never really important enough to investigate . . . but now I feel I can actually sleep better at night. Thank you!!!
Thank you ❤ You elaborated on Titanic’s sub sensor system. I think I’m starting to figure out that your short videos foreshadow your longer videos, which is GREAT. There really is, like you’ve said on your channel Mike, so many aspects of Titanic that have yet to be discussed. I love that Titanic relied on older navigation systems, as opposed to modern crews on large ships that cruise on autopilot basically. If everything on Titanic had a backup, where was the second set of glasses?
Knowledge about our natural world was so much more vast and commonplace back then. Modern technology is great, but we've gotten so disconnected from nature as a result.
I’m glad to finally learn what those wooden pedestals on the bridge wings were for! I figured it had something to do with navigation, since the top was almost level with the horizon line, but it always seemed like something was missing.
Crazy technology regarding the underwater buoys and microphones in each side of the hull. I had no idea!!! Amazingly informative video, thanks for sharing it with us!
Great video. My only quibble is that I don’t think Boxhall took a star sight after the ship hit the iceberg; I think he used the results of the sight taken around 7 or 7:30 PM that evening and then used “dead [deductive] reckoning” to figure out the current location based on course, speed, and time run since the last fix.
I would agree with J. Smith here. When I was trained in astronavigation in the 1970s our target time from observing four stars to putting a cross on the chart was 40 minutes, and that was using sight reduction tables, which simplified the calculations compared to using spherical trigonometry and versine tables etc. Also it is very difficult to take star sights at the dead of night as you need to be able to see the horizon. Star sights are normally taken during twilight when only the brightest stars (those used for navigation) and the horizon are visible. A dead reckoning position taken from the evening star sights seems probable.
You answered a question I didn't even remember I had! I played Titanic: Adventure Out of Time in childhood, and always wondered why there was a random raised platform between funnels two and three. Thank you!
Oh wow! I love your channel and always look forward to new videos. But I never expected to see my own home town! At 4:48, that looks just like Thacher Island off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, USA! We are very proud of our twin lighthouses, built in 1851 (originally 1771). There are two so that ships arriving from Europe would be able to differentiate Cape Ann from Boston Harbor. When they saw the twin lights, they knew they had only a little further to go. Great video! Thanks so much for making my day! 💕🙏💕
Mike, thank you so much for sharing your remarkable talents and knowledge on this fascinating channel! Your collaboration videos with THG/VDR are an ideal match, with your brilliant narration and their stunning recreations ✨ Hopefully you will team up with THG as a historical commentator on their future RT sinking livestreams as well. 👍
Another well done video. Thank you. It's easy to take navigation for granted when you have GPS. I find the tools of navigation to be quite fascinating. It never occurred to me that a clock or chronometer would be a useful tool. But I learned a couple new things.
Mike, about 10 years ago I got to see a copy of "Professional Mariner" magazine (American). They had an article about situational awareness. They said that one seldom repeated fact was that the crew was starting to " standardize the compass" by comparing the master compass to that in the binnacle on the bridge, perhaps to all others on the ship. This was required at fixed intervals by White Star regulations, perhaps by British Law. The oil lamp illuminating the master compass required trimming, lengthening the procedure. The crew was initiating the procedure when the lookout announced the sighting of the iceberg and elected to complete the procedure, then take evasive action. The implication being that they could have gently steered around the berg, steadied up on course again and then standardized the compass with the log noted as to why the procedure was delayed. Have you or any of the viewers ever heard of this story? The concept of ridiculous versus , well, stodgy could put it either way as to truth.
As someone whose knowledge of navigation was confined to Parick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey novels (filmed as Master and Commander), about the Napoleonic Wars, this was very instructive. Thanks!
It's a fascinating process to observe and partake in , gives one a great appreciation of the wooden ship sailors. And in the middle of the ocean it's a great comfort knowing where you are, for some reason 👍. Thx loved it.
These navigation devices use so many different branches of physics and are very highly engineered with a high degree of precision, especially in the case of the chronometer. I imagine today it’s tempting to think of these contraptions as primitive, but I’d wager only a fraction of a percent of our ‘high tech’ population have an understanding of the concepts behind their purpose, with even fewer people able to work out how to use them. Not that we’re stupid; were they put back into regular usage, of course we would learn their operation. My point is they’re sophisticated, and in their day, only those specifically trained in their use would know how to use them; the vast majority would likely be as ignorant of the technology as we are now. I can imagine that most then would have been as in awe of these ‘mystery boxes’ as we are in awe of the computerized navigation infrastructure in use today. Heck, I’m in awe of my smartphone and all it can do with respect to navigation - including using it for celestial navigation! As far as how IT is constructed…well, I’m just glad there are those who know; I’m just at the level of being awed by a simple battery flashlight. :)
Just subscribed and I am loving this channel! So much I didn't know about these huge, majestic machines. It really puts into perspective the incredible engineering and attention to detail that went into the design of these ships and it's nice to see the Titanic in a more general way than always focusing on the tragedy of her sinking. Cheers and keep up the awesome content!
Awesome video. Showed my family this to help explain what I do for work and how ships crossed oceans before GPS/LORAN. It wasn't long ago (almost into the 80s) that ships were still relying heavily on celestial navigation. On an overcast winter north Atlantic crossing, it was common for ships to make the crossing with getting few, if not any accurate celestial fixes (positions) for the entire voyage. Also, the submarine signaler. Holy Sh*t. Im shocked I know nothing about this considering how much of a nerd I am with this stuff. Great research. For somebody who hasn't done this for a living or had gone to school for it, its impressive how good of a grasp you've acquired on all of this. Its even more impressive how you've put all of this information together in such a digestible and easy to watch video. Thank you!
So cool to learn about some of the features of the ship that I've spotted, but had no idea what they were for, like the little folding platform on the sides for taking soundings.
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I used to install security systems for a living about 10 years ago, and I remember a job I did for a clockmaker. On his work bench he had a maratime chronometer that dated back to the late 1790's. I was told that it belonged to a Ship's Captain, and it had been in his family for over 200 years, and even though it served no purpose on a modern bridge, he still carried it to keep the tradition alive. As both a maratime and a clock nerd, it made me so happy to see and hear the story behind it.
I love this story! Thanks for sharing
WOW!!! That is awesome!
Chronometer is still used today... Their designe has changed since then but they still do exist... Same is the case with sextants and evenly log's...
@@Ansset0 it /is/ relevant tho???
A clock masters a guy who makes clocks ain't it
I'm a Titanic fan for 30 years and I'm always glad to know new things about that ship!
Snap
Same here the Titanic is one of those subjects with lots of hype and sensation people saying things with no sound judgment; that's why I took it all up in the 1st place
It sunked ...
“Fortunately Titanic and her passengers were spared the unimaginable fate of docking in New Jersey” -my words exactly
(In all seriousness, your channel is great and incredibly well presented, and you honor their memory in the best way. Cheers!)
Not docking in New Jersey? Think of all the great pizzarias they would have missed out on! And the diners, and the bakeries, and the bagel shops, and the burger and hot dog joints!
I'll tell you as one who knows if the food in NJ wasn't so good EVERYONE would have moved away years ago!
Well it could’ve been worse, they could’ve crashed into the rural New Jersey coast, but I guess Atlantic City would now have a new tourist attraction.
@@sunshineimperials1600 You know what? When the burned-out hulk of the Morro Castle beached itself in Asbury Park NJ the locals DID get the idea of turning it into a tourist attraction! But they gave up that idea pretty quickly, the wreck stunk to high heaven!
Now if Titanic ran so hard agound in Atlantic City it couldn't be hauled off it might have made a pretty good hotel!
FOR THE RECORD. Mike Brady *is* my friend! What an incredibly bright and charming gentleman. I have seen so many of his videos. They are excellent and highly informative. A joy to watch!
I'm loving this channel! Tell Mike I say thank you for the information, sir!
It had an odometer! I never would've thought.
All this advanced preparation. This would make an interesting movie in its own right, no need for a Jack and Rose.
Right? Just a movie about the ship itself would be cool as hell.
Hi Mike. I’ve been binge-watching your videos most of today! They’re awesome! However, just to clarify, the big iron balls either side of the compass binnacle are to compensate for the effect of the ship’s steel. There’s also a set of iron bars inside the binnacle that move up/down. Together, these all can be adjusted to get the compass calibrated. In trials they would’ve “swung the compass” through known headings, referenced against known points on land, so that they could get it pointing right. The wood etc. only helps make all that much better. Also, magnetic north is not actually constant; it varies depending on where you are. All the more reason for knowing what your instruments are telling you.
There is just something that I've found very enjoyable about this man's voice. It's very calming. He does an excellent job of making these videos.
Today is April 14th so tonight is truly "A Night to Remember"
Such a tragedy. That ship was so well designed, I can see why they were so confident in it.
I’m imagining today that if her and her twin sister BRITTANIC hadn’t sunk, then we would still be riding in ships exactly like these but at the same time look at the lakonia and look at the straps paper they were but I called the start of modern ship design now look at Costa and look at some of those carnival ships. I feel like no matter what it was inevitable also let’s look at the obvious styles and tastes change but it would be cool to have old liners again
Edit my mic misspelled strathnaver
@@goosehubtheshipnerd not really since the advancements of ship design will be based on comfort and what the trend is. Much like how building designs shifted from classical to neo-modern architecture. Also, Olympic didn't sink. Only Britannic and Titanic sank.
@@MiniMC546 oops I said Olympic sunk nope I’m fully aware she didn’t sorry Olympic
Also I give my own reasonings for why inevitably we would have these ships we have today
Before replying on something like this please click read more next time
@@goosehubtheshipnerd Unlikely. Olympic never sank, she had a 30+ year life and ended up scrapped. Today the United States is still around laid up in port, but nobody wants to take on the cost of restoring her or doing anything with the ship. Reality is cases like the Queen Mary where ships are saved and converted into floating hotels or such, it is extremely rear.
Also keep in mind Titanic only became famous BECAUSE it sank. Olympic was the first ship launched and had all the fanfare and news coverage, hell most photo's you see online used for Titanic are phot's of Olympic. When Titanic was launched she wasn't really a big deal, she was basically just "the second Olympic". Same with Britannic, she got her fame from being a hospital ship that was sunk during war time. But before that, how many people in the general public really cared?
Point is without their disasters few would probably even know of Titanic or Britannic as they'd most just be mentioned in passing as being "the Olympic's sisters" So if Olympic wasn't spared from the scrapyard, what chance would a barely known Titanic or Britannic had?
Chances of them surviving into modern day would of been extremely slim to no chance at all.
@@justinlynch3 I’m getting a lot of that please click read more next time and also I’m aware BRITTANIC sank I just typed it wrong oops
Loving the new intro. So good and so professional. Been a pleasure watching this channel grow, Mike!
That whistle at the introduction was amazing 0:58
Well now I’m naturally going to be late to everything today. Once you post, Mike, I re watch so many of your videos. You’re the best liner channel
I was on a modern cruise ship recently (Volendam). On the top passenger accessible deck, I noticed a compass platform. The unit was covered, buy you could tell by the shape that it was near identical to the ones used in Titanic. Interesting to see these centuries old methods still used as backups.
The other question is if mariners are still trained in these techniques, and do they stay proficient in them in spite of having all the modern systems? I could imagine some might just out of interest and tradition, while out at sea taking measurements the old ways and comparing their answer with the GPS.
@@quillmaurer6563 yes, compasses are literally still used today lmfao. but even other things like celestial navigation is taught, because redundancy is important and computers can fail.
My friend is training to be an officer. He had to learn Morse code this year
Wow...very interesting!
@Plum Bit I am learning Morse code...I know all the numbers and half the alphabet...I just got a HAM radio license! 🙂
For those wondering what those green and red balls next to the compass are: Those are heavy steel balls that can be adjusted to fine tune the compass.
Iron...not steel.
They are properly called "quadrantal spheres", but more often go by the moniker "navigator's balls" in the Navy. Their positions are adjusted (during an annual process called "swinging ship") to reduce the amount of error introduced as the ship turns thru the points of the compass, as the ship's relation to local magnetic fields also affects compass accuracy.
They are regularly put thru a process of heating to cherry red and then slow cooling (called "annealing") to remove residual magnetism.
There are also iron rods called "Flinder's rods" contained in a vertical tube contained within the compass stand. These are for reducing magnetic effects from the ship pitching up and down fore and aft.
The intro with the titanics whistle is a masterpiece
"Everything had a backup"
Yeah...everything but the lifeboats...the irony is so cruel. Titanic was fitted with so much and yet it all didn't help in the end.
Great video!
absolute fan of your channel. also i find your introduction of yourself as "our friend" exceptionally pleasant and somewhat soothing.
cheers from continental Europe
As a US Air Force Navigator I used a sextant to do celestial navigation on the C-130 transport aircraft in the late 80s-early 90s while flying across large spans of water (like the North Atlantic). Sometimes the moon was above the horizon during the day but if only the sun was visible it would give you a "line of positioning" and you were somewhere along that line. To narrow the position we used other means such as "dead reckoning" (involving a compass, a clock and an airspeed indicator). Celestial navigation can be very accurate.
Wow! Thank you for your service!!
In the last century (!) the CAA Airline Transport navigation exams had insanely difficult procedures to get bearings _from_ (!) far distant non directional radio beacons across the earth's curvature. They might have been of some use in a pre war flying boat doing just over a hundred knots with a dedicated navigator's office and table. Pass the exam and forget it (it would be gone after a week anyway).
interesting! I read that the dead reckoning method was the method Boxhall used to calculate Titanic's position
Deduced reckoning or pilotage, is the most basic form of navigation.
It is also the core of celestial navigation.
By tracking speed, course and time, the position of a ship (or aircraft or ground vehicle) can be deduced. Small errors will add up over time, which is where CN comes in.
Lots of interesting facts about titanic by this channel- thanks a lot for these videos
I love how you describe Titanic, especially in the intro, you make her feel mighty, a majestic and wonderful piece of early 20th centry engineering
and that's exactly what she was ❤
What a pleasant way to end the day.
Hope it was a good day!
Excellent video!
To add a bit more to the Magnetic Compass section of the video, as a trainee (Cadet) Deck Officer, we learn how the various errors are corrected (with hard and soft iron) on the Magnetic Compass and it is quite an involved subject in of itself. Usually specialist compass correctors come aboard to do this job, the ship being "swung" in the process, but it can also be done by the Master if needs be/doing so can be justified.
On contemporary ships the Magnetic Compass is mounted on the bridge roof, called the Monkey Island, or elsewhere high up in the forward superstructure to reduce the errors caused by the ship, a periscope being next to the helm position so we can use the Magnetic Compass on the bridge.
We keep a book on the bridge with the Magnetic Compass errors in it as it is regularly checked, as we have to take this into account when navigating the ship.
We tend to prefer the Gyro Compass when all is said and done though as it's more reliable, the Gyro Compass Repeaters being found on the bridge wings as the Gyro Compass itself is usually deep down in the ship, for example in the engine room.
We usually have at least one permanently mounted Pelorus midships on the bridge.
She was a beautiful ship..I've always loved the design and look of Ocean Liners.
I've been obsessed with Titanic since I was a kid, and as I've learned more and more about it throughout the years, I'm already feeling like a Titanic historian and somewhat of a Titanic expert. It's all thanks to you, Mike Brady, all the love to you!❤
I have the training and the education to navigate the Titanic. I am currently working as a navigational officer cadet. This is an excellent and well done video.
went from cadet to the captain of the titanic real quick there 🤨
Another wonderful video! I would recommend the book "Longitude" by Deva Sobel, about the quest for accurate timekeeping and the sleazy politics that held back the development of an accurate chronometer by John Harrison, the English clockmaker. I am also reminded of the wonderful book, "Sailing Alone Around The World" by Captain Joshua Slocum, who sailed his boat, "The Spray", eastward from New England, in 1895. He had bought a used chronometer, but it got drenched with seawater, so he boiled it. The minute hand fell off. He then used dead reckoning in his journey. It is one of the must delightful nautical stories ever written.
Longitude is such a fascinating book!
@@maryeckel9682 I made a bucket list trip to England this past year. I saw the Harrison Clocks at the Greenwich Museum. I also visited Brunel's great bridges and "The Great Britain" in Bristol.
Both of thoe books are excellent references, Longitude fire it's technical info, Slocums for it's human adventure aspect in particular, Mustreads for any maritime enthusiast !
I love learning about titanic and it’s history.. but I really watch these videos cause I love the sound of your voice 😍😍
Hi Mike. It might be worth doing a follow up on this episode. For example I think your viewers would be interested in how the ships magnetic field was nulled out around the compasses. Something to do with those big red and green balls I suspect. There is history behind using a log to measure speed and keeping a log of the voyage. In the old days it literally was a log of wood thrown over the side and the number of equally spaced knots on an attached rope counted over a short time period - measured by a sand filled 'hour glass'. There's a lot more of course, I'm not sure how far (!) you would want to go with this level of detail - it's your channel after all!
Yes, great suggestions! Thank you for the “log” refresher; I had forgotten that ‘entymology’ piece.
Most excellent!! Very very well done. I love when people criticize Capt. Smith for failing his navigation exam. I think it goes without saying after watching this video how extensive Navigation is. A lot of what you’ve touched on here is still required to be known by masters and mates of today.
The bridge being made of wood is why it is no longer on the titanic wreck. As the bow section torpedoed it’s way down, anything loose or not strong enough was ripped away. The bridge was completely ripped away, leaving only the metal control equipment behind.
I did not actually know about the detail about compass mounting on steel ships. Genuinely interesting stuff!
This one’s a good one, finally the systems of Titanics navigation is explained. I had a interest in this with no clear definition.
Thank you
I have been a Titanic fan for years and there's still so much I didn't know until now. Amazing!
You do notice on the side of each compass the large steel balls painted red and green? These are movable and used to compensate for the steel of the ship and it's interaction with the magnetic compass. No matter where you place a compass on a steel ship, it will need to be adjusted and calibrated with a compass that is not in the magnetic field of the ship by using these steel balls.
Also the Flinders Bar mounted vertically in front of the binnacle adds to the compensation. A ship's compass is "swung" when the compass is compared to known bearings with the ship on different headings. Correcting magnets are placed around the compass bowl and the process repeated until all the differences (deviation) are reduced to minima. This is recorded on a card which is used to correct compass bearings to magnetic and true bearings.
A quick and easy compass check when in sight of land is a "transit" when a bearing is taken on two objects marked on the chart are in line. The equivalent when out of sight of land is a bearing on the sun at sunrise or sunset. The bearing being a simple exercise in spherical trigonometry.
Iron...not steel.
They are properly called "quadrantal spheres", but more often go by the moniker "navigator's balls" in the Navy. Their positions are adjusted (during an annual process called "swinging ship") to reduce the amount of error introduced as the ship turns thru the points of the compass, as the ship's relation to local magnetic fields also affects compass accuracy.
They are regularly put thru a process of heating to cherry red and then slow cooling (called "annealing") to remove residual magnetism.
There are also iron rods called "Flinder's rods" contained in a vertical tube contained within the compass stand. These are for reducing magnetic effects from the ship pitching up and down fore and aft.
I love the new intro, but I feel like the old intro will always be attachment for those of that around since the early days
Kind of a we were there for everything type scenario and that’s kind of cool I think
I've been a fan of Titanic since 1988 when I got my first book. I love learning anything I could about the great liner.
Good job Mr Australia,as always.
One thing I'd like to know is how the ship's engine telegraphs worked back then. I've looked around some, but haven't found anything clear-cut.
There are a couple really good articles on the subject especially on the titanic. Everything from the company who made it to the way the chains and gears worked. if you want I can go back to some of the blogs and look
@@robertschultz6922 Sure! I'd love to get more information on them, especially how the chains were installed and made to go around curves and corners.
It's so amazing to know new details of this ship... we'll never know everything... thank you for your excellent work!
A professor at the US Naval college said when they finally discontinued teaching celestial navigation he was so happy. He said teaching cadets celestial navigation was as hard as trying to teach them electrical engineering.
Celestial navigation is making a comeback. In time of war GPS satellites can be taken out.
Electrical engineering is basic
Get better cadets.... I know officers are stupid and self centered assholes, but they should have the ability to learn basic electronics engineering and celestial nav.
I am just a low brained E4 and I know both. Taught myself celestial nav. And was a sat/cryptography tech.
Oh wait....now I know why they did not like me. They were beneath me without me even trying.
If celestial navigation is a problem, one shouldn’t be accepted at Annapolis. The Navy must know that.
Annapolis had in fact dropped C-Nav for a time, but quickly realized what a big mistake that was. We mariners have learned the hard way just how fussy GPS can be. For a naval vessel, if GPS gets jammed you simply still must know where you are.
Amazing technology for the time.
Mike, you are the king of presenting information that is a bit on the obscure side, great job on this one......
Another great video Mike......
The design of the Titanic has took on a whole new look. Redundencies for everything was a far seeing thought that really wasn't heard of until the space race era, well at least not by me anyway.
With all the safety features mentioned and the magnicent water tight doors throughout the ship, This ship really shouldn't have sank........
The ships safety measures were betrayed by letting her run so fast rather than slowing for the known berg fields.
Belief in the in-built safety technology worked against them...
I think this is a trait from the Victorian age where they thought Technology will take man to a Utopia or a Zenith..... H G Wells thought this way in the Time Machine.
Yep, human error killed this amazing ship and so many of of the souls aboard.
Everything had redundancies except the most vital equipment of all the binoculars for the lookouts and the key for the binocular case
VERY informative Mr. Brady! I have been studying the ship for over 50 years and really enjoy learning new things about her! Thank you.
I myself am rather interested in how they used to operate the ocean liners back in the early 1900's this video was super helpful!
I like the new intro music / sounds with the bell and whistles way better than the glass breaking.
Been studying Titanic for many years and I continue to learn so many things from you, Mike!
I've been satisfied with titanic for 7 years ever since I was 3!!!
Hi Mike, It''s your friend Winton McReady again.
Could you make a video about a modern ship e.g. Freedom of the Seas, maybe not even a specific ship, but just that type and speculate about 1. In a similar collision with with an iceberg as Titanic had, would a modern ship sustain as much damage, and 2. If somehow a modern ship did encounter something that damaged it to the same extent as Titanic, what would happen, and how likely would sinking / deaths be?
I just watched a Drachinfel video about advances in ships' chronometers. I greatly enjoyed it.
Wow, astounding technology back then.
Submersible missing from titanic tourist mission NEED VIDEO PLEASE
Already knew the vast majority of this. But dude, your storytelling skills still made it damned interesting.
Have you considered a video on the logistics of these ships? How they packed and organized cargo, and other ways the staff made everything work. How and where food and drinks were kept. Maybe more info into the ship elevators. Other interesting inner workings bits like this. Stuff that usually is glossed over, at best.
Great stuff man 😁 I couldn't imagine having to use any of these tactics beind so spoiled by GPS 😅
In 1,000 yards iceberg 🧊 ahead, turn around or back up to alternative route 8:24 😅😂
Wow!!! Now THIS is the kind of video I've wanted for ages!
I've seen the pelorus mount in photos of the bridge before, and always wondered what it was! I always assumed it was an ashtray or something, since it was 1912 and smoking was common, and I guess I thought the bridge crew would be chimneys considering how stressful their jobs must've been, but it seemed too high up for that! And now I know!!
I wonder if any of that tech has survived or been recovered. Having the ship's chronometer would be just aces!
And that patent log and submarine signalers are completely new information to me, somebody who's been reading about Titanic his entire life! That's astounding! You never stop learning!
It's crazy to me that Titanic had such advanced technology over 100 years ago! But amazing!
Thanks for another excellent video, Mike!
So many questions I've been wondering about for years, all answered in one video. Cheers Mike!
Just when I thought I couldn't learn any more about Titanic...I did! So interesting and enjoyed the graphics. Thank you. 🚢🚢
Don't lie. The info he shared will be replaced with my little pony porn and jack Daniels soon enough
The invention of the chronometer in order to address "the longitude problem" is a worthy story unto itself, and was actually the subject of a terrific book ("Longitude," by Dava Sobel), back in 1995. It was subsequently adapted as an epsiode of "Nova" and as a TV series in 2000 (with Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons, no less).
Interesting fact: one of the small bits of wreckage from the Edmund Fitzgerald was approximately half of her pilothouse sounding board, where the crew would record the results of sounding using a line with a weight on the end.
Some sites claim Fitzgerald had an echo depth finder, but depth finders were *not* required on commercial vessels until 1977.
So even as late as the 1970's, the old fashioned way of determining water depth was still in use.
Interesting fact; no-one gives a flying monkey's ass about this "fact" ...just keep your thoughts between you and your blow up doll collection.
The information I've learned from you about the RMS Titanic is quite simply invaluable! Thank you for sharing your wonderful gifts with all of us!
He never fails to deliver, all the videos are well-researched, prepared and presented.❤
Very clearly commentated! I love these videos about quirky little questions that have bounced around in your head for years but were never really important enough to investigate . . . but now I feel I can actually sleep better at night. Thank you!!!
So fretful that there is a community of ship lovers ❤
Thank you ❤ You elaborated on Titanic’s sub sensor system. I think I’m starting to figure out that your short videos foreshadow your longer videos, which is GREAT. There really is, like you’ve said on your channel Mike, so many aspects of Titanic that have yet to be discussed. I love that Titanic relied on older navigation systems, as opposed to modern crews on large ships that cruise on autopilot basically. If everything on Titanic had a backup, where was the second set of glasses?
I LOVED This video. My cousin was on Titanic, (A.J. Eagle), and I'd love to know more about the tenders stories
Pilot here! Many of the navigational aids used are the same ways old airliners got around!
Honestly incredible how they did all of this without radar or gps. Love the content!
Thanks Mike you certainly are teaching us new things about the Titanic! Keep up the good work.
Knowledge about our natural world was so much more vast and commonplace back then. Modern technology is great, but we've gotten so disconnected from nature as a result.
I thought this would be a boring video Mike but it was actually quite informative. Thank you.
any thoughts about the current missing sub that went to the Titanic?
Oceanliner Designs and Titanic Honor & Glory Teaming up on future Titanic videos 🔥
I’m glad to finally learn what those wooden pedestals on the bridge wings were for! I figured it had something to do with navigation, since the top was almost level with the horizon line, but it always seemed like something was missing.
Crazy technology regarding the underwater buoys and microphones in each side of the hull. I had no idea!!! Amazingly informative video, thanks for sharing it with us!
Excellent content as always. Thank you so much for these fascinating details.
Great video. My only quibble is that I don’t think Boxhall took a star sight after the ship hit the iceberg; I think he used the results of the sight taken around 7 or 7:30 PM that evening and then used “dead [deductive] reckoning” to figure out the current location based on course, speed, and time run since the last fix.
I would agree with J. Smith here. When I was trained in astronavigation in the 1970s our target time from observing four stars to putting a cross on the chart was 40 minutes, and that was using sight reduction tables, which simplified the calculations compared to using spherical trigonometry and versine tables etc. Also it is very difficult to take star sights at the dead of night as you need to be able to see the horizon. Star sights are normally taken during twilight when only the brightest stars (those used for navigation) and the horizon are visible. A dead reckoning position taken from the evening star sights seems probable.
Wait... So this was just posted now or yesterday? I got confused about that one comment that says posted 1d ago. Anyways, love the videos Mike!
Amazing video.
You look like you could have been in the movie Titanic.
You answered a question I didn't even remember I had! I played Titanic: Adventure Out of Time in childhood, and always wondered why there was a random raised platform between funnels two and three. Thank you!
Oh wow! I love your channel and always look forward to new videos. But I never expected to see my own home town! At 4:48, that looks just like Thacher Island off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, USA! We are very proud of our twin lighthouses, built in 1851 (originally 1771). There are two so that ships arriving from Europe would be able to differentiate Cape Ann from Boston Harbor. When they saw the twin lights, they knew they had only a little further to go. Great video! Thanks so much for making my day! 💕🙏💕
Your hometown, huh? I haven't watched the video but did he show your most profitable street corner ?
Mike, thank you so much for sharing your remarkable talents and knowledge on this fascinating channel! Your collaboration videos with THG/VDR are an ideal match, with your brilliant narration and their stunning recreations ✨ Hopefully you will team up with THG as a historical commentator on their future RT sinking livestreams as well. 👍
It's not often I learn so much new stuff at once in a video! Really interesting!
Another well done video. Thank you. It's easy to take navigation for granted when you have GPS. I find the tools of navigation to be quite fascinating. It never occurred to me that a clock or chronometer would be a useful tool. But I learned a couple new things.
Mike, about 10 years ago I got to see a copy of "Professional Mariner" magazine (American). They had an article about situational awareness. They said that one seldom repeated fact was that the crew was starting to " standardize the compass" by comparing the master compass to that in the binnacle on the bridge, perhaps to all others on the ship. This was required at fixed intervals by White Star regulations, perhaps by British Law. The oil lamp illuminating the master compass required trimming, lengthening the procedure. The crew was initiating the procedure when the lookout announced the sighting of the iceberg and elected to complete the procedure, then take evasive action. The implication being that they could have gently steered around the berg, steadied up on course again and then standardized the compass with the log noted as to why the procedure was delayed. Have you or any of the viewers ever heard of this story? The concept of ridiculous versus , well, stodgy could put it either way as to truth.
Very well done Mike . Love the content of your channel and the impressive amount of detail in each vid . Proud of you .
As someone whose knowledge of navigation was confined to Parick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey novels (filmed as Master and Commander), about the Napoleonic Wars, this was very instructive. Thanks!
It's a fascinating process to observe and partake in , gives one a great appreciation of the wooden ship sailors. And in the middle of the ocean it's a great comfort knowing where you are, for some reason 👍. Thx loved it.
My boy back with another Titanic..🙏
Fascinating to see what made Titanic run in the background. Great episode as usual 👍
These navigation devices use so many different branches of physics and are very highly engineered with a high degree of precision, especially in the case of the chronometer. I imagine today it’s tempting to think of these contraptions as primitive, but I’d wager only a fraction of a percent of our ‘high tech’ population have an understanding of the concepts behind their purpose, with even fewer people able to work out how to use them.
Not that we’re stupid; were they put back into regular usage, of course we would learn their operation. My point is they’re sophisticated, and in their day, only those specifically trained in their use would know how to use them; the vast majority would likely be as ignorant of the technology as we are now. I can imagine that most then would have been as in awe of these ‘mystery boxes’ as we are in awe of the computerized navigation infrastructure in use today. Heck, I’m in awe of my smartphone and all it can do with respect to navigation - including using it for celestial navigation! As far as how IT is constructed…well, I’m just glad there are those who know; I’m just at the level of being awed by a simple battery flashlight. :)
Just subscribed and I am loving this channel! So much I didn't know about these huge, majestic machines. It really puts into perspective the incredible engineering and attention to detail that went into the design of these ships and it's nice to see the Titanic in a more general way than always focusing on the tragedy of her sinking. Cheers and keep up the awesome content!
New to the channel. Flippin amazing insite. Fun refreshing my memory of the story & learning new tid bits as well.
Great video, I appreciate all the hard work you put into these, thank you!
Monotone Mike at the helm!
Boo
Awesome video. Showed my family this to help explain what I do for work and how ships crossed oceans before GPS/LORAN. It wasn't long ago (almost into the 80s) that ships were still relying heavily on celestial navigation. On an overcast winter north Atlantic crossing, it was common for ships to make the crossing with getting few, if not any accurate celestial fixes (positions) for the entire voyage.
Also, the submarine signaler. Holy Sh*t. Im shocked I know nothing about this considering how much of a nerd I am with this stuff. Great research. For somebody who hasn't done this for a living or had gone to school for it, its impressive how good of a grasp you've acquired on all of this. Its even more impressive how you've put all of this information together in such a digestible and easy to watch video.
Thank you!
So cool to learn about some of the features of the ship that I've spotted, but had no idea what they were for, like the little folding platform on the sides for taking soundings.
Very interesting , especially about the submarine signaling I have heard of this but did not know much about it.
Loving the new intro great video ,keep it up mike
Well presented and explained. Your videos are always informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
lots of surprising info.. those signalers, wow..
The Australian accent says "long-itude"?? Fascinating.