From helmsman on the Viking ship Ottar, Klaus Kay:
When we have new crewmembers on board Ottar who have to learn how to steer Ottar, we are reminded that steering this ship is like cycling - something you don't have to think about how to do, first you have learned it.
As an experienced helmsman, one only senses the sun, its passage over the sky, the wind, waves and swells. Only sometimes we check the compass to check the course with the charts.
A sailor describes the World from his ship.
Therefore, the sun moves and not the Earth.
That it is not correct - strictly speaking - is irrelevant to a sailor.
360 ° in 24 hours or 15 ° in 1 hour
The sun moves around the Earth once in a day.
That is, 360 ° in 24 hours or 15 ° in 1 hour.
It is this movement that the helmsman must know and which I try to show you with the two photos.
The 15 ° (1 hour) corresponds to the angle between the trailing edge of a tied hand, to the tip of the thumb when the knotted hand is held out in a stretched arm, without also stretching the shoulder.
Knowing this, you can keep the set course according to the sun's position, even if it moves.
Of course, it requires sunshine, but it is much better than steering after the compass when sailing Ottar.
Long distance to the 'target' makes it easier to hold a steady course
Ottar can - due to its 26 to 30 tons, shape and rudder – yaw (wobble for landlubber, red.) up to 15 ° to the side.
This makes it difficult to maintain a straight course when steering after the compass, but the task becomes much easier when the helmsman steers after distant points such as the Sun or stars.
Later that night, long after sunset, our team took over the helm again.
Annesofie steered the ship onto the course and found a star that stood appropriate compared to the rigging. Just as the sun moves, the stars do it too, and the principle is quite the same.
Although Ottar yaws a lot in weak winds and large swells directly astern, we can keep a precise course without checking the compass.About Managing after the sun - and stars.