The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-02

IContinnea From First Pase.I

and smooth water is useless. and may
entail delay Of several weeks. wl1a
cut in suT sense diminishing the
comfort or the risk Of damage A ve-s-
sci intended 10 round the Horn Shout.
e sus1eEenfIy staunch and sufscienrsy
veil equipped il respect TO her rig
ging as 10 endure blows OF ordina-v
severity without the slightest appre-
hension; and the master should al
ways be on the alert, not only 10 lose
as little ground as possible during fo1l
winds. but also to derive full benefit
from every pun of fair.
There is one condition under which
a vessel is justified in holding of for
better weather. It sometimes happens
that a ship Immediately after rounding
Cape ST. joan or emerging from the
Strait OF lie Marie. runs into the teeth
of heavy southwesterly gale. Under
such circumstances it is undoubtedly
wiser to put back into the smooth
water under the lee of Staten Island.
where the strength of the current IS
lost and where it is consequently pos
sible to maintain the ground already
gained than 10 stand of to the. south
on the starboard tack. with the posi-
bility OF being driven fa- TO the east
ward in latitude where every m;>
of westing is struggle.
With regard 10 the proper route
to follow in rounding Cape Horn. it is
here. above all other places. requisite
>4iat this should be adapted to the pre-
vailing meteorological conditions, es-
pecially with regard to the barometric
pressure. From this point of view the
most favorable disposition is that
there should be found in the immeii-
ate vicinity of the cape and at not too
great a distance to the southwark I
center of low pressure, and that this
center should remain practically sta
tionary from the date of rounding Cane
ST. John until that of crossing so deg.
S. in the Pacific. Such a distribution
of pressure in the southern hemi-
sphere gives rise to system Of winds
which circulate about the center in
a right-handed or c1ockwise direction.
A westward bound vessel. by keeping
this center constantly on the starboard
hand. passing it to the southwark, will
thus have northeasterly. easterly and
southeasterly winds in succession with
which to make the passage.
A vessel fortunate enough to en-
counter easterly winds in rounding
the Horn should endeavor 10 retain
them as long as possible, and this can
only be done by remaining on the
southern side of the center OF the bar
ometric depression which they sur
round. a mistake frequently made,
even by masters thoroughly convers-
ant with the characteristics Of Cape
Horn weather. is to head up 10 the
northwest with the first slant of the
wind to eastward after passing the
cape. regardless of the indications of
the barometer. The result of steering
such a course is, in a majority of
cases, that they shortly cross the axis
of the trough of low pressure and find
themselves once more in the midst OF
the westerly gales proper TO its north
ern half, where the fierce struggle for
westing recommences, while favorable
winds and smoother water may he
within few hours sail to the south
ward. For this reason. with easterly
winds and low barometer the vessel
should be put directly before the wind,
Or even with the wind somewhat on
the port quarter, if the continued fall
Of the mercury and the weather indi
cations show that the center of the
depression is approaching. With the
wind over the starb6ard quarter there
IS always risk of saLung out of the
favorable into unfavorable winds, eX-
cept in the case where a shift TO
southeast with rising barometer |
shows that the depression is moving |
20 the eastward, and that the normal |
westerly winds will soon prevail |
throughout the whole region