The new and improved four bearings method

[irish1958]

Can somebody upload it to Subsim? Filefront doesn't appear to be working.

[Walle]

I could do it, but I'm sure Kuikueg would rather do it himself (so I don't get confused as the author).

[Harmsway!]

I concur. I only ran across the original method about a month ago. I was in the process of teaching my son geometry when I came across this. It fit right in what we were learning on the Theorems of congruent segments and congruent triangles.

Funny things is I spent 40 minutes watching someones video on this and was confused as heck. Luky I found your well written pdf and it all became clear as mud.

Thanks

Yes every skipper needs this in there hands.

[Zedi]

I linked the first one in the sticky tdc tutorial. I edited the post now and added this one too for further reference.

[irish1958]

Kuikueg: Thanks. This is clear and easy to follow. I'll give it a try when I can spare the time.
I would think some computer whiz could write a small program to input the bearings and times and come out with the course, location and speed.

[Laconic]

Originally Posted by irish1958

Kuikueg: Thanks. This is clear and easy to follow. I'll give it a try when I can spare the time.
I would think some computer whiz could write a small program to input the bearings and times and come out with the course, location and speed.

Abracadabra

(Not mine, credit to Gutted.)

[Kuikueg]

Originally Posted by irish1958

I would think some computer whiz could write a small program to input the bearings and times and come out with the course, location and speed.

You would need to input the info about your own position too, somehow, if you are maneouvring, and you would lose the simplicity and the freedom of the method. But anyway, that's not the point. The point is doing it yourself, with ruler and compass. If you want to confront the problems a real captain and his officers faced while hunting, the stress of having to calculate with limited time, etc, a calculator is not the way to go. The experience that comes from drawing in the chart may increase your ability to assess a situation with limited information and help you taking the right decision, in short: it will increase your seamanship. Of course, this is a matter of personal taste. In my case, I have even built myself a slide rule to avoid the use of an electronic calculator.
That's the reason why I'm not interested in the MB program alluded to in this thread. It sure is a fine piece of software, but if I wanted electronic help I would just relax the realism settings in the sim.

[irish1958]

Originally Posted by Kuikueg

You would need to input the info about your own position too, somehow, if you are maneouvring, and you would lose the simplicity and the freedom of the method. But anyway, that's not the point. The point is doing it yourself, with ruler and compass. If you want to confront the problems a real captain and his officers faced while hunting, the stress of having to calculate with limited time, etc, a calculator is not the way to go. The experience that comes from drawing in the chart may increase your ability to assess a situation with limited information and help you taking the right decision, in short: it will increase your seamanship. Of course, this is a matter of personal taste. In my case, I have even built myself a slide rule to avoid the use of an electronic calculator.
That's the reason why I'm not interested in the MB program alluded to in this thread. It sure is a fine piece of software, but if I wanted electronic help I would just relax the realism settings in the sim.

Right on!
Again, thanks for the clear reasoning. I really intend to use this when I have time to do so.