Posted by steve on April 22, 19100 at 12:38:04:
In Reply to: How far can you see over water from a ship? posted by Ken Fagerman on April 21, 19100 at 21:31:08:
Let me a stab at this one.
If you are standing on the beach, your feet at the water line, your eyes at Six feet high, you may see land just up to eight (8) miles away, near water level, but shurly a montain. In a small boat you have difficulty even seeing anther boat at four (4) miles due to earth's curvature. Standing on the deck of a oiltanker, you may see many times farther, even the dive boat out there, but shurly that far shore. In the dry climate near the North Pole, your vis may go to 100 to 150 miles, giving you the illusion of nearness.
In the Sahhara Desert you have visions of water, oasis, or people, at ground level, but 25 miles away. Well, what do you think?
Is 4 to 6 miles good enough for you? Could you give the deck or gunwale height, please? Use the Nav type equation for hight versus distance, referenced to your hight above water.
: A written victum report from a shipwreck I was researching states "we could see land if it weren't for the snow." I was wondering if anyone knew how far a person can usually see in the Great Lakes from the deck of a large ship and how this distance is affected by weather beyond the obvious. For instance, if they faintly thought they could see shore, would this mean they were closer than they'd be in good weather. This, in my case, might help position this wreck.