Oh and heres that historical map/chart site I was talking about. Yes the interface is clunky, Im working on it
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historical...als/histmap.asp
The short version is, the charts were terrible! They get much better after ~1760s with the invention of shipboard chronometers so that longitude could be determined at sea. Book recomendation:
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel
blackjohn get in on this thread!
Sounds like Chip logs are period:
A major advance that made dead-reckoning much more accurate was the invention of the chip log (c.1500-1600). Essentially a crude speedometer, a light line was knotted at regular intervals and weighted to drag in the water. It was tossed overboard over the stern as the pilot counted the knots that were let out during a specific period of time. From this he could determine the speed the vessel was moving. Interestingly, the chip log has long been replaced by equipment that is more advanced but we still refer to miles per hour on the water as knots. Using the sun and the stars, the navigator knew his beginning and ending latitude – now he could determine the distance he had traveled to estimate his east/west position.
Sure they had watches. Ship captains were often heard to say to the crew things like....
'Mr hawkins you have first watch, blackjohn you have second watch...'
Did a week in the southern half of ireland last spring, loved it
Ring of kerry, blarney castle, galway, dublin, etc. Would love to go back but well its a big planet.