Posted by Ed Kiser on August 23, 2011 at 09:40:10 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Re: Ransome inspired posted by Ross Cossar on August 17, 2011 at 18:37:13:
Ransome has been a source of education and inspiration to me.
Dick avoided wandering aimlessly in the snowstorm by using a length
of line as a guide, and spool of string when "buried alive in the
maze of the caves.
I used that concept in using SCUBA gear for searching under water
in absolute darkness, feeling about for the desired object, but
guided by a line clipped to the anchor line to guide me in a
circular search pattern.
In WH, the D's started learning the Morse code, and eventually used
it to tell the others where they had taken refuge from the storm.
And in PP, those sleeping in The Gulch could signal to those back
at their campsite.
I learned Morse, and obtained leadership status among my fellow Boy
Scouts as I taught it to them. We used this skill in communications
when camped out with others camped on the next hill, and with each
other at school with a fellow Scout on the far side of the lunchroom.
When camping out in tents with that Scout troop, I was the one that
seemed to have the best results with starting a campfire, because
I had "watched" Susan start many a campfire, so knew how.
While there have been those critics who complained of the technical
jargon involved in operating a sailboat, I learned from those
descriptions, so when the time came that I bought my 4 meter catamarin
I was able to launch it, rig the mast, sails, rudders (two of them)
manage the daggerboards (two of those also) and sail in a variety of
positions of mainsail and jib according to desired course and wind
directions, knowing to shift crew weight to the windward side, and
feel the thrill of rushing into the wind close hauled, with one hull
flying high above the water - but never once capsized, thanks to timly
adjustments to the mainsheet - with no further readings on "how to"
other than the works of Ransome alone to teach me.
Never deliberately set out to cook a pile of charcoal, but did
enjoy taking a bit of charred stick from the fire and using it to
mark some wierd designs on my face during the Boy Scout camp
session, which of course the others had to do likewise, much to
our mutual mirth.
I am sure there are other bits I picked up from his works, but
let me simply say, "Mr. Ransome, you done good. Thanks."
Ed Kiser, Kentucky