Posted by Beck on May 17, 1999 at 07:33:05 from 203.61.4.237:
In Reply to: nautical knowledge needed? posted by David Brooks on April 30, 1999 at 14:30:21:
It certainly didn't wash over me! I faithfully learnt every knot and obsessed over memorising the names of everything. As my family was poor & didn't know anyone with a boat (and I was turned down by the sea scouts becuase I was a girl), there was never an opportunity to put it into practice.My weird knowledge did stand me in good stead occasionally. In 1978 my ex-Navy technical drawing teacher had an epiphany about girls in traditional male occupations after I scored 100% in a navigation test that everyone else failed, due to being the only one in a class of 26 boys and 4 girls to identify leading lights and plot a course. Things were much easier for us girls after that.
And this year I'm finally learning to sail!