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>> changes in speed can affect direction, and vice-versa. Splitting that to two separate brains that are communicating only via a low-bandwidth voice channel se

>> changes in speed can affect direction, and vice-versa. Splitting that to two separate brains that are communicating only via a low-bandwidth voice channel seems like a recipe for disaster. It's interesting you mention this. My uncle and cousins have been sailing for years on Lake Superior. They navigated some of the largest races on the lake for decades, including the Trans Superior in every imaginable weather conditions. They are, IMHO incredibly experienced sailors. I just sent this very article to them and my uncle responded within the hour about how having two people doing these in tandem was a recipe for disaster because of the very issue you pointed out. He said you should have one capable person who should be able to do both since it can be a delicate balancing act. Too much speed and over correction with steering can have disastrous results.

pdonis 7y ago
The coordination between steering and speed is the job of the conning officer, not the helmsman or lee helmsman. Things happen quite a bit slower on a large warship than they do on a sailboat, so that method of control works fine.
nwallin 7y ago
The people with the controls in their hand aren't the people deciding what to put the controls at. They're told where to set them, and they do it or report that the mechanisms have failed. The reason for this is that the people making the decisions have more important shit to worry about. Things are different when your primary concerns are getting shot at and shooting back. In war time it's not atypical to get your engine or rudder shot out, and if you have someone who has one job - to set the rudder - he'll notice and diagnose it a lot faster than someone who's tasked with avoiding incoming fire, bearing weapons on the enemy, etc. Distribution of responsibilities is incredibly important in war. Combat tends to break down careful, considered decision making. Also keep in mind most of these people aren't seasoned. This dude was just out of high school. Information overload is a thing.
nradov 7y ago
Your relatives don't know what they're talking about. Offshore racing powerboats typically have separate crew members for helm and throttles. Sailboats are completely different.

pdonis 7y ago

The coordination between steering and speed is the job of the conning officer, not the helmsman or lee helmsman. Things happen quite a bit slower on a large warship than they do on a sailboat, so that method of control works fine.

nwallin 7y ago

The people with the controls in their hand aren't the people deciding what to put the controls at. They're told where to set them, and they do it or report that the mechanisms have failed. The reason for this is that the people making the decisions have more important shit to worry about. Things are different when your primary concerns are getting shot at and shooting back. In war time it's not atypical to get your engine or rudder shot out, and if you have someone who has one job - to set the rudder - he'll notice and diagnose it a lot faster than someone who's tasked with avoiding incoming fire, bearing weapons on the enemy, etc. Distribution of responsibilities is incredibly important in war. Combat tends to break down careful, considered decision making. Also keep in mind most of these people aren't seasoned. This dude was just out of high school. Information overload is a thing.

nradov 7y ago

Your relatives don't know what they're talking about. Offshore racing powerboats typically have separate crew members for helm and throttles. Sailboats are completely different.