Ship's Sand Timer, 1860, Information Please?

[JPK Huson 1863]

Ship's sand timer, should have indicated size with a coin. Fairly small, maybe 4 or 5"? May have been used on a schooner, the Ann Westover, out of Nova Scotia although several other ships are in the records.


Scots grgrgrandfather ran a schooner out of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia. The Ann Westover had to have been only 2 masted, crew is small. We know he ran to the Gold Rush more than once- never came back from the last trip. True story- murdered by his partner when their claim struck something shiny. My great grandmother who I knew well spent the rest of her life looking for his grave.

Anyway, Big Charlie Stewart ( 6' 8", we're all horses down to this generation ) was at it during the war years, 1860's census's still marked ' Ships Captain '. Wife Emmeline seems to have come along several times. Love to know if he ran down the coast here during the war and what he'd have been doing- Nova Scotia port logs list American ports frequently as destinations.

Have had this forever, remember seeing it in Nana's hutch as a child, now her hutch and this hour glass are here. Little fragile looking so haven't messed with it- finally poked around and discovered it only runs 10 or 12 seconds although haven't used a stopwatch. Seemed odd, poked around more, found it's from a ship. Measures speed? It's only a guess, could be from Ann Westover and helped navigate around the darn Horn? How exactly was it used, please? Seem to see several names for these but tend to mistrust the internet as a source especially when there are several definitions for something.

Where better to troll ( like fishing ' troll ', before ogres under the bridge littered up this thing called ' the internet ' ) for information than CWT. Were these regular tools in all ships? How were they used and were all of them a single measure of the same seconds?

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I believe it was for timing how long you were counting the knots on the rope you threw overboard to determine the ship's speed. X number of knots in Y time equals.... well, the ship's speed in knots!

 

[rebelatsea]

I believe it was for timing how long you were counting the knots on the rope you threw overboard to determine the ship's speed. X number of knots in Y time equals.... well, the ship's speed in knots!

Yes, I think you are right mark. The ship's hour glass, usually near the Belfry was much bigger.

 

[mofederal]

Thanks for posting this, I can't remember ever seeing a sand timer exactly like it.

 

[AndyHall]

The traditional sand glass for measuring a ship's speed was 28 seconds, but there's no reason it couldn't be shorter, provided the knots on the logline were adjusted accordingly.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

That's amazing. Sounds like one of those things that's been around since anyone figured out how to make wood glued together float. What always gets to me is who on earth figured this stuff out in the first place?

Thanks very much! Back in the hutch it goes, waiting for the next generation to ask ' So what's this? '.

 

[GS]

What very interesting and rich family history you have, Annie! I enjoyed this post.

 

[AL-1947]

My guess would be that the glass was used to get the ships speed. Dead reckoning was used used for general navigation which is course and speed plotted on a chart. Then too it may have been the cooks egg timer?

 

[JOHN42768]

Great heirloom to have

 

[Story]

Back in the hutch it goes, waiting for the next generation to ask ' So what's this? '.

Try exercising it by cooking some eggs.