For a detailed explanation, see Transcribing Guide.
Log page to be transcribed.
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The first time you open the spreadsheet in LibreOffice, it may look something like this.
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You can adjust the grid alignment. It does not have to be exact!
Weather page
Entering the location at the top of the page.
It does not matter exactly where you click provided that it is in the blue box.
If at least one of the 8AM, Noon, or 8PM locations is filled in, there is no need to enter the location at the top of the page.
Completed page: Date, Course and Direction, Weather, Location
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- Under By Revs, Nautical miles and Tenths are transcribed as a single number using a decimal point.
- The By Log, Nautical miles and Tenths columns only need to be transcribed if the By Revs columns are blank.
- The "All Shaft" Average Revolutions columns do not need to be transcribed. They are not saved.
- Sometimes, as above, the course column is filled in even though it is clear that the ship is moored.
If there is no entry in either of the distance columns, you don't need to transcribe it.
It may be used to indicate the ship's orientation. - The barometer height can be transcribed with a space, without a space, or with a decimal point.
Use whatever you are most comfortable with.
You may want to try Gordon's Pressure Data Auto-Fill (on the Setup sheet). - Cloud types can be transcribed as in the log st cu or without the space stcu.
Use whatever you are most comfortable with. - You do not need to transcribe Sea Conditions or Swells from.
Those columns are included to because they sometimes contain ice reports.
Events page
Entering the Sailing Information
At the beginning of the 0 to 4 watch "Moored to buoy #24 Man-of-War anchorage, Kowloon, Hong Kong" does not need to be transcribed because already are there.
We are interested in changes (sailing to moored or moored to underway).
Using all uppercase for place names is optional.
Completed events page
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For the inquisitive
- There is a list of the officer's names here.
More information is available in Registers of the Commissioned Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps 1775-1970.
Some information on the types of enlisted personnel are here and here
- Most of the locations mentioned above can be found in China Station, Japan, Pacific and Indian Ocean -- Reference or China Station, Japan, Pacific and Indian Ocean -- Discussion.
Two wonderful maps of the "Canton River": https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb4403951m/zoom/0 and https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb3755482s/zoom/0
You may see some variations on the spelling.
- Sopatcom stands for Commander South China Patrol.