[net.puzzle] sail boat flag

fbp@cybvax0.UUCP (Rick Peralta) (06/29/85)

I recently acquired a sailboat cut from sheet metal and when I got it home
it was suggested that the flag on top of the mast was facing the wrong way.
Below is a crude sketch of the drawing.  Is 'A' correct or is 'B' ?

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		Boat motion  --->


					     I ====
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		Boat motion  --->



Warning:  Word problem may give additional clues !




















Word problem version:
 Iff a sail boat is heading east and the wind is from the west,
  which way will a flag piont if it were attached to the top of the mast ?

  or ( nautical lingo )

  If a sailboat is running should a pennant face towards the bow or stern ?



Rick

...!cybvax0!fbp

"A likely story.  I don't believe a word of it."

mmar@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (who) (07/03/85)

The surface speed of the boat surely cannot be greater than the surface
speed of the wind.  Assuming (which wasn't really given in the problem)
that the boat is movinwith the wind, and is facing the direction it's
moving, the boat experiences relative wind from stern to bow.  So the
pennant should be blown forwards.
-- 

            -- Mitch Marks @ UChicago 
               ...ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!mmar

doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (07/13/85)

> 
> The surface speed of the boat surely cannot be greater than the surface
> speed of the wind.  Assuming (which wasn't really given in the problem)
> that the boat is movinwith the wind, and is facing the direction it's
> moving, the boat experiences relative wind from stern to bow.  So the
> pennant should be blown forwards.

If it's tacking into the wind, the pennant will be blowing aft.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{ihnp4,seismo,decvax}!noao!terak!doug
               ^^^^^--- soon to be CalComp