The Longitude Problem - Improving Navigation with the Harrison Clocks

Today we take a look at one of the most vexing problems to face mariners in the Age of Sail, working out your longitude, and how a carpenter with a fascination for clocks helped to solve the issue.
With many thanks to Royal Museums Greenwich for access to the historical clocks! Visit them here: www.rmg.co.uk/
Sources:
www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Long...
cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/ES-LON...
cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collection...
www.amazon.co.uk/Longitude-Ge...
Naval History books, use code 'DRACH' for 25% off - www.usni.org/press/books?f%5B...
Free naval photos and channel posters - www.drachinifel.co.uk
Want to support the channel? - / drachinifel
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Music - • Video

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :) EDIT: The thumbnail originally said 'George Harrison' in error, this has been corrected to 'John Harrison', I also once get the names mixed up in the video.

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

Hey drach I was recently trying to design my own ship and when I got the fire control system I had an idea is it feasible to design a hybrid optical and radar fire control system? I figured since early radar could sometimes be a bit finicky it might be beneficial to have a backup system

[@davecollier583]

Could you tell us about some of the madder suggestions for finding longitude such as Sir Kenelm Digby and his injured dogs

[@revelationsix]

So, what you're REALLY saying is that the Earth isn't flat?

[@user-gr4sq3lo6n]

1) I hope the Observatory will offer copies of this podcast for sale in their giftshop - with getting wealthy beyond your wildest dreams (so you can build HMS Vanguard as your private yacht) from royalties 2) You mention Captain FitzRoy of HMS Beagle - You might want to do a piece on Admiral FitzRoy's Storm Glass (I have one on my desk). "The liquid within the glass is a mixture of several ingredients, most commonly distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride, and camphor. This specific mixture was promoted by Admiral Robert FitzRoy although similar devices existed even two decades earlier with variants in Italy, France and Germany.[2][3][4][5] FitzRoy carefully documented his claims on how the storm glass would predict the weather:[2][failed verification] If the liquid in the glass is clear, the weather will be bright and clear. If the liquid is cloudy, the weather will be cloudy as well, perhaps with precipitation. If there are small dots in the liquid, humid or foggy weather can be expected. A cloudy glass with small stars indicates thunderstorms. If the liquid contains small stars on sunny winter days, then snow is coming. If there are large flakes throughout the liquid, it will be overcast in temperate seasons or snowy in the winter. If there are crystals at the bottom, this indicates frost. If there are threads near the top, it will be windy. In 1859, violent storms struck the British Isles. In response, the British Crown distributed storm glasses, then known as "FitzRoy's storm barometers," to many small fishing communities around the British Isles for consultation by ships in port before setting sail.

[@johnlander4635]

Are you doing Thomas Cochrane?

[@KPen3750]

I find it hilarious that as a massive, unintended "SCREW YOU" to Masceline (or however its spelled) Harrison's Clocks which he hated so much are now a prime display in the Royal Observatory.

[@88porpoise]

​@CipiRipi00 he does get to be the villian of Harrison's story.

[@HamTransitHistory]

Maskelyne.

[@KPen3750]

@@HamTransitHistory thank you!

[@tcm81]

Maskelyne was well liked by his contemporaries and was universally acknowledged to be a very fair man. He was appointed to safeguard the large amounts of public monies offered by parliament. I think he had the right to be careful with it on behalf of the public.

[@tcm81]

Presumably you think the conference and celebration of Maskelyne that they held in 2011 was a "screw you" to Harrison. Maskelyne's Nautical almanac is the reason that the meridian is at Greenwich in the first place! Presumably this is also a "screw you" to Harrison. That's the way science works isn't it? Complete zero sum game. No cooperation. If someone wins, everyone else has to lose.

[@lokiorin5520]

I love that this entire journey is Harrison repeatedly DOING THE THING and then saying "No... it's not perfect, let me try again."

[@Zaprozhan]

Longitude Board: We have a winner! George Harrison: IT'S... NOT... DONE!

[@jaelwyn]

But just as amazingly, not tearing it apart and refusing to let anyone see the "flawed" version -- the classic failure mode.

[@davidlogansr8007]

Another obsessive compulsive genius was Abner Doble who built Steam Cars in the 1920’s. It is said by no less an authority than Jay Leno, who owns at least 3 of them, that no 2 are completely alike as Mr. Doble kept tinkering with changes even as his company tried to build them!

[@jeromethiel4323]

You think that's good, hold mah beer! -Harrison

[@RCAvhstape]

Sometimes perfect is the enemy of good enough, but in the case of precision navigation there is no real reason not to improve at every opportunity. Ships and aircraft (and likely you in your car) today navigate by use of satellites using atomic clocks, the finest timekeeping devices currently available, and are accurate to within a few feet. Harrison was a hero we should all look up to. Even more so because he didn't let the bastards get him down and never gave up.

[@hughgordon6435]

The shenanigans in trying to deny Harrison his dues is another chapter altogether, and must of been heartbreaking? The pettiness of some of the judges was actually criminal😮

[@christopherconard2831]

Especially when you take into account the ships and crew lost during the delay.

[@davecollier583]

If ever there was a time when pettyness ruled supreme it was Hanoverian England

[@calvingreene90]

Just your standard case of government agencies in action.

[@mrobmusic65]

Must *have been heartbreaking

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Harrison's crime was being better than his betters.

[@scottmanley]

Right at the end when stepping. Between the hemispheres you missed a more modern development. With the advent of GPS it’s been discovered that the meridian at Greenwich is about 300 feet wrong because the gravitational field isn’t perfectly vertical. All the telescopes were calibrated to this gravity vertical.

[@Drachinifel]

Thanks for the information! Is tte new meridian east or west? 😀

[@scottmanley]

@@Drachinifel I think the true meridian is east: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJvNlnqVjqZ6qaM

[@neurofiedyamato8763]

I didn't expect to see Scott Manley here

[@davidheaps3336]

How ca it be wrog when it is the origial iducial reference logitude?

[@joesterling4299]

OK, but if it's the standard, then even if it's off from the initially assumed location by 300 feet, wouldn't it still be the standard?

[@trifidos39]

George III was extremely annoyed with the board by the way they had treated John Harrison he advised Harrison to petition Parliament for the full prize after threatening to appear in person to dress them down.

[@draco84oz]

That could have been an intersting occourance...isn't the monarch forbidden from entering the Commons on pain of death?

[@dcbanacek2]

@@draco84oz The ruling monarch can "request" the presence of the House of Commons to join him in the House of Lords.

[@tanall5959]

@@dcbanacek2 Alternatively the threat of him coming to the Commons in spite of that law over them acting like a bunch of twatwaffles over a timepiece might of jolted them a bit.

[@KetsaKunta]

​@@draco84oz Who's supposed to carry that sentence out? Highly doubt it ever would be lol.

[@calvingreene90]

@@KetsaKunta In the Magna Carta it was the Barons privilege and Duty to chastise a King that exceeded the limits of his power. Anyone with a range weapon that he can use from concealment.

[@steeltrap3800]

"Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time" (1995) by Dava Sobel is one of THE most remarkable reads, all the more astonishing because it's true. Harrison's trials and tribulations yet dogged brilliance make for a tale that, were it indeed a work of fiction, nobody would believe possible. Can't recommend it highly enough. If you're GENUINELY interested by what you see in this video, READ THAT BOOK!

[@TSZatoichi]

Also the BBC miniseries based to the book, it's very well acted and has the production values expected from the BBC.

[@trifidos39]

It’s a great book

[@christophpoll784]

Yep, i read it in german. Really good book!

[@dzzope]

I'd listen to a Drach rendition of that.. 100%

[@vipertwenty249]

Read it back in '98 and yes it is that good. Still on the bookshelf.

[@juicysushi]

This was a great story, well told! I can’t get the leap from H-3 to H-4 out of my head, though. Can you imagine the reaction of everyone who had been following and perhaps attempting to rival Harrison’s work when he suddenly unveiled an over-sized pocket watch that was beyond anything anyone else could even imagine, let alone make?

[@allangibson8494]

The thing was they could make duplicates - the Kendall versions of the H-4 Chronometer duplicated the functionality the next year. It was the what to make not the manufacturing technology that eluded them.

[@donaldasayers]

@@allangibson8494 Omega make a watch with the Daniel's 'coaxial' escapement that exceeds marine chronometer accuracy by an order of magnitude and almost meets that of a £10 casio quartz, still beats a Rolex though.

[@JrgPt96]

I mean the jump from regular clocks to H1 was just as massive. And let's not forget he casually INVENTED CAGED ROLLER BEARINGS for H3. like, that's about as important to modern mechanical engineering as the bolt, or the gear itself for that matter

[@donaldasayers]

What Harrison did was to show that the technology is possible. The technology in H1 through 3 was a dead end, Harrison saw that, which is why he abandoned that route and went to H4. But even H4 was a technological dead end Kendal knew that. No matter, LeRoy in France and Earnshaw and Arnold in the UK invented (I am not going to argue about who got there first, an invention in a time of need occurs in multiple minds.) the detent escapement, which led to the marine chronometer as we know it that lasted over 200 years. Without Harrison to show it was possible, they would not have had the spur and the confidence to innovate.

[@otisarmyalso]

Aye

[@timgosling6189]

When 40 years ago I arrived on my first front line RAF squadron we were still using the sextant to find our way when out of cover of radio nav aids and there was a master clock in flight planning so we could all synchronise our watches. One day a hand-written sign appeared taped above it: "The practice of setting this clock 15 seconds fast should either cease or be widely publicised". After that the accuracy of astro fixes improved instantly. Since the world rotates at 15.04 degrees per hour and one degree at the equator is 60 miles, that's up to 15 miles of error per minute. Tie in an aircraft flying at 6 miles a minute and it's no wonder the sums weren't working out!

[@darthrex354]

I'm curious how the clock was set at the time. Direct radio clock or did somebody have to be on the horn with an installation with a known correct clock and then calling down to some airman on a ladder fiddling the second dial? Or was it sufficiently precise that the loss over time was known exactly enough to say "it has been 24 days, 12 hours set the clock forward 1 second". It's fine if you don't know, but I'm a huge precision nerd so I'm always curious.

[@timgosling6189]

@@darthrex354 Probably using the phone and the Speaking Clock.

[@donaldasayers]

@@darthrex354 A well regulated master clock, usually synchronome or Gents' will perform to within a second a day usually better. The talking clock by telephone was started in '36 and dedicated landlines carrying time signals had been in use since the early '20s. But of course master clocks of that type don't usually have a seconds hand and only indicate to the nearest 30 seconds, you have to take your timings from when the hand jumps.

[@lukehanson5320]

When a random guy on the Internet makes a more thorough and informative (though less highly produced) video than PBS did back in the day, I call that societal progress. Keep it up, Drach!

[@b1laxson]

Just like how in his day Harrison was some random woodworker

[@marcusettling9016]

As a german watchmaker of course I know the story of John Harrison and I visited Greenwich a few years ago. Sadly H4 was in restauration back then. But thanks a lot for this splendid video and your amazing skills of turning history into a great story. I like your videos very much and having this centerpiece of watchmaking history told by you really made me feel very happy. Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

As the song goes: Cold falls the night, Cold rolls the ocean And colder blows the breath of fate That sends the roaring gale. The stars give their light For duty or devotion, But a sailor's heart needs more than prayer When eye and compass fail And more than hope to guide his lonely sail. By sea and land John Harrison's hands Made sure for ever more That sailors could find longitude To bring them safe ashore. Your work was long, Your days were driven. You knew that you could build a clock To marry space and time. But your one great wrong Was never forgiven - For to be better than your betters Was worse than any crime, And their envy was a hill you would not climb. By sea and land John Harrison's hands Made sure for ever more That sailors could find longitude To bring them safe ashore. And the prize of thirty thousand pounds Was more than just a prize. It was dignity and justice Over bitterness and lies - And the longer they denied you, Attacked you and decried you, The more you saw the weakness in their eyes. How many lives, How many talents, Were tainted by the poisoned well Of power from which they drank? But the wind that drives The bold topgallants Was harnessed by a man with Neither privilege nor rank, And the sailor lads, they knew and gave their thanks.

[@neurofiedyamato8763]

Those are some cool lyrics. What's the name of the song?

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@neurofiedyamato8763 John Harrison's Hands. I'm not sure who did the original, but Show of Hands have covered it.

[@peterkoch3777]

Before the clocks of Harrison, the royal navy had financed astronomers to make tables of eclipses of the jupiter moons. With a good telescope and some luck with the weather, the captain of a ship could independently determine the time (and set the onboard clock). While this method was not good enough to cash in the 10000 pound price, it gave danish astronomer Ole Römer the idea, that it could be used to measure the speed of light and lo and behold, he came up with a rough estimate of 230.000 km/s.

[@jamesharding3459]

That is remarkably accurate, given the tools available to them.

[@pwmiles56]

Yet Bradley, the villain of this story, came up with another way to measure the speed of light, known as stellar aberration (Drach briefly refers to this). Bradley's estimate was better than Roemer's, about 295,000 km/sec, but this might have been from a better number for the Earth's orbital radius.

[@peterkoch3777]

@@pwmiles56 Both numbers were accurate enough to earn a lot of scepticism and disbelief😂

[@georgesoros6415]

Jupiter and its moons probed very useful to Capt Cooke. If one's chronometers were off on the other side of the world (It did happen), a particularly mathematical skipper with a sextant, or better yet, an island and a transit. Of course, the Island would be on a chart, in all likelihood, but islands were often found to be in the wrong place, like Pitcairn's. Very lucky for the Bounty's crew.

[@pwmiles56]

@@georgesoros6415 Fascinatingly the Bounty had a chronometer, one of Kendall's, known as K2. With this the mutineers determined the longitude of Pitcairn Island and concluded it had been wrongly charted, and they would escape discovery. K2 had an adventurous history after that but is now also in the National Maritime Museum. Search "The Story of the Bounty Chronometer"

[@johnsykesiii1629]

If KZbin videos were eligible, you deserve an Emmy Award for this video. Best KZbin video, ever!

[@miamijules2149]

Hey seriously, this one truly, truly does. What a fantastic video and a fascinating subject. Drach killed it.

[@inTIMMYdator44]

Drach youre going above and beyond with the addition of sound effects! I typically listen and hearing the waves and wood creaking makes it feel like im listening to a high quality audiobook

[@calvingreene90]

As I have said before, "There is a reason they call it DEAD reckoning."

[@frankmiller95]

Yes, but that is incorrect. The "dead" in dead reckoning comes from the shortening of the word "deduced," as in the former description, "deduced reckoning."

[@calvingreene90]

@@frankmiller95 Dead is an awfully odd word to come up with when shortening deduced.

[@eknapp49]

I’m not sure if he ever really said it, but there is a line in the movie “Spirit of St. Louis” where Charles Lindberg says, “There’s nothing wrong with dead reckoning, except maybe the name.”

[@calvingreene90]

@@eknapp49 We just heard several demonstrations the problem with dead reckoning.

[@88porpoise]

​@@frankmiller95 That is probably not the case as recorded usage of "dead reckoning" long pre-dates any record of "deduced reckoning"

[@Ashfielder]

George Harrison in the thumbnail Drach… never knew he had such talents outside of music.

[@christopheryoung3356]

I half expected a musical review of Wreck of the Hesperus.

[@johnsykesiii1629]

Remembering the loss of HMS Hood, 82 years ago today (May 24, 1941). RIP to the souls lost that day.

[@steeltrap3800]

That final scene of H2 happily working away was great, all the more so for me as by pure chance it happened that the long pendulum of my 'grandfather' clock in its roughly 7' 4" custom case was perfectly in synch, and it's barely 4' to the left of the widescreen TV I use for my computer screen. Mine's an early 20th century German action, but if you'll pardon the pun, it was really quite moving to see them gently working away on opposite sides of the planet when one considers what John Harrison went through so many years ago. I would hope he'd be delighted by that fact.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Excellent video, Drach! It’s a shame that Maskelyne screwed over Harrison for so long. I never thought I’d say this as an American, but thank god George III intervened to do the right thing.

[@bo7341]

You know someone is done dirty when Americans and George III are in agreement on the matter.

[@rembrandt972ify]

Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. 🤣

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@rembrandt972ify Aaaaaaaayyyyyy!

[@justintaylor1713]

@rembrandt972ify A stopped clock is right twice a day. A broken clock can be wrong all day

[@rembrandt972ify]

@@justintaylor1713 In the context of mechanical timepieces, a broken clock is stopped. A clock that is running fast or slow can still be used to tell time if you make adjustments.

[@jaelwyn]

This awesome video covers the fundamental confluence of two of the fundamental questions in life: "where am I?" and "what time is it?"

[@Raptor747]

I can only imagine the captain, board members, and knowledgeable experts/sailors present in this whole situation being both in awe and jubilation at the fact that Harrison had actually done it (and done it really well), and that Harrison seemed to be readily able to IMPROVE and refine the design repeatedly.

[@GoSlash27]

I love the story of John Harrison's clocks! I'm so glad you covered it!

[@todd.r.5990]

Brilliant Drach! As a fellow engineer I always felt the story of Longitude was a great one! Loved your take and the interactive elements you supplied. The treatment of John Harrison after constructing these brilliant devices at that time is appalling

[@Wolfeson28]

Forgetting that he'd stored a bunch of magnetic lodestones in the cupboard right next to the metal precision clock he's testing is just such a George III thing to do.

[@rascototalwar8618]

I am sure that's how its recorded but to me it sounds like a sabotage attempt where they may have paid a cleaner or something to switch items around.

[@awatkinson100]

Enrico Femi discovered neutron slowing by hyrdogen atoms in parrafin because of some candles near an experiment I understand.

[@kkupsky6321]

Galileo telescope helmet sounds like a great band name.

[@libertinoradio4597]

Great video. Love this story. George Harrison, what an incredible man. He should be up there with any of the great names from our history. I suspect he would be more prominent in our collective memory if he had attended Eton, Repton or similar, he certainly would have got his prize more promptly. Credit to the monarch for perhaps identifying class and jealousy were the biggest issues for his chronometers to surpass.

[@timgodderis1918]

in maritime circles , he is up there (together with Keppler, among others)... as soon as I saw the name I had to watch this episode. Thank you from a former merchant navy cadet.

[@georgiathai4961]

I think it was John Harrison. A bit before George’s time…

[@libertinoradio4597]

@@georgiathai4961 Doh! I looked him up and double checked too. I just presumed he had preferred George!

[@libertinoradio4597]

@@timgodderis1918 I'm glad he is understandably revered in maritime circles.

[@calvingreene90]

Mad George had his good points. And I am one of a great number of beneficiaries of his forcing a colonial Rebellion. But as the rebels being of all European extraction calling it a revolution isn't entirely wrong.

[@caminojohn3240]

If there was ever a segment of Modern Marvels that deserved to be told, it should be told by you Drach! This is a wonderful video and at a scant hour, should be included in any Naval Officers history classes. This should be a million view video!

[@rsr789]

Instead we get idiots watching other idiots on Tik Tok. Sad state of affairs.

[@dzzope]

Never thought I'd have found an hour long presentation on clocks so interesting. John Harrison, a name I'd heard but was never aware of his brilliance. Such a shame the pettyness of people can nearly destroy all that work and progress. Very well presented and the production was top notch. Well done sir.

[@vernonrabbetts]

The greatest lesson of John Harrison for me though is that he was not a clockmaker by trade. He was a carpenter. His curiosity, drive for understanding, urge to develop his skills and headlong pursuit for excellence solved the greatest navigational challenge for the benefit of all humanity. A working class lad who wasnt Oxbridge, rich or an aristocrat changed the world. Thats a lesson we need to share with kids today...

[@farmerned6]

as always God bless the Men tinkering in Sheds

[@theelizabethan1]

Two Presidents of the U. S.A. had the surname, "Harrison": 1) William Henry Harrison 2) Benjamin Harrison

[@omnipitous4648]

The lesson is, grab the prize as quickly as you can before the terms change. You can always go back and improve the device later. In any case. Harrison is hero who deserves more recognition than he gets. My hat is off to him. And his son who faithfully carried out his experiments for him.

[@fenman1954]

As an astronomer this story has always fascinated me , history well told Drach thank you.

[@HamTransitHistory]

Hi Drach. Quick correction, Halley did not discover the comet that bears his name, records of it in the night sky exist going back as far as 240 BC. At the time comets were thought to be independent events, Halley was the first to realize that the bright comets that had appeared in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were in fact the same object in a 76 year orbit

[@xuthnet]

I hate the way that people try to be pedantic with discover. There are lots of meanings of the term. This ranges from "a toddler discovering that they have feet" to "the awful bastard of a human Columbus was the first European to discover the Americas and record their existence in a manner that was well disseminated throughout much of the world".

[@MrAstrojensen]

That counts as a discovery. Halley may not have discovered the comet itself, per se, but he did "connect the dots", figured out that several large comets seen earlier were in fact a single comet, and predicted its next apparition.

[@grizzlygrizzle]

And there's a thin line between discovery and invention. Newton's "discovery" of gravity could be just as well described as his inventing the procedure of singling out/ objectifying gravity as a distinct entity from matter, as opposed to treating it as a property of matter. He did refer to gravity alternately as "a force" and "a property of matter" (i.e. inherent in matter, and inseparable from it), but he singled it out/ objectified it provisionally, in order to enable him to mathematize it. -- (I say "provisionally" because in the 17th and early 18th centuries, there was a trend to treat the world as either simply/unambiguously as a collection of distinct, countable entities or as a collection of distinct, countable entities in a less absolute way, but still in an over-emphasized way. Leibniz and Hume were quite extreme in this, Leibniz concluding that there was no such thing as causation between objects, and Hume concluding that the connections that we perceive in the world were merely products of "mental associations." Newton was not a scientist. He was a practitioner in Natural Philosophy, which was at the time still trying to figure out the best way to understand natural phenomena, and Newton could be said to have been the most-important in a bunch of people who invented modern science. Galileo had earlier seen the importance of mathematizing reality in order to render it more predictable and manipulable, but Newton got it over the hump in that regard. To mathematize is to objectify, or rather, mathematizing reality assumes that one is treating reality as a collection of distinct, countable objects. Treating reality as simply, unambiguously, absolutely a collection of distinct, countable objects negates any connections between them, because "distinct" and "connected" are direct antonyms. If something is absolutely distinct, it cannot be connected to anything else, and that negates causation and other forms of connection. And Newton wasn't invested in this kind of metaphysical absolutism, and his argument in the Principia was that it would be fruitful to mathematize physical phenomena, but he didn't insist on the extreme implications of pluralism as a metaphysical doctrine.) -- Newton was one of the inventors of the technique of analyzing physical phenomena down to mathematical formulae, and of singling out and isolating variables to the point of being able to mathematize them.

[@springford9511]

Seems like discovered to me.

[@allangibson8494]

@@xuthnet And Columbus didn’t disseminate the discovery to the world - that’s why it is called America not Columbia (or Christopher). It was Amerigo Vespucci who spread the news to the Netherlands…

[@TheFred10000]

Love these long form single topic videos of yours, and this one specifically has to be one of your best works

[@mpersad]

I have always been in awe of Harrison and his beautiful timepieces. Thanks Drach, a fitting tribute to the great Harrison.

[@tombowers3681]

having read Dava Sobel's book about the quest for Longitude many years before, I spent my first day ever in London back in 1999 making the pilgrimage to the Royal Observatory. Having arrived by plane and found the hotel I settled finally on a boat a Westminster and gobsmacked by the history all around me rode the Thames to Greenwich. When you walk in and are confronted by these truly remarkable devices whirring away hundreds of years after they were first made you cannot help from being awestruck at their beauty and ingenuity and the age that they heralded. Thank you for your wonderful piece which encapsulated my journey of discovery more than two decades on

[@warrenjones744]

I have been trying to watch this for a week now. I finally found an hour of peace and quiet. I am glad I did.

[@plumsink]

Love the story of JOHN Harrison, and the evolution of accurate timepieces. Harrison was one of those matchless geniuses of history like Da Vinci. Dana Sobel's book is great, but a special place in my heart goes to the video version of the book starring Jeremy Irons as Gould. Another clock-obsessed man. ;)

[@miamijules2149]

Killed it with the Longitude video Drach; thanks, that was truly enjoyable.

[@cdixy302]

This was one of the coolest and well rounded stories you have told! We just went on a one hour long adventure and learned an amazing piece of history i wasnt aware of. By the end of this episode i was so proud for Harrison to finally get his award. Thanks Drach you really outdid yourself with this one!!

[@tango_uniform]

The only question I still have relates to "noon", which was a different time everywhere. A navigator would have to calculate speed accurately in order to measure the clock's performance against "noon".

[@willlockler9433]

Have always found the Harrison story very compelling. Not only because I find complicated mechanical things fascinating, but also because it's a very human drama of frustration and ultimate triumph. Thanks for this.

[@zapfanzapfan]

Danish astronomer Ole Römer realized the speed of light when using the Jupiter moons method of determining longitude between the Paris Observatory and Hven (Tycho Brahe's island). He found a 15 minute deviation and realized that was the time light took to travel the diameter of Earth's orbit. Pretty genius, which pains me to say since I'm Swedish 🙂

[@goobfilmcast4239]

Dava Sobel’s book “Longitude” is terrific. Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon star in a UK TV adaptation of the same title. Superbly acted and a must for any Naval History fan.

[@bholdr----0]

There is an excellent short (@120 pages) history, written by Dava Sobel, of the longitude prize and the Harrison clocks, titled simply 'Longitude'. It is both a compelling read and a well researched and written book which I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in the story of the critically important finding of longitude- from the benifits to navigation and safety, to the geopolitical implications. The author also does an excellent job of bringing the participants in the quest for longitude to life, which is fortunate, since so many of the people involved, from Newton to Maskelyne, from Harrison to Cook, and even some of the merely incidental/peripheral participants in the story. It is one of my favorite short histories, and I've read it several times.

[@franksmedley8619]

Hello Drac. Even though I am one of those 'uppity colonials' (American), the facts of Harrison's genius is still felt today, since all ships, even those with GPS navigational systems, still have ship-board clocks to do the same job 'the old-fashioned' way. Also, I note that George III, King of England is not well looked upon by Americans in general, and it is good to see that the King did something 'good', besides piss off 'those uppity colonials' in America. Now that I have thoroughly stuck my tongue in my cheek about it all, I would like to thank you for such a good and well-spoken video on the topic. I note that your video is more to the point, with less confusion, than the movie: Longitude, which was my 'benchmark' for informative layman's knowledge of the topic until your video. And having said that, I still recommend that people watch that movie in any case. Keep on making videos, Drac. I find them fascinating, and interesting.

[@davidellis4084]

This remains a incredible success story to this day. As an engineer, I recognize many of Harris' inventions as either still in use or only (relatively speaking) recently replaced. He deserved much more recognition and reward than he received.

[@jeffsr8300]

The craftsmanship of such a device is almost unbelievable until I think of when it was made then it's mind boggaling. Thnx.

[@hawkerhellfire9152]

I seen something like that on top of a gas stove in Peckham once.

[@diogenes34]

I did know some of this story but your in-depth history and showing of the clocks really was a masterpiece. The persistence of Harrison and his determination to perfect his work is truly remarkable. Thanks for all the great history you share with us.

[@adamalton2436]

Thanks for sharing. The subject of how early navigation gradually improved is fascinating.

[@anthonydavies6021]

Thank you an excellent video. Great to be reminded of the inventiveness that made Britain such a successful nation in the 19th century especially. (Men and women of vision are completely lacking in our current political leadership imho).

[@stevenfarrall3942]

Ooooo. I was hoping you'd do a video on this topic. I can't watch it now - living to earn - so I am saving it up as a treat for later in the day. Now viewed the production. Superb. Mr D deserves the widest audience for efforts like this. Better than the BBC

[@richardherndon1541]

That was awesome! Thank you for putting this together and sharing it with us!

[@hdgehog6]

"Upside down, drowning, or on fire.....and that's if you're lucky." Fricken brilliant! (as a writer I had to play that 5 times!)

[@murraystewartj]

An important story, Drach, and thanks for telling it. As for the "George vs John" thing, don't worry about it. I remember you having trouble with the difference between the Baltic and Black seas way back. Just shows you're human instead of a robot.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Jay Foreman did a great video on Harrisons clock

[@Hendricus56]

Yea, basically the perfect TL;DW option compared to this video

[@TheRolandS69]

Map men, map men, map, map, map, map men.

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

A real pet subject for me and this is exactly the kind of video I've been looking forward to you from you. Thank you Drach!

[@tsclly2377]

One of your best. Brought back the visit I did with my grandmother to the Royal Observatory in 1968.

[@paulvarga9696]

My job in the U.S. Navy was Navigation totally loved this story

[@iancarr8682]

H5 appears to be on show at The Science Museum in London and K1 at Greenwich.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

1- glad that the intro song is back👍 2- solid content

[@HansLasser]

The fact that some mechanisms in H3 were bypassed for better ones is so close to software. But this guy was doing it with gears!

[@GARDENER42]

I read the book Longitude many years ago. Must dig it out & read it again.

[@awatkinson100]

Read Longitude years ago, and went to Greenich to see the clocks. Missed H4, still learning. They should have a replica there for folks to see when original is cleaned. Amazing Cook see why he preferred the smallest one even though he could do the lunar tables. A brilliant man on his own. Think he also contributed to the solution to scurvy.

[@jehl1963]

Excellent discussion of what would normally be a very esoteric subject. It compares favorably with the professionally produced documentary that I saw on TV a decade or two ago. Well done!

[@18robsmith]

When measuring Longitude there is little latitude for error.

[@calvingreene90]

Groan.

[@jefferyindorf699]

Punny, very punny. 😆

[@yes_head]

George Harrison -- great watch maker. And a mean guitar player. 😉 Drach, as an engineer yourself I'm sure this video was a labor of love, but you've outdone yourself on this one. It's videos like this that make your channel so special.

[@kevintemple245]

I honestly never expected this topic to be quite so fascinating. While I've known for a very long time that accurate timekeeping was important for navigation, I didn't know how relatively recent this, or accurate longitude, was. Thanks!

[@rorypenstock1763]

I don't really see the point of the sound effects, but they don't really bother me, either. At least it seems like other viewers appreciated them. Here's the issue: many KZbin presenters are very good at copywriting and video production, but aren't experts in the material they're presenting. This has made me wary of videos with high production value, as it's rare that a video has both high production value and good factual accuracy. For me, Drach is a trusted source, so it's a little surprising to see him using sound effects, which on another channel might indicate the first step on a slippery slope towards creating the type of videos produced by a certain bald and bearded youtuber. But I'm not alarmed, as I can't imagine Drach ever sacrificing accuracy for production value.

[@CharlesStearman]

There is one point that I thought was misleading - the map shown at 2:38 actually shows the fleet's true position, not where they thought they were (which was much further east, just off the coast of Brittany), and the course they steered was intended to take them up the English Channel, not towards the Isles of Scilly.

[@Drachinifel]

I was trying to show the relative position of where they actually were to where they ended up :)

[@CharlesStearman]

@@Drachinifel In your commentary you say that they believed they were 200m miles WSW of the Scilly Isles, which is the position shown on the map.

[@hiturbine]

WOW! This is an incredible presentation of the history of naval chronometers. Many thanks, Drach!

[@russwoodward8251]

You're the best Drachi. I appreciate the research, siting of sources, and great story telling. Thank you very much!

[@kpdubbs7117]

George Harrison said it best... It's gonna take time A whole lot of precious time It's gonna take patience and time, mmm To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it To do it right, child

[@Mr.Rebel1776]

This is top tier documentary quality. Excellent job!

[@finoxb944]

"The Paris meridian minus a little bit" 😆 French hubris is as timelessly hilarious as it is futile.

[@leftnoname]

This is absolutely fantastic. Got to be one of the best technical videos on the channel. The technical marvel the marine chronometer was, can be compared to GPS of the modern era; with GPS, of course, not having such an earth moving effect on maritime travel, as the chronometer did.

[@Isolder74]

Well was ground breaking because there was no alternative before that was reliable. A fleet without good clocks could easily be caught off guard by a fleet with them. Of course a fleet with good clocks against a fleet that didn’t could just avoid battle until they see a good opportunity. No wonder the reward was so high for finding a good solution.

[@blackpowder4016]

The Royal Observatory's horological exhibit is one of my favorite museums in Britain. My friends and I had a great time there. We were surprised to find they actually have a few American Waltham timepieces among the pocket watches.

[@johngillespie9459]

Actually not that surprising. A watchmaker neighbor of mine told me late 19th century American pocket watches were among the most accurate in the world. He would know, he repaired them for a living. They were also very delicate. If you dropped one, you were going to need his services or those of someone similarly skilled. He told me he once spent a whole work day crafting a single set screw. Made me wonder how I could call myself a machinist after talking with him.

[@loganhesse413]

Drach, you have been everywhere in the states but you seem to have skipped the San Francisco Bay. We have some lovely ships, including Jeremiah O’Brien. She has a lovely story. If I’ve missed your telling of it, apologies. If not, shocking oversight. We’ve also got Hornet CV 12 (which a local high school sports team is named for). Come to our fair city, I’ll show you round.

[@Drachinifel]

Coming in September :)

[@loganhesse413]

@@Drachinifel I’ll be having a birthday then. Please reach out. A great deal of San Francisco’s maritime history is buried beneath the streets. Ships are part of our very bones.

[@rv_at_the_beach2603]

Excellent, awesome description of the relationship of time to navigation. Thanks Drach.

[@thesilkpainter]

Oh, I am happy I found you. I really love John Harrison's story and through it, I keep finding and learning a lot more things!

[@smatthewson2613]

Great video, the kind of thing I subscribe for, especially liking the dig at the uk gvt's/elite's complete lack of morals and rectitude (regardless of ruling coterie) around the 50min mark.

[@RadioChief52]

I can highly recommend the book "Longitude" by Dava Sobel. It was such a fascinating story. I think I've read this book 3 or 4 times over the years.

[@user-qr9uh1fd8g]

Me too

[@nightlurker]

Absolutely fantastic video!! A story I am well aware of (having read much on the life and work of Harrison), but I still learned something from your video. Thank you for retelling a fascinating story, in an interesting way.

[@wazza33racer]

Drach, you have outdone yourself........that was an amazing explanation of the Harrison clock, how it worked, and the circumstance of its creation. Harrison almost alone revolutionized clocks and time keeping.........truly astonishing.

[@staffanlindell4309]

This was a fantastic episode Drach. The lore of the chronometers is very interesting indeed.

[@miamijules2149]

Well God damn Drach…. damn, damn, damn that was AMAZING. We gotta get that up on the Discovery Channel or History or NatGeo (or whatever suitable stand-in exists for proper historical programming). Wow. Thank you.

[@wordsmithgmxch]

A wonderful and inspiring story, Unca Drach! Thanks so much for taking the effort, for telling it in such fine style!

[@onawhim9079]

That was a top piece of documentary making, as good as, if not better than anything I've seen on mainstream media. Nicely done!!!

[@WilliamRNicholsonLST-1195]

Please tell me , does main stream media still exist ? I had thought they were all dead & buried ? Even CNN has been expired since it became the Trump News Network a few weeks ago ...... Nick , NavyBlueSmoke , LST - 1195

[@rongardener4142]

Harrison clocks. Now available at Peckham market.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

This time next year we’ll be millionaires…

[@schwadevivre4158]

Sounds like an advertising jingle "Avoiding the Rocks with Harrison Clocks"

[@blxtothis]

What a wonderful man Harrison must have been. I must admit, I loved the the film ‘Longitude’ when it hit the screens so much that I bought a copy. Despite much dramatic embellishment it successfully captures the achievements and frustrations and makes a striking point of the class and social divisions of British Society.

[@ottomeineke9230]

Thank you, Drach. Great job

[@connormclernon26]

What do you think of the mini series Longitude? Also the “powder of sympathy”. And how much of H1 is original, and how much is a change by Gould? I seem to recall he made changes to the action as he “restored” it

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

Trigger’s Chronometer?

[@wierdalien1]

Who ever took that introductory photo is a God

[@daijoboukuma]

This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Thank you very much.

[@donpfoutz625]

A very excellent video Drach. Mr Harrison's genius and desire for perfection made truely wonderful works of art.

[@VeraTR909]

Super interesting and a great video! People back then weren't fools and this quest for accuracy really puts modern scientific progress in perspective.

[@alganhar1]

Its where the modern Scientific method was greatly defined and honed. Really what we scientists do today, and how we do it was mostly invented by those early giants. Sure we have refined some things, invented some new measurements as well as some new methods of observing things, but the procedure is the same. They laid the foundation upon which we continue to build. Without them modern science would not be possible.

[@gregorywright4918]

@@alganhar1 They also "laid the foundation" for how science could be perverted or corrupted for personal gain or preference. They wanted the "lunar method" to succeed so badly they impeded a much easier and more precise method for decades. Even George III recognized their perfidity.

[@jonathansmith6050]

I believe that, technically, a clock that gained (or lost) an amount in excess of 3 seconds a day could have won the prize as long as majority of the gain (or loss) was steady and known. If you've got a clock that you know runs predictably fast, say gaining 10 seconds a day (+/- 1 seconds) you can easily correct the observed time by subtracting 10 seconds for each day since it was last adjusted - thus bringing the remaining timing error well within the necessary tolerance.

[@davecollier583]

That is know as the "daily rate" of the time peice and was measured on land and recorded before the voyage. H4 was determined to have a daily rate of -3 seconds per day (3 seconds slow) before the voyage to Kingston which was used in all the calculations there after.

[@Mad_Hat_was_taken]

I loved the parts where you spoke outside next to the buildings 31:31 . The sound quality and tone made me nostalgic for 90's and 00's documentaries! 😁😁👍

[@e7yu]

That was very informative, and I can't believe Harrison went through, so many years of work

[@user-gr4sq3lo6n]

Ballistic Missile Galleon - or as the USN called them, GBB's (More properly as the rockets were unguided, GBR's) Galleon Large Ballistic Missile