Blue Riband is a simulation of the operation of the bridge controls on a modern single screw motor ferry with a top speed of approximately 22 knots. The controls include the telegraph which regulates the speed and the wheel which controls the ships heading. The navigation of this vessel through the narrow river channels of the islands using the ships radar, is a real challenge! © 1984 David L. Bark Copies of this recording may only be made for the sole use of the purchaser unless written permission is obtained from the publisher. CASES COMPUTER SIMULATIONS LTD., 14 Langton Way, London SE3 7TL LOADING INSTRUCTIONS The procedure for loading a program into your Spectrum is given in your manual. Please follow these steps for loading a program. 1. Connect the ear socket of the computer to the ear socket of your tape recorder. 2. Set the volume control as per Sinclair manual. 3. Adjust the tone control to maximum. 4. Type LOAD" ". 5. Start the tape recorder. The program will RUN automatically once loaded. INSTRUCTIONS 1. RADAR MODE (Key R) You start off in the main control and Radar display mode, and it is in this mode that you must remain to control your ship. The black square on the right of the screen is the Radar screen, blank at the moment except for the flashing heading marker, and on the left are the various instruments. Instruments from top to bottom: - 1. Compass (HDG) 2. Log (SPD) 3. Rudder Indicator (WHEEL) 4. Rev Counter (RPM) 5. Engine Order Telegraph (Current order flashes) 6. Time Elapsed Clock 7. Damage Indicator (Below Radar Screen) (All of the instruments give a digital or alphanumeric readout) 2. CONTROLS TELEGRAPH WHEEL [Q] = Full power ahead (320 RPM). [I] = 35° Port. [q] = Moves telegraph one 'notch' ahead. [i] = + 5° Port. [a] = STOP (from any position). [o] = Midships from any position. [z] = Moves telegraph one 'notch' astern. [p] = + 5° Starboard. [Z] = Full astern (320 RPM). [P] = 35° Starboard. All engine and helm orders are answered by a "BEEP" when they are understood and are being executed. Hold down the key or keys until the BEEP is heard. 3. ISLAND CHARTS Pressing keys "1" to "5" will put a chart of the relevant island on screen. 4. LARGE CHART DISPLAY (Key C) Your position is shown by the ringed dot, and the islands are displayed graphically on screen. You can steer the ship accurately to a point off any island by using the wheel keys "I" and "P" which will alter your course (not the rudder) by 5 degrees in the appropriate direction. To avoid the tedium of a long ocean passage, you can speed up the simulation by a factor of about 7 by pressing "Q", "Z" will slow it down to normal speed again. The border colour changes to red to remind you that you are in accelerated mode. The islands are numbered from left to right:- 1. Krab Nala 2. Ruth Island 3. Lesleys Isle 4. Evad Atoll 5. Taradog If you hit any of the islands, the display will automatically revert to Radar, and if you hit at full sea speed (22 knots) you will sink! You can return to Radar and control display by pressing "R", which will automatically cancel accelerated mode if it was selected. The chart is "wraparound" in that if you steer off one edge, you will appear on the opposite edge. You can use this facility to visit the islands in any order you wish. Do not be tempted to approach too closely while in accelerated mode. It is more prudent to steer the last few miles in normal speed and check the Radar frequently until the island is picked up. 5. THE SHIP Your ship is a fast single screw motor ferry. She has a top speed of almost 22 knots, and for her class is very manoeuvrable. Being single screw, she has the disadvantage of suffering a phenomenon known as "Transverse Thrust Effect" which becomes apparent when the Engine is put astern. Due to the "wrong" side of the propeller blades hitting the water when the Engine is turning astern, the bow of the ship swings to starboard, quite violently if full power is used. Propeller turbulence in this case makes the rudder almost useless until a bit of sternway has been gathered when it will have a little effect in the reverse direction. Transverse Thrust Effect can be, and is, used to turn the ship round to starboard in a very tight space by alternately going full ahead and hard a'starboard, then midships and full astern. If all else fails, try that manoeuvre on the hairpin bend into Taradog (No. 5). You can turn her round in the little bay to the north of the bend. Speed will build up rapidly if power is applied from a standstill, but the rate of acceleration will fall away as drag builds up on the hull. Similarly deleceration is rapid if the engine is stopped at speed, but losing the last few fractions of a knot will take much longer. Large amounts of helm will increase drag and slow you down somewhat. 6. THE TASK Your job is to navigate your ship to each island in turn, in any order you like, and using the Radar to pilot her through the entrance channels and berth her alongside the piers. To berth at a pier, you must be close alongside (almost or just touching), with your compass reading within 5 degrees of East or West, the Engine stopped and the speed below 1 knot. If you manage this, the computer will detect that you have berthed and will print up a welcome message. While this message is on screen, the clock will stop allowing you to get a breather or have a cuppa. If you successfully berth in all 5 islands, your record will be printed on screen, with an option to copy it onto a printer. If you touch the shore you will incur damage, and the amount of damage, reckoned as a percentage, varies directly as the speed at which you ran aground. If you accumulate 100% damage, your ship sinks. At the end of the voyage one minute per percent damage is added to your time. So trying to save a few seconds by going too fast is generally counter- productive. When you touch the shore, your speed is of course rapidly reduced, and it is possible to get stuck fast which needs a lot of power applied to get free again, causing more damage. When you are ready to leave an island, and the welcome message is still on screen, you press ENTER and you will find that your ship is now at an angle of 45 degrees to the pier, ready for you to go ahead or astern as the case may be to depart. 7. HINTS AND TIPS Your biggest enemy is impatience. Take your time and keep the speed down. When approaching bends to Port, position your ship as far to starboard as possible, let the speed decay and put the wheel hard-a-port just before the apex of the bend, short bursts of power should get you round most of the bends, but be prepared to swing her short round to starboard (the wrong way) if you think you are running out of room. Beware the dreaded HIYO (Helm Induced Yawing Oscillations). This is caused by panic in a tight situation, trying to correct a swing with reversed full rudder and getting into a worse swing the other way. This can build up into a fatal crunch! Keep helm orders small, especially under high power. Once you have a bit of experience, and you are attempting the full run, do the difficult islands first, but beware of overconfidence on the easier ones. Watch out for the rocks in the channels entering or leaving Evad Atoll (No. 4) and Taradog (No. 5). Good luck and happy sailing!