Meet your compass

Many years ago (in 1955) I was a U.S. Navy Reservist on a training cruise, sailing from Chicago Navy Pier on Lake Michigan. Each of us swabbies had to take a turn on the ship's wheel, holding a compass course.

I had great difficulty holding the course while the petty officer kept yelling at me "Meet your compass!! Meet your compass!!" The compass card kept drifting away from the assigned bearing and I kept over-compensating.

Finally, the captain ordered me off the wheel and I was dismissed to the ship fan-tail where I could see the wake of the ship as far as the eye could see, zig-zagging. Someone said I must have been steering an anti-submarine course.

I was embarassed but now it's funny to think about. "Meet your compass!!"