Pilot Grove Hill – Visible from Boston Harbor?

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Ever since I was a young alpaca down by the river, I heard this story. Bots used the trees to pilot themselves safely into Boston Harbor.

I asked Chat GPT to find out if its true.

chat gpt pilot grove hill

I didn’t like that answer so I asked Farmer – I took a picture of his notes

 

17 Replies to “Pilot Grove Hill – Visible from Boston Harbor?”

  1. OK let me take a look at these notes

    ChatBot says 23 miles, which just means it does not know exactly where Pilot Grove Hill is in Stow. It must have used the closest point in Stow.

    According to google maps its 25 mi to Boston. But Farmer has choosen to use the Boston Light, the light house at the opening of the harbor for the distance of 30mi.

  2. Since we know the Earth is Flat and Alpacas can see 150mi in good visibility

    I’ll run up to see if we can see the boston light from the top of our hill.

  3. Zeva and Clover the Earth is Round

    Its curvature is eight inches per mile squared

    That means there is a drop of 600 ft over the 30 mi to the Boston Light

    but there is an error in Farmers notes
    Anybody see it?

  4. I see two from here and I’ve never been to mount everest.

    Farmer has the max visible distance as 150mi instead of 230mi from Zeva’s link

    He must have used that chatbot too
    but to be fair it does not affect this calculation

    Also the curvature calculation should be 600ft for 30mi but I think Farmer has encorporated an eye height of 5ft for the Pilot

  5. OK now all you boys owe me an appology

    I knew the earth is round, This is my Post!

    Is the crowsnest of a 1850s ship 195ft above sea level?

    crowsnest

  6. you would think this would be an easy question to answer, just google it, right?

    Well chat gpt timed out and google is drawing a blank

    The height of eye from the crow’s nest on the Titanic, which was located on the foremast, was about 90 feet above the waterline,

    http://www.titanicology.com/Titanica/EncounterInTheNight.htm

    Lets take the USS Constitution for the age of sail. Her mainmast is 54.4m from the spar deck to the top (where your crow’s nest would be). Taking into consideration the person’s height, lets round it out to 56m. At that height, the visible horizon, on a clear day, would be 26.72km.

    https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-area-of-a-sea-you-can-see-from-the-crows-nest

    well this guys not showing his work
    but lets use his number 184 ft (above sea level)? yields 16.8 miles visibility of an object 0ft tall

    I dont see a crow’s nest at the top of the main mast. I think the sailor with the spy glass yelling “Land Ho” would be on the platform on the foremast, but can he even see around the sails from there?

    USS Constitution - elevation

  7. Well I dont have a ruler but that platform looks to be about 80ft above the water line.

    so unless the sailor is at the top of the Main Mast there is no way he can see the trees on Pilot Gove Hill from the Boston Light, even then it would have to be daylight and clear skys and we still have not addressed obstructions

  8. Since this is stil in the rhelm of possibility lets discuss the Boston Light for a minute.

    Located on Little Brewster Island at the entrance to the harbor, the stone tower lighthouse was completed in 1716 and stood roughly 60 feet tall, most likely lit by a combination of candle and oil lamps. Boston Light first illuminated the harbor on September 16, 1716

    https://www.nps.gov/places/boston-light.htm

  9. Destroyed in 1776 by British, re-erected in 1783 as first U.S. lighthouse
    New Height: 75 feet

    Boston Light

    So in 1850 when there were trees on Pilot Grove Hill at 420 ft there was a 75 ft tall Lighthouse 30 miles closer at the mouth of Boston Harbor.

  10. OK I’m no genius but

    If there is a 75 ft tall tower that is visible in the day light, illuminated at night and blowing a fog cannon when visibility is bad…

    What druken sailor is looking for trees on an insignificant hilltop 30 miles inland?

    Drunken Sailor

  11. If we stand at the top of Pilot Grove Hill we will be at about 330 ft Boston is 25mi away and the Boston Light is 30mi away

    Can we see the boston light – 30mi gives 600ft drop in elevation
    330+75-600=-195 NO

    Can we see the Hancock Tower – 25mi gives drop of 420 ft
    330+800-420=710 YES

    Most likely the buildings in Boston will obstruct the line of sight from Stow to the Boston Light and Boston Harbor

    The buildings were not as tall in 1850 but probably still blocked the view then.

  12. OK so the Titanic could not see Pilot Grove Hill but the Constitution might be able to from the tip top of the main mast.

    But I am going to have to agree with Teddy here If you are allready at the Boston Light you are entering the harbor, mission accomplished.

    And for the Titanic the light house should be visible from a distance of 14,25mi out at sea. There is no need to look for Pilot Grove Hill and it could definatey not be seen from 45 miles away.

    I’m going to have to say this one has been Debunked

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