of you
than it'll take a month to mix.
- Come on, blowhard.
- Oh, stow it, will you?
I can't make head or tail
of this navigation.
Don't worry. If you get tangled,
I'll jump in and pull you out.
You'd better not try and fool
Mr. Christian.
Mr. Christian holds no terrors for me.
I can wade the seven seas
and never wet my shirt.
They have whales that can sink a ship,
but I can sink the whale.
Behold, the face that launched
a thousand ships.
Gentlemen.
Today's navigating problem:
Given the altitude of Polaris, could you
find your latitude, Mr. Stewart?
To lead up to it...
...ordinarily, the shortest distance
between two points is a straight line.
But this is not true of navigation.
We must consider winds and currents...
Yes. Suppose you considered
the problem.
- Yes, sir.
- Perhaps Mr. Stewart means that it's...
...like that lantern, sir.
We assume it should hang straight
down, but because the ship is rolling...
...it swings to and fro.
But by watching it closely...
You disagree with Byam, Mr. Hayward?
He knows the lantern makes me seasick.
He's doing it to break up the lesson.
- Stewart doesn't know his problem.
- Still, his original theory interests me.
Please, sir.
Proceed, Mr. Byam. You were saying,
by watching the lantern closely...
What seems to be the trouble,
Mr. Stewart?
Watch the wind, Mr. Stewart.
It's not there. It's there.
Is that the face that launched
a thousand ships?
One navigation problem
and three wrecks.
Smart as paint, you are.
Why, you ungrateful swab.
After I've given my all
for the honor of the class.
Byam!
It wasn't my fault.
He came behind and struck me.
- Is that true, Mr. Byam?
- I'd rather not say, sir.
So you want to fight?
I'll cool you off.
Get to the masthead and stay
there until I call you down.
- All the way, sir?
- All the way.
- Get below or go aloft!
- Yes, sir!
Rather heavy weather
to send him aloft, isn't it?
They must learn this isn't a beer garden.
If you don't teach them, I will!
Look alive, you crawling caterpillar!
- Where's Byam?
- I couldn't help it, Stewart.
When the man looks at me,
I want to jump overboard.
Where's Byam?
- The old man sent him aloft.
- You let him take the blame, huh?
Here, here!
You've started enough trouble!
Time you learn discipline!
Get into your hammock
before I put you over a gun!
Get up!
You see, sir? It isn't my fault.
They're only jealous because
I've been at sea before.
Who did that?
I did, sir.
Come here.
Good.
How she creaks. Wind's a gale.
I'm too old to envy young Byam aloft.
- Splice the main-brace, Mr. Morgan.
- I'll take it to kill germs.
What? Waste my brandy?
Here, you use the ship's drinking water.
It would shrivel me wooden leg.
Did you ever hear how I lost my leg?
- No, no, but we will.
- Well...
- I'm worried about Byam.
- Oh, he'll weather it all right.
Well, I left my leg with
John Paul Jones back in '78.
We came astern with a Yankee.
Up went our colors and our captain hails,
"What ship is that?"
"American ship Ranger," roars Jones,
and up go his colors.
"Louder, you Yankee pip-squeak,"
our captain yells.
"I can't hear you!"
"Can you hear this?" says Jones,
and he lets go a broadside.
Thundering guns.
You all right?
- Nothing lost, Mr. Christian.
- Look after him, Mr. Morgan.
Keep her head up!
Starboard!
Get him below, to the surgeon!
Mr. Christian!
- Who brought that man down?
- I did, sir!
But I sent him aloft!
He's gone under. The top's no place.
I know his place. Time you knew yours.
Maintain discipline, not break it!
Send him aloft again!
Mr. Bligh, he's had enough!
Send him aloft again!
That's right, lad. Drink another.
You'll be as right as a truism.
If you'd lost a leg, now...
I lost mine in action against
the French, off Jamaica.
A French surgeon did the trick for me.
He apologized in French,
and I cursed him in English.
- How is he?
- I'm all right, sir.
He'll go anywhere.