On 16 Jan 2007 07:42:11 -0800, "Tim" wrote:

Thats what I was thinking. Never really heard the term "nose flute"
before.

Then again, I don't get out much....

Since you mentioned nose flute, I'll note that when flipping channels
last night "Myth Busters" was doing a pirate-related show.
I didn't see the entire show, but a segment was on pirate eye patches.
The gist of it was that the patches were used to retain night vision
in one eye. So if a pirate went below decks in daylight and lifted
the patch he could see what he was looking for. Not sure how it
proved useful as night fell, as that is a slow process, and I only
caught a bit of the show.
I did see the part where actual "scientific" testing was done, and
since the "rods" the eye uses to see in the dark take 20 minutes to
re-adjust from bright conditions, the patch made a tremendous
difference.
This might be an opportunity for Chuck (or anybody else interested in
boating) to post a relevant article on "Boats and Night Vision."
If the article has some info on nose flutes, all the better, since
we're an eclectic bunch here.

--Vic