Any Ideas ?

AIDY

AIDY

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Whilst coming back across the puddle on saturday from guernsey to portsmouth we had about 1-2 miles vis for about 50 % of the way. I was in company with a friend on another yacht. who did not have a radar or reflector, so i was guiding us both through the shipping lanes on my radar and relaying info to him via VHF.

My radar said there were six ships running parallel and behind each other within a range of 4n/m but we could only spot one of the ships. The ship sounded 6 short blasts and 1 long blast 4 times to us. I had not heard this arrangment of blast before so consulted my flip chart. Humm nothing.

Do these blast mean something ? or was the ship trying to be nice any warn me that there was indeed six ships following. which I had picked up on my radar ? which indeed there was.

<hr width=100% size=1>/forums/images/icons/wink.gif <font color=blue> Regards Andy </font color=blue>
 
best translation:
one long blast I am a motor vessel making way
6 short blasts: you are a lowly sailing vessel that is in my way, B*gger orf /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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No reflector onboard - This is against the Solas requirements, You dont have to use it, but you do have to have one onboard.

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Are you sure it wasn’t 5 short and 1 long which would make more sence
5 short - vessel fails to understand the intentions or actions of the other, or is in doubt whether sufficient action is being taken by the other to avoid collision
1 long - A power-driven vessel making way through the water


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No it wasn't 5 - it was six and one long, hence the question. We were not in the ships way either as he was approx 1 mile ahead crossing our bow at 90 degress.

thanks for the responce.

<hr width=100% size=1>/forums/images/icons/wink.gif <font color=blue> Regards Andy </font color=blue>
 
Five or Six blasts is the same thing because :-

'When vessels in sight of one another are approaching each other and from any cause either vessel fails to understand the intentions or actions of the other, or is in doubt whether sufficient action is being taken by the other to avoid collision, the vessel in doubt shall immediately indicate such doubt by giving AT LEAST five short and rapid blasts on the whistle. Such signal may be supplemented by a light signal of at least five short and rapid flashes'

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Thanx.

I would assume then, from the ships position at the time of the blasts it was a warning to us that other ships would be crossing our path.


<hr width=100% size=1>/forums/images/icons/wink.gif <font color=blue> Regards Andy </font color=blue>
 
Does it matter?

whether it's against SOLAS or not?

It seems to me that the issue is rather whether or not he's going to be run over.

I don't wish to be provocative (well, maybe a little), but it just seems to me sad if we start to judge safety and seamanship issues by what regulations say. That is when the regulator has won and common sense and seamanship has lost.



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If the short blasts are intended to have one meaning and the long blast another, they should be sounded with enough pause between them to ensure understanding. Your post suggests they were all in one sequence. When I was at sea, a sequence of 5 or more short blasts followed by a long blast was to call the crew to a lifeboat drill. Can't think why he would want to sound it 4 times, and on my ship I wouldn't be doing a drill in iffy vis anyway.

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Re: Does it matter?

Whilst I dont disagree with you about common sense being more important than regulations, You have to despair about people who disregard something where common sense and regulation are saying the same thing.

Perhaps we ought to nominate people for the darwin award on this forum!

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SOLAS regulations say that a radar reflector has to be on board? The coded yacht I was party to delivering from Ft William to Dartmouth just recently had the reflector in a locker, thought it might reduce the efectivness of it so fixed it aloft. If only having the gear on board complies with the regs, why have them? You may as well leave the liferaft in its box, the lifejackets in the palstic bag and dont take the flares out of the bubble pack.

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