Do Buoys and light have less relevance?

[Nostrodamus]

A lot of us remember the times when we used to sail at night from buoy to buoy or in foggy conditions. We remember hunting for leading lights outside a marina and counting flashes to identify the characteristics of certain lights. If we couldn't find the right light we didn't go in.
Chart plotters have changed all this. If we cannot identify the light we follow the chart plotter to where it should be or we don't even bother and just follow the chart plotter in.
Is there going to be a day when a lot of buoys are taken out of circulation in favour of virtual buoys on your chart plotter or computer?
Do you still use them as much as you once did or are they just now a visual comforter to tell you that you are where you are where your chart plotter says you are.
Do you use buoys or lights as much as you once did or do they now have less relevance?

 

[capnsensible]

The most difficult to see and dangerous buoy in Algeceras Bay...is... the 'safe water mark'!!

 

[Tomahawk]

OK .. we are approaching the Eastern end of the Solent in the dark. There are lights all over the place behind the navigation marks but its easy as we can see where we are on the plotter

Then the Chart plotter freezes and stops updating our position

Suddenly light signatures are so very useful...

 

[maxi77]

A lot of us remember the times when we used to sail at night from buoy to buoy or in foggy conditions. We remember hunting for leading lights outside a marina and counting flashes to identify the characteristics of certain lights. If we couldn't find the right light we didn't go in.
Chart plotters have changed all this. If we cannot identify the light we follow the chart plotter to where it should be or we don't even bother and just follow the chart plotter in.
Is there going to be a day when a lot of buoys are taken out of circulation in favour of virtual buoys on your chart plotter or computer?
Do you still use them as much as you once did or are they just now a visual comforter to tell you that you are where you are where your chart plotter says you are.
Do you use buoys or lights as much as you once did or do they now have less relevance?

You didn't try Arcachon on you way south then, the channel moves much faster than electronic charts are updated so the bouys are never where the chart tells you

 

[oldbilbo]

Some have especial significance to some of us - like the evasive East Cardinal marking the end of the Manacles Reef south of Falmouth, in forty-knot fog, or the Platresses N and SE, both Green, on a wild and rain-lashed night transit of the Chenal du Four. Neither one will I forget.....

 

[trapezeartist]

A visual comforter, and a back-up in case the chartplotter stops plotting (which it never has yet).

Black Nore Light is no more, because Trinity House decided it was redundant. I can't argue with that because when I am sailing the upper part of the Bristol Channel at night I am mostly orientating myself by the big blocks of light indicating the towns, etc.

 

[Contest1]

Couple of local harbours here, Wexford in particular, have shifting bars and channels, so going in on a chart plotter would not be wise.
I take all the help I get in finding the buoys at the entrance to channels but enjoy using the mark 1 to check out the lights are what they appear to be.
Its very reassuring when a light or mark is finally identified against the chart and I,m reluctant to proceed until I have verification,
Couple of years ago on the return trip from the I o Mann the harbour sectored light was out and I spent good hour looking for it. I went in slow and steady, even tho I had made the passage plenty of times before in the dark it was quite nervy until I could make out the entrance.

 

[Elessar]

A lot of us remember the times when we used to sail at night from buoy to buoy or in foggy conditions. We remember hunting for leading lights outside a marina and counting flashes to identify the characteristics of certain lights. If we couldn't find the right light we didn't go in.
Chart plotters have changed all this. If we cannot identify the light we follow the chart plotter to where it should be or we don't even bother and just follow the chart plotter in.
Is there going to be a day when a lot of buoys are taken out of circulation in favour of virtual buoys on your chart plotter or computer?
Do you still use them as much as you once did or are they just now a visual comforter to tell you that you are where you are where your chart plotter says you are.
Do you use buoys or lights as much as you once did or do they now have less relevance?

I don't us a plotter at night. Kills night vision even on dim. So buoys and lights essential for me.

 

[Nostrodamus]

To be fair to the UK it is amazingly well buoyed. They stick them everywhere and generally in the right places. With the big buoys marking a channel into a port you can in a lot of cases follow them in just outside the Buoys.

Portugal has far less Buoys as does Spain.

France have an amazing knack of moving them around or putting them on the wrong side of the deeper water when going into a port. Go to close to the port hand markers that mark the narrow channel into La Rochelle and you will be in the mud even though you are a way off the markers. You can see them at low tide sat on the mud. Other markers we have seen in France are on top of rocks and the shallows extend out into the channel. I agree that chart plotters are not the be all and end all but is it wise to turn them off at night, especially in unknown waters. Using both makes more sense surely?

 

[Sandy]

Is there going to be a day when a lot of buoys are taken out of circulation in favour of virtual buoys on your chart plotter or computer?

No, not never.

 

[RobbieW]

No, not never.

But I wouldnt put money on that - its already feasible to create virtual bouyage using AIS

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Commercial shipping will drive it. When they no longer need lights then more and more will be withdrawn...........unless leisure sailers are prepared to pay and I can't see that happening.

 

[Nostrodamus]

Commercial shipping will drive it. When they no longer need lights then more and more will be withdrawn...........unless leisure sailers are prepared to pay and I can't see that happening.

With all the electronic equipment commercial craft are obliged to have how much reliance is still put on buoyage and lights?

 

[nortada]

Portugal has far less Buoys.

Possibly not so many hazards.

'Its already feasible to create virtual bouyage using AIS'.

Virtual bouyage, entered by the fallible hand of man & real rocks - makes my blood run cold!

But I rather like the old ways & yes we carry a sextant but wouldn't suggest that the modern doesn't have its place.

One problem, some who rely totally on the new stuff have no back-up when the inevitable happens.

 

[Nostrodamus]

The advent of electronics has changed sailing so much and the availability of information has changed things. We all knew when the shipping broadcast was made and sat there noting it down drawing up our own synoptic charts before planing a journey. Now most people will just go onto passage weather or the like and look at the weather now and for several days ahead rather than trying to work it out themselves. Things are changing quickly, skills are being lost or becoming a little rusty and they are only set to change more... what will be the next change?

 

[nortada]

The advent of electronics has changed sailing so much and the availability of information has changed things. We all knew when the shipping broadcast was made and sat there noting it down drawing up our own synoptic charts before planing a journey. Now most people will just go onto passage weather or the like and look at the weather now and for several days ahead rather than trying to work it out themselves. Things are changing quickly, skills are being lost or becoming a little rusty and they are only set to change more... what will be the next change?

Agree can only guess!

 

[Rigger Mortice]

With all the electronic equipment commercial craft are obliged to have how much reliance is still put on buoyage and lights?

Very little I imagine.
Possibly lights are used more by fishermen and smaller commercial boats?
Maybe there is a case for keeping lights to help when GPS satellites fail for some reason, but I can't imagine that that is any everyday event?

 

[chinita]

Portugal has far less Buoys as does Spain.

Oh dear.

Could it be because the UK is an island nation and has about a billion more estuaries, channels, rivers, harbours, sandbanks, wrecks, oil platforms, gas platforms and other hazards than Portugal and Spain put together?

 

[Aries]

St Malo as fog cleared

On a trip from Guernsey to St Malo in June a sea mist came down, with visibility of a bout 500 yards. The chart plotter got us to the SWM when the mist lifted.
As others will know the view then is rocks, more rocks and a lighthouse, as well as buoys.
The Pilot Book was to hand and followed and got us in with Mk 1 eyes (two pairs) used to ensure we were where were supposed to be. The chart plotter was useful as well, but with other craft of all size and types sharing the waters, the pilot book and eyes were best.
A night approach would follow the same plan, but with much more preparation to know where lights would be expected to be and their characteristics.

 

[Elessar]

To be fair to the UK it is amazingly well buoyed. They stick them everywhere and generally in the right places. With the big buoys marking a channel into a port you can in a lot of cases follow them in just outside the Buoys.

Portugal has far less Buoys as does Spain.

France have an amazing knack of moving them around or putting them on the wrong side of the deeper water when going into a port. Go to close to the port hand markers that mark the narrow channel into La Rochelle and you will be in the mud even though you are a way off the markers. You can see them at low tide sat on the mud. Other markers we have seen in France are on top of rocks and the shallows extend out into the channel. I agree that chart plotters are not the be all and end all but is it wise to turn them off at night, especially in unknown waters. Using both makes more sense surely?

I don't turn it off. I use radar only, on dim, and its screen is predominately black so doesnt kill night vision. Plotter, even on night mode, does for me. The plotter is available quickly if I need it. I'd rather have eyes than a plotter.