Duties and amusement on night watch?

[JohnGC]

No AIS. Is not a NAV aid it is purely designed for security purposes when ISPS was brought in post 9/11. If you see a ship visually it might help identify it. Its not real time and certainly not accurate as depends entirely on operator input. In close quarters the AIS input is at the bottom of a very long list of tasks for the watchkeeping officer. Interestingly one of the arguments against its introduction was that people would use it as a replacement for good nav practice and it has proved so with several shipping incidents traced to watchkeepers using AIS for collision avoidance.

I don't know about the original intention of AIS but things change.

Quote from the MCA website on AIS...



To my mind, something that "may be used for the navigation of the ship" is a navigation aid.

I consider AIS to be an extra pair of (electronic) eyes on watch.

 

[Seajet]

Did you mean Religion or Raymarine ?

Captainboo,

well I've never been into blokes sitting on clouds but I've prayed for Raymarine kit to keep going !

 

[Iain C]

Ten years ago I did sail on a boat that had a "pornography locker". Two of the lads on board had an ongoing competition over who could buy the most extreme grot-mag in each port we stopped at - Gosport being the obvious highlight.

Probably fortunately, we were only day-sailing, with no solitary night watches requiring "entertainment".

Pete

Marvellous! I keep my boat in Gosport, I might have to look at differing victualling suppliers than the 24hr Tesco and the local Co-op.

My lockers are labelled for unfamiliar crew, especially for safety equipment..."LIFEJACKETS AND HARNESS LINES BEHIND SEAT", "BILGE PUMP SEACOCKS IN HERE", "BILGE PUMP BELOW NAVIGATOR'S SEAT". But I'm not sure how "SWEDISH AMATUER 40+ READER'S WIVES IN HERE" or "AMSTERDAM RUBBER LESBIANS UNDER CHART TABLE" would go down with SWMBO.

Mind you, I'm sure some of the lads might be more inclined to do an anchor watch rather than head to the pub. Even if we are in a marina...

 

[geem]

We tried several watch periods on an Atlantic crossing with just two of us. 3on, 3off worked best for us. It was the best compromise for boredom and the ability to stay awake with the off watch crew getting at least 2 hours of sleep in the 3 hour off watch period.
At one point crossing back from Caribbean I set my egg timer whilst on watch and continually did 10 minute cap naps for my three hours with a quick look around the horizon and the radar plotter each time. Didn't hit anything and was better than staying awake

 

[KellysEye]

Lots of snacks and make some flasks of coffee/tea. I used to read a book and then look around after each page, a white light is fine, as I discoverd it's a myth that it destroys night vision, ships lights are bright and you will see them. We also use a white light on the chart table. If you think you might fall asleep turn off the autopiot and hand steer. However using an autopilot all the time is bad news they eat power thus you will need to run a generator or engine regularly which is why we had one but only used it when motoring. I never ran the engine or generatator at night as it ruins the sleep of those off watch, hand steering is best.

 

[cryan]

Lots of snacks and make some flasks of coffee/tea. I used to read a book and then look around after each page, a white light is fine, as I discoverd it's a myth that it destroys night vision, ships lights are bright and you will see them. We also use a white light on the chart table.

It's no myth. It does reduce your night vision. If bright lights were all that you had to look for at sea at night then watchkeeping would be easy.

 

[duncan99210]

We use 3 on 3 off when making passage and find it OK by the end of day two. As to preventing boredom, iPad and iPod work for us, either games or books. As regards night vision, I always used to try and preserve it but realised that it was pointless for long sea crossings, with no need to spot and follow buoys or shore lights. Ship lights show up well in total darkness, even the underpowered ones fitted to sailing vessels. Less the total darkness, you tend to see the shape of the vessel about the same time as you see her lights (small ones that is, most merchant or fishing vessels are lit up like Blackpool).

Interested in someone's understanding that there is a requirement for the OOW to input data into the AIS - I understood it was an automated system relaying the GPS generated position, course, speed etc.

 

[prv]

Interested in someone's understanding that there is a requirement for the OOW to input data into the AIS - I understood it was an automated system relaying the GPS generated position, course, speed etc.

It is.

There are a few fields that are manually entered, such as the destination port, navigation status (anchored, under way, etc) but the position, SOG and COG come from a dedicated GPS receiver.

Pete

 

[cryan]

It is.

There are a few fields that are manually entered, such as the destination port, navigation status (anchored, under way, etc) but the position, SOG and COG come from a dedicated GPS receiver.

Pete

Not always in real time.

 

[prv]

Not always in real time.

Do you have any source for that assertion?

What do you suggest it is doing with the information in the meantime?

Pete

 

[cryan]

Well I have been on a course when they first came out. I have fitted a few ststems and maintained a few on sea going vessels during my time as a Engineering Officer in the MN. They are generally hooked up to the 24v dc emergency system and as such you don't want them constantly transmitting so as to reduce load on the batteries in the event of a blackout. I have also sailed on vessels where it has been joked about at dinner that the sparky had left the unit turned off for a week and nobody had noticed.
It is five years since I came inshore and things do change although I do remember a examiner/surveyor I worked closely with a few years ago telling me he failed a cadet doing his orals due to him stating AIS was an emergency Nav Aid.

I stand by to be corrected though.

 

[snorkmaiden]

Yep - no need for entertainment and although I am a big fan of audio entertainment - audiobooks etc. on land or when I'm getting the boat ready. But on passage at night just being there seems to be quite enough - stars, clouds, changes in the feel of the wind or rain - all that. I agree that 4 hours can be better in non-challenging conditions - gives a decent chunk of sleep time to the alternate crew - especially when only 2 people. On longer passages I have read a book in quiet conditions - with a timer set for a proper look around every 10 minutes. I have even read by starlight. Cuppa tea, snack, log, the time passes. I really can't be bothered with audio - one more thing to get tangled up with life jacket & tether. Best ever was all 4 hours of moon eclipse traveling due E just past Gibralter. Even with inexperienced crew I have put them on watch alone so they can experience the night at sea - OK I am probably in my sleeping bag dozing within reach... As to the day - I would just make sure that SOMEONE knows they are on watch, and even on a short-ish passage like this, that the first person on the night watch is properly fed & rested. I have worked on a charter boat, autopilot and full sail with all 8 of us asleep. Especially on the first day, th excitement is such that everyone is awake all day and no-one is ready to stay awake. Enough. Fair winds.

 

[Amphitrite]

Well, AIS is indeed not realtime, but quite close:

Class A transponders (on all ships above 300 tons) give the following update rate:

At anchor or moored and moving less than 3 knots
3 min Not Changing Course

3 min Changing Course

At anchor or moored and moving faster than 3 knots

10 secs Not Changing Course

10 secs Changing Course


0 to 14 knots
10 secs Not Changing Course

3 1/3 secs Changing Course


14 to 23 knots
6 secs Not Changing Course

2 secs Changing Course

Over 23 knots
2 secs Not Changing Course

2 secs Changing Course

All this data is generated automatically from an internal GPS and a turning rate sensor. Only data that is purely for ISPS purposes is entered manually (destination, crew onboard etc.). Of course it might not be switched on, but in general the master is obliged to have it on if this is not detrimental to the safety of the vessel. I agree that it is no replacement for radar, but its technical implications should be understood if an educated decision on the reliability of data is needed.
Class B is slower, but the vessels are smaller....

 

[Athene V30]

I've done 6 on, 6 off on a survey vessel. !

Did same on Grey Funnel Line for about 4 weeks at a time on some exercises with the occasional Action Stations thrown in to break up any sleep!

 

[capnsensible]

That's an interesting variation I'd not come across. I can see the appeal - no real night watches for most of the crew, and if you are the night owl then you don't have to do anything all day. But I don't think I'd want to be the night person constantly, and seems like it would be difficult to add any rotation (dog watches etc) when the watches are so long. Presumably you stuck to the same watches all the way across?

Pete

It was an interesting trip. I picked up the yacht (Etap 39) in Miami and we went from there to Bermuda, Horta and San Miguel to Gib. The joint owner was a USAF colonel, F16 pilot who ran the airforce equivilant to Top Gun, actually trained the instructors. Other crew was Silicon Cath, California lass with breasts like a dead heat in a Zeppelin race.

His idea was that as I had flown in my time zone to the US. I would find that 2200 t0 0600 would be like a normal working day....it was! As we shifted time zones, all went amazingly well.

We had plenty of social time, taught Mike Astro, taught Cath coastal theory, had an all round good time. Learnt that our friends are serious about 'grace' before supper and indeed Americans are amazing people who can be convinced that 1600 is actually the time that everything stops for a cup of tea. And that if the only cd you have onboard for a transatlantic is Robbie Williams Escapology it can be played 8 million times.....

Soo, don't be shy of testing any watchkeeping routine. Its the 'routine' that cracks it!!

 

[prv]

As to the day - I would just make sure that SOMEONE knows they are on watch

A good point.

I have known someone who had a whistle on a lanyard, to be worn at all times by the person on watch. Notionally its purpose was to be able to call all hands on deck in case of some urgent crisis, but the real value was as a token showing who was currently on watch. Otherwise on a lazy day, everyone can assume that someone else is looking out, keeping an eye on the course, etc. Nothing says the person with the whistle can't be lying on a cushion on the foredeck with everyone else, but they do need to be casting an eye round the horizon periodically.

Pete

 

[OceanSprint]

I've done 6 on, 6 off on a survey vessel. !

I too spent 15 years surveying the ne Atlantic. We had a variant of 6 on, 6 off, 6 on, 12 off. It had the advantage that over a 3week survey no one was stuck on any watch, as you rotate through the watches. And the 12 off was referred to as the "sabbatical" as it was a really long break and useful for catching up on work.

 

[ribrage]

the good old days

I've done 6 on, 6 off on a survey vessel. That is probably the worst of all worlds - a long watch, followed by just not enough sleep! It also has the drawback that you're always on/off watch at the same time of day, and if you're unlucky it can mean you don't see much daylight! That's actually a serious issue with two-watch systems. The watch-keeping was below decks in a totally enclosed instrument room, as well. At least, except for the short periods on the stern deck battling with an instrument cable a kilometre or so long, while waves washed up the stern ramp!

We are doing 10 cables x 10 Km now a days with at least a dozen people in the instrument room watching the gear (12 hr watch), with bridge crew on normal watch system....how things have changed !

 

[Daydream believer]

I find 4 hour watches work best, I usually sail with one crew.

I also try to get across the Channel in daylight nowadays ( not too difficult in ' a boat which averages 7 knots and is capable of low earth orbit ' ) if one sets off early, tides permitting !

I think you are making that up!
I cannot imagine any yacht bothering with watches on a 12 hour trip during daylight hours. It would be more a case of who gets lumbered with having to steer. Or adjust the auto if you have one
Plus on the one trip you claimed to have averaged 7 kts in a teacup ( now it is beginning to sound like every trip)you would have all been too busy preparing the 4 course meal & dressing for dinner, updating Huston control & posing for the TV camera to bother with watches

 

[OceanSprint]

We are doing 10 cables x 10 Km now a days with at least a dozen people in the instrument room watching the gear (12 hr watch), with bridge crew on normal watch system....how things have changed !

I don't think the difference is time, but money. Sounds like you are from the private sector, and oil and gas related, where money and people are no object. Antarcticpilot, i am guessing, and myself are from the research scientific sector where we are limited by funds. We ran a 68m RV with sometimes just 5 scientists, unless we could cram it with students.