Fog,fog,fog,fog and some more fog then the radar gives up

Jobs_a_ good_ un

Jobs_a_ good_ un

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Jan 2005
Messages
1,486
Location
home bristol boat where ever we end up
www.beneteau393.co.uk
Went out this morning intending to go to Cardiff 500 yards from the marina the radar writes its final death knell and gives up the ghost
Bristol Vts saying theres 4 tugs out there a container ship another comming down the severn from Sharpness another trying to anchor as unable to get in to portbury this all from a port that hardley ever seems to have any movement
As I turned to port to begin the journey to Cardiff the radar gives up
Ive got 3 sets of eyes on the helm with me keeping lookout with me when my eldest son says Dad did you know your heading towards that beach astern I go fast as you like
SEEMS I turned to port rather too much
So back into marina we go
Just goes to show even though I know this area like the back of my hand its still dead easy to make a cock up
Anyway does anybody know any local ish to bristol/cardiff companys that could fit a colour radar for me?????????
 
Had the same thing happen on a passage from Ramsgate to Ipswich many years ago. I was sh***ing conkers, I tell thee....... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Managed to get in using sounder - oh, and following an enormous great cargo vessel through the channel. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Not a nice way to spend the day but when you think how hard it is to get about on foot in a peasoup it's not surprising . /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gifThere is a company that installs them called Ocean Install , but when I contacted them to see what my competition's pricing was I was shocked. Not allowed to advertise here so PM me if you want a quote (yes I do travel and no I don't charge a fortune) NOT AN AD PLEASE NO DELETE /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I'm not sure whether its better with radar or not. Hum, well I'm sure it is, but switching from screen to screen, pearing out the window. Then looking at cumpass and realising you've got full lock on and going round in circles!! We were going round start point this summer. Debs upstairs, me looking at radar/chart plotter down. But the intercom had packed in. Bloody dots all over the place on radar. Yacht shot past within 20ft apparently, whilt I was going down the ladder! Trouble is, some lobser pots give bigger signal than some yachts. Some give no signal at all. You might be able to track one target, but try it with ten or more. Think we picked our way further out with less traffic. Very hard to make loads of course changes whilst eyes glued to radar without chart plotter and auto pilot.
 
Bit of blind nav then Mark. As others have said fix your position from the chart plotter, then chart plot you way back usiing contour lines etc.
 
Piss poor skippering

hm, you're getting an easy ride here.

Fact is that with high pressure during colder part of the year you shd've *known* that fog is very likely indeed. So, charts, gps, radar and manual fixes to local chart with sonar etc should all have been ready - but seems you had none of these to hand, and hence didn't really know where you were, relying on misplaced "back of hand" overconfidence. Nor did you seem to have much of an idea how to get into port without radar using sonar (or even gps) or otherwise find safety. Poor, imho.

Your attitude seems to have been cavalier in the extreme and remains so even on this thread. Heyho, stuff happens eh?

Yes, stuff does happen and when it does THAT's the difference betwen good and no-so-good skipper. The 99% of the time, even if thousands of miles are covered, when nothing much happens is almost no test at all.

Imho, this wasn't "bad luck". You screwed up. It was in fact "very good luck" that sharp eyes of your crew saved the boat+crew from the skipper's inability to forecast the fog, prepare properly in advance, and to navigate "blind". Harsh but true i'm afraid, imho.

You need crew eyes to see other ships but the fact that crew eyes saw the beach approaching indicates you were simply guessing at your position.

Ringup suncoast immediately and getcha self booked to a YM course. The fog will occur again and you shd've predicted it AND have been far more ready than you were AND be able to navigate safely with out radar or at least without hitting the beach.

If you're serious about going out at night or in fog a lot, consider two cheapy independednt radars rather than one swanky colour one. Less likely (but not impossible) that two pack in. Use radar often, and faults will show sooner rather than later when you turnem on - in the fog.
 
Re: Piss poor skippering

We are talking here about a narrow channel with 5 knots of tide and a reverse eddy close in shore.

The entrance to TWO major ports only a mile or so away .

the statement that there are hardly any ship movements is not accurate. Between Avonmouth Portbury and Sharpness there is probably an average of 8 or 10/day not counting dredgers /tugs etc.

If you only got 500 yards then the fog must have been obvious before you left the marina approach channel.


This is not an area to be trifled with.from choice I wouldnt venture out into the upper reaches of the bristol Channel in fog even with a working radar.You did the right thing informing Bristol VTS of your problem and getting back in ASAP.

Some of the larger ships using Portbury have 14.5 meters draught this makes them extremely constrained in the narrow channel completely unable to avoid you if you stray under its bows!

PS ill PM you the name of a guy that fits electronics based in Cardiff .
 
Re: Piss poor skippering

I don't think that slating the poor guy, who probably now knows what he 'should' have done, what he's after is someone to repair the radar, everyone learns by expeience as well as training, but whats all this PM the name business, if he's that good, make his name known, I'm not allowed to advertise so knowing who the competition is would only be fair. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Re: Piss poor skippering

Diplomacy never has been my strong point /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Yes fair enough on top of the earlier posts it may have seemed like putting the boot in.which is uncalled for at anytime and not what I intended.I was trying to put the post in perspective for people who dont know the area .

Re the radar fitter theres a guy called Roy ,Nick name Roy Radar ,firm called Specialised Marine electronics . I can get the phone number on tuesday if required
 
Re: Piss poor skippering

fair enuf. But he'd had lot's of free niceness from everyone else, so i balanced it up a bit.

Now and again i'm a bit fed up of incompetence and ignorance being paraded as "one of those things". It isn't.

But I agree that it's the fashion to treat those whose low levels of knowledge and/or skill with kindness and understanding, even if their attitude towards training and other forms of preparation is careless, and endangers others. A shame.
 
Re:Niceness balancing

[ QUOTE ]
he'd had lot's of free niceness from everyone else, so i balanced it up a bit.


[/ QUOTE ]

We can allways rely on you to balance out any excessively nice threads /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top