How fast in the Dark

[tcm]

a vis thing is no good surely - it needs summink that could beep abeep so we arg crash stop. Gludy's fwd sonar he says gives 200m so erm erm 20knots = 3minutes per mile ish = 180 seconds per 1600nm soo erm oh 20 seconds at least. 10seconds wd be fine for a reliable signal, rather than yet another false alarm. Not too bad if it works. It wd have to send out v fast repeateable signals to check that what it bounces a signal was indeed hard and there and not the seabed.

 

[BrendanS]

and something that is probably addressed more by clubs than by RYA. The club I belong to run at least two night exercises a year. Afternoon spent preparing crib sheets, then out after dark. No electronic aids, and a great confidence booster to anyone that's not done it before, with loads of experienced people along to keep an eye on boats and shepherd the strays etc (amazing how easily you can lose a boat in the dark when 10 or more out together) and each boat takes a turn covering one of the pre-prepared legs.

I did one of these in my first year sea boating, and as a result had the confidence to go out myself, and one of the joys of boating was to go down to boat of a mid week evening, take it out to Cowes or somewhere similar for a bar meal, then return in dark. Improved my useage of boat tremendously.

That led onto taking on night journeys of longer distance, etc, etc.

Those night exercises are undertaken at normal cruising speed for the club, usually just over 20knts, which caters to most club members. Lots of safety issues covered during briefings, like how 10 fast boats travel at night. Line astern is not on, so a staggered or V normally, but then lead boat has to understand that whole 'formation' is wide, and not cut in close to bouys or other obstructions.

Advanced Powerboat course also covers night work, and again, wasn't down at 8-10knts range, more normal cruising speed.

 

[Its_Only_Money]

LOL /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[BrendanS]

You'd need a very, very powerful IR light to illuminate the sea ahead to a level to make it useful. Most night cameras work by intensifying the image from available light

 

[rich]

mine works ok.

 

[BrendanS]

Yep, but have you tried it at 40+knts! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Gludy]

Not really HLB

What has emerged so far is a number of good tips for those reading who have never done it before plus a few points I am going to check out such as do traditional rope cutters work best at low speed - the Aussies ones work better at high speed, plus possible displacment speeds shoving pots out the way,plus how fast some of us go at night! Plus a promise to check out the new model forward sonar for detecting big objects plus a side discussion that has wanrings about using one engine unless the gearbox maker approves it and a few other points.

Now this may not please you but so what ..... not all of us could be pleased all the time

Plus me this far into a thread without a single cut and paste .... and you are still not happy!!!! There is just no pleasing some people

 

[rich]

40 knots, I wish /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Keep going, you are doing well so far!

 

[Hurricane]

This thread seems to have lots of different subjects but "what the heck"

Ours Volvo displays read MPG - GPM in fact (statute miles that is - I've not tried to change them yet).
Recently, the main log got all "barnacled up" and the Volvo displays kept on going so I'm prety sure they are fed from the main GPS SOG.

Do you know anywhere where we can get some technical manuals for the displays. We've got the simple "owners manual" (leaflet) but would like to know more about them. They, obviously, link with the Volvo EDC and electronics.

Also, is there any way of doing the sort of diagnostics that the Volvo engineer does when he connects a laptop to the engines? Ours are D12 EDCs

As I said earlier, we will probably not do the "single engine thing" again.

Your last point is interesting -
"And how did you cope with power steering? Surely only one engine drives your pas pump?" - look - cut and paste!!!

I think our autohelm is driven from an electric motor via a Raymarine course computer. Otherwise manual helm done by the hydraulics in the steering wheels/tillers etc. I think I'm correct but we've only had the boat a year and still learning how things work.

 

[Gludy]

Hurricane .... according to TCM/Gludy forum rules you are allowed one cut and paste per post and seeing as that is all you had, there is no need to cower, grovel or anything else.

 

[Gludy]

Brendan
When the club goes out in an extended V at night at say 20 knots do any have radar? Further what is the radar echo of these boats, which I assume are small, like?

 

[Gludy]

Brendan ... maybe its not me doing well as others not doing badly No one has attacked so far - in fact all we have had is HLB having a moan about the simplicity of it all

 

[BrendanS]

Disagree., Hurricane is obviously a troll, so should be told to post his subject matter elsewhere, as it's a thread drift which has absolutely [--word removed--] all to do with the thread, and could easily have been posted as a stand alone thread. Grrrr!

 

[BrendanS]

See how easy it is!

 

[BrendanS]

No radar, these are ribs and sportsboats, and a few up to 33'

Sometimes if too many boats to handle, we split into 2 groups.

Never had any problems, other than lead boat getting it completely wrong, in which case some don't follow leader, and go off on correct course, then we have to herd them all back together. Not as easy a task as you'd imagine.

Everyone learns loads though, and has fun, and builds confidence hugely for those that have never done it before, as we ensure no one goes missing.

 

[LeytonC]

Now you are drifting the thread telling us about a trolling thread drifter, who my not be a troll just a thread drifter... aaaaggghhh i am doing it now /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

-- Right back on track --

Gludy, in my experience *most* small craft give a $hite rader echo unless they have some kind of radar reflector. I hope everyone here has a reflector! cos at night i am really using my radar and i would like to see you....

Othe exception to this is counts bouy (North Cardinal) when you cross from welsh to english side in upper bristol channel (inward rocks to narlswood), that gives a crap echo as well - dont know why, but it does.

 

[Gludy]

I ws just thinking of night time cruising and picking up 20 small radar signals belting towards me at 20 knots!!!! Or even worse no radar signals and them all coming straight at me at 20 knots

 

[Gludy]

I am thinking just the same- 20 odd foot sports boats give very little echo .... so far can everyone see?

 

[hlb]

No, I stand corrected. It is definatly much better with out the cut and paste. Though if the thread was entitled How To Sail at night, I think this would have been much better than. How Fast. Maybe only a small point, but however we do seem to be getting there, if some what slowly.

Must admit that I've done very little night sailing in the last fifteen years or so. Mind. I dont include trips back from the pub, which may be only five or ten miles away anyway. Mind I suppose iff gone five or ten miles in confined waters, the open sea wud be much easier, but then I'd have run out of juice far before breakfast time, so be looking a bit dumb for the effort.

Now with dinghys I've much more experience and mainly involves returning from the pub. This creates some what greater difficulties ie. No radar, no GPS, no charts or hand held compass, usually we forgot the torch as well. We have loads and loads of life jackets, but never been realy confident about whether they work. One day I'll learn to swim anyway. The trip back to the boat usually involves bouncing off other boats with Deborah offering apologies in profusion. This seems to help alot. We have been known to miss the boat completely, but once in open sea, tend to turn back and eventually find her. But my question is, does my nocternal meanderings qualify me for YM. It must be way over sixty miles, and in far more hazardest conditions than most. I submit this to the house.