Interesting Collision

[requiem]

AIS and/or Radar are only any good if you can keep a watch on it. This isn't possible when single handing when even if the screen is on deck, the Yachtsman has many other calls on his/her/its/their (pick the pronoun of choice) attention. I don't have AIS myself so I don't know if you can have audible or on-screen warning of the potential of standing into danger but I have been crew on boats when someone has been able to continuously monitor traffic on AIS and in these cases it seemed to be a valuable addition.

The presentation also makes a difference. Software like OpenCPN does a very good job of presenting CPA information, whereas if your plotter only displays "triangular confetti" you might have a bit harder time. With a clear display and course vectors enabled things are much simpler. For example, I can tell at a glance that in just over 12 minutes the dark blue-flagged vessel will pass astern of the green-flagged vessel at the very bottom center.

 

[Graham376]

AIS and/or Radar are only any good if you can keep a watch on it. This isn't possible when single handing when even if the screen is on deck, the Yachtsman has many other calls on his/her/its/their (pick the pronoun of choice) attention.

I just don't understand this statement. We effectively sail single handed when one's sleeping. Never had a problem keeping a radar watch as sails are set and we're on autopilot. When a target appears, just place the ebl on it and see whether it stays on the line or moves off. Never felt the need for ais and the most used instrument is MK1 eyeball.

 

[zoidberg]

I sail a 10 metre vessel with a few bells and whistles out of Plymouth where the 'Grey Funnel Fleet', the Royal Navy, have priority over all other traffic. Get too close and the men in black will make sure you don't get any closer or you get shot.

There's always a workaround. For some years I used the ploy which opens the locked doors of an IT Support crew's workroom - when on my mooring I wave a bag of Sainsburys jam donuts in their direction. Sure, they're suspicious as hell initially, just like strange dogs, but over time they relax, come over, and begin to trust you if you feed 'em jam donuts.

It pays dividends. They get to know my boat on sight, and when on patrol they come close and slow right down to see if there's anyone on board with a bag of donuts. I even learn some of their names. That means my boat gets checked out visually several times a day - which is the cheapest 'security' on the South Coast!

 

[penfold]

Pavlov would be proud.

 

[Stemar]

Pavlov would be proud.

Woof!

 

[gordmac]

How could someone not see an aircraft carrier?

 

[capnsensible]

How could someone not see an aircraft carrier?

Asleep......

 

[laika]

How could someone not see an aircraft carrier?

world navies have had over 70 years to up their game since the Philadelphia experiment

 

[Stemar]

From the yacht's perspective, it isn't hard to imagine a train of thought that could take him there.

There's a ship. Looks like it might get a bit close. It should keep out of my way as I'm stand on, but ... No, it's the navy, they'll have someone on the bridge and and awake.

Is it going to turn? Come on! No, dammit, it isn't, better get the hell outa Dodge. F me it's huge Oh sh Oh sh ... Crunch

 

[gordmac]

As said above the train of thought was probably more like zzzzzzzz!

 

[Topcat47]

I just don't understand this statement. We effectively sail single handed when one's sleeping. Never had a problem keeping a radar watch as sails are set and we're on autopilot. When a target appears, just place the ebl on it and see whether it stays on the line or moves off. Never felt the need for ais and the most used instrument is MK1 eyeball.

I don't think you're sailing a 26'er with a 1GM10 as a main engine and an 85Ah 12 volt service battery tho'

 

[Graham376]

I don't think you're sailing a 26'er with a 1GM10 as a main engine and an 85Ah 12 volt service battery tho'

Used to with our Centaur but even worse than that, on delivery trip from Hamble to Conwy we had one stop at Falmouth. Coming out of there, the engine packed up so had to sail the rest of the way to Conwy with no ability to recharge battery or run heater (in January) or autohelm.

 

[Iliade]

Silly question, but are those (and our's for that matter) carrier's forward facing lights visible from sea level once they are getting scarily close or would one just be looking for a starless patch in the sky?
It just could be one of the many daft things that got missed in the design & build phase...

 

[Sandy]

How could someone not see an aircraft carrier?

Grey ships are difficult to see on a grey, foggy morning.

 

[Birdseye]

Grey ships are difficult to see on a grey, foggy morning.

Arent they meant to be? Otherwise why not paint them bright yellow?

I thought it was a clear reminder of the colregs involved. Sure he made some assumptions but if they were correct then what he said was correct.

I blagged my way onto the bridge of a container shop as we approached Grand Canarai in what was maybe a 5 or 6. I checked what was visible on their two radars - nothing. I looked out of the window - nothing, until all of a sudden we were maybe 100 meters from a sailing boats under full sail. With whitecaps on the sea and looking from so far up as the bridge, he was not visible to human eyeball until too near to take avoiding action.

Personally I have always adopted colregs rule zero - grp gives way to iron.

 

[requiem]

Silly question, but are those (and our's for that matter) carrier's forward facing lights visible from sea level once they are getting scarily close or would one just be looking for a starless patch in the sky?

I expect that would depend on your idea of scarily close. Visibility and sea state aside, my opinion is that if you're within a few miles of one and aren't already tracking it or taking avoiding action, you've some bad habits to correct. You can use AIS to calibrate your eyes; my personal "it's time to move" threshold is far more conservative as a result.

Here's a profile shot of HMS Queen Elizabeth at night, from this thread: Photos - The Aircraft Carrier Thread

 

[Iliade]

If I had that view I'd be perfectly happy. I'm not so sure about the guard boat skippers though because that looks like about 251 metres off.

Before my previous point could be addressed I'd like to see a photo from the front, but in the meantime...

So, on a foul winter's night with cloud base barely above sea level and the 25kt carrier approaching a yacht on a collision course from astern (Around here that sort of weather is not rare.) the lights do indeed appear to be too high to be seen from the cockpit of a small craft... Now imagine if said small craft were loaded with explosives. That would be a very cheap way to ruin our capability...

Hopefully (Undoubtedly) our mariners keep a better standard of watch than that French crew. Certainly I have met the guard boats for our A class subs and I would hope our carriers have still more obvious escorts.