Keeping a safe lookout.

[pathfinderstu]

Watching a newish 50 odd feet Moody design yacht leaving a berth in a busy creek in SW Turkey the other day I was very surprised to see that the guy at the helms view ahead was almost totally obstructed by the yachts cabin superstructure in front of him. He was standing on his tip toes at the helm try to see other craft and swimmers in front of him. I am not generally a critical person but surely the design is not safe and impractical for sailing.

 

[FWB]

The same can be said about yachts with their spray hoods constantly up.

 

[Resolution]

There are two of these modern Moodys (now just a brand name owned by Hanse, IIRC) in my marina in Port Iasos, Western Turkey. The helmsman is meant to look through the wheelhouse, I think, except perhaps when sailing and sitting out. In a sunny climate the hard top looks more sensible than in the UK.
When the design first appeared in the UK I wondered how any crew could cope with the very high bulwarks, and being able to jump down onto a pontoon when berthing alongside. Out in the Med this is not a factor, as one is usually berthing stern-to. For this, the Moody is fine.
Peter

 

[Seajet]

A chum has a boat with a sprayhood; I'd think I'm a pretty average altitude at 5'9", but I have the choice of trying to see through the ' clear ' panels - hopeless - or standing on a cockpit seat to peer over the thing.

I've often thought if sprayhoods and dodgers were solid grp everyone would say ' what a ghastly high windage motorsailer tub ' but somehow being canvas makes them OK...

 

[pathfinderstu]

I don't think so, spray hood should have windows you can see out of at least mine has, this yacht if you look at the plans was impossible to look through all the superstructure and get any kind of view as far as I can see.
I was watching from the pontoon where it left from, the guy clearly couldn't see a thing ahead of him through the cabin or otherwise, he was a good height would say 6ft and standing on his tip toes trying to navigate out. a friend of mine was also amazed at the problem, he has a Beneteau Sense 50, the only thing he did not see when he bought it was that you have to stand up when steering to get a good view, he would have had second thoughts about the purchase if had noticed that.
Maybe am just old school about keeping a good lookout it seems to me they have sacrificed forward vision for comfortable living quarters. Dangerous for the owners and others IMHO.

 

[FWB]

It's hard to tell if the skipper of an approaching yacht has seen you if the yacht has its sprayhood up.

 

[Sybarite]

I wondered how any crew could cope with the very high bulwarks, and being able to jump down onto a pontoon when berthing alongside.

There is a portion of the bulwark which folds down and which incorporates steps.

 

[pathfinderstu]

In my opinion regarding sprayhoods, if that's the case he is breaking international marine law by driving a vessel that vision impairs keeping a safe lookout, apart from that just outright dangerous and stupid putting himself and others in danger.
However this distracts from the original post imo the vessel design seriously hampers vision.

 

[Billows]

What...you can put sprayhoods down?

 

[Seajet]

I don't think so, spray hood should have windows you can see out of at least mine has, this yacht if you look at the plans was impossible to look through all the superstructure and get any kind of view as far as I can see.
I was watching from the pontoon where it left from, the guy clearly couldn't see a thing ahead of him through the cabin or otherwise, he was a good height would say 6ft and standing on his tip toes trying to navigate out. a friend of mine was also amazed at the problem, he has a Beneteau Sense 50, the only thing he did not see when he bought it was that you have to stand up when steering to get a good view, he would have had second thoughts about the purchase if had noticed that.
Maybe am just old school about keeping a good lookout it seems to me they have sacrificed forward vision for comfortable living quarters. Dangerous for the owners and others IMHO.

The ' clear ' plastic windows on all the sprayhoods I've come across are useless for lookout purposes; there could be a flying saucer 10' in front with the aliens hanging out of the windows making rude gestures and one wouldn't notice !

You definitely need to get outside and around a sprayhood to keep an effective lookout; if that means exposure to the nasty rain & spray, tough luck - if watchkeeping you're a vital part on a yot, responsible for all your chum's lives - not on a P & O cruise.

 

[johnalison]

I would say that my watchkeeping has improved greatly when moving from a boat without a sprayhood to my current HR with a glass screen and sprayhood. Although there is some interference with my view ahead when helming, this is not great and a small head movement can compensate. The glass is clear enough to view through with binoculars, and is probably better than when trying to screw one's eyes against rain from ahead. Where the screen comes into its own is when on autopilot, when I can sit comfortably under the hood and stay warm and alert even during the night. I have never sailed with a plastic sprayhood, except on other people's boats, and poor visibility is the main reason I never had one.

 

[Seajet]

I and my chums ( they're lifelong lifeboat crew ) agree, the armoured glass screens on HR's and Najads seem a logical development; then rig a tent on it if in harbour if one wants but not at sea...

 

[Leighb]

I hated sailing with the sprayhood up, can't see out properly even when no rain or spray making things worse, sometimes at SWMBO's insistence it would be up when motoring in the rain, I still either stood on the side deck getting wet while she sat under the hood or sat to leeward trying to see around the side not very satisfactory at all.
It is a historical problem though as we have sold our Halmatic and bought a M***r B**t

One very funny incident I witnessed some years ago was the vertically challenged skipper of a largish yacht with a sprayhood up, motoring out of Tollesbury, he obviously couldn't see a thing ahead and kept jumping in the air to see over the hood.

 

[sailorman]

http://gcaptain.com/watch-bulk-carrier-drifts-into-vlcc/

 

[Seajet]

I hated sailing with the sprayhood up, can't see out properly even when no rain or spray making things worse, sometimes at SWMBO's insistence it would be up when motoring in the rain, I still either stood on the side deck getting wet while she sat under the hood or sat to leeward trying to see around the side not very satisfactory at all.
It is a historical problem though as we have sold our Halmatic and bought a M***r B**t

One very funny incident I witnessed some years ago was the vertically challenged skipper of a largish yacht with a sprayhood up, motoring out of Tollesbury, he obviously couldn't see a thing ahead and kept jumping in the air to see over the hood.

He must have been of the African ' Kawi ' tribe I've sometimes observed; they have a habit of of jumping about proclaming their tribe, " We're the fukawi ! '

 

[{151760}]

http://gcaptain.com/watch-bulk-carrier-drifts-into-vlcc/

I like the way the guy runs to the stern deck. What's he going to do? Put a fender out?

 

[lenten]

i have often wondered in the ---(i got hooked up by a lobster pot/i hate fishermen threads that regularly appear)---how good the forward visibility was on yachts

 

[{151760}]

i have often wondered in the ---(i got hooked up by a lobster pot/i hate fishermen threads that regularly appear)---how good the forward visibility was on yachts

We have a sprayhood, which I can see over, my wife looks through it's windows. A bigger obstruction in crowded waters was the big overlapping foresail we previously had. We now have a high-cut jib which is much better. Keeping a good lookout requires those on watch to move about a bit, and to remember to look behind frequently. It's not really a problem.

 

[FWB]

People sailing with spray hoods up in good weather may we'll be able to keep a lookout BUT I can't tell if you've seen me because I can't see you........Bugblatter Beast of Traal syndrome.

 

[rogerthebodger]

He must have been of the African ' Kawi ' tribe I've sometimes observed; they have a habit of of jumping about proclaming their tribe, " We're the fukawi ! '

Yes I know then well. They live in and area of very high grass and are quite short in height. Hence their need to jump up to see where they are shouting where the fukari.