Keeping a safe lookout.

[maby]

There's no question of seeing over our sprayhood - much too high apart from the fact that I would have to cut a hole in the bimini for my head to go through. It is, however, easy to roll up the clear plastic windows and that is how we would always travel in congested places. In open water, we will roll down the windows and rely on a combination of radar, AIS and periodic peering round the sprayhood to check what is in front of us.

 

[Resolution]

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...

Great in cold climates from where they come. Less good in the Med or Tropics. I have just spent most of September sailing in Turkey with the Bimini up and the spray hood down!
Peter

 

[Resolution]

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

Yes but it is quite far aft and not much good for crew ready to jump with the bow line or spring. Also I always thought the folded down bit would be the first thing to hit the inevitable pile holding the end of the pontoon. Or the next door motor boat. Or to snag the bow line and get ripped off.

 

[LadyInBed]

I'm not a spray hood fan and I think it would look silly on a pilot saloon boat.
If the weather isn't very nice or it's cold I head for the saloon, lots of windows to look through

 

[{151760}]

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.

You'll be able to tell if I've seen you because I will wave or alter course enough to indicate that, if necessary. If I was sitting motionless, low down, without a sprayhood, how could you tell that I'd seen you? It requires some action whatever the configuration of the boat. How can you tell if someone in a wheelhouse boat has seen you?

 

[FWB]

You'll be able to tell if I've seen you because I will wave or alter course enough to indicate that, if necessary. If I was sitting motionless, low down, without a sprayhood, how could you tell that I'd seen you? It requires some action whatever the configuration of the boat. How can you tell if someone in a wheelhouse boat has seen you?

Thank you for making my point.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We regularly lower the sprayhood when entering a harbour or marina. When up I stand to one side, or sometimes stand on the seat to see over. My wife looks through the sprayhood windows or insists the sprayhood is lowered.

 

[{151760}]

Thank you for making my point.

What, that it's difficult to gauge people's reactions on another boat? Sprayhoods are not the only thing that makes that difficult. But my main point was that even if you have totally clear sight of the other helm you only get some indication of his intentions if he reacts. I try to react so that my intentions are made clear. Not everyone does, regardless of the equipment they have on board. The key phrase is "keep a good lookout". If you have sprayhoods, cabin tops, screens, wheelhouses etc. in the way then modify your techniques. Singling out sprayhoods for condemnation is an over-reaction.
As for the OPs concern, then yes the boat he mentioned is badly designed, to my mind.

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

CCTV?

 

[capnsensible]

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.

Why do you have to see someone on another vessel? all you have to do is assess a risk of collision. Ive never seen anyone on the bridge of a container ship, for example and never hit one.......

 

[FWB]

Why do you have to see someone on another vessel? all you have to do is assess a risk of collision. Ive never seen anyone on the bridge of a container ship, for example and never hit one.......

Because often the other yacht is the give way vessel and I haven't been able to tell if anyone is keeping a lookout.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Because often the other yacht is the give way vessel and I haven't been able to tell if anyone is keeping a lookout.

But surely you base your actions on what the vessel actually does. If we confine ouselves to small boats for a moment, I admit that if we are stand on vessel and I can't see anyone on the other boat, I watch with greater interest and get ready to take avoiding action but unless things are fast and furious, you don't have to do anything until you are only a few boat lengths away. I can remember a few times where we've taken avoiding action and slipped past the stern of a boat with an empty cockpit and an embarrassed crew appearing through the hatch with their fresh cup of tea etc.

Conversely, if I'm on watch by myself, and I need to check the chart or do some plotting, I often put the radar on (which is by the chart table) and keep an eye on that supplemented by sticking my head up through the companionway hatch every few minutes.

 

[Seajet]

That wouldn't work in the Solent or South coast to the West Country; we change course a few times per hour whether we're ' stand on ' vessel or not - making a deliberate turn to show one's intentions is often the best bet; remember the other lot may not be so well versed in the Colregs !

And yes, referring to ships, I once saw a small coaster heading North from N.Brittany with the bridge doors open, I could see straight through and there was nobody there...

Radar won't spot lobster pots or even people who may be quite keen on a bit of assistance - if short handed and nipping below to put the kettle on or a call of nature - it's said the No.1 cause of Man Overboard is peeing over the side - it's fair enough to scandalise the sails a little for a minute and leave the autopilot to it.

 

[john_morris_uk]

That wouldn't work in the Solent or South coast to the West Country; we change course a few times per hour whether we're ' stand on ' vessel or not - making a deliberate turn to show one's intentions is often the best bet; remember the other lot may not be so well versed in the Colregs !

And yes, referring to ships, I once saw a small coaster heading North from N.Brittany with the bridge doors open, I could see straight through and there was nobody there...

Radar won't spot lobster pots or even people who may be quite keen on a bit of assistance - if short handed and nipping below to put the kettle on or a call of nature - it's said the No.1 cause of Man Overboard is peeing over the side - it's fair enough to scandalise the sails a little for a minute and leave the autopilot to it.

In congested waters it obviously isn't appropriate.

However, which part of 'I stick my head out of the hatch every few minutes' wasn't clear? It's probably more like every minute and I've not ended up being run down by a stealth boat yet.

(Our radar spots most lobster pots too. It's even been known to pick up flotsam on a calm day.)

 

[Resolution]

(Our radar spots most lobster pots too. It's even been known to pick up flotsam on a calm day.)

One has a vision of a sort of underwater radar scoop collecting bits of flotsam. Very public-minded of you!

 

[Leighb]

(Our radar spots most lobster pots too. It's even been known to pick up flotsam on a calm day.)

Matter of curiosity, what sort of pot marker, decent ones with a pole and flag, or the more usual, here on the East coast anyway, used milk cartons or empty oil containers?

I asked one of the electronic guys at SIBS if their latest radar could pick up such things, and he said pretty unlikely, maybe on a dead flat calm day, when you could probably see it pretty easily anyway. I was disappointed as I hoped I could use this feature to persuade the budget controller that we NEED radar on our new acquisition.

 

[PhilipH]

Isn't all about the particular circumstances - we sailed nearly 2000nm across the Indian Ocean with the sprayhood up, bimini up, infill between sprayhood and bimini in place and one side of the cockpit tent in place so that we could stay dry. When we arrived in Rodrigues to enter the harbour everything was taken down. It's all just common sense. Having said that we were nearly rammed by another yacht when rafting up to enter the Panama Canal and SWMBO sustained a badly sprained wrist - the boat had a centre cockpit, the sprayhood was up, dinghy was on the coachroof ahead of it, bimini was deployed and the idiot helm was sitting down ...

 

[geem]

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.

I think maybe you need to look through some better quality sprayhood windows. There are some poor windows where vision in not great. Pay a little more and you can specify window material that you can actually see through....
We never take our sprayhood down but the centre window unzips so we can have lots of fresh air coming through. An important feature in the Caribbean. The shade that our sprayhood provides also means we dont have to have a bimini so we can still see the mainsail from behind the wheel.

 

[Seajet]

I think maybe you need to look through some better quality sprayhood windows. There are some poor windows where vision in not great. Pay a little more and you can specify window material that you can actually see through....
We never take our sprayhood down but the centre window unzips so we can have lots of fresh air coming through. An important feature in the Caribbean. The shade that our sprayhood provides also means we dont have to have a bimini so we can still see the mainsail from behind the wheel.

Well I'm not bragging about being in the Caribbean, just talking about real life; my chum's sprayhood - and transparent panels - is as good as it gets, he spares no expense on safety - and I have enough experience and judgement to know how clear plastic works, ta very much.

I chatted with my ex-Nimrod pilot chum yesterday, he reckons yachts are very difficult to spot on even top military surface search radar; ' much the same as a diesel sub snorting '.

Another chum who has been a fisherman all his life - also inshore & offshore lifeboat crew - reckons he might spot buoys with makeshift reflectors on radar in calm conditions, but when the wind & waves come, that's your lot mate !

 

[capnsensible]

Because often the other yacht is the give way vessel and I haven't been able to tell if anyone is keeping a lookout.

Irelevant, still. Assess and manouver. Simple.