The best way of keeping watch?

[Tumblehome]

I noted that the Whitbread 60 involved in the other collision at sea 25m S of the Eddystone last week (see the MCA website for details) was run right into from behind by a bulk carrier. The yacht was holed directly on the transom, spun around (actually, the Western Morning News said it 'span' round) and I understand that she was dismasted after clashing again along the side of the ship. It happened at three in the morning, and of the 7 crew there were 3 on watch aboard the yacht. Vis poor in showers but no fog. Guess someone wasn't looking behind????

I know I've not always glanced in the rearview mirror as often as I might. And I remember once sailing in pretty thick fog with a guy who was a regular watchkepeer on big motoryachts and he could spot things I couldn't, even when he pointed out to me where they were! And yes, thanks, my eyesight is fine. I just didn't seem to have my ship eyes in.

So to my question:

What is the most effective means of keeping a visual watch by day and by night? I don't mean 'look all around' - I mean what is the definitive method of scanning, of picking up other vessels or objects with peripheral vision, scanning back and forth over the horizon in sectors or quadrants, etc. Do you use binoculars only for magnifying objects or identifying lights or is it effective to scan a horizon with them?

Does anyone have an expert opinion?

Elaine Bunting, Yachting World

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[tcm]

Radar at helm, switched on all the time.

In open sea (in fact all the time) i have radar on and as it is positioned in front of helm, it is is primary lookout for distant vessels, and sees all around as first line of defence. If used all the time it can be tuned to even count seagulls, not very useful but keeps you alert with "something to do". Ofcourse, it is irrelevant in busy inshore waters.

I wonder if, in fact, if one had radar and didn't use it, that would be seen as not keeping the best lookout possible given equipment available? Even in good daylight conditions? It does seem as though many keep it for a rainy day as though it will be "used up". Batteries permitting, radar should be on all the time, like a depth gauge.

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[Sybarite]

Elaine

Coming back from Ireland towards the Scillies a few years ago the ferry came up from astern out of a very misty early morning. It was never a collision risk that time but could have been because, when I became aware of it, it was almost abeam.

Thinking about it afterwards I had allowed to let myself get into a comfortable position on the cockpit seat and I think the watch-keeping involved scanning about 270° The other 90° would have meant getting up from the comfy position and so got neglected.

It was a sobering experience.

As far as scanning things on the horizon I have only average vision but I tend to see things before other family members who have better eyesight. This is because
with experience I know what to be looking for. A buoy 3 miles away will only be a dot. I am looking for the dot while the others are looking for a buoy.

John


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[Mirelle]

I seem to remember from somewhere that you are more likely to pick up an object if you look slightly to one side of it.

I agree with Sybarite about keeping watch over the arc you can see without shifting position. I have had more than one fright because of this. But from astern, if running, you often hear the ship's engine at a distance.

Quartering the horizon with 7 x 50's is fine from the wing of a ship's bridge, but just about impossible, I find, from a yacht in any sort of big sea. You can do a bit of a sweep, but then the boat takes a lee lurch,. you get disorientated, and you don't know where to start again from. It's much worse than snapping the horizon for a sextant sight in the same conditions, because you need to keep it up for longer.

It is possible, in the case you mention, that the ship was in rain whilst the yacht was not - this would certainly affect the ship's ability to pick up the yacht's radar reflector. There have been quite a few serious collisions between ships because of this. On a more mundane level, I gave myself an almighty scare, running West across Lyme Bay towards Brixham, some years ago, when I almost went slap into the side of an anchored VLCC, at about 0300, for just this reason.

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[Guest]

I watch the horizon in the manner I was taught on a US Nave destroyer: look, stare, shift your head around a little, repaeat. I guess the key is in the many small changes, each time taking in some new horizon. You are more likely to then spot what has changed.

I very rarely search with binoculars unless I know there is something there which I expect to see (i.e. to make out the colour of the nav lights ahead etc).

As to night sailing, the curse for me is to have too comfortable of a perch with my back to the wind (and rain). It's then a matter of discipline to keep the regular lookout aft. I reason to myself that a good stand up and looksee every ten minutes is a means of preventing the muscles from siezing up!

<hr width=100% size=1>Humperdinck

Email: HJ@Seacracker.org
Website: www.seacracker.org

 

[Robin]

I thought about fitting wing mirrors to our goalpost gantry so I could see forwards without having to stick my head out from behind the sprayhood and get a bucket of salt water in the face. I would have thought keeping a lookout behind was the easy option.

Seriously though, I scan slowly and usually pick up the inconspicuous objects with peripheral vision. Perversely I wear sunglasses even on misty days (cheap USA polarised with light yellow tint, grey doesn't work) since these improve the contrast and define the horizon/sky interface and objects better. In fog you have to try and focus at a longer range than you think, difficult to do but you will see things sooner than if you stare just at the fog itself.

At night same applies but top quality 7X50 binos which 'collect' the light will help identify ship lights at longer range, not used however instead of but in addition to normal scan watch. Helps to pick out the nav lights from the deck/working lights.

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[Guest]

Re: Wing Mirrors

Go to South Wales ... laugh at the power boats AND some nasty little sail boats with wing mirrors from cars. Even saw some on a Princess. Hilarious.

<hr width=100% size=1>Humperdinck

Email: HJ@Seacracker.org
Website: www.seacracker.org

 

[Twister_Ken]

Hoods on oilies , bad.

It's like putting blinkers on a horse. I want to buy a Souwester.

If you've got a hood up, you have to be very deliberate about making a 360 scan every few minutes.

If you've got sufficient staff aboard to have two on watch, let the helmsperson do all the steery stuff, and leave No 2 to keep an all round lookout - including around the back of the genny.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Mirelle]

Agree.

Sou'westers very much better. Always use one. Musto do good ones.

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[Robin]

Re: Hoods on oilies , bad.

Souwesters are good, only other way is a peaked hat like a Breton under the hood, the peak keeps the hood lined up with the face. Personally in light rain I prefer nothing, as it gets wetter I use the Breton, wetter still it's the Souwester, wetter still and it's time to navigate seriously or use the radar down below and get SWMBO out in the wet.

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[burgundyben]

I was tort, when motoring a yacht or on a power boat in fog to stop the engines regularly and listen, you can hear ships coming form quite a distance if weather is calm as is often the case in fog.

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[jamesjermain]

At night...

At night peripheral vision is the key. The eye has more low-light receptors (mainly black and white) round the edges and more bright-light receptors (mainly colour) in the central part. Thus, a buoy or light will appear brighter and earlier if you look at it sideways. Once located, you can look straight at it to identify the colour.

I am a bad look-out, but I scan the horizon in blocks so that my eyes are still. I always wear a peaked cap under my oily hood so that it moves with my head.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[AndrewB]

What I\'d really like is a watch ...

... with a alarm that can be set to go off automatically every 15 minutes, or less as required. Not so loud as to wake the whole crew, but enough to prompt the night watch to get up and do a proper check all round, before slumping back into the corner of the cockpit.

That way the job would get done reliably, on a routine basis. It is easy to get sloppy on a long sea passage. 15 mins is about the time on a clear night between when a ship is first visible on the horizon and when it comes dangerously close. Obviously for coastal passages the time would have to be less.

 

[Tumblehome]

Lookout by radar

Thanks to everyone so far for these replies - both interesting and helpful.

In answer to the question about whether radar should be used all the time, if fitted: technically yes, according to COLREG. And this applies whatever the visibility. Obviously an awkward one in many situations. The applicable rules are: 5 ('Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means....) and 7(b) 'Proper use shall be made of radar equipment, if fitted and operational...'

Any more tips on visual lookouts very much appreciated - particularly tips on scanning, etc.

Elaine, YW


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[bedouin]

Re: What I\'d really like is a watch ...

Just bought one of those - or at least one that does the job. It has a countdown timer that can be set to any interval - and once it goes off a single button press restarts it from the same preset.

It also includes a tide height indicator, and tide height calculator that is actually very useful (believe it or not). Cost about £20-25 from Gaelforce

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[DeeGee]

Re: What I\'d really like is a watch ...

Standard Casio/Timex race timing watch a few years ago (probably same now) has a programmable time timer which just recirculates. Sounds just like what you want. (Real pain when racing in v light airs, bloody thing keeps going off and you don't want to shift a muscle!!)


<hr width=100% size=1>Black Sugar - the sweetest of all

 

[Jacket]

Re: Lookout by radar

To me, 7(b) 'Proper use shall be made of radar equipment, if fitted and operational...' doesn't require you to use the radar at all times. Proper use would suggest using it whenever appropriate (ie. restricted visibility).

Though its fairly accademic, as there's no way around rule 5.

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