coveman
Active member
Interesting - surprised they did not test the Echomax Active Dual Band which would appear to be excellent.
To stand on, or not to stand on
- Thread starter sails_02
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Weren't they testing radar reflectors rather than transponders?
coveman
Active member
Well, they tested the Sea Me transponder (RTE) which only works on X band, rather than both S and X, but it proved to be very good.
[163233]
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They didn't test loads of kit, it was a general assessment.
Was it even for sale when the Ouzo sank?
Jungle Jim
Active member
Hang on a no, about this 'obviously not taking avoiding action'. My first cross channel single handed (well two up but the skipper was having one of his 'little naps' on account of we were coming back from a Scuttlebutt cruise
) with not a lot of experience, I had four tankers arranged like a torpedo spread coming at me. I tried a hand bearing compass and discovered that the steady bearing is hard to determine in the amount of wobble I get. They might all have passed me by a mile or a metre for all I knew, so I turned to starboard by about 60 degrees and ran parallel until I could resume course and pass astern. I did that three times and we all lived happily ever after. They might have taken avoiding action somewhere over the horizon but I couldn't tell. I would do the same again if I didn't have AIS.
Rappey
Well-known member
It was a fair while since I read the report .
Does it prove to be good or just better than most?
I thought overall radar reflectors are very poor.
Rappey
Well-known member
Crossing the channel is quite something though. A sort of leap of faith , - or not when presented with oncoming ships.
So many story's of them not looking where they are going and have they actually seen you?
I'm 10 miles out around the nab tower. It's the best day of the year temp wise but doing a whole 3 knts. Not in any hurry. Not a lot around. A few anchored ships nearby.
I see a 70ish feet princess type boat a mile or two away and it's coming towards me.
As it gets closer it's coming right at me and I start to recall all the youtube boat crash vids I probably should not have watched. I may have to jump for real ?
It turns to go around me reasonably far enough away I guess.
Hour later a hydrofoil kite surfer is on the horizon. He must be crazy coming all the way over from Chichester. The ferry is leaving portsmouth and doing 18 knts , uses his horn to turn to stbd, I guess to let the kite surfer know but the surfer went right across the ferry bows. No horn though.. looked too close from where I was.
2 mins later ferry gone and its "surfer down" about half a mile from me.
I saw him up then straight down many times. Heard an occasional bit of yelling on the breeze. Started engine and raced towards him whilst dropping sails.
300m off and a rib turns up. I approached, told the guy what I had seen and why I'm there.
Rib takes him and off they go? Rib did not seem to know kite surfer. No word of thanks.
Was a nice day though
So many story's of them not looking where they are going and have they actually seen you?
I'm 10 miles out around the nab tower. It's the best day of the year temp wise but doing a whole 3 knts. Not in any hurry. Not a lot around. A few anchored ships nearby.
I see a 70ish feet princess type boat a mile or two away and it's coming towards me.
As it gets closer it's coming right at me and I start to recall all the youtube boat crash vids I probably should not have watched. I may have to jump for real ?
It turns to go around me reasonably far enough away I guess.
Hour later a hydrofoil kite surfer is on the horizon. He must be crazy coming all the way over from Chichester. The ferry is leaving portsmouth and doing 18 knts , uses his horn to turn to stbd, I guess to let the kite surfer know but the surfer went right across the ferry bows. No horn though.. looked too close from where I was.
2 mins later ferry gone and its "surfer down" about half a mile from me.
I saw him up then straight down many times. Heard an occasional bit of yelling on the breeze. Started engine and raced towards him whilst dropping sails.
300m off and a rib turns up. I approached, told the guy what I had seen and why I'm there.
Rib takes him and off they go? Rib did not seem to know kite surfer. No word of thanks.
Was a nice day though
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
I didn’t mean to imply I relied on AIS in the way you suggest. I’ll always get the compass out like you.
I was suggesting AIS is a bit of an eye opener about what ships are doing long before a change of bearing is obvious.
The problem is that the hand bearing compass doesn't appear to change very much at first.
8 miles away and the bearing is 042
6 miles away and the bearing appears to be still hovering around 042
4 miles away and you think it might be changing and nearer 041 but you're not sure.
2 miles away and it's obvious that you're passing well clear of each other.
AIS would have told you that when he was 6 or 8 miles away. It wouldn't have stopped me watching carefully to confirm what the electronics were saying, but the AIS certainly helps your confidence. If there's any doubt I put the radar on and put a EBL on the target. (I don't have MARPA on my ancient radar)
I humbly suggest you might find it interesting to look at your AIS a bit earlier and more often and try and correlate what you see with what the gizmo is saying.
edit: I'd forgotten you also have lost of experience off life at sea on the bridge of larger vessels and probably know all this already.
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Refueler
Well-known member
I do not disagree with major part of your post and good to read that Mk 1 tactics are still used.
I was a MN Officer for 17yrs ... and yes - agree that opening bearings are slow until closer.
Little story : I actually bought my AIS 'Dongle' after long chats with its designer (sadly he passed away before developing it further and also other items we had discussed about using same form) .... I did not buy for my yacht in fact ...
I bought it for work. My job involves many aspects of shipping - but one major part is putting ships together for Ship to Ship transfers of cargo ..... STS we call it for short.
Relying on the ships own system is often a matter of scrolling a text based disply that is simply a PITA ... and of course ships staff do not like 'visitors' playing with their CARS .....
I decided I needed a personal system so I could call up the vessel we were waiting for ... but check on my own notebook plotter what they were really doing ! I was fed up with ships telling me they were on their way and be there in xx .... when AIS showed they hadn't moved and it would be xxxx before they got to us ... It was a magic bit of kit ...
Since I rarely do that job myself now - I have Superintendents all over the world now that I emply ... the 'dongle' now is just for my boat. It may be old ... it may be sequential A - B reception ... but it works and allied with Seaclear is an excellent package.
Topcat47
Well-known member
Not if the other vessel is approaching from your Porthand side.
Topcat47
Well-known member
Oops, should have added a "quote". This refers to passing "port to port".
Refueler
Well-known member
So who are you replying to ?
LadyInBed
Well-known member
JMUK described use of HB Compass with MK1 EB well, but my experience has been that I can't get a bearing better than +/- 5 degrees when my boat is yawing through 20 odd degrees, so I believe my AIS far more than my MK1.
The only exception to this is at night, when I can clearly see a ships lights either hold their colour or change their colour.
The only exception to this is at night, when I can clearly see a ships lights either hold their colour or change their colour.
awol
Well-known member
You need a better hand bearing compass!
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
And a bit of practice? In any sort of reasonable seaway i reckon I get within one or two degrees. Sometimes it takes a minute or two to settle.
The compass and eyeball confirm what the AIS is saying.
Our AIS is quite clever and tells us time to cpa as well a whole load of data I don’t normally bother about.
Refueler
Well-known member
I agree with you ..... to get a good reasonably steady hand Bearing .... boat needs to be more 'quiet' ....... even the Sestrel Naval job I have ... is naff unless boat is 'quiet.
Its even worse if you try to use a Pelorus ..... but then most here would probably never seen one, let alone use one.
Refueler
Well-known member
A minute or two ...... you need to take a series of HB to ascertain situation .... mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Think I'll pass on that.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Works for me.
Refueler
Well-known member
Fine ..... never said not .....
Mudisox
Well-known member
Also for me, but what I cannot see with all this faff about " I'm important and in the right and he is wrong" ; we often forget that they have job to do and we are out for pleasure. It is nearly always easy to slow down, turn to pass astern boldly and we have another few minutes to enjoy being at sea. I cross the channel often and always aim to pass astern in any "Iffy " situations and 20+ degrees alteration is needed to help the commercial ship. Fishing vessels though ......... adrenaline is good for the heart.