Asleep at the Wheel While Underway

[Ram]

The wreck is on the charts- but I have not researched it

[Blue Banana]

An AIS receiver aboard a cruising boat is very cheap insurance. Plus, the AIS gives you a target ship's name. Call on the VHF by name and they answer. Sure beats the days when we would call " Big Ship, Big Ship, Do You See Us?"

Moral: AIS - Don't Leave Home Without It!

[twisty]

Originally Posted by Blue Banana

An AIS receiver aboard a cruising boat is very cheap insurance. Plus, the AIS gives you a target ship's name. Call on the VHF by name and they answer. Sure beats the days when we would call " Big Ship, Big Ship, Do You See Us?"

Moral: AIS - Don't Leave Home Without It!

Even cheaper Vesseltracker.com has an AIS plugin for Google earth

[Blue Banana]

Ah yes, but will it work miles offshore where we cannot access the Internet? We relied heavily on our AIS when we crossed major shipping lanes 3 times in the Indian Ocean. Off the coast of Sri Lanka our unit picked up over 100 major vessels. Maybe it all comes down to where you are cruising.

[twisty]

Originally Posted by Blue Banana

Ah yes, but will it work miles offshore where we cannot access the Internet? We relied heavily on our AIS when we crossed major shipping lanes 3 times in the Indian Ocean. Off the coast of Sri Lanka our unit picked up over 100 major vessels. Maybe it all comes down to where you are cruising.

It would depend on where your cruising an internet connection is definitely needed.

[dacust]

I just looked at the AIS plugin for Google. It has an 8-24 hour delay, so it's no good for navigation. The versions that do it real time starts at $58 per month.

[MoonlightShadow]

I have been on the bridge of a large ship, where if the look-outs didn't spot a yacht, they were up in front of The Captain in serious S**t. While on the same ship, as we approached The Caland Canal (Rotterdam), a 70,000 tonne Liberian bulker went dead in the water directly in front of us. - going hard astern and giving three blasts, we got a garbled "Sorry - we didn't see you" from the Bulker.

We were a 10,000 tonner.

It transpired, that the Bulker had not taken on a pilot and was lost (lost !?!) We found it hard to believe, even then. The Port Authority were livid. They arrested him we were told.

There are well run ships out there, that will see us. There are also the others. The problem for us, is knowing which is which.

This equally applies to other yachts. Single-handed racers are a case in point.

AIS and radar reflectors help - but we also presume that someone is looking at the radar... That the radar warning is not drowned out by the stereo... That the guy on the bridge is even awake...

IMCO and Port State Controls have made substantive improvements since the incident I mentioned. But there are still rogues out there.

[Kamaloha]

How about these big guys? In this case it was Lenny that sent them up on the beach in Portsmouth, Dominica. Probably what happened to your Greek tanker too.

[bitman]

well is this the same OVNI endurance in better times?










bt

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by Ram

I think if the hull was FG it would be at the bottom in little pieces-

either way the boat is almost totaled. to smooth out the chewed up aluminum and fix the keel and rudder will cost a fortune if it can even be done at all.

[Live to Dive]

Originally Posted by Ram

Wow Aluminum is the way to go!

Noisy though. OK for a fishing boat but wouldn't want to live on it.

[bitman]

every sailed one ? these Dashew Offshore Welcome Page folks did 35k miles in only 4 years and i bet they sleep very well

[niccol]

Originally Posted by David M

It looks like a small ship. I would hope there was more than one person on the bridge.

there probably will have been more than one. it's tedious watching a film by yourself.

Having sailed the last few years in the Straits of Gibraltar, I learnt a few lessons.

1 Most commercial vessels are completely competent and professional.
2 Don't be shy. Get on the radio and talk to them. Early. Usually they are board and want to chat anyway. Most usual comment is 'I wish I was on a yacht'
3 You don't always know that they have moved for you. The good ones adjust course really early. If they have then any move you make may be counter productive so - get on the radio early.
4 There are exceptions to points 1 to 3. If you aren't getting an answer on the radio, they aren't altering course and you really believe that they don't know you are there, then get out of their way. Colregs aren't any comfort if you get mowed down. And anyway the colregs state that it is everyone's responsibility to avoid a collision and there is no such thing as having right of way.

Finally, the last lesson learnt was learnt early. You don't have to miss them by much but you do have to miss them.

Nick

[Cheechako]

I have talked with ex freighter people. They say to never assume anyone is watching anything but their playboy magazine.....autopilot on..... making 25 knots! I would guess their are first class companies who insist the bridge crew be properly on their toes at all times... and then there are the others.......

[Ocean Girl]

In my twenties I was first mate on a 37 ft sailboat from Texas to St. Thomas. In Miami we picked up an additional crew (to make 3 total on board) for the Atlantic run down to St. Thomas. I did not get good vibes from this guy ( he seemed a bit strange) but my captain wanted an extra hand for offshore. We crossed the Gulf stream and the Bahamas without much trouble and left out the Northeast passage heading due east out into the Atlantic to catch the trades south. The first night offshore the new crew member took the 11 to 3 watch. Anyways, we where in the northeast passage, Linda and I were down below sleeping and the new crew was on watch. At about 2 am I woke up and couldn’t shake the feeling of danger (the boat wasn’t “creaking” right) so I decided to have a quick look on deck. As I walked to the companionway I noticed the crew member, who should of been on watch, SLEEPING IN HIS BUNK. As I bounded out into the cockpit I looked off to port and there, less than 150 yards away, was a Cruise ship. At the angle the cruise ship was traveling she was going to graze our bow with her stern. I grabbed the helm, yanked hard to Starboard, fired up the engine, and punched it full throttle. In my haste I forgot about the sails and nearly ripped the mast off gybing (but at the time that was the least of my worries). The captain came out on deck and saw the monster behind me and took the helm while I tended to the sheets. Even at full throttle we were nearly sucked into the cruise ship’s wake/prop. Once we got the boat back on course and got our heart rate down to a cool 150. We woke up and confronted the new crew about his sleeping on his watch.
The rest of the story is another post about picking up psyco crew.
Sorry this is so long.

Erika