Day Shapes while Anchoring

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

I couldn't see either
But I could see this massive orange ship

Here's a tip.......don't hit that.

So would you stay on the same tack and sail close infront of its bow, or turn and run downwind to pass its stern? knowing whether it is anchored or not helps make that decision safely.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

So would you stay on the same tack and sail close infront of its bow, or turn and run downwind to pass its stern? knowing whether it is anchored or not helps make that decision safely.

Really?
You're powers of observation are that lacking that you can't tell if there is any movement forward?
But sharp enough to see a minuscule black ball on the bow

If I really couldn't figure it out I'd go behind it.
A long way behind it
Safety First.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

So would you stay on the same tack and sail close infront of its bow, or turn and run downwind to pass its stern? knowing whether it is anchored or not helps make that decision safely.

Completely depends on whether I am a racer or not ;o))

Sorry, I couldn't resist and if you don't get it there is a recent thread here about us racers and our bad manners!

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

If I really couldn't figure it out I'd go behind it.
A long way behind it
Safety First.

If only there were an easy way to figure it out ... like a sign they could display.


As I said ... it's not moving ships that are the problem ... its ones that are about to move.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Agreed. But as mentioned earlier, if the ship appears stopped, the ball gives 1 piece of info that may be useful in avoiding the ship (whether it's going to remain stopped or may start moving at any time).

Over in these parts we often get large ships neither under way or at anchor
Just there doing a very slow drift, waiting.

I can imagine some people's heads must explode, what to do. what to do. ?

Of course, anything that big should have class A AIS, so if they've got their status properly set, that will tell you if it's anchored or just stopped

.
Yep, but not everyone has AIS
Sensible thing to do is give it a wide berth astern but, for some that seems a tough decision.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Anders

I would definitely have to to search for that tiny ball in the sailing yacht. Long before that I would have realised that she's not moving and have an anchor chain out.


I'm in the Med. Very few boats uses an anchor ball.

Well I can see the black ball.. but no matter how much I enlarge the picture I cannot see the chain.
If you can, your a better man than me Gunga Din..

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

If only there were an easy way to figure it out ... like a sign they could display.


As I said ... it's not moving ships that are the problem ... its ones that are about to move.

I'm sensible enough not to get close enough to even see the ball.
You do realise they are only about 2ft in diameter right?
And from several hundred metres away it's what? Size of a pinhead?

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

You do realise they are only about 2ft in diameter right?
And from several hundred metres away it's what? Size of a pinhead?

Yes, hard to see ... but I know where to look, it's always in the same place ... and yes binoculars are handy if in doubt.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Over in these parts we often get large ships neither under way or at anchor
Just there doing a very slow drift, waiting.

I can imagine some people's heads must explode, what to do. what to do. ?

Technically a drifting ship is still under way, just not making way. Being able to easily identify drifting vs anchored is useful in at least some situations. The drifting ship can start moving at any time, the anchored ship can be expected to stay put.

[CSY Man]

I use the anchor ball, for the reasons stated above.
Just because other boaters in my area are ignorant of the Colregs doesn't mean everybody has to be.

The birds like it too..

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Which is better; a gun shaped anchor on a cat, or on a mono ?

An anchor, obviously, but get a big one you can hold. A gun shaped like a mono will only shoot once and a gun shaped like a cat will shoot the owner.


Of course, someone will argue new vs. traditional designs, but I think if it is big enough it won't matter.

[caradow]

You nay sayers better be careful because it's just a matter of time when some opportunistic sociopath will read these posts and figure all he has to do is get about 5 "workers" each with a beat up center console to run into you guys without a day shape. All of sudden the center console captain has tremendous pain all over keeping him from working and tremendous PTSD. Now he does have the phone number of a lawyer that he saw on a highway billboard. And an industry is formed.

[Brioche]

Everything has been said already, but I will weigh in anyway. What are the chances I will hit an anchored boat that does not have a ball up? -- 0% What are the chances I will be hit if I don't raise one? Also close to zero. BUT -- As was brought home to me some time ago while picking my course along some narrow channels, it is simply polite to the other guy to let him know what you are doing so he best make his own plans.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Over in these parts we often get large ships neither under way or at anchor
Just there doing a very slow drift, waiting.

Well they don't do that in a crowded mooring field do they? And technically they still have to be ready to manoeuvre and give way if necessary.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Franziska

That's what day shapes and anchor lights are for. AIS helps with that as well...

In a really crowded anchorage, I'd hope that anyone moving has their eyes up and watching where they're going, rather than watching the AIS screen. Frankly I doubt there's much utility in the AIS information, due to number of close contacts that will show, and the constant course changes of own and other vessels as they wind through the roads.

It is extremely difficult to judge visually that a vessel is in motion due to its apparent relative motion, that results when you're moving among a field of stationary vessels. The ball really is useful in this regard, and Kelkara's example in English Bay is a perfect example.