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Old 15-10-2012, 03:30   #16
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by nigel1 View Post
Interesting question.
Imagine the chaos if two or more boats had this mystical system and chanced upon each other.
That gave me a chuckle

A feature on the fishing boat pilots is a 180 degree turn ,used to retrace your course

So with that in mind, for safety if the boats were heading towards each other in a collision course the pilot's could just turn 180 and send the boats back where the came from.... no extra brains needed
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Old 15-10-2012, 03:34   #17
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by Stray-Cat View Post
That gave me a chuckle

A feature on the fishing boat pilots is a 180 degree turn ,used to retrace your course

So with that in mind, for safety if the boats were heading towards each other in a collision course the pilot's could just turn 180 and send the boats back where the came from.... no extra brains needed
plus the thrashing of sails would soon wake up the crew
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Old 15-10-2012, 05:45   #18
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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seriously? Single handing aside, I have no issue with reading a book on watch at sea. You just have to look around at the end of each page. Nothing moves that fast.
Well, fast ferries in Gothenburg and in Canary Islands do ... can't see why they should be so unique.

I would suggest taking a course in quick reading then ;-)

BTW I too read books (and sometimes have a quick nap, UNDOCUMENTED) on watch ... in the open water, in good weather, there is less risk. Alas, I got caught out by big ships at times too!

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Old 15-10-2012, 06:12   #19
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by rebel heart View Post
I'm going to reference this thread to remind people about folks setting off in boats with no idea (or care to learn) about seamanship and navigation.

$20 says this boat will have a chartplotter and definitely not a hand bearing compass.
I'll bet no paper charts too.
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Old 15-10-2012, 13:11   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zanshin

Levm, while I applaud your enthusiasm, I can see that you have yet to stand watch offshore on a sailboat. Particularly a 12-hour watch on a short-handed boat.

I am a singlehander and need my sleep, so I willingly accept the fact that I sail while breaking the watchkeeping rules of the COLREGs. I mitigate my risks by using AIS and RADAR.
When offshore and outside of shipping lanes a constant watch is not only not necessary but can be counterproductive. Simple math (and a wealth of written material) shows that a big, but low-freeboard, vessel on the horizon with a closing speed of 30knots can be 16km away (9nm) - leaving a 1-3 of an hour (20 minutes) time to a collision. Note that a freighter moving that speed offshore (your 8knots plus his 22knots) is going to be visible much further away because he'll have a very high freeboard.
Thus a detailed visual sweep of the horizon every 15 minutes will give one a good safety factor and little object-fixation and repetitive boredom compared to constantly looking for objects for hours at a time.
Interesting you mentioned it as I happened to cross the Atlantic tree times already. Everything said here pertains to crews >1, sailing singlehanded is a bread of its own which I have no experience in and therefore will not comment on.
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Old 15-10-2012, 13:18   #21
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by rebel heart View Post
I'm going to reference this thread to remind people about folks setting off in boats with no idea (or care to learn) about seamanship and navigation.

$20 says this boat will have a chartplotter and definitely not a hand bearing compass.
No room for any of that stuff!
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Old 15-10-2012, 14:19   #22
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by rebel heart View Post
I'm going to reference this thread to remind people about folks setting off in boats with no idea (or care to learn) about seamanship and navigation.

$20 says this boat will have a chartplotter and definitely not a hand bearing compass.
A compass is basicly a tool to get lost with.... as (from reading todays news) Reuters has done big story on the fact that the earths magnetic field is long overdue for a flip....



So in this case, a GPS chartplotter is better then a compass.....

unless... the GPS sats stop working....
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Old 16-10-2012, 09:20   #23
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Re: AutoPilot questions

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Originally Posted by levm View Post
Interesting you mentioned it as I happened to cross the Atlantic tree times already. Everything said here pertains to crews >1, sailing singlehanded is a bread of its own which I have no experience in and therefore will not comment on.
In that case please accept my apologies for my mistaken assumption.

But I still believe standing a full watch without music, a book or company and continuously scanning all horizons for ship traffic while maintaining full alertness is impossible - maybe once, or twice, or three times. But not for 8 hours a day for 2-3 weeks running on passage. At least I know that I can't do that.
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Old 17-10-2012, 18:56   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zanshin

In that case please accept my apologies for my mistaken assumption.

But I still believe standing a full watch without music, a book or company and continuously scanning all horizons for ship traffic while maintaining full alertness is impossible - maybe once, or twice, or three times. But not for 8 hours a day for 2-3 weeks running on passage. At least I know that I can't do that.
Not impossible. Just unpleasant and pointless
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Old 17-10-2012, 19:25   #25
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Re: AutoPilot questions

Well Connie and I have logged a LOT of NM in our years of cruiseing. And we have always used 2 and 4 hr watchs, I take the night time 4 hr watchs, and she 2 hrs and we change during the day ! we both get lots of sleep and can keep it up for weeks on end if nessesary. And we both cook on our off hours ! and do ships work during daylight watchs ! I see nothing wrong with reading on watch, day or night! As long as a good watch is maintained, of both electornics, and eyeball so that nothing sneaks up on ya !! Just our way
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Old 18-10-2012, 15:07   #26
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One thing about getting shut eye is doing it as often as you can because there will be times when you can't.

If, despite your awesome planning you end up needing to be awake for 20 hours straight, you're going to really wish you had got some shut eye in advance.
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Old 20-10-2012, 17:42   #27
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Re: AutoPilot questions

I found this an interesting question - I'm still a wannabe and have NOT been there done that - BUT I envision that someday I will have the need of a passage long enough that there would simply be no harbors available before I required some sleep. The solution that I proposed to myself was to (attempt) ensure I was not in a shipping lane and simply heave-to for a nap with an alarm set. How foolish / workable ??
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Old 20-10-2012, 19:03   #28
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Re: AutoPilot questions

I make a point of keeping a watchful eye at all times... and often I am inspecting the inside of my eyelids................
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Old 20-10-2012, 20:07   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wander-n-Bob
I found this an interesting question - I'm still a wannabe and have NOT been there done that - BUT I envision that someday I will have the need of a passage long enough that there would simply be no harbors available before I required some sleep. The solution that I proposed to myself was to (attempt) ensure I was not in a shipping lane and simply heave-to for a nap with an alarm set. How foolish / workable ??
No need to heave to.
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