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Delancey · 02-10-2014, 09:53

So technically, is a drone a vessel "not under command" and therefor not required to give way?

Cadence · 02-10-2014, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delancey

So technically, is a drone a vessel "not under command" and therefor not required to give way?

Don't start that your inspiring a bunch of nonsense.

Ukeluthier · 02-10-2014, 10:09

There is a big difference between a drone and an autonomous vessel.

Although both are unmanned, a drone normally has a human being at the controls, albeit remotely; an autonomous vessel relies on its own processing capability to "make decisions."

Seems to me that whether the latter is "under command" is fertile ground for maritime lawyers.

**noelex 77** · 02-10-2014, 10:13

Welcome to the forum ECP

I must admit these autonomous sailing boats do give me some cause for concern.
The ocean is very big and the risk of a collision is very small, but making these boats is getting very cheap and there seems to be a rapid increase in their number.

They do not trouble normal shipping, but they are getting large enough to cause damage to our type of cruising boat.

We are unlikely to be able to detect them especially at night and as understand it they have no means of avoiding us or even displaying normal navigational lights etc.

Can you please pass on these concerns.

Delancey · 02-10-2014, 10:27

Currently underway.

Scout Transatlantic Home- GoTransat.com

Delancey · 02-10-2014, 10:29

"On May 22nd their boat was run over by and caught in the nets of a trawler."

"ultimately ending up being washed ashore on the Isle of Wight"

The Microtransat Challenge

Ukeluthier · 02-10-2014, 10:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delancey

Currently underway.

Scout Transatlantic Home- GoTransat.com

Current status looks a lot like "drifting" to me.

Hardly "underway."

barnakiel · 02-10-2014, 10:49

I think wind and waves will be your major challenges, then shipping close next.

Remnants of tropical and posttropical systems may / will catch up with you and so your ship must be capable of surviving such conditions. You must be able to reduce windage (sail area) I think.

Next will come the risk of getting hit and sunk by a cargo. And if your object (which you called a boat) happens to do make any damage to the other ship, you will be promptly sued. Good news most ships will never ever notice the collision if your object is small enough. (But you will lose it then).

Another challenge might be that in this time of the year and part of the ocean, you may find it difficult to generate enough energy onboard for pos reporting and remote control / local control of your craft. I assume you will be acting on the basis of timed position reports and using these together with weather data to remotely re-set the onboard AP to a desired set of parameters. This is all energy. The sun may, or may not co-op. Work this part of your peoject well, and test it in advance of the real trip. Remember for 14 hours or so the boat will have to be power self-reliant for your AP device.

This would be very nice if we could watch your progress. Will your craft be carrying any publicly accessible tracker onboard?

Cheers,
b.

Delancey · 02-10-2014, 10:57

saildrone

Home
http://www.wired.com/2014/02/saildrone/#slide-id-155781

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbt1yM5BNB0

Cadence · 02-10-2014, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukeluthier

Current status looks a lot like "drifting" to me.

Hardly "underway."

Me too!

Hydra · 02-10-2014, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delancey

Saw one of these guys basking, altered course slightly to avoid it. We were doing 6.5-7 knots. Probably would have killed it if we had run it over. Freaky fish BTW, very strange.

In 2011, I rammed one while sailing near Ushant: it crossed our course and dived just in front of the boat but not fast enough to clear the keel. It bumped into the keel, then the rudder. The shock felt as if we had collided with a tree trunk.

Since the weight of an ocean sunfish can exceed one ton (Ocean sunfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), it is a danger for small, thin-hulled, boats.

Alain

Cadence · 02-10-2014, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hydra

In 2011, I rammed one while sailing near Ushant: it crossed our course and dived just in front of the boat but not fast enough to clear the keel. It bumped into the keel, then the rudder. The shock felt as if we had collided with a tree trunk.

Since the weight of an ocean sunfish can exceed one ton (Ocean sunfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), it is a danger for small, thin-hulled, boats.

Alain

Are you sure if it could dive, it was one of them?