>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: TWL: Radar Reflectors & Radar Watch
> Hi Everyone...
>
> Earl & Dolph make excellent points, especially Dolph's remarks about
staying
> out of the way. The smaller vessel is obliged to remain clear. Those big
> guys can't maneuver quickly and they certainly cannot stop quickly.
>
> Watch standing aboard Spirit of Zopilote when I've been aboard is
generally
> is in 2 or 3 hour stints. With four of us aboard (Bruce, Joan, Jo
Swerling
> and myself) we will stand 3 hour watches. Bruce & Joan remain in the
> wheelhouse after dinner monitoring the systems and reading until 2300. Jo
> takes the 2300-0200 watch. I relieve him at 0245 until Bruce comes to the
> wheelhouse at 0445-0450.
>
> During my watches, I only (rpt ONLY) sit in the helmsman's chair if the
sea
> state is particularly snotty. I generally stand behind the seat with my
> arms folded across the back of the seat & lean on it. I am continuously
> monitoring all systems and video displays. Periodically, I will walk to
> either side of the wheelhouse & peer outside (usually with the
binoculars),
> taking a good look all around and especially aft. Every 15 minutes a
radar
> sweep is made from the normal 6 mile display to 12, 18 and 24 miles -- and
> also down to 1.5 and 3 miles if we are in an area where there may be
fishing
> pangas. If there is sufficient starlight or moonlight, the Night Vision
> camera provides a good view of the water directly ahead up to about 500
> meters -- sufficient time to "jog" the Autopilot to either side if there
is
> a fishing panga or any kind of debris or kelp dead ahead. Bull kelp makes
a
> terrible noise at 0300 if it snags on the Naiad active fin stabilizers &
the
> leaf begins to vibrate against the hull. Like a playing card in the
spokes
> of a bicycle wheel -- only 20 times louder! Also, if the skipper comes to
> the wheelhouse at 0300 while you are backing down to "escape" the Bull
kelp,
> it can be a bit embarrassing, i.e., shudda seen it; shudda avoided it!
>
> If we are in "traffic," I sometimes will take the vessel off the Interface
> and put it on Autopilot only. Doing that reduces the amount of yaw if we
> are running down-swell in 12-15 footers. If necessary, I'll intentionally
> dial in enough "right rudder" to show approaching vessels ONLY my red side
> light. If the boat is allowed to yaw (sometimes up to 15 degrees either
> side of the rhumb line in a big following sea) the approaching vessel will
> see both side lights intermittently. Not a good idea.
>
> Also, large vessels display "range lights." If you can see both range
> lights and they are NOT one above the other, you can steer your course so
> that the lights remain in that configuration and the on-coming vessel will
> pass well inside or outside of your vessel.
>
> Still, many of the large vessels will hail you on VHF anyway (especially
in
> the early morning hours) just for something to do. They will make their
> call something like this:
>
> "This is the bulk carrier Pacific Adventure (or whatever) calling the
vessel
> 12 miles ahead of me at (Lat/Lon) on a course of 178 degrees Magnetic at 8
> knots." If you're paying attention, you'll know that you're being
called.
> The subsequent exchange is generally something like: "Good morning, Sir.
> Request pass 'red to red' if that's okay with you." As I said above, if
> you can see the range lights on an approaching vessel (that darn well
better
> be showing on your radar at 6-7 nm out) and the range lights are NOT one
> above the other (and you continue to steer a course to maintain that light
> arrangement) the approaching vessel generally will pass well abeam of you.
> If, OTOH, those range lights are stacked one above the other, you better
> begin taking evasive action IMMEDIATELY. You, your vessel and crew are in
> harm's way and an approaching bulk carrier at 20-22 kts SOG will cover
those
> 6-7 nm in a matter of a few minutes. Do the math! The bulk carrier will
> cover 6.5 nm in 18 minutes. Your vessel, at 7-8 kts will cover just over
2
> nm in the same 18 minutes -- and if you are NOT running at 90 degrees to
the
> on coming bulk carrier's course, something less than two miles is going to
> seem very close at 0330 hours on a pitch black ocean!
>
> Cheers & regards.
>
> Jerry & Pam Munson
> Anacortes, WA 98221-3158
>
