BrianH wrote in news:1d379$47960e55$50dbe397$1297
@news.hispeed.ch:

I'm still waiting to upgrade my AIS receiver for a
transponder. At least I can see and identify a threat and
call by name on VHF.


What I always find amusing, out at sea, is the reluctance of the yachties
to simply TALK to the ships. It's as if that SeaLand containership were
full of pirates and they're afraid of being attacked or ****ing off the
bored-to-death mate at the helm.

I had a first mate on a freighter I was talking to on Ch 13 a hundred miles
off Savannah try to trade me for the 35' Endeavour sloop I was driving. We
decided we couldn't dock a 400 footer at our little slip at Ashley Marina,
though it would have made the marina just thrilled if I stopped by the
diesel dock....just fueling the generators!

They're really nice guys and WANT you to call 'em and tell them at least
where you are and what you are. "Can you flash your searchlight at me?",
many have asked me. We got a monster handheld. "Ah, now I see where you
are. I can hardly make out your masthead light from here." I was 6 miles
away, so I guess that was OK. The searchlight made us a much bigger
target.

TALK TO THEM, dammit! There's just times when being a sailing hermit is
stupid!

larry wrote:
BrianH wrote in news:1d379$47960e55$50dbe397$1297
@news.hispeed.ch:

I'm still waiting to upgrade my AIS receiver for a
transponder. At least I can see and identify a threat and
call by name on VHF.


What I always find amusing, out at sea, is the reluctance of the yachties
to simply TALK to the ships. It's as if that SeaLand containership were
full of pirates and they're afraid of being attacked or ****ing off the
bored-to-death mate at the helm.

I've been recently following a few MAIB (UK) yacht/ship
collision reports and I am mystified why the yacht failed to
attempt to use a serviceable VHF radio to warn that they
were being run down. The much-publicised loss of the Ouzo
off the Isle of Wight in 2006 is a classic example. This is
especially so when compared to the banal chat I often hear
from many yachts calling their buddies.

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:01:06 +0100, BrianH wrote in
:

larry wrote:
BrianH wrote in news:1d379$47960e55$50dbe397$1297
@news.hispeed.ch:

I'm still waiting to upgrade my AIS receiver for a
transponder. At least I can see and identify a threat and
call by name on VHF.

What I always find amusing, out at sea, is the reluctance of the yachties
to simply TALK to the ships. It's as if that SeaLand containership were
full of pirates and they're afraid of being attacked or ****ing off the
bored-to-death mate at the helm.

I've been recently following a few MAIB (UK) yacht/ship
collision reports and I am mystified why the yacht failed to
attempt to use a serviceable VHF radio to warn that they
were being run down. The much-publicised loss of the Ouzo
off the Isle of Wight in 2006 is a classic example. This is
especially so when compared to the banal chat I often hear
from many yachts calling their buddies.

Many mariners have no idea what channel to use.

--
Best regards,
John Navas http:/navasgroup.com

In article ,
larry wrote:

If you're going to buy anything to make you a big target on the SHIPS and
large yachts....buy an AIS TRANSPONDER, which makes you as big as an
aircraft carrier.

Don't worry, I have one.
But: They're not everywhere. European inland waterways for example do
not yet use them - hopefully they will soon. And not all pleasure craft
have one.
But other than that: AIS is a great system.

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

In article ,
Marc Heusser d
wrote:

Of course, but so what. I cannot see anything with my radar up to some
15 metres anyway (assuming 50 ns pulse). The key is if it still responds
to other radars.

The other guy can't see you closer than 15 Meters anyway, as his T/R
turnaround time isn't that fast either.... and if your worried about
things closer than 15 meters, you boat isn't big enough... and your
blind......

In article ,
John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:10:52 +0000, larry wrote in
:

Marc Heusser d wrote in
:

I have seen how unreliable echos from glass fibre reinforced polyester
boats are (and how unreliable echos at least smaller passive radar
reflectors of the 90ø aluminum sheets type give on quiet waters).

If you're going to buy anything to make you a big target on the SHIPS and
large yachts....buy an AIS TRANSPONDER, which makes you as big as an
aircraft carrier.

All ship over 300 gross tons now have full AIS aboard, as do the big
yachts, to make them look big.

True of commercial ships, but *not* of many pleasure craft.

Every boat that leaves the harbor should be AIS equipped, now.

"Let them eat cake?" And small comfort when one of them collides with
you. Until the world comes around to your PoV, a radar transponder is a
highly recommended safety device whether you have radar or not. I would
still use one even with AIS -- you can never have enough backup --
depending on a single device is just plain foolish.

and which do you think COSTS more, a Radar Transponder or an AIS
Transponder????

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:56:25 GMT, You wrote in
:

In article ,
John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:10:52 +0000, larry wrote in
:

Marc Heusser d wrote in
:

I have seen how unreliable echos from glass fibre reinforced polyester
boats are (and how unreliable echos at least smaller passive radar
reflectors of the 90ø aluminum sheets type give on quiet waters).

If you're going to buy anything to make you a big target on the SHIPS and
large yachts....buy an AIS TRANSPONDER, which makes you as big as an
aircraft carrier.

All ship over 300 gross tons now have full AIS aboard, as do the big
yachts, to make them look big.

True of commercial ships, but *not* of many pleasure craft.

Every boat that leaves the harbor should be AIS equipped, now.

"Let them eat cake?" And small comfort when one of them collides with
you. Until the world comes around to your PoV, a radar transponder is a
highly recommended safety device whether you have radar or not. I would
still use one even with AIS -- you can never have enough backup --
depending on a single device is just plain foolish.

and which do you think COSTS more, a Radar Transponder or an AIS
Transponder????

C.A.R.D radar transponder: $535

Class B AIS transponders (just coming on the market) are over $1,000
Class A AIS transponders are $4,000-5,000.

--
Best regards,
John Navas http:/navasgroup.com

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:21:58 GMT, John Navas
wrote in
:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:56:25 GMT, You wrote in
:

In article ,
John Navas wrote:

"Let them eat cake?" And small comfort when one of them collides with
you. Until the world comes around to your PoV, a radar transponder is a
highly recommended safety device whether you have radar or not. I would
still use one even with AIS -- you can never have enough backup --
depending on a single device is just plain foolish.

and which do you think COSTS more, a Radar Transponder or an AIS
Transponder????

C.A.R.D radar transponder: $535

Class B AIS transponders (just coming on the market) are over $1,000
Class A AIS transponders are $4,000-5,000.

See "Collision avoidance and detection" on my website at
http://sail.navas.us/.

--
Best regards,
John Navas http:/navasgroup.com

BrianH wrote in news:a110e$47963cb8$50dbe397$5452
@news.hispeed.ch:

I've been recently following a few MAIB (UK) yacht/ship
collision reports and I am mystified why the yacht failed to
attempt to use a serviceable VHF radio to warn that they
were being run down. The much-publicised loss of the Ouzo
off the Isle of Wight in 2006 is a classic example. This is
especially so when compared to the banal chat I often hear
from many yachts calling their buddies.



You'd think the ship was from another galaxy the way some yachties are
afraid to talk to them. It's crazy.

Marc Heusser d wrote in
:

But: They're not everywhere. European inland waterways for example do
not yet use them - hopefully they will soon. And not all pleasure craft
have one.


Europe is way ahead of the USA. Hell, our Coast Guard just got VHF radios
with TRANSISTORS in them!

We had some Coasties aboard for a volunteer inspection on Lionheart last
summer. They were fascinated that The Cap'n was tracking all the ships in
the harbor on AIS from our slip on the other side of the peninsula. We
just have the receiver, too. The transponders for yachts hasn't "settled"
yet, last time I looked.

They have no capability for AIS that I know of. I haven't been on their
bridges, lately, though. It takes forever for USCG to come around to new
technologies.