otnmbrd wrote in message thlink.net...
Joe wrote:

I'm not a proponent of total immersion in the radar hood, though at
times it's necessary. I have always preferred to pull back, at times and
rest my eyes and attention .... sometimes, you might be able to see more
than you expect .... it's a total awareness thingy.


Thats OK at night or offshore, but not a good ideal in the day or
river....
It's a night vision issue. Fof blindness is somewhat like snow
blindness

Understand what you are referring to, but we'll have to agree to
disagree on this.
In many if not most cases, now, the "daylight" screens tend to solve
this problem.

Agreed, But when I was running crewboats we had Furuno 110's, you know
had the old solid brass wave guides.

The greater problem applies to normal visual lookouts who
are staring/concentrating while scanning the horizon, as well as those
staring/concentrating on the radar screen ..... they tend to develop a
narrowed response to the overall picture, which causes them to miss some
things and I have frequently been surprised that when I look away, then
look back, that I pick up something that I was missing before ..


Its a proven fact that your perifeial(SP)side vision is best at
picking up and spotting new items.

... G
not the easiest thing to explain.





If you can not see your bow, whats he going to see or prevent at
20kts?

G One never knows for certain. Again, I'm not necessarily advocating a
constant visual lookout, but more of a split visual, radar, hearing, for
the designated lookout, in your case..... each case can and will vary.

In my case it was on crewboats in fog so thick you could not see the
bow. Mostly in the rivers of LA. A split vision system would not help
due to blowing your night vision, Heck I'd close my eyes to drink
coffee then heads down back in the hood before I'd open them. Most
runs if heavy fog was on the delta,
Once offshore it opens up a bit, and I agree in switching back from
visual to radar, hopefully you can pull your radar hood off.




Plotting.... not often unless coming up on a seabouy with inbound
traffic or offshore. On the crewboats we did little plotting, but
supply and tow boats we plotted most targets, always when we were the
lead tow on a jack-up or semi.

On a tow, you are apt to have more time ... on the crewboat, you might
have to rely on the EBL and VRM unless you have ARPA capabilities.


Crews boat off shore just run around any potential problems like
nets, siemic cables, fishing gear ect. , and we beat anyone we want to
the crossroads, unless it another crew boat.

Your right on tows you have all day, Its a great place to learn to
plot by radar, and you learn how to wear out the radio keeping
everyone out of your way. Something to pass the time as well. 3-5
knots weeks on end get old.





Rivers and canals are the best place to do this. With flat water you
can tune a radar to see the wake off a canoe. The outline of the banks
can be as familiar as seeing it in the day. Tanks on the banks,
Hunting shacks, channel markers, islands, bouys, docks, tree clumps,
logs and even seagrass clumps can be tuned in to a crystal clear
picture if you know what your looking at, and know how to use the
tool.

Would he argue so strongly if I said the wheelhouse was equiped with
FLIR?

BG I'm waiting for them to come up with a lightweight, portable,
inexpensive unit, that I can carry with me.


Raytheon has a real cool unit you see on cop cars all the time now 7
grand.
not to portable, but awesome preformance. I know one crewboat the
Comet out of Freeport has one. We use to call the owner Capt. Gaget.
Totally tricked out boat.

Fraid that all the units I've seen to date are too cumbersome and/or
expensive for this "poor mans" application.

otn


Yeah but so were computers in the 80's. Way back when. The price
will come down, so will plasma tv, ect..

Joe
MSV RedCloud