On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:00:22 +0000, Larry wrote:

"Sal's Dad" wrote in
:

The radar reflector on Ouzo sounds like yours, Peter - "but, in
practice, its overall performance is poor, and it is now evident that
at best there was only a 50% probability that the ship would have been
able to detect Ouzo on the radar at close range."- read the report for
a full explanation.

The report said the type used on the Ouzo is virtually worthless.
And also that the ferry had no AIS capability.


All of this might have been avoided if the Ouzo had violated all the
stupid 1920's lighting regulations of those tiny little light bulbs on
your mastheads, bows and sterns and had an incredibly bright strobe light
on top of his mast(s), the kind you see on aircraft. NOONE on the bridge
of any ship could miss a horizon-focused high intensity strobe's blinding
flashes, even in the fog.

LED marker lights my ass. Everyone should have a very high intensity
strobe on top of each mast they can turn on to wake their lazy asses up
on those big bridges....coupled to some serious whooping audio horns
wouldn't hurt, either.

No boat lighting is anywhere NEAR bright enough. I wonder if Ouzo had a
high intensity search light available. I've played 2,000,000 cp across a
few bridges to get their attention when they won't answer the damned
radio calls. There should be a handheld quartz-iodine searchlight in
every cockpit, even in the daytime. You can't help but notice them for
10 miles shined in your face!

This sounds right for this situation. The ferry lookout's vision was
compromised to 80% by his photochromatic glasses, and additionally
by insufficient time for night vision adjustment.
The Ouzo crew had no defense but offense.
A lot to be learned from reading that report.
Not only about being run down, but proper safety gear in case it
happens.
What gets me is that the ferry lookouts have no real aft view.
On my can we always had an aft lookout posted. You'd think large
ships would post lookouts as a matter of safety for a variety of
reasons - an aft lookout spots the man overboard for one.
They rely too heavily on electronics. That their radar couldn't
pick up a 25' sailboat in moderate seas doesn't say much for
their steaming safely.

--Vic