Larry wrote:

I suppose my point is plastic boat sailors THINK the big guys can spot
them, on radar and visually. I suppose they COULD if we move the bridge
to the bow or take off all the containers in the way, but that isn't
gonna happen. The flag is 930' in front of the helm. You all know what
the genoa does to your ability to see those damned crabpot toilet floats
from your helm. Imagine if the obstruction were 900' FORWARD of your
bow! They can't really see anything less than a full sized ship, on
radar or out the windows. There are hardly any sailors aboard these huge
ships run by computers. The crews are, to increase profits, tiny in
respect to the size of the beast. There aren't 15 people with binoculars
standing on the bow, in a crow's nest looking out for icebergs and
Catalinas, guys standing on the bridge wings scanning the horizon for 4
hours like a Navy ship has. There's one guy, walking around the bridge,
bored to tears as the computer watches the GPS and flogs on towards
Holland....just like last week, last month, last year...
(yawn).....zzzzzZZZZ.

I think (from memory) the IMO rules require you to see only 2 boat
lengths from the BOW. So visibility can be impaired say anywhere
within 1800' of the bow...

I ALWAYS assume I am invisible to big ships and steer accordingly. On
offshore passages I've called passing ships and ask if they can see me
on radar. Often the reply is "let me get it warmed up"...

Evan Gatehouse