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!