OzOne wrote:
On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 06:47:39 GMT, otnmbrd
scribbled thusly:


True, but being in a fiberglass boat will make you less visible

To whom, under what conditions? A small boat with a low output radar, or
a ship with 25KW radar? Calm conditions or rough conditions? On what
relative heading?


Aaaargh, you didn't read those links did you?

I read them, but that does not mean I agree with them 100%. My
experiences could and frequently are at variance under different
conditions. I don't automatically expect to see or not see something on
radar, and/or visually, in all conditions of visibility.


OK, I surrender, fiberglass small boats will paint just as well as a
steel hul in the same conditions

Yeah right!!

LOL keep trying .... some fiberglass hulls will paint better than some
steel hulls under some conditions..... THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES!!!!!!


Grrrr, of course not...and it's not the fiberglass, it's the
spars,engine,metalwork, paint, even radar reflector.

It is unimportant, in a practical sense, as to what technical aspect may
cause that return.
Most ships, at sea, will be monitoring a higher range scale, than most
boats (12m or 24m) to give early warning and plotting of traffic. On
these scales, a small boat (of whatever material) will tend to be a
smaller target, frequently similar in size to scattered sea return.
It is here that the operators abilities become more important.
It should also be noted, that when on these range scales, it is common
practice to turn down the "sea return" , a good deal, to improve the
overall picture ( some newer sets are handling this better) which means
that those smaller targets may be more readily confused with sea return
and be lost sooner in the center "plume" of that return, which makes
range scanning important.


So there are conditions where you wouldn't notice a small boat or
yacht!

Of course ..... in good visibility, bad visibility, day or night.


Yep, that's what you said, I was just confirming it so that we'd
understand that in conditions where you don't have the added ability
of clear vision then its inherently dangerous to be steaming around at
25kts.

Once Again .... LOL... WRONG ! Clear vision is no guarantee of safety.
It may be just as dangerous to travel at night or daylight, at 25k, as
it is in fog .... it depends on the conditions and available equipment,
as to whether this is safe, or at least, minimizes the danger.


OK, so being able to see makes no difference...OK....?

G Since not all collisions occur in restricted visibility, if I follow
your logic I would have to say yes. However, I don't follow your logic,
so I will say .... not always.


Why did he change course? (can think of any number of possibilities)


Who knows. but if you were driving the sucker and you'd seen us would
you have altered your course onto a collision course in open ocean?

Nope I'd have held my course and speed till extremis. When dealing with
small boats, experience has taught me that this is my safest course.
(G know you won't like that one..... there is an exception to this rule. )


Yep, I like that.....he altered course toward us.

Which I wouldn't understand, so assume that there may have been more
going on.

otn