On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 20:44:07 -0500, rhys wrote:

"They can't see you" is my default assumption. COLREGS might help my
widow get a better settlement, but I will get out of the way of
shipping unless I have positive proof they've seen ME.

That's the same approach I take, just like on a bicycle or motorcycle.
Where I usually encounter them (Lake Ontario approaches to the St.
Lawrence) they don't have too many maneuvering options anyway.

Ryk

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 11:15:16 -0500, Jan
wrote:

Procedure is simple, identify lake freighter, not too difficult, determine
course of lake freighter, again, not too difficult, and, if necessary, adjust my
own course to take me astern of lake freighter.

The freighters are pretty predictable in their actions most of the
time. OTOH we encountered a bunch of Kingston Class Frigates out on
Lake Ontario in 2003 doing distinctly peculiar things in terms of
changes in speed and direction. No doubt they knew what they were
about to do and why, but I was keeping a pretty close watch because I
couldn't predict their actions. (They were never much closer than a
mile away.)

Ryk

Andy Champ wrote:

Fascinating. I'd like to learn more - can you point me at any web
sites? I can't find anything much over 25kts.

It's academic, there's only so much fear I can muster for something as
visible as a block of flats traveling at the speed of a Vespa!

Evan Gatehouse wrote:

Nobody in the commercial fleet runs at 32-36 knots, especially not
tankers! The very fastest container ships and LNG carriers are
around 25-27 knots. Cruise ships are slower, around 22-23 knots top
speed and most tankers are slower still. The exception would have
to be the SL-7 Fast Sealift ships which did 33 knots on trials.

I am not sure where you operate, but it's worth noting that there are a
number of situations where one encounters commercial vessels that routinely
operate at greater than 40 knots.

I have been sailing Bay of Fundy for quite a few years now. This is an area
where fog is common, and also an area where the "cat" ferries transit from
the US over to Nova Scotia. These beasts are over 300 feet long and have a
cruising speed of near (or perhaps over) 50 knots.

Several people have been killed by them in the past few years. Indeed, I
had the devil of a time getting the attention of the Bar Harbor - Yarmouth
ferry in high visibility conditions in one particular instance. The last I
heard there was a lot of pressure from operators to add this type of service
in Long Island Sound, a very high traffic area.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

I can't say how fast ships travel in general but acording to my shipping
papers the sort of average container ship carrying my latest shipment of
anchors left the dock at Le Harve, France at 13:15 UTC on February 10 and
tied up at Wando Terminal Charleston, SC on February 16 at 11:21 UTC. That
is 5 days 22 hours and 6 minutes or about 142 hours. Great circle route
between LeHarve and Charleston is 3,820 nautical miles so the average speed
was 26.9 knots. That assumes that they took a short cut through the desert
across the NW corner of Africa and manouvered at full speed in port. :-)

However, from Wando terminal to the pickup dock in Savannah, a distance of
111 statuate miles took 6 days and 4 hours or 148 hours for an average speed
of 0.75 MPH.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Andy Champ" wrote in message
...
renewontime dot com wrote:
snip
I didn't mean to imply that -all- big ships operate at speeds over 30
knots, I was trying to make a point in reply to the original posters
question and some of the misconceived replies, ie. "at least an hour
will pass from when I see a contact on the horizon to when it will hit
me". My point is that ships at sea operate at a wide variety of speeds,
even in excess of 30+ knots, and as a cruiser you need to be aware of
this. As for "high speed" ships out there, I think you guys are off on
this. All the newer ships are being built to operate at 30 knots or
greater. There are a number of "fast" container and oil carrier ships in
the works, and shipbuilders are starting to deliver "fast" ferries that
will operate at 40+ knots. And it won't stop there, I've read that the
designers have plans for ships that will operate at 50 to 60 knots.


Fascinating. I'd like to learn more - can you point me at any web
sites? I can't find anything much over 25kts.

Thanks

Andy.

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 15:36:43 -0500, Ryk wrote:

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 11:15:16 -0500, Jan
wrote:

Procedure is simple, identify lake freighter, not too difficult, determine
course of lake freighter, again, not too difficult, and, if necessary, adjust my
own course to take me astern of lake freighter.

The freighters are pretty predictable in their actions most of the
time. OTOH we encountered a bunch of Kingston Class Frigates out on
Lake Ontario in 2003 doing distinctly peculiar things in terms of
changes in speed and direction. No doubt they knew what they were
about to do and why, but I was keeping a pretty close watch because I
couldn't predict their actions. (They were never much closer than a
mile away.)

Ryk

Agreed, they were worth keeping an eye on. However, Naval vessels have far more
crew than commercial vessels, consequently there is usually, unless the practice
has changed, several physical look-out plus the radar is manned 24hrs. when they
are at sea, so I wouldn't be too concerned about them not seeing me, but I'd
still keep out of their way.g I remember once in the Med. when we were doing
anti-submarine exercises and steamed all night in black-out conditions, no
lights anywhere.
Jan

"If you can't take a joke,you shouldn't have joined"

On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0000, Andy Champ
wrote:

Fascinating. I'd like to learn more - can you point me at any web
sites? I can't find anything much over 25kts.

==========================================

We have a ferry service running between here and Key West that uses
large, high speed catamarans. They can run at 40 kts or so and are
quite spectacular to watch at close range.

http://www.keywestshuttle.com/catgallery/default.htm

Big difference between "high speed ferries" and ships.

otn


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 21:58:42 +0000, Andy Champ
wrote:

Fascinating. I'd like to learn more - can you point me at any web
sites? I can't find anything much over 25kts.

==========================================

We have a ferry service running between here and Key West that uses
large, high speed catamarans. They can run at 40 kts or so and are
quite spectacular to watch at close range.

http://www.keywestshuttle.com/catgallery/default.htm

Armond,

Those are "high speed ferries", not ships. They involve a whole different
set of operating parameters than ships, including stopping distance.
In dealing with them and discussing them, you need to realize and understand
that comparing them to normal commercial traffic is comparing "apples to
oranges"....., same applies to standard tugs and Z-drive or Voight
Schneider.

otn

"Armond Perretta" wrote in message

I am not sure where you operate, but it's worth noting that there are a
number of situations where one encounters commercial vessels that
routinely
operate at greater than 40 knots.

I have been sailing Bay of Fundy for quite a few years now. This is an
area
where fog is common, and also an area where the "cat" ferries transit from
the US over to Nova Scotia. These beasts are over 300 feet long and have
a
cruising speed of near (or perhaps over) 50 knots.

Several people have been killed by them in the past few years. Indeed, I
had the devil of a time getting the attention of the Bar Harbor - Yarmouth
ferry in high visibility conditions in one particular instance. The last
I
heard there was a lot of pressure from operators to add this type of
service
in Long Island Sound, a very high traffic area.

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 00:05:02 GMT, "otnmbrd"
wrote:

Big difference between "high speed ferries" and ships.

============================================

I agree. These ferries are up in the 150 foot range however so are
not exactly toy boats. And watching one tear by at 40 kt+ is awesome.