Ian Johnston wrote:
On Sun, 6 Mar 2005 20:51:50 UTC, Andy Champ wrote:

: I don't know about you lot, but if I was doing 40kts in the Irish Sea
: 24/7/365 *I'd* want some blody good radar too. Just think "Lost
: Container"...

Are containers a real threat? They keep getting mentioned, but I
haven't yet seen any account of anyone actually hitting one ... and
I've seen claims that, not being airtight, they generally sink very
quickly. Anyone ever seen one washed up on the beach?

Ian


I've never seen one on a beach - but first, it's take quite a wave to
put one up there, and second, someone would be sure to slavage it!

I also hate to mention her name in view of recent controversy, but it
appears Dame Ellen had a run-in with one last time around:

http://www.vendeeglobe.org/uk/magazine/604.html

Andy.

renewontime dot com wrote:
Are containers a real threat?

We hit something about
mid-ocean on a trip from San Diego to Hilo back in 2000, damaging our

rudder. Not sure what it was, as we never saw it. Could have been a

container.

I've never seen (nor hit) a container at sea, but I have hit a whale
near the Channel Islands (off Southern California coast). The whale
was big enough to completely stop the boat's momentum while under
sail. My guess is that we hit it with the keel, but we were very
lucky it wasn't the rudder.

dudley
..

Nikki Locke wrote in
:

A ship has three square rigged masts. I thought everyone knew that!


Hmm...that's odd. I was aboard SeaLand "Performance", about 950' long.
They kept calling it a "ship", but I didn't see any masts except the stick
on the bow holding up the flag....about half a mile from the master's
stateroom...(c;

She's an "inboard". 38,800 HP at 102 RPM. Great for trolling after
getting her up to speed for a few miles!

Don't ask what "mileage" she gets. They only laugh at you...(c;

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:40:38 -1000, renewontime dot com
wrote:

Generally speaking though, a cell phone is better than nothing at all,
but has several shortcomings for emergency communications, in
particular:

Of course. Digital is only about 1.5 miles range, IMO.

the CG cannot take RDF bearings of your signal, so no
position can be found from your signal alone.

I am in more trouble than a cell phone can solve if I can't provide a
bearing, a lat/lon or a range.Even from the log and estimating a DR
pos based on course and time since last plot.

Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus. So I
suppose if I get hit by lightning in the fog and am knocked out until
the water lapping over the coamings wakes me up.

That might be bad.

There have been several
cases of sailors and fishermen here (Hawaiian Islands) who have run into
trouble, had only enough power or signal for a brief call on their cell
phone to the USCG, but the CG was unable to assist. Because the CG
wasn't able to take bearings of the signal, no position or even rough
idea of the distress caller's position was known, so CG assets weren't
deployed.

A marine VHF would have probably been better, but is still limited to
line-of-sight distances (which because the CG antennas are on top of
mountains equates to about 24 - 30 miles). In these particular
situations a 406 EPRIB would have been many times more effective in
summoning help.

Offshore (as in "out of sight of"), or in busy sea traffic, fishing
fleet areas, I would definitely consider it, if only because it goes
off if you are bobbing in the water unconscious.

Good argument for an automaitc PFD, too, but I have the manual and my
wife has the dual man/auto SOSpender models.

R.

On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:37:06 +0000, Andy Champ
wrote:

I also hate to mention her name in view of recent controversy, but it
appears Dame Ellen had a run-in with one last time around:

What recent controversy? Last I had heard, she'd broken the solo
non-stop record.

R.

rhys wrote:
On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:37:06 +0000, Andy Champ
wrote:


I also hate to mention her name in view of recent controversy, but it
appears Dame Ellen had a run-in with one last time around:


What recent controversy? Last I had heard, she'd broken the solo
non-stop record.

R.


She has. That hasn't stopped people slagging her off!

Andy.

"rhys" wrote in message
...
Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus.

Do you think they will still be working after a lightening strike - unless
of course they're in a sealed metal "go" box?

Graham.

How about if you wrapped them in tinfoil before packing them in box?
Seriously would that adequately shield them from stray rf? Kirk.


"Graham Frankland" gdfltdatnospamglobalnet.co.uk wrote in
:

"rhys" wrote in message
...
Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus.

Do you think they will still be working after a lightening strike -
unless of course they're in a sealed metal "go" box?

Graham.

"Kirk Robertson" wrote in message
...
How about if you wrapped them in tinfoil before packing them in box?
Seriously would that adequately shield them from stray rf? Kirk.

Don't know what the minimum thickness of material needs to be to form a
Faraday cage. At the first sign of lightening, our EPIRB & handheld VHF go
into the oven - and no you can't light it without first opening the door!

Graham.

This thread now illustrates the dangers of cross posting, especially to an
American NG.