Len....wow...thanx for all that info.....thats
exactally what i am lookin' for.....

Here in the Bay of Fundy, Maine and Nova Scotia coat I set up a memory scan
16,12,14 28,68,70. Every spring after launch I check with Fundy, Halifax
Traffic, Coast Guard and South West Harbor US Coast Guard. Then I validate
my memory scan.
When in close quarter I may use dual scan only.
Here we are privileged when getting out or in the Saint Harbor I always
advise Fundy Traffic. They in turn acknowledge my position on their radar
and advise of any approaching traffic

Further to the following list I am adding "abandon fishing nets",
One year it took me two hours to free my rudder and propeller on a clair
day.

1) submarines
2) sleeping whales
3) abandon shipping container
(80% submerged)......




"~^ beancounter ~^" wrote in message
oups.com...
Denis...what channel, 16?...or do you
set up a scan.....oh yea, and i would
add the the list..

1) submarines
2) sleeping whales
3) abandon shipping container
(80% submrged)......


"When I enter such a zone I feel safer to
broadcast my course and position. Other
thing that you can not plan for is submarines
and sleeping whales."

Len....do you run a radar system w/a alarm, as well?
if so, how reliable is it? can one set up audible alarms
w/the AIS systems?

thanx...




"I "only" installed an AIS receiver where the AIS transponder is
getting cheaper and almost reasonable. I bought the nasamarine
engine thats connevted to a serial port of my pc. Together with
SeaClear nav software the system is complete and functions well.
I see my map, my own position, others together with the info I
want presented"

Well, AIS = Autmomatic Identification System
In stead of repeating others there is somegood info at:
http://www.uais.org/87BStory.doc

And as always I jumped in a bit too soon a small year ago.
I "only" installed an AIS receiver where the AIS transponder is
getting cheaper and almost reasonable.
I bought the nasamarine engine thats connevted to a serial port of my
pc. Together with SeaClear nav software the system is complete and
functions well. I see my map, my own position, others together with
the info I want presented.
I still have to scrape the maps from my cracked Tsunamis '99 into
Seaclear first but that's another matter.

They also carry the nasamarine ais-radar, horribly wrong name of
course but it is nifty. It has its own screen you can put up in the
cockpit. take a look at
http://www.nasamarine.com/AIS/AIS.html

When you're interested in a transponder (so you'll be seen by others
with a receiver or a transponer and that are awake) take a look on
ebigchina site
http://smartradio.ebigchina.com/sdp/...369-74856.html

There are quite a few nav programs that support AIS. I use SeaClear
now but I'm looking for a prog that can use my Transas World Folio
2000 so I won't have to copy and paste that much...
But I'm not complaining..

Regards,
Len
S/v Present


On 18 Oct 2005 10:07:14 -0700, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:

"what is "AIS" ? "

or, is it a proprity (sp?) freq or
system the "web page" owns??

thanx !!

Len...right now I am "high and dry"
bear Boulder, Co.....we are messin'
around on a 20 foot boston whaler cuddy
cabin on the local lakes..we had a santana
22 and sold it a few years ago...i am ready for
a ericson 23 (w/trailer) in the next year or so...
to do some more light sailing on the lakes...and
see how or what the kids think about sailing...my
wife and i enjoy sailing a lot... we met working in
the "sailing business"...

my "big" trip is a number of years off...just in the
planning stage right now...but, it will be on a
ericson 38...singlehanded....thanx for the info you
posted...it was helpful.. !!



"Where on our planet are you and what is your vessel ? "

You're very welcome of course. I also got greedy when I first saw it.
Imo it's a must on a ocean going sailing vessel I just don't rely on
it for 100%. With my luck I'll bump into a fishingboat with no lights
while looking at my AIS-screen...
Where on our planet are you and what is your vessel ?

Len
S/v Present

On 18 Oct 2005 13:11:30 -0700, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:

Len....wow...thanx for all that info.....thats
exactally what i am lookin' for.....

Hi Rich (that IS your first name, no?),

In foul weather and when nothing comes on the screen I run the radar
with intervals of 15 minutes (range 25 sm) to reduce power
consumption. In good weather I just have it on standby at nights.
Doesn't use much (dunno how much eaxactly this minute) and it saves me
2 full minutes warming up time when I need it fast. My radar is not
that modern but it's a big mother, Simrad-Anritsu. Doesn't put out
nmea of any kind, doesn't have marpa or all that. So you see why I'm
happy with the addition AIS gives me.

I take it you go singlehanded? We (the admiral and me) run watches of
3 hours. To be sure we use the old eggtimer for the next lookout and
screen-study... Never felt the need for an auditive alarm other than
my anchor alarm... But there surely will be nav software around
that get's you awake when it calculates (a risk of) collision course
from the AIS data... I can ask my dutch sailing computer club if you
like...

Len
S/v Present


On 18 Oct 2005 13:21:27 -0700, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:

Len....do you run a radar system w/a alarm, as well?
if so, how reliable is it? can one set up audible alarms
w/the AIS systems?

thanx...




"I "only" installed an AIS receiver where the AIS transponder is
getting cheaper and almost reasonable. I bought the nasamarine
engine thats connevted to a serial port of my pc. Together with
SeaClear nav software the system is complete and functions well.
I see my map, my own position, others together with the info I
want presented"

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:22:47 GMT, Don White
wrote:

BTW, even when sailing on my friends Mirage 33, I always brought my
handheld VHF along and tried to monitor traffic, over his stereo and
boisterous crew.

I keep a handheld VHF (with a NiCad pack I recharge every 12 hours or
so) in a caddy hanging in the companionway. I also have an air horn
and a couple of hand rocket flares within reach. Lastly, I file a sail
plan with the Coast Guard when cruising away from Toronto and/or so
far out in the lake that I'm beyond cell phone range. Sometimes, if
the weather's rough, I do a position check and repay their attentions
by providing local weather, wave height, etc. as there are only two
weather buoys in Lake Ontario (at either end).

The lake freighters and tankers keep to fairly well-travelled lanes. I
keep a running fix with pelorus and/or GPS on the hour when I do my
log entries, and I can tell if I am getting close to these lanes.

Lastly, when night sailing, I keep the usual nav lights on and raise a
"raincatcher" radar reflector on the flag halyard. I also ready a
500,000 candela halogen hand light to flash on the sails. I also add
the "ship-to-ship" frequencies to my scan list on the nav station VHF.

Frankly, though, I have had far closer encounters with dopey fellow
recreational sailors, powerboaters and jetskiers than I have with
commercial maritime traffic. I have had 35-40 foot sailboats under
main and motor cross my path obviously under autopilot in Lake Ontario
with no one at the helm or visible. I gave one such "near miss" two
miles offshore a blast with the horn (I was under sail alone) and saw
a bed-headed sailor with a mug of what I assume was coffee appear in
his cockpit, peering owlishly about as I sailed off, having missed him
by about three boat lengths.

Some people just don't get it. He probably thought his chartplotter
would shriek if he got near another vessel.

R.

interesting rhys...thanx......some good observations there...

Here is very common to have two VHF on board one handheld and one fixe
mount. With the use of relay towers locate on high ground the range of an
handheld is better than before. Now days the cell and sat. phones, are used
more and more. The same thing goes for GPS one handheld with an SD memory
card loaded with information and one fixe mount both working on 12 volts and
batteries back up. The US defense dept are not suppose to scramble GPS
transmissions. But to be on the safe side I still have my old Loran as a
back up. This year I have added a 12 volts 700A mobile power pack in case
the boat's batteries run out, one more thing (toys) to carry.

"rhys" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:22:47 GMT, Don White
wrote:

BTW, even when sailing on my friends Mirage 33, I always brought my
handheld VHF along and tried to monitor traffic, over his stereo and
boisterous crew.

I keep a handheld VHF (with a NiCad pack I recharge every 12 hours or
so) in a caddy hanging in the companionway. I also have an air horn
and a couple of hand rocket flares within reach. Lastly, I file a sail
plan with the Coast Guard when cruising away from Toronto and/or so
far out in the lake that I'm beyond cell phone range. Sometimes, if
the weather's rough, I do a position check and repay their attentions
by providing local weather, wave height, etc. as there are only two
weather buoys in Lake Ontario (at either end).

The lake freighters and tankers keep to fairly well-travelled lanes. I
keep a running fix with pelorus and/or GPS on the hour when I do my
log entries, and I can tell if I am getting close to these lanes.

Lastly, when night sailing, I keep the usual nav lights on and raise a
"raincatcher" radar reflector on the flag halyard. I also ready a
500,000 candela halogen hand light to flash on the sails. I also add
the "ship-to-ship" frequencies to my scan list on the nav station VHF.

Frankly, though, I have had far closer encounters with dopey fellow
recreational sailors, powerboaters and jetskiers than I have with
commercial maritime traffic. I have had 35-40 foot sailboats under
main and motor cross my path obviously under autopilot in Lake Ontario
with no one at the helm or visible. I gave one such "near miss" two
miles offshore a blast with the horn (I was under sail alone) and saw
a bed-headed sailor with a mug of what I assume was coffee appear in
his cockpit, peering owlishly about as I sailed off, having missed him
by about three boat lengths.

Some people just don't get it. He probably thought his chartplotter
would shriek if he got near another vessel.

R.