First time on Autopilot
 

"Harlan Lachman" wrote

Roger, I don't remember who it was who responded to me, but his point,
expressed more succinctly and powerfully than my summation was that it
was irresponsible to boat off the coast of Maine in a fog and hope
others spent the money and developed the expertise to prevent accidents.

Actually, what is irresponsible, according to the rules of the road and
centuries of common law, is proceeding at a speed that will not allow you to
stop in half of your visibility. Radar, which is only an aid to navigation,
lets people do this at a lower level of anxiety so they do. It has not yet
been established that radar is a substitute for visibility but law and
reality diverge as is usually the case.

Even in Maine, I have seldom seen it so thick that I could not do a complete
U turn at normal speed in half my visibility. I'm out in the open cockpit
where my vision and hearing are not attenuated by a pilothouse. Operating
without radar, I'm actually technically responsible whereas the guy in his
trawler yacht with all the bells and whistles over running his stopping and
maneuvering distance by three or four times is not. GPS, of course, has
made the situation much worse. Lots of people out there following the
little cursor around and full speed. How many of them do you think actually
know how to use the radar in a way that would let them correctly analyze and
respond to a crossing situation? Paradoxically, as vessels get larger and
safer for their occupants, they become more of a hazard to others.

I'd certainly agree with you from the vantage point of a larger, faster,
heavier, and less maneuverable boat but I don't present much of a hazard to
other boats likely to be out there. Any irresponsibility issue arises out
of hazard to my passengers and possibility of needing rescue from the many
who are being technically and actually irresponsible by using navigational
aids to proceed with too much speed and too little look out. I have a radar
reflector, they should see me.

Practically, radar is of much more limited use on a sailboat than a
powerboat. Proper use requires constant plotting and tracking. That would
put me down below relying on a generally inexperienced guest to take the
helm and lookout. Sure, it would tell me that other boats are out there but
I generally know that because I hear them.

There are fogs and there are fogs. Visibility is usually a lot better than
it seems. There are days, times, and places, where I wouldn't go; just as
there are weather conditions that would keep me anchored or tied up. The
mere operation of a boat in restricted visibility is not, by itself,
irresponsible.

Sure, there is a level of risk, and that level of risk would be lower if in
installed radar. The argument that someone is irresponsible simply because
there is a an available way to lessen risk is spurious. At any level of
vessel size and complexity there will always be more equipment and more
safety that you can build in. The ocean is a dangerous place and yachting
is optional so, by that standard, just being a cruiser is irresponsible.

--
Roger Long

First time on Autopilot
 

Ah, light dawns on Marblehead!

Yesterday, whenever I sat down to look closely at the GPS and fine tune the
course, the boat would wander off five degrees or so. I was telling myself:

"It hasn't been through the calibration routine yet."

"It's going to hunt until I fiddle with the settings."

"It just seems like it's wandering more because I'm looking closely."

Etc., Etc.

I just realize that the Buck knife on my hip must have been about three
inches from the built in flux gate compass just under the fiberglass cockpit
seat!

--
Roger Long

First time on Autopilot
 

The fluxgate on my old boat was mounted under the sole near the center
of the boat. Whenever I walked through there with my Rockport
boatshoes (which have an iron shank) the boat would spin.

My current pocket knife is by Boye. It has no ferrous parts at all -
the blade is cobalt, and the clips are titanium.


* Roger Long wrote, On 5/18/2007 1:02 PM:
Ah, light dawns on Marblehead!

Yesterday, whenever I sat down to look closely at the GPS and fine tune the
course, the boat would wander off five degrees or so. I was telling myself:

"It hasn't been through the calibration routine yet."

"It's going to hunt until I fiddle with the settings."

"It just seems like it's wandering more because I'm looking closely."

Etc., Etc.

I just realize that the Buck knife on my hip must have been about three
inches from the built in flux gate compass just under the fiberglass cockpit
seat!

--
Roger Long

First time on Autopilot
 

I guess I'm going to have to break down and finally buy myself a fancy boat
knife. Old Reliable (30 years and about three new sheafs) is just going to
have to make way for modern times. That is the exact spot where it's best
to sit while working with the GPS.

This should start a sub-thread: What's the best boat knife?

--
Roger Long

First time on Autopilot
 

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I brought the boat down from the yard today. The rig wasn't set up so
it was fifteen miles as a power boat. As soon as I got out of the
river, I set up the newly installed ST1000 driving the Cape Horn
windvane.

Wow. I never had so much fun not doing something I used to think of as
fun. I know most of you take this for granted but I've always been a
"keep it simple", minimalist sailor. There's something about a boat
that steers itself that makes you feel like an adult.

I spent a good part of the leg down the bay sorting out lines and
making the boat a bit more presentable after the hasty mast stepping
and departure. The remote was close at hand and what luxury to just
reach down and push the buttons when a floating log or pot buoy came
up.

It was a cold, raw day (an inch of snow in the northern part of the
state) and would have been a long cold trick at the wheel single
handed. Another nice thing I've discovered about autopilots is that
being able to move around and do things makes you feel a lot warmer.

I don't know how I ever got along without this thing. I may never
steer again. What's next? Radar? (Now that I can leave the wheel, I
could even go and look at it.)

--

Roger Long


If you had a real sailboat like my Allied Seawind 32 with her
traditional full keel and ketch rig, you wouldn't need to use some
cheapo electronic autopilot. Sea Isle can hold her course all day long
just with the proper sail trim using the jigger as a steering sail.

There is no joy in having to use electricity to keep a recalcitrant and
poorly designed yacht on her course.

Wilbur Hubbard

First time on Autopilot
 

* Roger Long wrote, On 5/18/2007 2:20 PM:
I guess I'm going to have to break down and finally buy myself a fancy
boat knife. Old Reliable (30 years and about three new sheafs) is just
going to have to make way for modern times. That is the exact spot
where it's best to sit while working with the GPS.

This should start a sub-thread: What's the best boat knife?


I don't know if this is the "best" but its served me well for two
years. They are a pain to sharpen, but hold the edge fairly well.
They are the only quality rigging knife I know that's total non-ferrous

www.boyeknives.com

First time on Autopilot
 

On May 18, 12:02 pm, "Roger Long" wrote:
Ah, light dawns on Marblehead!

Yesterday, whenever I sat down to look closely at the GPS and fine tune the
course, the boat would wander off five degrees or so. I was telling myself:

"It hasn't been through the calibration routine yet."

"It's going to hunt until I fiddle with the settings."

"It just seems like it's wandering more because I'm looking closely."

Etc., Etc.

I just realize that the Buck knife on my hip must have been about three
inches from the built in flux gate compass just under the fiberglass cockpit
seat!

--
Roger Long

instead of buying new knives move the flux gate to an area away from
gear adrift(in peoples pockets) ect. Or you will be dealing with the
issue everythime someone sits in that cockpit seat.

Joe

First time on Autopilot
 

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
...

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I brought the boat down from the yard today. The rig wasn't set up so it
was fifteen miles as a power boat. As soon as I got out of the river, I
set up the newly installed ST1000 driving the Cape Horn windvane.

Wow. I never had so much fun not doing something I used to think of as
fun. I know most of you take this for granted but I've always been a
"keep it simple", minimalist sailor. There's something about a boat that
steers itself that makes you feel like an adult.

I spent a good part of the leg down the bay sorting out lines and making
the boat a bit more presentable after the hasty mast stepping and
departure. The remote was close at hand and what luxury to just reach
down and push the buttons when a floating log or pot buoy came up.

It was a cold, raw day (an inch of snow in the northern part of the
state) and would have been a long cold trick at the wheel single handed.
Another nice thing I've discovered about autopilots is that being able to
move around and do things makes you feel a lot warmer.

I don't know how I ever got along without this thing. I may never steer
again. What's next? Radar? (Now that I can leave the wheel, I could even
go and look at it.)

--

Roger Long


If you had a real sailboat like my Allied Seawind 32 with her traditional
full keel and ketch rig, you wouldn't need to use some cheapo electronic
autopilot. Sea Isle can hold her course all day long just with the proper
sail trim using the jigger as a steering sail.

There is no joy in having to use electricity to keep a recalcitrant and
poorly designed yacht on her course.

Wilbur Hubbard
Correct, we know the Allied Seawind 32 well.
As you have stated it will, under normal condition, hold its course.
That may account for one reason why circumnavigators were amenable to use
the Allied Seawind 32.
However, the Bay of Fundy, offers a varietals of challenges. The Point
Lepreau rip tides, the Grand Manan channel,
Tiverton Passage, Schooner Passage. Letite and Little passages are very
challenging in Black fog. The legend has it that Mohawk ledge has had its
share of boats. The fog is challenging but compounded with tides, eddies
and currents you have all it takes to prove your skill and your manual or
auto pilot. No one navigating in these areas will let his or her boat
steered itseft alone. An auto pilot can be used as long as you have a
constant vigil and adjust the heading a degree at a time or better still do
the steering manually with the assistance of plotter,dept sounder and radar.
Having a fin keel allows for quicker reaction time to avoid ledges and
rocks.

First time on Autopilot
 

wrote in message
...

"Wilbur Hubbard" wrote in message
...

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I brought the boat down from the yard today. The rig wasn't set up so
it was fifteen miles as a power boat. As soon as I got out of the
river, I set up the newly installed ST1000 driving the Cape Horn
windvane.

Wow. I never had so much fun not doing something I used to think of
as fun. I know most of you take this for granted but I've always
been a "keep it simple", minimalist sailor. There's something about
a boat that steers itself that makes you feel like an adult.

I spent a good part of the leg down the bay sorting out lines and
making the boat a bit more presentable after the hasty mast stepping
and departure. The remote was close at hand and what luxury to just
reach down and push the buttons when a floating log or pot buoy came
up.

It was a cold, raw day (an inch of snow in the northern part of the
state) and would have been a long cold trick at the wheel single
handed. Another nice thing I've discovered about autopilots is that
being able to move around and do things makes you feel a lot warmer.

I don't know how I ever got along without this thing. I may never
steer again. What's next? Radar? (Now that I can leave the wheel, I
could even go and look at it.)

--

Roger Long


If you had a real sailboat like my Allied Seawind 32 with her
traditional full keel and ketch rig, you wouldn't need to use some
cheapo electronic autopilot. Sea Isle can hold her course all day
long just with the proper sail trim using the jigger as a steering
sail.

There is no joy in having to use electricity to keep a recalcitrant
and poorly designed yacht on her course.

Wilbur Hubbard
Correct, we know the Allied Seawind 32 well.
As you have stated it will, under normal condition, hold its course.
That may account for one reason why circumnavigators were amenable to
use the Allied Seawind 32.
However, the Bay of Fundy, offers a varietals of challenges. The
Point Lepreau rip tides, the Grand Manan channel,
Tiverton Passage, Schooner Passage. Letite and Little passages are
very challenging in Black fog. The legend has it that Mohawk ledge
has had its share of boats. The fog is challenging but compounded
with tides, eddies and currents you have all it takes to prove your
skill and your manual or auto pilot. No one navigating in these areas
will let his or her boat steered itseft alone. An auto pilot can be
used as long as you have a constant vigil and adjust the heading a
degree at a time or better still do the steering manually with the
assistance of plotter,dept sounder and radar. Having a fin keel allows
for quicker reaction time to avoid ledges and rocks.

The Bay of Fundy is, indeed, one of the more challenging places in the
whole world to sail. I've never been there but I understand the highest
tides in the world occur there. Thirty to forty feet? Now, that's scary.

Wilbur Hubbard

First time on Autopilot
 

Joe wrote:

instead of buying new knives move the flux gate to an area away from
gear adrift(in peoples pockets) ect.

Good idea, generally. However, this is a small tiller pilot with a built in
compass and it drives the linkage to a Cape Horn wind vane. Location is
determined by the need to have access to the control panel (also built in)
without completely obstructing the lazarett hatch.

Way cheaper to buy a $150 knife than another $1500 autopilot with separate
compass unit. The little ST1000 is overkill for the job as it is since all
it does is tweak the windvane linkage when under power.

It's a problem I can live with if I know about it.

--
Roger Long