On Aug 11, 9:03 pm, Skip Gundlach wrote:
I gather from catching up on the various digests of this group I
receive that I wasn't clear in my night watch routine.

Okay, Please elaborate.



Every 15 minutes I break and do the full scan.


Radar only?????????????????????????????????


At night, lights
appear considerably closer than they really are, so I can usually see
one well before it's of any interest on a collision level.

Bull****


OTOH, in the middle of the night, with a sea above several inches,

Thats sea state is called, "smother than a baby's ass" or "flatter
than glass."


you're a far better lookout than I if you can see anything smaller
than Wilbur's submarine, if it's not lit and so small as to not show
on the radar.

Hey................. dont laugh about the submarine story. It happend
to me too. ALso my step dad snaged one while towing for rockfish off
Oregon coast in the late 60s.

You still have not actually told me what you do!


Our radar will pick up crab pots, unlit day marks, and other such
sized items. I don't use radar as my sole source.

Please list the other sourse of Lookout information:


Rather I use it to
track objects I can't yet see.


Oh, so you are testifying that you are on deck conducting line of
sight observations??

The 15 minute (or less - another
inadequately clear number; I have a max of 15, and look whenever I
think of it or something else brings me to that screen) reference was
to radar reference. If there's nothing there, I check it again in 15
(or less).


?????????????? Im confused. Just exactly where are you and what are
you doing?


Meanwhile the visual scan goes on.

Oh, so you are outside on deck, and watching 360 degrees continuasly?
then how the hell do you find time to type these lenghty documents?
that kind of typing takes time..... time you aint on deck. So which is
it: you on deck or you typing?

The chartplotter is turned to zero
illumination (as is the radar, as they share the same screen), which
is plenty (I don't know what they illuminate with, but it's adequate,
but not dark) with full night vision. Much of the time I have a towel
over it to minimize even that, and rely on the red-lit compass to
assure that Otto is still on task. My routine when I do the
chartplotter/radar is to cycle it from max to minimum range, and in
the case of the chartplotter, look forward in small scale along the
route we're on. That's to make sure we're not going to find some rock
that Otto will run right over just because he's going to a waypoint
and it's in between him and the WP. In the case of radar, it's to see
those pots, as well as the container ship that's over the visual
horizon.

I hate to be blunt Skip, but what the **** are you trying to say here?
I want to hear: "I am on deck listening... felling the wind n my face,
searching the darkness with my eyes. **** the gizmos. You are the
LOOKOUT! Not some machine you name Auto.


Touch typing rules in the dark. I make a few typos but the spell
checker catches them when I review them before I get internet
connectivity (which is why you see posts from me in bunches over some
days, rather than in real time)....

Now, I'm off to the shower, and up anchor (figuratively - we're
casting off) in the morning, up the ICW...

SKIP, tie the boat up and go to one of the many schools availible in
that area. GO TO A COURSE CALLED, Rating Forming Part Of A Navigation
Watch (RFPNW).

http://www.mptusa.com/professional/uscg_deck.html#RFPNW

It is designed for thoes who are Able Seaman (AB). A deck grunt (AB)
is to be a LOOKOUT on vessels. The ABs steer ships and stand OUTSIDE
listening and watching as a LOOKOUT. THEY ARE OUTSIDE WITH THE WIND IN
THEIR FACE. Why, cuse the 2M (uhh, second mate) dont want to get put
in jail for lacking a LOOKOUT!!!!
The typical RFPNW lasts ONLY 2-3 days and cost a few hudred bucks.
TAKE IT ............PLEASE ! ! !

ALso another good class to take is "RADAR Observer Unlimited". thats
about 5 days. TAKE IT.......... PLEASE ! ! !

http://www.mptusa.com/courses/radar_...unlimited.html


Skip, you have a 46 foot vessel. For Gods sakes. That comes with a lot
of responsibility. Good ole Auto will put you T-bone to another boat
and, God forbid they die and their survivors take everthig you
have........ Last time it was just a beach. Lucky it did not belong to
the Nature COnvergency. They would have ur ass in court by now if so.
Trusts and Corporations will NOT protect your assetts regardless what
ur attorney says ! Say good bye to ur retirment and 401 and mutual
funds and and CDs, and ROTH and home and and DO YOU GET THE PICTURE
YET ! ! ! !

Bob