Absolution 7 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 IT what kind of Dollars are we talking for transponder type AIS ?? Cheapest transponder I have seen is about $1200. Depends what type of chart plotter you have as most vendors have their own way of doing it. Some transponders are $2000-2500+. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Personally, I think rig LOTS of lights... then have the tender set about 100m astern adorned with every LED available... then go below and set the AIS to send "SUPERTANKER"..... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 ..... oh, having a play with a AIS class B transponder this sunday about mid-day at Westhaven aboard a boat. It should come up on the following websites: http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/ http://www.digital-seas.com/nc/ports/po ... 5060e.html http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shiplocations.phtml The MMSI is 512002948 If anyone see's it post here!! Thanks. Steve Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Talking Nav lights and one would think an important item like that, especially one that loudly claim 'Approved, best of the best' would do simple things right. http://content.westmarine.com/wm-img/email/images/Recall%20Letter%20-%20AquaSignal%20-%201%2027%2011%20-%20FINAL.pdf Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Thanks for that warning KM. Interestingly the failed product only has the corrective mouldings on the top of the lens. Was this the reason for the recall I have yet to check all of you list in the other thread. However some of the pictures did KMOT show up in some of the warnings. Can you email them to me ASAP. THANKS Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 'did KMOT' ?????? looks like an attack of fat fingers All I have is the link, knot the actual pages. Reload........ Does make one wonder how Nav lights with the lens in backwards got past QA Dept, that I would have thought would have been No.1 on the check list. Bizarre. Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Does make one wonder how Nav lights with the lens in backwards got past QA Dept, that I would have thought would have been No.1 on the check list. Bizarre. NO it still faces forward that lens, so that's knot the problem. I wish the warning could be more informative. I still think the lens is missing one set of the zig-zag or ribbed bit. BTW FYI, I have tried reloading the warnings that failed to display the pictures, but to no avail. I still get just a frame with a RED "X" in top left corner, and have clicked on that and selected "Show Picture" but still no success. Do you kneed a list of my problems Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Here's a link to a transponder at 500 US.....http://www.milltechmarine.com/AMEC-CAMI ... p_214.html Half a dozen white flares makes more sense to me than the same amount of red or orange. Prevention rather than cure. I've used one in anger and they are amazing how bright. Not good for night vision. Day is the real problem though, especially in bad conditions. A really loud foghorn might help. Another thought regarding AIS.... With a transponder the screen could be left off as the device transmits. Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Class B transponder package...$800 Aus and getting cheaper.... you need to use it with either a laptop or chart plotter.. http://www.whitworths.com.au Even cheaper from overseas... You can get wonderful little LED spot lights for $20 (including postage) on the internet....these little babies are bright...They dont throw a huge distance, but from the lower spreaders they light up your boat like a movie set. I am mounting one on my bow for channel marker ilumination as well. (they are only 75 mm in diameter and come as a ready to mount package) They are rated for under water swimming pool use !! Try 12 v LED underwater...on ebay. PS RED over GREEN, is a SAILING machine ! Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,234 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Wheels, my AIS was about $1200 NZD when I got it late 2009, but they have come down since. Around $800 (see the one quoted at $500 above) seems reasonably common now. Mine is an ACR one. There is no "screen" for it, it has NMEA output only. Works on most plotters/PC's etc.... And, also as mentioned above, also works (transmits) with no screen on - although you get no collision alarms then either. It was complete with GPS and ariel, so, once installed, gave us a backup GPS for gerneral use as well... Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I was saying this to KM, that it's one thing knowing rules from reading and doing and courses etc. But once you actually get out there in the Dark and meet a Ship head on for the first time, you have all the thoughts racing through your mind of what light you should see and what does that mean and now have I got that right and so on. It may look similar to a picture in a book, but the difference is that the Ship is not going to pop out of the page and run you down if you didn't quite understand things correctly. So that added little 'excitment" of did I get that right does make you think twice....or three times..ok maybe four. Which by the way, if this is helpful, I learn't a very easy way to remember. I have only actually seen it once(maybe I am just slow) but smply, if you see a red light, you give way. Just like traffic lights. Easy. All the rules I have ever read seem to make it a little more complex than that. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 A lot of ships don't follow the rules except " might is right". Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,234 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 In my experience, don't get too hung up on Nav Lights. Run the correct ones yourself, of course, but do not expect others to do so. They often dont. It is uncommon here in SE Asia to see another vessel with the correct lighting. For example In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, many fishing boats use BLUE strobes wether anchored or underway. But sometimes they are RED or White, or nothing but a torch if you get too close. A Cigarette glow has been the first thing I've seen of a small wooden fishing boat on one occasion. Fishing nets may be unlit, or have strobes. They can be anywhere, including accross channels! I've seen a large tug with an all round white, and aft deck lights - could see the tow cable, and the tug and it's tow on radar. The tow was about 200m, and was completely unlit... The Thai ferries often have just a flashing yellow, without without sidelights, and can do 20-35 knts. It all helps keep you awake on those night watches!! Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 We had a VERY close call...my partner was never going to sail again after. Dark night...radar going...constant tracking... Kept a two mile Paralel line (opposing track). No excuses on my part, but that vessel changed to a collision course bearing. I made radio calls, with no anwser...but the coast guard picked all my transmisions up from 15 nm away.... The coast guard Logged all calls and lon and lats.... Lights ? there was no point....that ship closed on us so fast it was not funny... by the time I yelled for my partner to get on deck we crossed in front of her bows by (big swear word) meters... Now just so you understand, I altered course three times before this...all the time going inshore. At a closing speed of just short of 30 knots on a fuzzy night.... It has left me very angry and perhaps realistic....A small yacht does have the right....but even if you where trying to stay away from the buggers they will suddenly change course with no reasonable watch. (we put up a very decent radar target..proven). I also did a full hand held spotlight on both the sail and directly at the ships bridge. SO... one...keep at least 4 to 5 miles at night ....trust is not an option. two...good lights....ones that will go the whole night through.. three...AIS transponder...helll yeah if you can afford one. It still stuns me to this day that we went under that boats bows....that we came so close and regardless of everything we where so close (and confused) that we had no choice but to smoke the engine and hit 9 knots to crawl past... Please consider all I have writen. I think that I am a reasonably prudent sailor, not without night sailing expierience...we where running radar and had the offending vessel on marpa. We where keeping a two mile saftey barrier. We tried to contact them many times by vhf. We did a spot light on the sail and at the bridge. THEY turned straight across us on a collision course.... DONT EXPECT THAT A BIG SHIP MAY HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON THAN YOU. !! SO...to this post the very best lights..red over green AND deck lights. plus AIS reciever is good..you can see their course change, but transponder is better. Full radar and use marpa. Keep the biggest distance you can from big shipping. NEVER trust that they wont change direction. If you are traveling on the east coast of Oz...it is "down time" for international shipping.....there is bugger all small boats compared to other shipping lanes. They may let Their guard down.. (watch a dvd while on watch) As I have said...you may not care so much about insurance when your boat is on the bottom.....with you. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 It probably never saw you at all IB and just turned course witout knowing you were there at all. As we were leaving Napier, a large container vessel was coming in. It zig zagged all the way in from waaaay out. I couldn't work out where to steer to, so just ensured I stayed out at the side of the channel in the end. They were not in the channel at that stage, but I assumed they would eventually head for it. It ended up passing me a couple of miles away and well away from the channel, so I have no clue as to what the zigzagging was all about. Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 It probably never saw you at all IB and just turned course witout knowing you were there at all. Wheels that was my guess too...which now leaves my hands a little clamy and my mouth a little dry evrytime I see one of the big buggers. I cant help but imagine the "wheel house dude", with his earbuds in, playing space invaders on his laptop...The go around point is reached and he just reaches up and presses the "accept new waypoint" button without even looking up....after all....he will be on watch for at least another 4 hours and there will be plenty of time to have a quick look around before he ends his shift........ I have seen zig zaging, once by a fishing vessel that was bleeding its hydraulics, and by a larger vessel that was doing some kind of steering tests. The fishing vessel just short of bounced off the channel banks all the way out with no warning, but the big vessel did a constant radio thing, warning of its direction changes. (securite, securite,securite...this is tha chien wah dim sim...etc...) Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Rules for big ships 1) Assume they haven't seen you 2) Assume they wouldn't change course even if they did 3) Get out of their way, early We saw a big oil tanker do a random 360 in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Never did figure out what he was up to. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Never did figure out what he was up to. The Cpt lost his hat?? Link to post Share on other sites
rigger 47 Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We saw a big oil tanker do a random 360 in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Never did figure out what he was up to. steering failure, auto pilot failure / glitch MOB drill - was on a tanker in the middle of the oggin and we ran an MOB drill, good place to do it as less traffic to worry about. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 It was interesting as he was motoring along at maybe 20 something kn, then whammo, a 360 , then carried on as if nothing had happened. I wondered if they were playing with the autopilot. Link to post Share on other sites
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