Running on autopilot, no look-out?

Norseman, at my time, the German F-4 was capable of doing 2.3 Mach because of their stronger engines but this was depending on the OAT at altitude. Only at -70 degrees Centigrade or colder, you could see anything above Mach 2.0. The fastes I ever personally saw was 2.28. The DME counter was klicking pretty fast, I must say . The fastes plane, they still let me fly today (the privatly owned CJ2 with less than 12.500 lbs MTOW, because of age) is 0.72. But our new bird comming up will see me doing .92 (with a cup of coffee and in the back). Norseman, we are getting older.

rcrapps, you are right, the big boys could not stop for you, if they will see you 30 sec prior impact and they most likely would not be able to turn away fast enough. But if the ships operator has set a clear cut SOP about operating the ship and its systems and the crew will adhear to those rules, they will see you early enough in order to avoid you. The problem can be the neccessary maneuvering space for this evasive action. On the open sea, this will not present any problem but in high density traffic zones or in the approach sectors of large harbours, available space to maneuver might become close and this both lateral and as far as available depth below the keel is concerned. In the English Channel, the ARPA may report seeing up to 250 targets at the same time within 40 NM radius. Traffic in all direction from 5 to 40 Kts, fishing boats, ferries and even those stupid light towers refusing to alter course for your mighty box carrier .

But the single handed blow boater in his 30 ft sailboat going for a sleep under auto or wind pilot on the middle of the ocean without active radar (with MARPA alarm set) and active AIS B is really pressing his luck. My father would have said, he deserves to be driven over .

Btw. Did you know, the number one reason for Captains on merchant ships under offshore flag here in Europe, for being alcoholic, is lonliness.
They have nobody to talk to on board. The average seaman on watch only speaks the mandatory command words neccessary to understand and repeat those words for steering and the chief eng only the words for his engine and the rest of the crew NOTHING in english. STCW does not require a minimum command of the english language under those flags. The typical offshore flagged feeder ship with 18 crew may consist of crew from 10 to 12 different nations from all over the world.

Old joke in Europe: What do you need emergency drills on Middle East or Italian owned ships for. At the first indication of distress, the officers are gone anyhow (greetings from Capt. Schettino, the hero of the italian merchant navy. He is still a free man and attenting parties).



Sleep tight tonight, your mercant navy is awake.

Sorry, got carried away again.

I'm assuming there was someone unseen operating the vessel at the lower helm - I believe that may rise to the level of criminal conduct if it weren't manned.

Just this morning on the ferry ride to work I saw a small pocket trawler a couple miles away coming up the river we were crossing, a couple minutes later I glance back up from the book I was reading and he was still on the same bearing. I chuckled thinking about reading this and another thread and how we might be about to finally establish which was the better hull material, steel or fiberglass.
Fortunately (for him!) the ferry master was watching him too and he kept slowing and finally reversing while giving the Kahlenbergs a good workout. Idiot passed right across our bow and there was no one on the flybridge or saloon helm! Amazing in a sometimes busy waterway, with turns, someone would set the pilot and leave for that long!

I am not going to fight a boat or a car for space. They want my space so badly, just take it. Rushing for the parking space, fine. Fight over who enters the marina first? Definitely not going to fight with one who has decided he want's the middle half of the ICW.

I just don't really care that I had the right of way and he took it. As long as no one gets hurt, it's a good day.

Unless such an incidents happens far outside: Report them! And I don't mean in a forum.
After all - You can't know what is going on. Is it BUI? Is there a medical problem and they need help?

Handing some actual work out should also help with the amount of "random" inspections.

One more typical example of one of those blow boaters on autopilot. Long night on the watch, fresh morning, in heavy need for a decent cup of coffee and then this ugly assembly of rusty steel comes into view. And even has the right of way!! One of those days, you would like to be the skipper of a torpedo boat .



Just joking. Would I ever wish to sink a ship?

The Car Carrier tipped over because of falsification of the stability data as the crew were in a hurry. he Tricolor had 3 collisions in a month, the 3rd one sank it.

Btw. The number one reason for violation reports by the authorities both in the air and on the water or running aground while under autopilot is the DIRECT TO function. The Autopilot is one of the finest invention in boating and flying, the problem is the operator.

During my pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, there was one more training squadron with students from Latin America and some Middle East countries. Very rich guys from the upper class of their countries. After their first SOLO flight, most of those rich boys bought large Winnebagos and Corvettes. And a lot of them chrashed their uge Campers and expensive sportscars within days.

One Guy took his Winnebago for a weekend tour to Corpus Christi. Half way down the way, he was found in the wreckage of his 40 ft camper all 4 wheels up in the air. Questioned by the sheriff, he complained about the technical reliability of his brand new camper. He said: I switched on the Autopilot and went in the back to get a cold dring out of the fridge but this bloody autopilot failed and the car left the road and turned over.

As you see, it is always the fault of the autopilot (or was it the operator? ).