Info Diving and Seamanship

[Wookie]

Was it the boat, or the inhabitants?


Bob

The boat. And I had no idea that the inhabitants on a tin can smelled just as bad.

 

[Boston Breakwater]

good info, but I have one clarification based on personal experience:

Port and starboard = left and right side of vessel when on the vessel and facing the bow

Hello. I've met many people who have difficulty remembering which side is what........I just tell them that "Port." and "Left." have the same amount of letters.

 

[Wookie]

Hello. I've met many people who have difficulty remembering which side is what........I just tell them that "Port." and "Left." have the same amount of letters.

My problem is that I can't tell right from left. The crew just looks at me, because I always point the correct direction.

 

[Boston Breakwater]

My problem is that I can't tell right from left. The crew just looks at me, because I always point the correct direction.

Hey, Wookie. How are you?

Navigation lights help you and other boaters determine which is the give-way vessel when encountering each other at night. These lights must be displayed from sunset to sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility, such as fog. There are four common navigation lights.

• Sidelights: These red and green lights are called sidelights (also called combination lights) because they are visible to another vessel approaching from the side or head-on. The red light indicates a vessel’s port (left) side; the green indicates a vessel’s starboard (right) side.
• Sternlight: This white light is seen only from behind or nearly behind the vessel.
• Masthead Light: This white light shines forward and to both sides and is required on all power-driven vessels. (On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, the masthead light and sternlight may be combined into an all-round white light; power-driven vessels 39.4 feet in length or longer must have a separate masthead light.) A masthead light must be displayed by all vessels when under engine power. The absence of this light indicates a sailing vessel because sailboats under sail display only sidelights and a sternlight.
• All-Round White Light: On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, this light may be used to combine a masthead light and sternlight into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are extinguished.

Again, using letter count in the words.........You can still use "Red." as having fewer letters for "Port." "Green."......."Starboard."
Cheers.

 

[AfterDark]

Hey, Wookie. How are you?

Navigation lights help you and other boaters determine which is the give-way vessel when encountering each other at night. These lights must be displayed from sunset to sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility, such as fog. There are four common navigation lights.

• Sidelights: These red and green lights are called sidelights (also called combination lights) because they are visible to another vessel approaching from the side or head-on. The red light indicates a vessel’s port (left) side; the green indicates a vessel’s starboard (right) side.
• Sternlight: This white light is seen only from behind or nearly behind the vessel.
• Masthead Light: This white light shines forward and to both sides and is required on all power-driven vessels. (On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, the masthead light and sternlight may be combined into an all-round white light; power-driven vessels 39.4 feet in length or longer must have a separate masthead light.) A masthead light must be displayed by all vessels when under engine power. The absence of this light indicates a sailing vessel because sailboats under sail display only sidelights and a sternlight.
• All-Round White Light: On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, this light may be used to combine a masthead light and sternlight into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are extinguished.

Again, using letter count in the words.........You can still use "Red." as having fewer letters for "Port." "Green."......."Starboard."
Cheers.

I wonder how many boat owners could pass that in the form of a quiz?

 

[Boston Breakwater]

As, a "Live Aboard." Captain..................? I feel Wookie may be pulling our "Fin."

 

[AfterDark]

That's heading back into engineering. This Albacore was the diesel submarine built to test what would become the nuclear submarine hull. It's now a museum in Portsmouth, NH. The door is farmiliar, since it's standard WWII vintage, since the test depth is similar. The Nuc boats are the same opening but built heavier for the deeper depths.

On the west coast, the USS Blueback is a museum in Portland. The Blueback and her two sister ships were the last class of diesel boats built by the US, they used the Albacore design and are similar.



It's all about technique, and practice.


Bob

The hull probably wasn't HY-80 either, which makes a big difference in hull integrity. Last I knew HY-130 was being used on newer boats. I can't imagine the progress that's been made welding that steel. HY-80 had several special heating processes during and after welding. By the time I left welding hy-80 was almost like welding any other metal. They were having similar troubles with the HY130 around the time I left 25 years ago.

 

[Wookie]

As, a "Live Aboard." Captain..................? I feel Wookie may be pulling our "Fin."

Nope, truth. I write right and left on my gloves. I always turn valves correctly, the muscle memory is there, but if I shout port or starboard, the crew knows instinctively to look at me because 90% of the time I will get it wrong. When I was in the Navy my space was 2 port auxiliary machinery room. That was 35 years ago. To this day, if someone says port or starboard, I look back to that space, figure out if it's my aux room or someone elses aux room, and which side of the ship it's on, and therefore if it's port or starboard. It's a process. If I have to choose quickly, 50/50-90.

 

[Akimbo]

Nope, truth. I write right and left on my gloves.

It is interesting how our brains are wired differently. Some people can instantly remember names, which the filter between my ears simply allows free passage. I also have to give thought to right and left but never which hand is dominant. My bride can talk on the phone, listen to TV, and a conversation across the room all at the same time, but her visual situational awareness is challenged. I can barely manage one conversation face to face.

 

[Schwob]

I drink port wine exclusively with my left hand. Well, I would if I did...