Safe at Sea: Hodgepodge of boating information
As the season comes to a close and our islands clear out, it’s a good time to clean house in this column. I’ve come across a few random topics that don’t warrant an entire column, but I’ve found intriguing.
The first two ideas deal with new concepts on boats:
– Handheld AIS (Automatic Identification System)
– Smart Trim Tabs
An AIS works by taking a vessel’s position and movement data via the boat’s GPS system — or by an internal sensor built into the AIS unit — and then displays it on an electronic chart showing all the “traffic” within the surrounding waters. Additional information is pulled from the pre-programmed MMSI (Martime Mobile Service Identity) which includes the vessel’s name, et cetera.
Historically, this has been a costly fixed-mount unit and has relied on a transponder to transmit your vessel’s information and to receive other boat’s information. AIS provides captains with a great deal of information about surrounding vessels:
– Vessel Name, MMSI number and call sign
– Type of vessel (i.e. passenger, cargo, fishing, et cetera)
– Vessel position
– Course over ground and speed over ground
– Your vessel’s heading
Here’s the vital function:
– Closest point of approach (distance) and time of closest point of approach
– Vessel’s dimension.
The new handheld AIS takes this tool beyond the domain of larger boats and puts it, literally, in the hands of a multitude of boaters.
SMART TRIM TABS
BoatTest.com recently featured an automatic trim tabs made by Nauticus Inc., which has been an industry leader in automatic trim tables, particularly for smaller boats of 10 feet to 30 feet.
It has launched Smart Tabs, which will “automatically adjust to water conditions, boat speed and payload to improve ride and handling, bow angle, top speed and fuel economy.”
With no electric or hydraulic installation requirements, BoatTest.com claims the installation can be completed using common tools in an hour or less. Even better: The retail prices starts at about $150. For more information, visit www.nauticusine.com.
One last item: Having enormous respect for all marine rescue teams, I recommend Googling “Crew Evacuation of Freighter North Sea.” What a harrowing rescue; what and incredibly brave and daring rescue team!
Next time you see a member of the U.S. Coast Guard out on the water or one of our own Sanibel or Captiva marine rescue crews out, show your gratitude! They earn it each and every day!
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its boating education courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact education@sanibelcaptivasps.org or 612-987-2125.