Best practices for entering a new harbor
- Thread starter Jackdaw
- Start date
NotCook
.
- Dec 29, 2008
- 806
First seeing the topic, I was expecting to see a laundry list of unrealistic or impractical actions. Instead, you provided a practical and realistic series of actions that make sense when entering any new navigation environment. Not just new harbors, but, as here in the Caribbean, any new island environment where there are reefs, shoals, rocks or other navigational hazards.
We frequently see here on St. Croix people trying to enter Christiansted Harbor at night, ending up on a reef. There are dozens of lighted and unlighted navaids, and as a practical matter, you can't possibly uniquely identify the specific marks based solely on a paper chart and observation. It looks like a sea of blinking lights. If you are going to enter at night, you need to understand what it looks like on the chart, the follow a chart plotter to know exactly where you are. Local knowledge would tell you not to enter at night, especially the first time.
I would add that when planning to anchor, also study the charts for underground cables, which don't show up on all scale views, and other underwater obstructions which could cause your ground tackle to get entangled.
Tide charts would be a good addition to the list, where applicable.
Good topic Jackdaw.
We frequently see here on St. Croix people trying to enter Christiansted Harbor at night, ending up on a reef. There are dozens of lighted and unlighted navaids, and as a practical matter, you can't possibly uniquely identify the specific marks based solely on a paper chart and observation. It looks like a sea of blinking lights. If you are going to enter at night, you need to understand what it looks like on the chart, the follow a chart plotter to know exactly where you are. Local knowledge would tell you not to enter at night, especially the first time.
I would add that when planning to anchor, also study the charts for underground cables, which don't show up on all scale views, and other underwater obstructions which could cause your ground tackle to get entangled.
Tide charts would be a good addition to the list, where applicable.
Good topic Jackdaw.
NotCook
.
- Dec 29, 2008
- 806
I would add that I like to have an anchor ready to deploy when entering challenging navigational or congested areas. If the drivetrain fails (always at the wring time!), I want to be able to drop that sucker quickly to avoid drifting into a hazard while trying to remedy to situation. This is especially true at the end of an ocean passage where you had the anchor secured so waves couldn't pull it off the bow. It could take a few minutes to put it back into a deployable state - minutes you may not have.
New River inlet is well marked but uncharted due to frequent changes so going slowly we anchored near Bird Island to head out the next morning. This is on the NC. - SC line and is used by many fishing boats, sailors, and Big Casino on a daily basis. So while we sat at anchor I followed every boat having AIS with our chart plotter. The bigger boats all stayed south of the R/W inlet marker. The next morning we did the same and saw no less than 14 feet at low tide. Herd mentality, but works for us.
I like this idea. As the larger boats pass through, drop a few waypoints to guide yourself out the next day.
I'll add a small piece of experience based wisdom to the mix:
When entering a new harbor it is important for me to form an image in my mind of the surrounding terrain as well as the water, so that as we enter the channel I can maintain situational awareness with respect to the "big picture", so to speak. I learned this back in the paper chart days (which I still practice) when entering harbors surrounded by flat or tidal land. It is difficult under those circumstances to maintain SA when there are no significant land marks to supplement any aids marking the waterway. The harbor can look very different in the mind's eye than it does in reality, even in daytime. And we make it a practice to avoid after dark arrivals, even in familiar harbors.
When entering a new harbor it is important for me to form an image in my mind of the surrounding terrain as well as the water, so that as we enter the channel I can maintain situational awareness with respect to the "big picture", so to speak. I learned this back in the paper chart days (which I still practice) when entering harbors surrounded by flat or tidal land. It is difficult under those circumstances to maintain SA when there are no significant land marks to supplement any aids marking the waterway. The harbor can look very different in the mind's eye than it does in reality, even in daytime. And we make it a practice to avoid after dark arrivals, even in familiar harbors.
I second just about everything everyone has said... primarily the idea that the more you study the charts (and other "static" materials) IN ADVANCE, the more you'll be able to focus your attention on situational awareness... noticing (and reacting to) the things that are dynamic... boat traffic... wind speed and direction... etc. As for having a "plan B"... part of your plan B can be devised in advance, based on charts, tide tables, etc... but generally "plan B" has to be constantly evolving in the back of your mind. A few places I frequent have narrow channels, lots of boat traffic, dangerous shoals, confusing buoys, very strong currents, sudden fog banks, or all of the above (Woods Hole, MA comes to mind)... and by knowing the charts and "plan A" ahead of time, rather than focusing on my plotter, I have the luxury of constantly quizzing myself with questions like "What if my engine stalls in this channel?", "What if that boat ahead of me runs aground?" or "Am I out of that ferry boat's way?" Also, as others already stated, do NOT assume that just because you're the new guy in the harbor, you should follow others who surely know what they're doing better than you. far too often, they do not.
And how do you know the boat you are following is being driven by a sober competent person?
It seems to me that there is a difference between following a boat when you do not know if the boat is going to make it through ok; and, watching, then following a boat (probably with larger draft) after you have confirmed that the boat made it through the questionable area ok. Also, I'd guess that often times you can tell from appearances if the boat is local and has local knowledge or not (or even if the captain is erratic or not), or based on a radio conversation. Some of those things are just obvious and we shouldn't have to qualify to the audience in this forum every decision that we make when appearances are obvious. That said, I know that I've been fooled before … I never expected life to be without risk!
Well. Just consider that having that guy in front of me does not mean that I know nothing of where I am, or of the potential hazards ahead, or that I have not communicated w/the skipper beforehand. On the run up to Beazley Passage I chatted on VHF with another boat on its way and discovered that they were Canadian, and regular visitors to Wiatt Bay, so had been through the Passage several times. We arrived only minutes apart at the Passage. I watched them go through, emerge the other side, so I followed their route with the same result, etc. I have more examples.
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I remember waiting at the mouth of Malibu Rapids in BC wishing to enter before dark, about an hour away, Princess Louisa Inlet. It was more than two hr before slack water. We were dithering what to do when suddenly, it seemed, there appeared another, larger, yacht heading for the Rapids, also wanting to beat the dark. We got behind the guy but far enough away (which was not very far) to see him successfully negotiate the boulder-lined Rapids, so in we followed. Finally got the hook down in PLI just as night fell!!
. Finally got the hook down in PLI just as night fell!!
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Yes VHF on for sure, best if in listening mode in dual-watch 16/9.
Also check pilot guides for any approach formalities, in particular if there is a TSS or a harbormaster that must be contacted before entering a harbor. This is common in Europe, in particular where there are high speed ferries.
Visibility, fog and periodically during the last two PNW summers has been smoke, at your destination is good to know.
And entering harbor, even one very familiar to you, at night, can be extraordinarily challenging. Background lights, headlights on moving cars and traffic lights can be very disorienting when added to the normal marine traffic. I don’t have a night vision device but as the prices decline and the quality increases that might be cheap insurance if I planned to do landfall at night
And entering harbor, even one very familiar to you, at night, can be extraordinarily challenging. Background lights, headlights on moving cars and traffic lights can be very disorienting when added to the normal marine traffic. I don’t have a night vision device but as the prices decline and the quality increases that might be cheap insurance if I planned to do landfall at night
up here on the lakes the officers are really 'pilots' which is different than on the oceans. up here to get your third mates license you will be given blank charts for all the lakes and rivers that you are writing for and you are required to fill in ALL aides to navigation and all their characteristics, thats right, ALL. lit, none lit, lights, durations, colors, height, miles seen, everything. range lights and the direction the line up, up and down bound courses, .... what you do is fill in the entire chart yourself.
then when you write for your captains papers up here you will be given blank charts for all the harbors on all the lakes and rivers that you are writing for and again you will fill in ALL the aides to navigation in those areas, yep, ALL, all the aides, all their characteristics.
so going back to post number one, line #1, how about change the word 'basic' to something stronger, like, 'study the chart before hand like your life depends on it'
then when you write for your captains papers up here you will be given blank charts for all the harbors on all the lakes and rivers that you are writing for and again you will fill in ALL the aides to navigation in those areas, yep, ALL, all the aides, all their characteristics.
so going back to post number one, line #1, how about change the word 'basic' to something stronger, like, 'study the chart before hand like your life depends on it'
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Great thread! There are dozens of good ideas here.
I'll add if you navigate on e-charts (like I do), check your back up devices for charge as well as navigation details (just as I did with paper in the olde days), before you enter.
Check your print guides.
Then hit google (most of our coasts will have reception).
We entered several new to us harbors last season. My latest print guide for Southern NE was Duncan and Wares printed in,...maybe the 80's? Some things never change so a print guide is always good to have.
Today, we have a world of info at our finger tips. AC is a source that I find very valuable. Still, outside of the 10% of the coast that 90% of boaters visit, there is surprisingly little up to date info on AC. But it's better than a print guide who's info was often a decade old when it went to print.
Detailed marine info is available googling various sources on the internet: travel media, blogs, Facebook, marine websites, forums(this one comes up), local papers, NYT's, etc. Be smart on your search.
Unfortunately, this new world of info comes with a risk: Like todays 'news', 90% of what you'll get is misinformation, so you have to be savvy about your sources.
An example was entering Biddeford Pool last season for the first time. The e-charts were up to date and accurate so navigation was easy.
But we couldn't get the detailed visitor info we needed. The general marine sources, print guidebooks, AC, either were un -detailed or out of date (things change rapidly).
Selective searching the internet when in signal range, blew these sources away for the details we needed.
I'll add if you navigate on e-charts (like I do), check your back up devices for charge as well as navigation details (just as I did with paper in the olde days), before you enter.
Check your print guides.
Then hit google (most of our coasts will have reception).
We entered several new to us harbors last season. My latest print guide for Southern NE was Duncan and Wares printed in,...maybe the 80's?
Some things never change so a print guide is always good to have.Today, we have a world of info at our finger tips. AC is a source that I find very valuable. Still, outside of the 10% of the coast that 90% of boaters visit, there is surprisingly little up to date info on AC. But it's better than a print guide who's info was often a decade old when it went to print.
Detailed marine info is available googling various sources on the internet: travel media, blogs, Facebook, marine websites, forums(this one comes up), local papers, NYT's, etc. Be smart on your search.
Unfortunately, this new world of info comes with a risk: Like todays 'news', 90% of what you'll get is misinformation, so you have to be savvy about your sources.
An example was entering Biddeford Pool last season for the first time. The e-charts were up to date and accurate so navigation was easy.
But we couldn't get the detailed visitor info we needed. The general marine sources, print guidebooks, AC, either were un -detailed or out of date (things change rapidly).
Selective searching the internet when in signal range, blew these sources away for the details we needed.
I also occasionally check google earth for a bird’s eye view of the locale.