New Thermal Imaging Camera's Very Cool, but did Practical Sailor mis-speak again

[Tom S]

I was reading through the PS article on the new Thermal Imaging camera's that some companies are coming out with for recreational boaters. Now I know that this is an expensive piece of gear and more aimed at "Gold Plated" motorboaters, but its an interesting technology that has come down in price (Fixed mount Camera ~ $5000)I saw these units at the Miami Boat show this past February and I was intrigued. If you saw the units in action they were trully amazing. At night what would be a black and dark night would show up like it was daylight. Pretty impressive (Check out the video in the link)While I was down there I thought "How great to have something like this when the fog rolls in as thick as pea soup when I am out sailing or trying to get in harbor and there are boats and breakers all around". For those that have not been caught out sailing & experienced Fog like one gets in the Northeast you might pay anything to "see" better to get yourself, your loved ones and your boat home safe. I couldn't imagine trying to get into the Block Island Salt Pond while I was out this past summer. We couldn't even see the boats moored around us 30 feet away. There were scores of people in their dinghies that couldn't even find their boats anchored out. Some were driving around for hours ! (We heard their cries for help in finding their boats all night...LOL) It was eeiry, it was like being blind foldedSo I asked all the people selling and making these Thermal Imaging Camera's and asked how it would work in the thick fog that we get up here. All of them said it probably wouldn't work that well. The reason is these systems work on the Thermal reflection of objects and the thick fog will diffuse and not allow the thermal reflections to get very far. Upon research the company literature says it will work in "haze and light fog". I did see one or two pictures on the website with it working with some light fog and the resulting picture from the camera was marketably clearer. I think it would be nearly useless with any real fog where you can barely see a few boat lengths ahead of you and that is where I really want to see the most. Don't get me wrong, I think these camera's would really help, but if I can see hazy object's 50-100 yards away I feel I can manage without these camera's.Back to the Practical Sailors article. They wrote "....camera can enhance safety during nighttime operations by letting you see what is ahead and around your boat, even on the darkest or foggiest of nights". Now I will cut PS a little slack and they probably got this impression from the manufacturers literature, but its misleading. Granted they never tested this unit in Fog, thick or otherwise. The problem is one reading this would come to think they could buy this for visibility in the thick fog off summers in Maine when they say "foggiest of nights".I guess I'll have to write a letter to PS

 

[Fred Ficarra7897]

Do it Tom.

Sounds like PS is confusing those cameras with radar.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sounds eerie with all those folks looking for their boats

in the fog.Hadn't they discovered GPS by now? Oh, wait! They all have those spiffy fixed mount units with 85" wide screens at their helms. And can't take them off their boats and with them in their dinghies...I get it now...

 

[Ross]

This sounds like a solution looking for a problem

Thermal imaging is great for selling insulation for houses. In the summertime you can find cold air leaks and in winter you can find warm air leaks.

 

[Tom S]

Stu, I agree, but when you hop in your dink and can see fine you don't think to

It happened to me the first day there. The Admiral and I met some nice people the first day out in Block Island and went over to their boat for cocktails the first evening. When it was time to leave we couldn't see a thing other than the boat we were on. We couldn't even tell where the huge array of bright lights from Champlains marina was. Thats bad (anyone thats been to Block Island know what I mean) It was so bad we were going to sleep over on these people boats, after a few more Sundowners I looked out and it cleared just a bit. Just enough to barely make out the huge array of bright lights from Champlains and I made a run for it and luckily got back to my boat that night. (Almost ran into a 80-100' Tall Ship on the way !) After that I kept a hand held GPS in my Dink.The next day it was fairly nice but hazy and were out claming (beautiful stripped blue littlenecks ...Yumm!) . Slowly the haze got worse. The admiral was getting concerned, I kept telling her "we have the GPS?!" She yelled back "I don't worry about finding the boat. I am worried about getting run over !" You see this was a weekend where the big fishing boats were having a tournament and running in an out and through the channel in Block Island. I hugged the shore on the way back (in the shallow area figuring the big boats wouldn't be there) and did a quick run across the channel at the shortest point right at the entrance at the opening to the Salt Pond. Anyone knows that has been there knows that it is so narrow there that you could probably spit across with a good one . I swear I couldn't see across that little gap the fog was so bad. I shut off the engine listened to see if I could hear any boats coming, started the engine and made a run for it.All those poor people that went into town during the day couldn't ever find their boats without a GPS. Add to that that most had a "few in them" it was actually entertainment for the evening. ;D The Admiral ordered me to shut off the stereo so she could hear everything going on. LOL. Sound travels very well in Fog, but directionality was difficult. One middle aged couple (with distinctive voices - She reminded me of a Marge Simpson that smoked 3 packs a day) we heard come buy asking for help from others near us (couldn't see then though) Then a few hours later heard them again *pop Man I was starting to feel bad for them so I called them over to my boat and told to tie up and invited them on board. They had been trying to find their boat for hours and when they described where they had anchored I had told them they were on the other side of the anchorage and we had heard them earlier in the evening. You should have seen the dejected look on their faces. We told them just to sit back and relax in our cockpit have a glass of wine and "ride it out" for the evening. They were so funny. They were motor boaters and said they have never been on a sailboat. They commented on how nice it seemed below and also mentioned that they never really talked to, hung out or met any sailboaters. (!?!?! - They said they've boated their whole lives and relatives have been in Napatree/Watch Hill area for centuries !) Then she proclaimed loudly (in that semi-drunk raspy Marge Simpson voice). "Geez you sailboaters aren't as bad as we thought" !. LOLAs time went by the Admiral and I were wondering if it would ever clear up that night, We have been hailing the launches all night (They too were having a devil of a time, but these kids running the launches were PRO's!. They were going to shut down the launches it was so bad but that would have stranded too many people). Luckily, after hours, the launch finally made it to our boat (I really thought they were going to just shut down and quit for the night, but I think they understood the pleading tone in my voice...LOL) I told them what mooring I was at and they finally found us. I swear I could hear them but I could see them or their lights until they were on top of me. I had every damn light on and they couldn't see anything.It was that bad.

 

[Rick D]

Can't Find Your Boat?

There was a local story about the FUBAR powerboat rally to La Paz. All this from my poor memory, but I recall they had like 60 boats. Anyway, they had a beach party in Mag Bay (Baha California) that went well into the night and it was reported that the pangas had to go around for hours to help owners and crews figure out where their boats were anchored. I know in Cat Harbor, Catalina Island, folks are using solar lamps in various configurations to help ID their boats when returning on dark nights. Rick D.

 

[Tom S]

I swear Rick. I don't think I could have found my boat that night

Even if I was stone cold sober without a GPS.There was another night about 10 years ago in Block Island where I was anchored over near the dinghy beach near. It was a beautiful clear night and I decided to sleep in the cockpit, while drifting into & out of sleep I heard a dinghy running around late at night. It had to be after the bars closed and I distinctly heard a girls voice. I think I recall hearing her giving directions . This went on for quite a while and I must have dozed off when all of a sudden I was awoken by a female form climbing over the life lines of my boat (my old Watkins 27). As she stepped towards the cockpit, I remember saying "May I help you". (LOL). I gave her a huge startle ! Then I noticed the 2 guys that were running the dinghy were were about to leave when I heard them both let out a loud groan ! (LMAO) Obviously they were out partying with the girl that night and told her something like "Don't worry Honey, we'll give you a ride back to your boat" LOL. Little did they know finding a boat in Block Islands Salt Pond at night is not easy, add to that a little alchohol and someone who probably doesn't even run the boat or paid attention to where they were anchored.They were running around in that dinghy for quite a while after as I recall. I must have fell asleep - I might have invited her to stay on board for the night but I am not sure how the Admiral would have taken that ;D Darn ! Just my luck, why didn't these things happen to me when I was younger ?

 

[Bill Roosa]

Laws of physics

Thermals don't work in fog, been there and done that. They don't work too well in an Iraq sand storm eitherradar does work in fog (and I suspect sand storms too) but most of us don't have radar on our dinksGPS works in the fog and some of those are even hand held.thermal radiation is only slightly longer wavelength (measured in 1000s of angstroms) than light. Seems the waves get intercepted by the gigantic (by comparison) water droplets in fog.Radar radiation is much much longer (measured in centimeters) that light or thermal so it is not intercepted by fog at all and just a little by big rain drops.GPS radiation is measured in meters and goes right through (around really) most everything that is not more then 10' thick or made of metal.If you learn the navigation light rules and how to read a map and have a $25.00 spotlight you really don't need thermals even when you are gunkholing into the really remote spot after dark. I've only had to do that once and even then the creek bank trees where visible in the spotlight beam. That $25.00 spotlight will show a daymark at over a mile!!!