New Proposed off shore speed limits for East Coast

[my3sons]

If you're out of the towers range, they're SOL. But, even close to shore, I doubt that their systems are geared for that.

We live on the Canadian border, often in Canadian water, even in just transiting from U.S. Port to U.S. port. The CBP keeps one of there boats at our marina and do patrols out of there. They know us by our ais, saves on routine checks when they see us on their ais receivers. So there is sometimes an advantage I guess.

 

[Thornton69]

We usually experience what Alex did once or twice a year with the humpbacks up here as their numbers are greatly increasing. They just lay on the surface and don't move as you blow by them. The first time actually thought it was dead and maybe struck by a large ship so circled back for a closer look. It stayed motionless for close to a minute before slowly rolling over and taking a dive. It is like they are in some type of a comatose state basking in the sun.
We are always paying close attention as there is a lot of logs up here from the run offs. Usually 2 sets of eyes looking ahead at all times. They are very difficult to spot. Not sure if the reduced speed would even give time to avoid the collision? Maybe just let ya have a glimpse of what you are about to strike in a larger vessel.

 

[PlayDate]

This is complete nonsense. 10knots? I can’t wait to read the posts on offshoreonly.com.

Fortunately it is just a proposed Rule at this point. The lobbying has just started to shut it down.

Note to drug runners, terrorists and illegals in go fast boats…..remember you will be breaking the law if you go faster than 10 knots.

 

[Alex F]

We live on the Canadian border, often in Canadian water, even in just transiting from U.S. Port to U.S. port. The CBP keeps one of there boats at our marina and do patrols out of there. They know us by our ais, saves on routine checks when they see us on their ais receivers. So there is sometimes an advantage I guess.

Without a doubt, there are lots of advantages having AIS. I have countless stories to tell how much convenience to communication it adds. I'll never forget a situation, when we took a trip to Savannah GA. We were in ICW coming to an intersection with Savannah river when it started pouring so hard that I had to switch my mind into "night cruising" (using strictly electronics) as it was impossible to see 50' ahead of us. Next thing I hear, a cargo freighter making a VHF call "a white pleasure craft in Savannah river, this is so and so (don't recall the ship name)....over". Mind you it's a pretty busy river and there must have been at least 5-10 white pleasure crafts at the same time. It's a perfect time to play guessing games. All I knew that he wasn't calling me as I didn't enter the river yet.

In contrast, here's an AIS enabled situation. I'm heading out from a busy harbor and a cruise ship is heading out to sea just behind me. VHF call "Inspiration, this is a pilot vessel, we have a cruise ship [ship's name] heading out to sea and need to use the entire shipping channel....". Clearly there's 100% understanding and established communication.

Or it's 2am and I'm transiting in a shipping channel. About 5 miles out around a wide bend there's a container ship coming back from the sea at 15kts. Here comes a VHF call "Inspiration, this is [cargo ship's name], I'm about 5 miles behind you and closing in.".....I see him on my MFD as an AIS target (not just some large blimp on a radar. I see the ship's name, speed, I see him closing in). Clear communication was established, and safe passage was arranged way in advance, giving everyone piece of mind, while cruising in the middle of the night.

What is not well advertised is that AIS a coastal tracking system. The only point I was making is that once you're out of a towers range, you're no longer trackable by "global systems/apps". At that point, it's strictly ship to ship, just like VHF, until you reach the next available tower. At that point, the system records your location again and "connects the dots".