[PUP] FLIR and Nauticomp display

[Ken Williams]

Last week, we had a discussion about Flir. I spoke with the head of
marketing at NVTi, the maker of my unit to see if they wanted to comment.
They said they would, and perhaps they shall.

In the meantime, I'm passing along this posting on the same subject that was
on the Nordhavn list last week (with the author's permission).

-Ken Williams
Nordhavn68.com, Sans Souci

-----------------

To all:

There has been a lot of valuable technical discussion, trade-off analysis,
and practical insight on the FLIR. I'm now going to add a little personal
experience to this discussion.

Just like the AIS, I believe the FLIR capability provides an additional
resource to enhance safety. MOANA KUEWA has a ThermoVision Mariner that
shows an object which has a temperature that radiates in the infrared. It
has a pan and tilt camera assembly and a remote joystick for steering the
camera. It is powered off a standard 12V battery and provides a composite
video output. I display it on my Samsung TV that is mounted in the overhead
corner of my pilothouse. Here are a few "real" examples of its benefit:

MedBound 2007 - Leg 3 (between Horta,Faial,Azores and Gibraltar in May
2007).  My crew member, Mary Ann Edson-Plumb, was on watch. At 2135 hrs, she
thought she saw a dim light approximately = nm dead-ahead (no AIS, no radar
signature, no radio communication, nothing. - not atypical of many small
sailboats on long passages trying to conserve energy by turning off all
lights, electronics.....AND GOING TO SLEEP). She studied the FLIR and was
able to identify the sailboat when it breached the top of the large rollers
just in time to adjust course without incident.

Approaching the San Blas Islands in Panama (after transiting the Panama
Canal the day before on January 19th, 2007). After departing the Shelter
Island Marina at the north end of the Panama Canal, MOANA KUEWA encountered
6-15 foot waves with 15-25 knot winds off our bow. We had a sea-sick crew
member and arrived after dark in the Gulf of San Blas. Our plan was to
anchor in a protected area around the point near the airport. This was the
closest anchorage that would protect us from the winds and surge. It was a
moonless/starless night. The FLIR really paid for itself when suddenly we
saw three anchored sailboats 1 to 1 = nm directly in our path. Again, they
did not have ANY LIGHTS, electronics, or radar reflectors. Seeing them
allowed us to quickly complete a 1800 turn, avoid the multitude of
reefs/rocks, and find safe anchorage in the Bahia de Tiburon (Bay of
Sharks).

During our "shake-down" cruise between Dana Point, CA, and Stockton, CA, in
August 2006, we encountered 10-12 foot rollers and 2-3 foot wind waves
around Point Conception (both heading north and then again heading south). I
was on watch both nights in the pitch-dark when again you cannot see
anything from the pilothouse (no moon, no stars, overcast, and 40 miles off
the coast). We were taking water over the bow on occasion and spray up to
the pilothouse. The FLIR allowed me to see the waves I was facing heading
north and the waves I was sliding down heading south. There is a degree of
"comfort" in this type of visibility.

Besides safety, the FLIR allowed us to see some beautiful sights at night.
During the Atlantic crossing, we were able to see the flying fish skim the
inside of the curl of waves, schools of fish swimming a few inches below the
surface, dolphins racing ahead of MOANA KUEWA's bow, and dramatic rainstorms
on the horizon.

Obviously, I believe the FLIR is worth the price.

Christine M. Bauman
Captain/Sole Manager of MOANA KUEWA, L.L.C.
Nordhavn 55, Hull #11