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Reberth - Blips on a screen!!!



I am writing this whilst on watch at two o"clock in the morning. Where would I be without my "blips" on the screen. The Chartplotter screen shows me that there are three other vessels relatively near and as I scan the horizon to port and starboard, which I do every ten minutes or so, I can just make out navigation lights, which seem very far away. With the new technology available I am able to tell the closest boat is three nautical miles away. The sky is inky black with thousands of stars twinkling away. Another blip has appeared and I know it is not one of the ARC Fleet. I place the cursor on it and see that it is a cargo ship doing twenty knots, but wait, my mind tells me it will cross our path and i need to know how close. OK, six miles ahead it will cross in front. If it wasn't for this new AIS technology I would sit here and worry. I don't think I would have been a very good sailor in earlier times, too active a mind!! OK, I will get back to tracking the blips and be grateful I can as it means help , if necessary, is close at hand.





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