Chartwork # 6

Additional Questions: The Voyage of the “Vivid Imagination”

You have agreed to return the sailboat “Vivid Imagination” from Port Jefferson to it’s home port of Darien. The owner, your friend, has been called away on business and could not bring the boat back herself. The boat is in excellent condition, with a working radio, GPS, depth finder, and all of the standard equipment that is required. If your friend had failed to provide the required equipment, say, proper flares, and you were then stopped by the Coast Guard for a safety inspection, who would be responsible for the infraction ? _________

The new GPS is working, yet you have been warned that it has been “a little flaky.” Will you post a DR track on the charts, just in case the GPS fails you on the trip? ________

There was a thick fog yesterday, but today it is only hazy. From the dock at Port Jeff you can see the tower at the entrance (FL R 4 26ft “2A”) How far away is it ? _________

You lay out a course from RW “PJ” to the “11B” Gong near Cable and Anchor Reef. Departing RW ”PJ” at 1300 with no breeze, you proceed under power, at 5 knots. What is your computed ETA at the “11B” Gong north of Eatons Neck? __________ What time should you begin to look for the Gong, if you assume it will be visible at 2 miles? _______

After an hour on course, you plot your DR and then take a little nap, leaving the helm to the crew. An hour later the crew wakes you, reporting the onset of thick fog. They have put up the radar reflector, donned PFD’s and taken a quick fix from the GPS (although they did not get all the numbers, they jotted down 40-59 and 73-20 on the flap of Fig Newton box). You quickly interpret this as a Lat/Long position and see that the plot is somewhat south of your intended course. Your crackerjack crew reports: “Rather than steering the course you had given us (288 Mag) we’ve been steering more towards Eaton’s Neck, and not paying too much attention until the fog started to come in.” UH OH! The GPS has just gone on the blink and now shows all “9’s.” O.K. Your goal is still to get to “11B.” You remember an excellent way to find it: you notice that “11B” is on the 60’ depth contour line, so you decide to continue on the same course (288 Mag) until you hit the 60’ sounding line, and then turn to starboard and follow the 60’ line north to the “11B” Gong. While running along the 60’ sounding line, when the soundings show more than 60’ you turn to __________

Having found “11B” you change course towards “R28C.” Immediately, you hear a major league, loud, and close “one long, two short” blasts forward and to starboard. It sounds “larger than a sailboat. What IS it? __________ What channel on the VHF do you use first to call this other vessel? __________ What do you say?__________

After your conversation with the other vessel you decide that you should slow down and turn to Starboard. What do you ask the other vessel? __________

Soon, this large noise maker is off your Port Beam, and then it is heard more and more astern. What do you do now? __________

Eventually, as you arrive in the vicinity of the “R28C” Bell, you do not hear it. What can you do to make the bell sound?_____________

The fog lifts, you see Long Neck Point. It’s a good thing to be home with Vivid Imagination !