You Can "See" Them - But Can They "See" You?
- By Jay Bernstein
It used to be that on a foggy night going into a harbor frequented by large ships, your biggest hope was to be a small blip that got noticed on a ship's radar screen.

But now a new system called AIS, or Automatic Information Systems, makes it much easier for small yachts to get noticed by big ships.

This system also allows you to 'see' other large ship traffic in the area. The system uses a GPS receiver that transmits your position and receives vessel traffic information over a VHF frequency.

When set up, it then overlays position, color coded vessel type such as cargo, passenger, yacht, tug, or fishing vessel along with speed, and course right onto your chart plotter!

For many vessels you can see a picture by placing your cursor on the vessel in question on your chart plotter.

Using a VHF radio frequency, it has better range if the antenna is mounted on the highest part of your boat. You can add an AIS receiver to many of the newer chart plotters such as Furuno, Raymarine, and others.

To see how the system works, you can also watch traffic on the web at www.marinetraffic.com or with the latest iphone application.

With a properly installed working AIS set up on your boat, other AIS equipped vessels will know more about your position than on a traditional radar scope.

Don't expect it to tell you whether anyone is paying attention at the helm of other vessels or to pick up floating debris, small vessels without AIS receivers, lobster pots, or many other unmarked hazards.

At sea there is no substitute for common sense, a working radar, and experience, but AIS is a great tool to have especially at night or in the fog. To find out more about AIS, visit any local marine electronics store or click here to learn more about AIS on the U.S. Coast Guard's web site.

Jay Bernstein started selling boats in 2006. Jay grew up sailing on Puget Sound, is a licensed captain. Before getting into the boat business, Jay was a small airplane instructor pilot, an airline dispatcher in Hawaii, and earned a BS degree in Aviation. Click Here to send Jay an e-mail if you have a topic you'd like him to investigate.

Red Bull Air Race Takes a Pass on San Diego in Favor of the Hudson River
In a disappointing move, Red Bull has decided not to put San Diego on it's 2010 World Series Air Race series itinerary.

Instead, the fifth race of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season will be held, in partnership with NYC & Company, Jersey City, NJ and Liberty State Park, over the Hudson River on June 19 and 20.

Red Bull was not available for comment, but local insiders say the decision was made due to disappointing crowds last year; an inability to get better dates with the city; and complaints from the residents of Coronado.

New Newsletter Available for Mariners

San Diego's Maritime Institute has launched a new bi-monthly e-mail newsletter for mariners.

The newsletter is free and contains articles of interest to both licensed mariners wishing to upgrade their credentials as well as recreational boaters interested in knowing more about the Captain's license requirements.

To read the latest issue of the newsletter, click here. To subscribe to receive future issues, click here.

Cruising to the Northern Channel Islands - Part 2
- By Frank & Martha Mowry

This is Part 2 of a three part series of articles treating cruising to the Northern Channel Islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel.

Southern California's Channel Islands are a fantastic sailing destination, but it's not for the faint of heart, so we're going to share a few experiences here in the hope that it will make your trip to the islands an enjoyable and memorable one.

Here's the main thing - since neither moorings nor slips are available, your boat will be at anchor for the duration of your visit.

The careful cruiser will therefore be advised to thoroughly prepare his ground tackle before departure. Your rode should be clearly marked at intervals to your liking. (Remember that interval - better write it down).

If it's been a while since you did preventative maintenance on your windless, you should do it before you go because this piece of equipment is vital to your stay in the Islands.

During our 3rd trip to the Islands, on our first night in Smuggler's Cove, Santa Cruz Island, our windless failed completely and irreparably with 160 feet of 3/8" chain on the bottom. Because we had a mechanism for manual retrieval, we did recover the chain and anchor (while uttering expletives), however, without a powered windless, our trip was dramatically shortened!

At times in the Islands, circumstances call for rapid departure from an anchorage! Can't do that without a sound powered windless.

Also, two anchors, bow and stern, are advisable. Since some of the most desirable anchorages will require deploying both. We use a C.Q.R. (did you know that's an abbreviation for "secure"?) bow anchor with 280 feet of all chain of 3/8" rode and a Fortress stern anchor with 50' of 3/8" chain and 200 feet of rope rode.

It's a good idea to practice setting and retrieving a stern anchor before you go. On one occasion we could not retrieve our stern anchor because of prodigious tidal current at Coches Prietos on the south side of Santa Cruz Island. We waited until slack tide and brought it in easily.

Here's a caution about setting bow and stern anchors. Though necessary at times, two anchors means two retrievals. This can complicate bugging out of an anchorage that has become hazardous. A first rate review of anchoring techniques is contained in the treatise "Staying Put" by Brian Fagan.

Because anchorages in the Islands can be very roly poly, we recommend a snubber line or harness for the anchor chain. This not only protects your windless from sudden severe loads, it also moderates chain noise. Many cruisers use an anchor ball to locate the anchor and to aid in extracting an anchor stuck on the bottom.

The Islands will challenge your skills in the use of ground tackle. Many of the anchorages are in relatively small, steep to coves.

Care must be exercised to avoid placing your craft 80 feet from a rock wall on 200 feet of rode. What was a cozy nook can turn into a dangerous lee rock wall quickly. Last year, while anchored we were awakened by the horn of a fellow mariner signaling many boats dragging their anchor - including us!

What had been a beautiful, peaceful anchorage at sundown suddenly became the attention of 35 knot winds at midnight. That kind of thing can ruin a night's sleep! Next month we'll talk about the various Channel Island destinations.

Editor's Note: Frank and Martha Mowry have enjoyed cruising southern California waters for 10 years aboard their 42' Island Packet sloop. Click Here to send Frank and Martha an e-mail with your sea stories or questions.

Are You Prepared to Handle On-Board Medical Emergencies?
- By Richard Benscoter
It's one of those things we don't like to think about, but sailing can sometimes be an inherently dangerous activity with all the lines, stops, cleats, winches, and booms all ready to turn a uneventful sail into a clamor for some first aid.

As a responsible skipper, you need to be sure you and/or your crew know what to do in the event of an accident on board. And it's important to know the difference between those situations you can take care of yourself, and when you need to get to the nearest port and hospital or call for assistance.

Being prepared and trained might save a finger or even someone's life. And knowing what to do immediately after an accident can help those that may need to help you.

The proper first aid kit is very important of course, but remember, a first aid kit is a useless item if you don't know how to properly use the items in the kit. Also, you should check your first aid kit occasionally to make sure none of the items are past their expiration date.

If it's been a while since you have refreshed your first aid knowledge or your first aid kit, put it on your must do list get some training and take your sailing partners with you - they may be the ones that need to help you in an emergency.

There are new ways to treat bleeding with powders that promote clotting, heat and cold generating compresses. There is also a new better and preferred way to perform CPR.

So before the boating season arrives, why not visit your local Red Cross for classes you can attend. Here's the Red Cross link to get you started.

See you on the water.

Editor's Note: Richard Benscoter is a long time avid sailor. He's a member of the Silver Gate Yacht Club and owner of the Mariners Woodshop. If you have a sailing question for Richard, send e-mail to richard@BlueSkyNews.com.

Chilean Quake Tsunami Caused Damages in San Diego Harbor
There was a bit of everything in San Diego County Saturday, 27 Feb 2010, rain, hail, lightning, snow down to 3,500 ft, Sun, wind gust up to 20 knots, and a Tsunami of what looked to me like 6 feet plus, but a gentle one, not a wall of water. I watched 15 plus sailboats at a race start at noon off of Harbor Island, heading into the a 20 knot Westerly wind and a very dark sky looming over Point Loma. Other than that, the harbor was quiet, no other noticeable traffic.

If you have a Facebook account, you can Click here to see a video of the damage sustained at the Bali Hai dock.

The Border Run Race
It's that time of year again for the Border Run Race. The Border Run Race is on Saturday, April 24th and has become very popular. As of this publication there are 151 boats registered.

There is an after race party with a Beach Boys Tribute Band for anyone who wants to attend at the Kona Kai on Sunday, April 25th. For information on the parties and to sign up for the race go to the Border Run website at http://www.theborderrun.org.