Previous ship handling experience?

Akula4745 · 06-01-09, 06:50 AM

I was just curious how many players have previous ship handling experience? It became obvious to me this past weekend when I was showing a friend the game I have become addicted to... and they were having all sorts of problems with the compass rose and basic ship handling knowledge - and I had not really considered the possibility of needing to learn those skills as well (in addition to the gameplay and basic targeting/tracking).

I was a licensed captain for 11 years - started out as a mate on charter boats out of Destin, Fl in the late 70s; ended up with a 100 ton license after about 3 years and then started dabbling with crew boats and supply ships in the oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico along with fishing... then along came a 500 ton ticket and constantly working out of the country (if you stayed out of the country for more than 9 months back then your income was tax free) - but it was the forever being gone which killed it for me... I wanted to watch Monday Night Football, order a pizza, get drunk with a woman, go bowling... in other words everything you couldn't do on a ship a bazillion miles from home. So I quit and went back to college in my late 30s.

So how many of you fine folks have a maritime skeleton in your closet too?

runningdeer · 06-01-09, 07:27 AM

I navigated the Saint Croix river in my Alumicraft canoe once

. I've never been on anything bigger than a canoe though

.

Wow, a real Captain...thats pretty cool.

Rockin Robbins · 06-01-09, 10:00 AM

In the mid to late 1970's I delivered sailing yachts up and down the coast of Florida to repair yards to clean and paint their bottoms and return them to their homes. On a couple of intercoastal trips with a sailboat drawing 6' 10" I got extensive experience navigating by sonar.

I still sail pretty often on the intercoastal waterway and the Atlantic Ocean on my brother's Catalina 25.

Fish40 · 06-01-09, 10:50 AM

Hey Akula, I'm thinking about SeaSchool for a Captain's license myself. My buddy has his about five years now, and he's been bugging me to get mine. He has a small charter business out of Mamaroneck, NY, fishing the Western Long Island Sound. I mate for him when I can, and we fish all over when he's not chartering. Canyon Tuna fishing is my favorite.

I've been on boats fishing now for over 25 years, but don't own my own

Then again, after seeing the money he's spent on his boat (just went for a small fortune on a new Yamaha outboard, and new fuel tank installation) mabey I'll just stick to sailing on other's boats

When I tell my friend about SH4 and how you need to plot intercept courses, determine ranges and speeds ect.., he laughs and says I probrably know more about navigating than he did when he took the test!

groomsie · 06-01-09, 12:05 PM

I was a surface warfare officer for 4 years + assorted other midshipman experiences with shiphandling (including a little time conning and sitting at the help of USS Gurnard (SSN-6??)). Most of my time was aboard USS Lake Champlain (CG-57), a Ticonderoga ("Aegis") cruiser, where I was qualified as Officer of the Deck (OOD) Underway. So, much of the plotting and such is stuff I've done before and I agree that experience is something that helps grasp certain aspects of a game like this.

A bigger part however--and anyone who has even driven a boat grasps this on some level--is the ability to "eyeball" a situation in close quarters, to grasp the relative motion aspect and determine if you are standing into real danger of collision. This is something I've thought about in maneuvering in on the surface where visibility may be low and things moving quickly, I can rely a bit on my gut as far as if I have bearing drift (and if it is in the direction I desire) and adjust course / speed that way a bit.

DaveyJ576 · 06-01-09, 12:33 PM

I spent three years aboard the USS Darter (SS-576) from 1984-1987. I was qualified as Helmsman/Planesman, Lookout, and Quartermaster of the Watch.

My second Navy career took me to MCM Crew Implicit from 2005 to 2008 as a Damage Controlman and my crew served on the Mine Countermeasures Ships Defender (MCM-2), Warrior (MCM-10), Dextrous (MCM-13), and Pioneer (MCM-9). I was in the Engineering Dept. and qualified as Main Machinery Room Operator, Propulsion Control Console Operator, Engineering Duty Officer, and Engineering Officer of the Watch.

I can say that my qualifications and experience as a helmsman and navigator help a lot in playing the game, but I don't believe that type of experience is necessary to enjoy it.

Rip · 06-01-09, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groomsie

I was a surface warfare officer for 4 years + assorted other midshipman experiences with shiphandling (including a little time conning and sitting at the help of USS Gurnard (SSN-6??)). Most of my time was aboard USS Lake Champlain (CG-57), a Ticonderoga ("Aegis") cruiser, where I was qualified as Officer of the Deck (OOD) Underway. So, much of the plotting and such is stuff I've done before and I agree that experience is something that helps grasp certain aspects of a game like this.

A bigger part however--and anyone who has even driven a boat grasps this on some level--is the ability to "eyeball" a situation in close quarters, to grasp the relative motion aspect and determine if you are standing into real danger of collision. This is something I've thought about in maneuvering in on the surface where visibility may be low and things moving quickly, I can rely a bit on my gut as far as if I have bearing drift (and if it is in the direction I desire) and adjust course / speed that way a bit.

USS Gurnard SSN-662, I had a short sting with her in the mid-eighties during the Pugent Sound overhaul. When were you invloved with her?

Rip

06-01-09, 06:50 AM	#1
Akula4745 Convicted Ship Killer Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Just out of sight... plotting your course and speed Posts: 846 Downloads: 371 Uploads: 1	Previous ship handling experience? I was just curious how many players have previous ship handling experience? It became obvious to me this past weekend when I was showing a friend the game I have become addicted to... and they were having all sorts of problems with the compass rose and basic ship handling knowledge - and I had not really considered the possibility of needing to learn those skills as well (in addition to the gameplay and basic targeting/tracking). I was a licensed captain for 11 years - started out as a mate on charter boats out of Destin, Fl in the late 70s; ended up with a 100 ton license after about 3 years and then started dabbling with crew boats and supply ships in the oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico along with fishing... then along came a 500 ton ticket and constantly working out of the country (if you stayed out of the country for more than 9 months back then your income was tax free) - but it was the forever being gone which killed it for me... I wanted to watch Monday Night Football, order a pizza, get drunk with a woman, go bowling... in other words everything you couldn't do on a ship a bazillion miles from home. So I quit and went back to college in my late 30s. So how many of you fine folks have a maritime skeleton in your closet too? __________________ Akula4745 "If you sit by the river long enough... the body of your enemy will float by -- SunTzu"

06-01-09, 07:27 AM	#2
runningdeer Frogman Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Huntley, IL Posts: 305 Downloads: 142 Uploads: 1	I navigated the Saint Croix river in my Alumicraft canoe once . I've never been on anything bigger than a canoe though . Wow, a real Captain...thats pretty cool. __________________

06-01-09, 10:00 AM	#3
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,900 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	In the mid to late 1970's I delivered sailing yachts up and down the coast of Florida to repair yards to clean and paint their bottoms and return them to their homes. On a couple of intercoastal trips with a sailboat drawing 6' 10" I got extensive experience navigating by sonar. I still sail pretty often on the intercoastal waterway and the Atlantic Ocean on my brother's Catalina 25. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS Last edited by Rockin Robbins; 06-01-09 at 10:37 AM.

06-01-09, 12:05 PM	#5
groomsie Electrician's Mate Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 140 Downloads: 50 Uploads: 0	A Good Observation I was a surface warfare officer for 4 years + assorted other midshipman experiences with shiphandling (including a little time conning and sitting at the help of USS Gurnard (SSN-6??)). Most of my time was aboard USS Lake Champlain (CG-57), a Ticonderoga ("Aegis") cruiser, where I was qualified as Officer of the Deck (OOD) Underway. So, much of the plotting and such is stuff I've done before and I agree that experience is something that helps grasp certain aspects of a game like this. A bigger part however--and anyone who has even driven a boat grasps this on some level--is the ability to "eyeball" a situation in close quarters, to grasp the relative motion aspect and determine if you are standing into real danger of collision. This is something I've thought about in maneuvering in on the surface where visibility may be low and things moving quickly, I can rely a bit on my gut as far as if I have bearing drift (and if it is in the direction I desire) and adjust course / speed that way a bit.

06-01-09, 10:50 AM	#4
Fish40 The Old Man Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Yonkers, NY U.S.A. Posts: 1,507 Downloads: 154 Uploads: 0	Hey Akula, I'm thinking about SeaSchool for a Captain's license myself. My buddy has his about five years now, and he's been bugging me to get mine. He has a small charter business out of Mamaroneck, NY, fishing the Western Long Island Sound. I mate for him when I can, and we fish all over when he's not chartering. Canyon Tuna fishing is my favorite. I've been on boats fishing now for over 25 years, but don't own my own Then again, after seeing the money he's spent on his boat (just went for a small fortune on a new Yamaha outboard, and new fuel tank installation) mabey I'll just stick to sailing on other's boats When I tell my friend about SH4 and how you need to plot intercept courses, determine ranges and speeds ect.., he laughs and says I probrably know more about navigating than he did when he took the test!

06-01-09, 12:33 PM	#6
DaveyJ576 Officer Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 241 Downloads: 30 Uploads: 0	I spent three years aboard the USS Darter (SS-576) from 1984-1987. I was qualified as Helmsman/Planesman, Lookout, and Quartermaster of the Watch. My second Navy career took me to MCM Crew Implicit from 2005 to 2008 as a Damage Controlman and my crew served on the Mine Countermeasures Ships Defender (MCM-2), Warrior (MCM-10), Dextrous (MCM-13), and Pioneer (MCM-9). I was in the Engineering Dept. and qualified as Main Machinery Room Operator, Propulsion Control Console Operator, Engineering Duty Officer, and Engineering Officer of the Watch. I can say that my qualifications and experience as a helmsman and navigator help a lot in playing the game, but I don't believe that type of experience is necessary to enjoy it.