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BIGGGG SHIPS February 3, 2003. After reading the chapter, "What Recreational Boaters Need to Know About VTS," on pp. 30-32 of the 2003 Waggoner, correspondent Bruce Evertz sent us this note and photo to emphasize the importance of giving large ships plenty of room to manuever. The acronym VTS stands for Vessel Traffic Service. It is the system by which large ship traffic is managed in Northwest waters. The Waggoner is the only publication we know of that explains the entire Northwest VTS system and how to work with it. The attached picture illustrates one of the hazards of messing with large ships. I think it was taken of sea trials without the airgroup aboard. And I believe it is of a demonstration of full port rudder at high speed. The point for us is that even though the heading has changed about 30 degrees the ship is still moving on the original course. I took an aircraft carrier driving course once, and I believe the name for that is "set and precession. " There were calculations for plotting our track based on when a heading change was made and the time when the ship actually started moving along the new heading.       You may use it to reinforce the Waggoner's advice to monitor and communicate with the big ships in the VTS system. If a small boat they are watching suddenly manevers into their course, all they can do is throw the rudder over to attempt to turn (seaway permitting). If they don't keep power on it won't have rudder authority and will continue straight ahead anyway. If you get in their way you get run down either by their bow or broadside. --Bruce Evertz

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