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  1. #1
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    Default Ocean clean up

    Just came across this news today. Very interesting. The first full scale test system transited the gate recently for deployment several hundred miles offshore. I wish them great success. The system is equipped with lights and radar reflectors. I wonder if it has an AIS transmitter? That was not clear from the info and specs. I read.


    https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/ef12b2c...-88%2C000.html

  2. #2
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    Right.

    Lights don't always stay lit. Small boats often don't have radar. How do we keep from running into this thing?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Right.

    Lights don't always stay lit. Small boats often don't have radar. How do we keep from running into this thing?
    Yea, that's what I was concerned about. I certainly don't want to be a party pooper because I totally agree with the mission, but it would be nice to have more info. re navigation warnings on this very large structure. If it does have an AIS transmitter I wonder what it would identify as? I have to believe the USCG did not permit them to plunk this thing offshore drifting around without robust identification systems on board.

    I am going to write them and ask.

  4. #4
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    Their website http://www.theoceancleanup.com says:

    Each system will be equipped with lanterns, radar reflectors, navigational signals, GPS and anti-collision beacons. The AIS will continuously broadcast the location of the systems to passing vessels and the GPS will track the location of our systems, should they veer out of the patch. The US Coast Guard will chart the area as a special operations zone and will issue a Notice to Mariners concerning the presence of our systems.

  5. #5
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    I wrote them about specifics but here is a little more info.

    Will the systems interrupt shipping pathways?
    The ocean garbage patches are vast (three times the size of France) and vessels crossing through it are rare - on average there are less than five within its boundaries. Coupled with the relatively small size of the cleanup systems, the chances of a vessel interacting with a system are minor.

    But minor does not mean impossible. Hence it is crucial that we fit our cleanup systems with safety equipment, as is required for any other oceangoing vessel.

    To prevent collisions, we defined five ‘safety rings’ around the system through which we aim to do everything possible to notify vessels of our systems’ whereabouts. Navigational warnings will be broadcast through the Notice to Mariners with current system location information. Additionally, the systems are fitted with many detection capabilities so that vessels can avoid our systems. For instance, our first cleanup system is fitted with nine light masts that rise four meters above the waterline, AIS beacons and radar reflectors.

    We will also continuously monitor the health and whereabouts of our systems 24/7 through on-board cameras and GPS trackers. We will be able to identify when the system drifts too close to the edge of the patch (where the vessel traffic density is higher), after which we can engage in a manual correction of the system’s trajectory, towing it back to the center of the patch.
    Last edited by mike cunningham; 09-12-2018 at 05:17 PM.

  6. #6
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    Sounds pretty good.

  7. #7
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    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Well no one likes plastic in the ocean, but I'm a bit skeptical. They also don't go into too much detail on how they don't kill smaller fish, krill, jellys etc.

    Note a 500 m aperture sweeping at 2 kts (1 m/s) over an area of (1000 km)^2 would take 63 years. Maybe they only sweep 1 kt, and only do 200m. But a few hundred of them might do some good. Then you have to actually get all the plastic back to shore and into a landfill. Or compress it at sea to solid masses heavier than water, that will not ever themselves disintegrate, and sink them?

    Meanwhile the the pollution is still incoming, mostly from 10 rivers in Africa and Asia.

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...in-the-oceans/

    https://phys.org/news/2017-06-plasti...rce-ocean.html

    So if there is no source control, this whole program is basically a bunch of Americans spending money to move plastic refuse from China to landfills in the western US.

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