Aids to Navigation Principal Findings Report on the Channel Width Experiment: The Effects of Channel Width and Related Variables on Piloting Performance

摘要

The experiment described here is one of a series done for the U.S. Coast Guard to quantify the relationship between variables related to aids to navigation and piloting performance in narrow channels and, potentially, safety in such channels. This is one of several experiments restricted to visual piloting, and further to buoys only. It was done on a simulator built for the U.S. Coast Guard at Eclectech Associates in North Stonington, Connecticut. The variables evaluated were: straight channel marking (staggered versus gated buoys), spacing (5/8 versus 1-1/4 nm), channel width (500 versus 800 feet), and intended track (center versus right-hand quarter). Tasks and current effects were varied within the scenario. The findings are presented as the means and standard deviations of crosstrack position of transits under each condition. They are interpreted in terms of their implications both for the design of channel making and for an understanding of the piloting task. A secondary purpose of the experiment was the comparison of performance on the USCG/EA simulator and on CAORF, the Maritime Administration's Computer Aided Operations Research Facility. (Author)