UNIDENTIFIED FLOATING OBJECTS
“Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité. This is Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound,” came the call over the VHF radio, tuned to channel 16. “Boaters in the vicinity of Fort Totten should be on lookout for a partially submerged telephone pole posing a hazard to navigation. Use caution when transiting the area.”
In my part of the world, these warnings are commonplace after a particularly high tide that dislodges debris from the shoreline. But there’s a new variety of hazard floating on both the near- and offshore grounds: autonomous vessels. These “drone boats” are increasingly being employed to perform research for a number of industries. Such crewless vessels can gather real-time weather and sea-surface-condition data, take high-resolution scans of the bottom to create maps, and provide valuable security info. And they do so without the aid of humans, which lets them work around the clock.
Autonomous vessels can be broken into two main types: underwater or surface vehicles. According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, autonomous underwater vessels, or AUVS, are “programmable, robotic vehicles that, depending on their design, can drift, drive or glide through the ocean without real-time control by human operators. Some AUVS communicate with operators periodically or continuously through satellite signals or underwater acoustic beacons to permit some level of control.”
Uncrewed surface vehicles, or USVS, operate on the water’s surface. NOAA’S Ocean Exploration page says they “roam the ocean’s surface like boats, collecting oceanographic and atmospheric data but without a human aboard. Operators at sea or on shore can remotely control USVS or program them to conduct preplanned missions and make decisions with minimal real-time human input.” They can also use various forms of propulsion. Saildrone’s USVS achieve speeds of 2 to 4 knots using wind and solar power.
Though anglers are often surprised by the unmanned vessels, their operators do their best to make their presence known. Surface vehicles are typically equipped with automatic identification system (AIS) transponders, navigation lights, radar reflectors and cameras. You can check the Coast Guard’s Local Notice to Mariners to learn about scheduled operations.
Have you ever encountered one of these unmanned vessels out on the water? Write to us about your experience at editor@ saltwatersportsman.com.