New York Shipping Lanes Using AIS

This is a picture of Heron's computer display when we were south of Long Island around 10pm on Sunday 10/9/2011.  The PC is running Raymarine RNS charting software with AIS targets shown as black triangles.  Note the parade of ships heading in the in-bound lane, and a parade of ships heading out the out-bound lane.  Heron is the green object headed SW, just about to enter the in-bound lane behind the Adrian Maersk.  The 1100 foot freighter Cosco New York was headed out-bound, crossing our path.  As predicted by the AIS, at the Closest Point of Approach (CPA) it passed ahead of us by a few miles (plenty of room).  But it was lit up like a city over a wide expanse, so we kept a careful eye on it visually and with radar.   Great visibility at night is good, but your mind makes everything seem closer than it actually is.