*I know you.* You just don't want my type (native Californian) in your neighborhood.*
No, it's not that, although you are correct, the fewer boaters who move here the better in my opinion
But as I think I related in another discussions somewhere, people up here don't use their horns except in fog or in an emergency.* Even the Washington State ferries, which blow their horns when they depart a ferry slip, stop blowing them after sunset even though some runs continue to operate until midnight or 1:00 am.
In fact even the BNSF railroad has quieter horns or horn settings that they are supposed to use at night when approaching grade crossings in cities or residential areas.* Most of the locomotive drivers seem to comply.
In the 13 years we've been in Squalicum Marina I'm only aware of one boater who blew his horn prior to entering the marina and the port got so many complaints from other boaters in the marina--- "regular" boaters as well as liveaboards--- that they suggested the fellow stop the practice if he wanted to retain his slip in the marina.* He did.
There is no need in our marina and every other marina I've been in to use the horn to announce anything.* Even though we have a breakwater that's very high at low tide, seeing other boats approaching the entrances from inside or outside is easy if one sticks to the correct side of the channels and idles slowly, which is required anyway, coming and going.* We've encountered plenty of boats at the entrances and have never been in, or seen, a close call between boats.
The dual air horns on our boat are extremely loud and we use them in the fog although the only people that probalby hear us are sailboaters.* But other than this and a couple of tests during the year to make sure they're working correctly, we have no reason to use them.
-- Edited by Marin on Tuesday 1st of November 2011 12:20:18 PM