"Why the hell are recreational boaters issuing securite calls?"
Well, there are times when they are very necessary over on the GICW. We are in Houma Marina at the moment and would not dream of leaving without issuing one. It is very narrow and single lane through here. It is listed as dangerous by some on AC.
I don't think it is but you do need to watch your AIS and listen to CH 13 traffic to find a gap before announcing our intentions. I still put Michelle on the bow as you simply cannot see anything coming until you edge into the ICW and small shrimpers etc run pretty fast through here.
So my answer is "depends". Or "as required".
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