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Old 02-19-2012, 03:38 PM   #5
rwidman
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City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
Not worthy of a couple of honks?

I'm near a busy commercial harbor with ships headed in and out all the time. The captains (or pilots) use the VHF, never the horns or whistles. They do use the "one whistle" or "two whistles" terms all the time.

The only time I've heard the actual horns is in heavy fog or one time when a tug signalled a pleasure boat with the danger signal because he didn't feel like altering his course.

In the same vein, I once had to pass a tug and barge on the ICW.* I tried to raise him on the VHF several times and he wouldn't answer.* I just picked a wide spot, hit the throttle and went on by.* With all the pleasure boats, we just negotiated on the VHF.* No whistle talk, port and starboard.


-- Edited by rwidman on Sunday 19th of February 2012 05:42:13 PM
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