Boating Through Fog

[Alaskaflyer]

I was very comfortable navigating "on instruments" at night at high speed, when I was transferred to Lake Superior and began my education with real fog. Skills are transferrable but it is certainly not the same. For one thing, you cannot identify a radar contact with your searchlight

I think of fog, and to a lesser extent darkness, much like driving in a bad snowstorm. It's not my driving that I'm worried about so much, it's the other guy.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I think of fog, and to a lesser extent darkness, much like driving in a bad snowstorm. It's not my driving that I'm worried about so much, it's the other guy.

Or in our case logs

 

[OldDan1943]

If you cant be seen, be heard. Automatic fog horn.
Watch your compass and RADAR.
Watch out for sports fisherman that believe they are invincible and running on plane.
Any questions, get on the VHR.
If you have multiple GPS, pick one and believe it.

 

[OldDan1943]

All of a sudden we hear this MASSIVE air horn very close and assumed some freighter was about to crush us and we made a dash for shallow water.......As we got shallower the horn got louder .....and then a train went by on the shoreline......It made for an incredibly tense few minutes.

While driving along on the highway, way out west, dead of a moonless night. light ahead of me, refused to dim. Flashed my my light LOTS of times. The light was beginning to blind me. About the time I got really upset, a train passed-by.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I crossed Dixion Entrance in the fog from Brundage Inlet on Dundas Is.

Didn’t know it was foggy till we poked out.
Soup. Got the radar up, checked the GPS, compass, radio. Weather was calm.
My biggest surprise was using the compass. I’m lucky I received (from the PO) an excellent compass. My first time holding a course w a compass and I did well but was probably due to the excellent compass.
We went most of the way across before breaking out. Brilliant sunshine. We went a bit west of due north to minimize encountering traffic. Didn’t see anything but an amazing little extremely battered sportyak. Just enough of it left to identify.
From the SW coast of Duke Is. We picked our way along and through the small islands W of Mary Is. Then up Rivallgigedo Channel to K town.

My only serious fog adventure.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I crossed Dixion Entrance in the fog from Brundage Inlet on Dundas Is.

Didn’t know it was foggy till we poked out.
Soup. Got the radar up, checked the GPS, compass, radio. Weather was calm.
My biggest surprise was using the compass. I’m lucky I received (from the PO) an excellent compass. My first time holding a course w a compass and I did well but was probably due to the excellent compass.
We went most of the way across before breaking out. Brilliant sunshine. We went a bit west of due north to minimize encountering traffic. Didn’t see anything but an amazing little extremely battered sportyak. Just enough of it left to identify.
From the SW coast of Duke Is. We picked our way along and through the small islands W of Mary Is. Then up Rivallgigedo Channel to K town.

My only serious fog adventure.

2019 we had glass seas going north and going south. Best time ever. Got to Pine Island and socked in for about 20 miles. Love it and how lucky was that.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Lucky?
I was born lucky.
According to astrology.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Ok excuse the ignorance by what is the advantage of auto pilot in the fog. Is it because it will synch with the radar? Although we have had the boat for a while we rarely have used the auto. I would welcome any handy advice.

The autopilot relieves you of the responsibility to watch the compass/hold the desired course so you can give undivided attention to navigation and collision avoidance.

A very important tool.

 

[Jeff F]

I grew up sailing off the SW shore of Nova Scotia. Fog was a regular thing, and in the 1970s we didn't have any electronics. We'd hang a radar reflector to keep the fishing boats from running us down and try to keep a DR plot. It was terrifying at times. But we were slow moving and under sail used our ears. There were lots of audio clues - bell buoys, fog horns, other boats, breaking waves on shore. If it was quiet you were free from harm.

I'm pretty comfortable using the modern navigational tools, but still don't feel entirely comfortable sitting inside with the motor running in thick fog. I have to stick my head outside and listen all around regularly.

 

[OldDan1943]

Lucky?
I was born lucky.
According to astrology.

You were born "Lucky" but changed your name to "Eric"?

Sorry folks. That was too obvious to ignore.

 

[O C Diver]

I'm pretty comfortable using the modern navigational tools, but still don't feel entirely comfortable sitting inside with the motor running in thick fog. I have to stick my head outside and listen all around regularly.

One of the nice features of using my old Raytheon hailer / foghorn is that it switches to "listening" after giving the fog signal. With the separate listening volume, it's very easy to be able to hear waves against the hull, or another boat coming.

Ted

 

[rslifkin]

I'm pretty comfortable using the modern navigational tools, but still don't feel entirely comfortable sitting inside with the motor running in thick fog. I have to stick my head outside and listen all around regularly.

Poor visibility is one of those times when I definitely appreciate my outside helm. If it's not too cold, pop the windshield open, open up the side panels and you can hear pretty well. If in doubt, I'll put someone on the bow seat as extra eyes / ears.

 

[Portage_Bay]

An amusing story about running in fog. We were working about 1.5 nm SW of the entrance to the Snohomish River at Everett. This was before the naval base and before GPS. A small boat heard our engines and machinery and found us by following the racket. When he came alongside he asked "Which way to Everett?" I replied do you have a compass? "Yes" came the answer so I gave him the magnetic course to the entrance and off he went into the pea soup fog at full throttle. A short time later he was back and said "All I found was a green buoy!" When I told him that he'd found the entrance off he went again. Lucky for him his compass was accurate.

And another one while I'm telling stories. Working right off the entrance to Hubmolt Bay / Eurka in very low vis. A good sized yacht hails us and asks "Which side?" I asked which side of what? "Which side is the entrance?" That entrance has breakwaters on both sides, red on a tower on one side, green on a tower on the other side. I told him to go between the red and green. That made me wonder how he'd gotten as far as he had. It had been foggy for days.

 

[MYTraveler]

To me, if I had to list the priority of tools needed to easily and effectively navigate in fog, it would be:

1) GPS

2) Compass

3) Radar

Inshore, which is where fog is, in my experience, I would add two things to that list:

1) Chart -- ideally electronic with radar and sat photo overlay.

2) Depth finder.



At the risk of stating the obvious, radar won't necessarily show you where shore is. A long, gently sloping beach might easily be mistaken for open water.

 

[rslifkin]

Agreed on the depth finder. I don't like moving a boat at all without a depth reading. And in poor visibility, a chartplotter is very useful, as knowing what should be around you gives you a better shot at confirming what's actually around you. Such as "ok, that vague shape in the fog should be a daymark, but this other one isn't on the chart, so it's probably a boat"

 

[Montenido]

This last August I was returning to the states after 3 years in Mexico, due to Covid. On my last morning before making it to my home port, Channel Islands Harbor, I encountered THICK fog off of LA Harbor/Palos Verdes. I was exhausted and my lone crew member somehow had self-medicated himself into a stupor, so I was truly on my own. As I crossed Santa Monica Bay i blasted my horn for 5 seconds every 2 minutes. Let me tell you folks, I was sh#tting bricks. I talked with one captain off of PV and we came within 1/4 mile of each other and never saw each other.

BTW, my radar was acting wonky and I was operating on about 3 hours of sleep. After reaching Point Dume the fog magically lifted. I arrived in one piece, exhausted and drained, but safe. Given a choice, I will skip cruising in heavy fog from now on, if avoidable.

Cheers, Bill

 

[psneeld]

Not saying this situation was right or wrong as I don't have all the facts....but when the same/similar situation happens, head for a safer area and wait it out....get some sort of rest as you are able to.



Pressing on into higher demand situations is a function of risk management.....sometimes it's the right decision, sometimes the wrong decision. But there are 2 options (maybe more) and hopefully pick the right one more than the wrong one.

 

[MYTraveler]

Ok excuse the ignorance by what is the advantage of auto pilot in the fog. Is it because it will synch with the radar? Although we have had the boat for a while we rarely have used the auto. I would welcome any handy advice.

Fog is extremely disorienting -- much more so than a moonless night where the stars provide at least a subconscious frame of reference. In fog, it is easy to believe that your vessel is maintaining whatever heading you think you are on, but the temptation to trust one's instinct must be overcome and frequent reference to a compass is an absolute necessity. Even when running on AP.

And BTW, I have never heard of an AP that interfaces with a radar. Mine certainly doesn't and I can't imagine what that interface would do -- change course to avoid target? I would rather do that myself and have confidence that the AP is not making decisions, and changing course, without my knowledge. Then again, I can't get comfortable with my wife's Tesla doing the driving. (Opportunity for a good wife's driving crack here, but I will refrain. Though the wife of a buddy of mine had her credit card stolen, but my buddy didn't report it since the thief spent less than his wife.)

 

[bayview]

In fog be very careful running from marker to marker. Everyone else is doing the same and some will be going fast. Before plotters I always insisted on identifying the next marker by getting close. Today the routs are like freeways with everyone crowded together.

If at all possible never go out when fog is forecast.

 

[rsn48]

I found this:

Boating Signals in Poor Visibility
In addition to these, there are sound signals for specific use in conditions of low visibility. They are as follows:

Powerboats or sailboats under power must give signals of 1 long blast every 2 minutes to indicate their changing position as they move through the water.

A powerboat or sailboat under power that is stopped (not moving through the water) must give signals of 2 long blasts every two minutes to indicate their position.

A sailboat or any boat that is restricted in its ability to move, towing or pushing another boat, or is currently engaged in fishing, must give 1 long blast and 2 short blasts every two minutes.

If you are boating in conditions of restricted visibility and you hear any of these signals, slow down to minimum speed until you can safely ascertain your relative positions and move forward without a collision.

Sound signals are not totally necessary during days of clear visibility, as long as you keep a safe distance between yourself and other boats, but they are a must on foggy days. As long as you learn the signals and are able to use them at the appropriate time, you won’t be taken unawares when conditions turn bad.

From here: https://www.getmyboat.ca/journal/how-to/guide-to-sound-signals/

 

[psneeld]

I would rather take the risk of boating in fog if it's is about what might happen opposed to my competence in it and the ability to avoid most troublesome situations. Similar to driving an interstate in the rain.....you cant be sure you will avoid the jerk drivers, but the odds are with you and stopping life for every challenge can get old quick.



If a person does that on a routine basis and feels comfortable, and if their own skills match the foggy conditions....I wouldn't let the worry of what others might do from stopping me.


What I might do is evaluate just how busy my route might be and how bad I might have to wander out of my preferred side of the channel, cross other waterways, run busy areas....etc...etc.... and let that factor into the "risk management concept" which I strongly believe in over abstinence without evaluating it further.


Yes the other side of the coin is overconfidence...but that applies to just abut all boating, not just fog.

 

[High Wire]

Fog. Yes, memorable experiences.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Hubmoldt Bay / Eureka in very low vis. ... I told him to go between the red and green.

Probably not worth your time to explain to him about the series of ranges which would keep him out of the mud inside.

 

[markpierce]

A disadvantage of a LOUD horn is that its use isn't healthy for the lookout near the bow. I don't deploy such a lookout when the horn is used. Do open the top portion of the pilothouse Dutch doors for auditory input.

 

[rslifkin]

A disadvantage of a LOUD horn is that its use isn't healthy for the lookout near the bow. I don't deploy such a lookout when the horn is used. Do open the top portion of the pilothouse Dutch doors for auditory input.

That's a good point. Can't put someone on the bow in fog requiring use of the horn, only at night or other poor visibility that doesn't require the horn. My horns are on the cabin top in front of the windshields, so aimed directly at anyone on the bow.

 

[SoWhat]

If in doubt, I'll put someone on the bow seat as extra eyes / ears.

Pretty sure my wife will put me on the bow seat with fog horn going off every 2 minutes in the cold mist.

 

[rgano]

That's a good point. Can't put someone on the bow in fog requiring use of the horn, only at night or other poor visibility that doesn't require the horn. My horns are on the cabin top in front of the windshields, so aimed directly at anyone on the bow.

On my GB a lookout could pop out the stbd cabin door at forward end of the cabin, below and just aft of the mouths of the air horns where the sound level was less than it was at the pointy end of the bow.

Nothing I have found in the COLREGs requires a fog lookout to be at the tip of the spear, only where best able to perform the duty, which clearly would not be in front of a horn.

In the Navy with plenty of people aboard to assign to the duties, a fog lookout AND phone talker were stationed right forward on the bow, and a person with a clock second hand visible was also assigned to pull the big foghorn lever which activated the steam-powered foghorn on the forward stack usually aft and above the bridge. That horn would almost blow you off the bow on a destroyer; so the talker on the bridge connected to the talker on the bow would call out "horn!" into his mouthpiece whenever the foghorn operator reached up for that lever over the helmsman's head, and both people on the bow would momentarily cover their ears. If you were topside like out on the bridge wings, the initial hiss of the steam through the valve below the foghorn would also give you a half second or so the cover your ears.

So back to the reasonable man concept - yes, you must operate your foghorn in reduced viz (NOT just fog) AND post an adequate lookout as well, just not where the horn makes the lookout INadequate.

 

[psneeld]

The engineer on one of the icebreakers I was on kept finding the horn getting weaker and weaker.

After several repairs he reported to the captain they needed to change where the upper lookout stood.

Each repair to the horn found damage that looked very similar to screwdriver made holes in the horns diaphragm to lessen its output.

After changing the upper Lookout position, the horn issues went away.

 

[tiltrider1]

Back in the day of navigating fog with nothing more than a Compass and a depth sounder, I dreaded going out in the fog.

When GPS first came along navigating in the fog became very easy. What was nerve racking was trying to determine were all the fog horns were and which way they were headed. In those days channel 14 would give us a running report on traffic which helped a lot in sorting out all the fog horns.

Along came the 90's with good radar and chart plotters. The only thing I fear now are those few fools who are traveling 20 nmph in the fog.

What is to often an occurrence are boats traveling at high rates of speed thinking they can still see as they enter the fog. They will travel for 1 to 2 miles before they realize that they can't see and slow down.

 

[Mike H]

Just remember, electronics can fail, usually at the most opportune time. A few years ago, I was making a short one-hour run in our sailboat, under power in the fog. The chartplotter said I was on a good course. About halfway through, the gps failed. I quickly noted my bearing on the compass and checked my watch. Ok, stay this course and speed for 30 minutes, and then bear to the starboard at 45 degrees. If I hear or see the shore, bear off to port and follow the coast until I see the breakwater (no outlying rocks in this area). Radar was not working, but that's another story.

At 30 minutes, I made my turn and the fog started to lift. All was well....

It was a bit stressful, but primarily watching for the idiots that don't want to slow down.

Oh, and in the meantime, I quickly downloaded a chart app for my phone.