Boating Through Fog

[L Erie Tugger]

One thing will help a lot with your comfort in fog - use your radar on a clear day to learn exactly how to get the best resolution out of it. We have many very small fishing boats around here who have no problem being out in fog. They are very difficult to see on the radar if you haven't tuned it accurately. Particularly in the northern Great Lakes fog can be pretty specific to a location, so you can run into it even though it was clear when you set out, so it pays to have done your homework.

 

[La Sirena]

I once made about a 40 mile Lake Michigan trip in fog literally so dense you couldn't see your pennant at the front of the boat. I didn't have radar.

I went slow, watched my GPS and kept a lookout. It was not a bad experience.

pete

I was sailing with my Dad on Lake Huron one very foggy morning. Of course there was no wind so we motored. It was before GPS and we were using our best Loran skills to locate the shipping lanes. I remember hearing the mechanical rumble of a freighter getting louder and louder. I was waiting for the bow of the ship to appear overhead through the dense fog. Instead, the sound eventually started to get softer and softer. It was an eerie feeling. My Dad was not risk adverse, particularly when sailing.

 

[Csellars]

The advantage of an auto pilot in the fog is that it is easy to get disoriented with no horizon. It frees you from having to concentrate on just holding your heading while navigating and watching the radar. I have found that hand steering in fog it is very easy to oversteer. The auto pilot allows for small corrections as needed.

 

[1955brandy]

I've maneuvered safely through fog several times mostly between Block Island and Long Island. Slowly with a good mate on watch.
But my most memorable time was coming back from Shinecock on the inside, we got to Moriches Bay and just outside the Coast Guard station there's an area with shifting shoals that is tricky enough in full sunlight, no less fog. At 2PM this fog rolls in just as we hit that area. I pulled off to the side and anchored and radioed BOAT US for guidance. His response was "wait there, I'll be there in 45 minutes after I pull this 50 footer off the rocks". He came and guided us through the area without incident. That's why I love BOAT US. And nothing beats local knowledge.

 

[psneeld]

Sea tow does the same...for great local knowledge...choose the one with a boat that regularly services mostly your area.


For national service BoatUS probably has better coverage but not always 24/7/365 in all areas.


For best response have both and see who can get there the fastest or at all.

 

[rslifkin]

For best response have both and see who can get there the fastest or at all.

If you travel far and wide, this is the answer. Some areas are far better covered by one or the other. And some areas like mine only have 1 (no SeaTow here).

 

[greatpapabear]

Our boating area (British Channel Islands) can suffer from fog regardless of season. having boated for over 30 years, my comments on required kit would be:

• Any kit which helps remove strain such as Autopilot and auto controller for the fog-horn.

• Minimum essential kit in order of must-haves, would be Compass, Echo sounder, Radar.

Assuming you have paper charts, the kit list will enable to to navigate safely - hence GPS can be left behind.

 

[backinblue]

Our boating area (British Channel Islands) can suffer from fog regardless of season. having boated for over 30 years, my comments on required kit would be:

• Any kit which helps remove strain such as Autopilot and auto controller for the fog-horn.

• Minimum essential kit in order of must-haves, would be Compass, Echo sounder, Radar.

Assuming you have paper charts, the kit list will enable to to navigate safely - hence GPS can be left behind.

All good advice except the last one. Though I always have paper charts as backup to the GPS, wouldn't a GPS be just as valuable for removing strain from the captain? Having to constantly check and plot your position takes time. Did I misunderstand something?

 

[greatpapabear]

All good advice except the last one. Though I always have paper charts as backup to the GPS, wouldn't a GPS be just as valuable for removing strain from the captain? Having to constantly check and plot your position takes time. Did I misunderstand something?

No, nothing misunderstood. I was just listing the top three most important items. If GPS was available, it would certainly be in full use.

 

[Tator]

"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.

Amen to that! Thought about getting a newer unit but it doesn't appear that anything similar is now made. Average about 5 days a year in SE AK of boating in fog. Luckily not a lot of boats around. I keep that old Raytheon working. Also handy for amplifying the hydrophone and playing it over the loudspeaker when the humpbacks are bubble feeding.

Tator

 

[greatpapabear]

"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.

Amen to that! Thought about getting a newer unit but it doesn't appear that anything similar is now made. Average about 5 days a year in SE AK of boating in fog. Luckily not a lot of boats around. I keep that old Raytheon working. Also handy for amplifying the hydrophone and playing it over the loudspeaker when the humpbacks are bubble feeding.

Tator

Hi guys. I've yet to come across a loudhailer fog horn which meets the col regs for vessels over 12m. Am I missing something?

 

[psneeld]

I could argue that a good chartplotter is probably more valuable than RADAR.... but that is kinda like arguing that one hand is more important than both.


It's probably pages worth of discussion to cover all the variables..... so as succinctly as I can describe....if you boat in areas where channels are tiny and twisty, surrounded by expanses of shallows, or inlets are the same with dangerous entrances....GPS has an edge. For areas where water is wide and deep and traffic isn't forced into natural traffic patterns....radar might have the edge. But to me after years of commercial, continue in any weather, it is a very close call.

 

[rslifkin]

Hi guys. I've yet to come across a loudhailer fog horn which meets the col regs for vessels over 12m. Am I missing something?

I'm also unconvinced that most of them are loud enough. I went for the Fogmate option because of that, as my horns are more than loud enough to meet the requirements.

 

[psneeld]

Hi guys. I've yet to come across a loudhailer fog horn which meets the col regs for vessels over 12m. Am I missing something?

I don't think you did...the USCG sent out a notice a few years back that after many investigations, the standard hailer horns did NOT meet the COLREGS requirement.


It's possible to get a compliant setup...but what most recreational boaters install horn speaker wise, it does not.

 

[Tator]

"In or near an area of restricted visibility, whether by day or night, the signals prescribed in this Rule shall be used as follows:

(a) A power-driven vessel making way through the water shall sound at intervals of not more than 2 minutes one prolonged blast."

My Raytheon unit was probably made in the 80's and, under the circumstances above, seems to meet the requirements. As an aside, in 30 years of boating in SE Alaska I don't believe I've ever heard another foghorn or signal! I know there must of been a few times that commercial fishing boats, State ferries or cruise ships were around-not to mention other pleasure boats.

Tator

 

[greatpapabear]

I could argue that a good chartplotter is probably more valuable than RADAR.... but that is kinda like arguing that one hand is more important than both.


It's probably pages worth of discussion to cover all the variables..... so as succinctly as I can describe....if you boat in areas where channels are tiny and twisty, surrounded by expanses of shallows, or inlets are the same with dangerous entrances....GPS has an edge. For areas where water is wide and deep and traffic isn't forced into natural traffic patterns....radar might have the edge. But to me after years of commercial, continue in any weather, it is a very close call.

Agreed. Yet if I had to lose either radar or GPS, it would be GPS.

 

[rslifkin]

"In or near an area of restricted visibility, whether by day or night, the signals prescribed in this Rule shall be used as follows:

(a) A power-driven vessel making way through the water shall sound at intervals of not more than 2 minutes one prolonged blast."

My Raytheon unit was probably made in the 80's and, under the circumstances above, seems to meet the requirements. As an aside, in 30 years of boating in SE Alaska I don't believe I've ever heard another foghorn or signal! I know there must of been a few times that commercial fishing boats, State ferries or cruise ships were around not to mention other pleasure boats.

Tator

It meets the requirement to sound a long blast every 2 minutes, but it does not necessarily meet the sound and frequency requirements spelled out in Annex III. For International rules, under 75 meters needs a horn with a fundamental frequency of 250 - 700hz. Inland is more restrictive at 250 - 525hz. There are also volume requirements. For under 20 meters, you need 120db (or 115db depending on what frequency is being measured) and it's said to be generally audible for 0.5 nautical miles.

 

[greatpapabear]

It meets the requirement to sound a long blast every 2 minutes, but it does not necessarily meet the sound and frequency requirements spelled out in Annex III. For International rules, under 75 meters needs a horn with a fundamental frequency of 250 - 700hz. Inland is more restrictive at 250 - 525hz. There are also volume requirements. For under 20 meters, you need 120db (or 115db depending on what frequency is being measured) and it's said to be generally audible for 0.5 nautical miles.

If the horns meet the regs, they should have a compliance certificate - as with Kahlenberg horns.

 

[Shrew]

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.

I'll second that. Most run from marker to marker. The fisherman also crowd the markers. I always plot my courses to allow the markers plenty of leeway. I don't need to SEE it. GPS tells me it's there and the radar confirms it. Even if I do see it, I can use binoculars to read the number on it.

The same goes for the digital waypoints from Maptech. Lots of people I know use those way points to chart a course. That means many people are potentially converging on that way point. I'd rather chart my courses myself. First with paper, then on the chart plotter. this allows me to be familiar with the plotted course and if the electronics go out, I still have a paper back-up.

 

[psneeld]

Agreed. Yet if I had to lose either radar or GPS, it would be GPS.

For those that aren't good yet at radar or those needing to thread a needle in channels (not clearly shown on radar)....me and others might have other priorities.


Not to convince you but to make others really think about it.