Aft-facing air horn

[Mako]

I've had numerous situations where I was backing away from a slip or fuel dock and some inattentive boater didn't notice that I was backing and would almost ram me. My beautiful, chrome plated Kahlenbergs facing forward like everyone else's.

I have noticed in a noisy industrial shipyard environment that you just can't hear the air horns from behind.

So has anyone mounted rear facing or omni-directional horns instead?

 

[Gdavid]

I knew a guy that installed a air horn from a diesel locomotive on his boat and ran a decent sized air compressor in the engine room just to supply it, can't remember which direction the horns faced but it was hard to ignore.

 

[Blissboat]

Occasionally I've noticed trucks (meaning over-the-road tractors dragging trailers) on the Interstate, with full-size air horns mounted behind the cab, low on the chassis just above the fuel tank, and aimed outboard toward the space next to the truck. Took me a few minutes to figure it out - those horns are to awaken those j@3&@$$ drivers who ease up alongside and "pace" you in the adjoining lane. If you speed up, they speed up. If you slow down, they slow down, making it impossible to shift lanes and overtake slower traffic ahead. Use your signal to indicate that you'd like to change lanes, or don't - it doesn't matter. To those motorists, their cars are cocoons, and surrounding traffic is just scenery.

Gigantic air horns, aimed sideways, may be indelicate, but they'd be impossible to ignore.

 

[Yahoo 1]

My Aft-facing air horn aboard is a police whistle. (no kidding).

Since the French maritime police in marinas is using the same "mechanism" to intercept boats for violation (in addition of sirens and lights), believe me this does work very well with inattentive boaters.

 

[GoneFarrell]

Pilou, that is a brilliant solution; but here, in the US of A, a smart phone whistle app would be required, preferably one that interrupts the distracting phone or Facebook chat of the earbud-wearing target user.

 

[Yahoo 1]

Pilou, that is a brilliant solution; but here, in the US of A, a smart phone whistle app would be required, preferably one that interrupts the distracting phone or Facebook chat of the earbud-wearing target user.

Oh Yes that's right, silly me with my mechanical whistle ! I had completely forgotten that the U.S.A. are always a way ahead of us in new tech .

GoneFarrell, it was really very funny !

 

[rwidman]

A canned air horn is loud and can be aimed at whoever you want to alert. I keep one in a holder within reach of the helm.

 

[FlyWright]

A canned air horn is loud and can be aimed at whoever you want to alert. I keep one in a holder within reach of the helm.

I have one of those at my lower helm, too. But every time I use it, I sound like a sailboat! I much prefer my Kalenbergs. (Thanks, Twistedtree!)

Can someone tell my why most sailboats don't have an installed horn system? Even the high end 40+ footers use a horn-in-a-can from their wet and windblown cockpit.

 

[Pgitug]

I have one of those at my lower helm, too. But every time I use it, I sound like a sailboat! I much prefer my Kalenbergs. (Thanks, Twistedtree!)

Can someone tell my why most sailboats don't have an installed horn system? Even the high end 40+ footers use a horn-in-a-can from their wet and windblown cockpit.

Sailboats don't use fixed trumpet horns because no matter where you mount them they will foul your lines used to control the sails.

 

[Blissboat]

FlyWright asks, "Can someone tell my why most sailboats don't have an installed horn system? Even the high end 40+ footers use a horn-in-a-can from their wet and windblown cockpit."

On sailboats, even the cabin roofs count as usable deck space. Hardware or fittings installed there generally have to justify their existence by serving a function related to making the boat go, or (in the case of hatches and dorades) ventilating the space below. The same applies to the sides of the deckhouse. In addition, horns are prone to snag flailing lines - an occasional occurrence aboard even the most smartly-handled sailing craft.

That said, I once knew gent with a lovely Ted Hood designed ketch (an ex-Robin) who was determined to have an authoritative horn always at the ready - no horn-in-a-can for his yacht! His boat being a split rig (foremast and mizzen), he mounted a two-note air horn about midway up the leading edge of the mizzen mast, about where many sailors mount their radome. Worked like a charm, as long as those in the cockpit immediately beneath it were ready for the blast!

 

[FlyWright]

Thanks for the replies. I've always thought that if you can have radar, comm antennae and lights mounted to a mast, you could mount a horn there, too.

 

[koliver]

I have a pair of small, red plastic air horns ($29.95 at Harbour Freight) mounted inside the console of my dinghy. They are loud enough that I have to warn passengers when I am going to use them. They are loud in every direction. They make you look around to see where the Ferrari is.

Those could be mounted under the rear overhang of the flybridge deck, out of the way, facing aft, and would be out of the way, yet effective when backing.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. FW. "Can someone tell my why most sailboats don't have an installed horn system?" WAAAY to expen$ive!

 

[JustBob]

Rear facing horns would have come in handy on this trip last year.

 

[Yahoo 1]

Rear facing horns would have come in handy on this trip last year.

Unbelievable !

 

[psneeld]

Looks like the beginning of a normal pass to me..one static picture means nothing....

 

[Yahoo 1]

Looks like the beginning of a normal pass to me..one static picture means nothing....

Looks like a normal pass to me. At least here.

PS by definition pictures are static.

 

[psneeld]

Looks like a normal pass to me. At least here.

PS by definition pictures are static.

Ok...not sure what you mean to differentiate...

JustBobs picture is a typical scene on the ACIW when snowbirding.

And of course I know that pictures are static and for me it was a double inference that a picture to make a point better be better than just a random picture if you are trying to prove a point.

 

[JustBob]

This picture was taken in the Strait of Georgia, north of Nanaimo. He and I were on a nearly parallel course for many hours. I was on AP the entire time, with a single waypoint ahead of me. His course would eventually cross mine. Ahead of me if he was a bit faster, but he wasn't that much faster. Still, he was the overtaking vessel. We began quite far apart, and ended up quite close, that was due to his course, and his marginally faster speed.

But for some reason he evidently felt I should stand off? I don't know. But he seemed to want to prove a point by tucking in behind me like this. My friend the owner was taking his usual afternoon siesta. His wife was awake and very concerned, but I know how my friend drives his boat. This was the other guy's issue, not mine. And I'm in a 120 ton Delta.

He followed me like this for perhaps 45 minutes, eventually bearing off to Nanaimo.

Later we heard him getting all pissy on the radio due to lack of dockage.

I thought it was pretty fun, actually.

 

[psneeld]

Well ya never know....where you were that probably seems close,..... for us east coast snowbirders...just another boat......

 

[HiDHo]

I feel your pain.

 

[HopCar]

Greetings,
Mr. FW. "Can someone tell my why most sailboats don't have an installed horn system?" WAAAY to expen$ive!

Rufous T Firefly, are implying that sailboaters are cheap? What a shocking thought!

 

[HopCar]

Mako, are your Kahlenbergs a double or triple set? If so, I think you could just turn one of the trumpets around on the base. If the base is like I remember, I think it's about a two minute job.

 

[ranger58sb]

It would probably be possible to aid a rear-facing loud-hailer to your VHF radio(s) for the "fog-horn" function... maybe fire that off when useful...


-Chris

 

[Carolena]

If you already have the Kahlenberg horns with compressor, why not just add a whistle? It would only require a t in the air line, an additonal solenoid switch and the whistle (plus the necessary air line). The whistle will give you 360 degree sound, plus they are fun. we have one along with a set of horns.

 

[HopCar]

If you already have the Kahlenberg horns with compressor, why not just add a whistle? It would only require a t in the air line, an additonal solenoid switch and the whistle (plus the necessary air line). The whistle will give you 360 degree sound, plus they are fun. we have one along with a set of horns.

I like it! Kahlenberg makes very nice whistles as well as horns.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Re: Post #22...