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Boating
during the fall can bring special challenges for the
mariner. In addition to the need to be aware of reduced
temperatures which can lead to hypothermia,
you also at times have to deal with reduced visibility.
Fog
is the primary cause of reduced visibility, but haze,
heavy rain and snow all present problems for mariners.
Boating in these conditions presents two hazards,
navigational errors and collisions.
Preventing
both of these begins with reducing your speed. The old
saying, “Be able to stop in half the distance of
visibility” doesn’t appear in the Navigation Rules,
but it is very good advice; remember slower is better!
A
sailboat with an auxiliary engine, if under sail in fog,
should have her engine available for immediate use, but
you’ll be better able to listen for fog signals and
other helpful sounds if you leave the engine off until
it’s needed.
Fog
signals must be sounded, the time interval specified in
the Navigation Rules is the minimum.
|
Vessel
|
Required
Sound Signal |
| Power-driven
vessl making way |
one
prolonged blast every two minutes |
| Power-driven
vessel not making way (stopped) |
two
prolonged blast every two minutes with a one
second interval between them |
| Sailing
Vessel, vessel not under command, vessel
restricted in ability to maneuver, vessel
constrained by draft, vessel engaged in fishing
and a vessel towing or pushing another vessel. |
one
prolonged blast followed by two short blasts
every two minutes |
Vary
your interval so that there is no possibility of your
signals being in step with another vessel’s, thereby
preventing you from hearing them. Listening for another
vessel’s fog signals is just as important as sounding
your own. If you have crew aboard, post a lookout well
forward and consider having another person aft if
possible. The lookout should listen as well as look.
Listen for other vessels, the sound of aids to
navigation, breaking surf, and other helpful sounds.
Lookouts are especially important if your helm station
is inside. Switch bow and stern lookouts occasionally to
provide some variety and increase alertness.
If
your engines are noisy, periodically shift into idle, or
even shut them down for a few minutes to listen for
faint fog signals. The transmission of sound in foggy
conditions is tricky, if you hear something, don’t
jump to a quick conclusion about its direction and
distance, listen some more.
If several
craft are traveling together, it is advisable that they
stay close in a column formation in which closely
following vessels aren’t directly behind the leader so
they can easily steer clear if the lead vessel stops
suddenly. If the fog is so thick that it is hazardous
for them to be within sight of each other, each vessel
should tow a floating object such as an empty fuel
container or a cushion well astern on a line of
approximately 150 feet. Then, each vessel can keep its
“station” in column by keeping that object in sight,
rather than the craft ahead. |
