dharl
Well-Known Member
I just KNEW I would be opening a can of worms with that one......
Five blasts
- Thread starter ChrisE
- Start date
ChrisE
Well-Known Member
Christchurch Ledge, open water and an area where anglers regularly park to fish on the ledge.
dharl
Well-Known Member
with all the lobby pots over there I would definatly be keeping a good lookout, fog or no fog, not to mention for the odd fishing vessel as well!
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, how many cans of air does everyone carry for their air horn? I only had one full can when I went on the Scuttlebutt cruise and emptied it in under an hour doing fog signals out of Chi so I'm thinking of an alternative. Of course I could just not bother, I could barely hear the other guys signals and I could see their boats about 100 yards away at the edge of viz. If I'd had a motor on I wouldn't have heard them 
Rigger Mortice
N/A
Out of interest, how many cans of air does everyone carry for their air horn? I only had one full can when I went on the Scuttlebutt cruise and emptied it in under an hour doing fog signals out of Chi so I'm thinking of an alternative. Of course I could just not bother, I could barely hear the other guys signals and I could see their boats about 100 yards away at the edge of viz. If I'd had a motor on I wouldn't have heard them
I've got a horn with one cannister. I keep meaning to check whether the cannisters I have on board for my camping stove would fit, but I've not round to it.
I've also got a Plastimo horn that you blow. It makes a pleasantly obscene noise but I doubt that the volume is really adequate.
I've also got a car air horn complete with a programmed chip which can produce all the Colregs sound signals on demand. Particulalry useful for signals that are repeated every minute or so. I made it as a fun exercise in electronic wizadry.
I've never used any of them in anger. I've used then at Regatta's though.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Well I guess the ships would hear the noise but not sure a loud bang counts in the Colregs
TSB240
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, how many cans of air does everyone carry for their air horn? I only had one full can when I went on the Scuttlebutt cruise and emptied it in under an hour doing fog signals out of Chi so I'm thinking of an alternative. Of course I could just not bother, I could barely hear the other guys signals and I could see their boats about 100 yards away at the edge of viz. If I'd had a motor on I wouldn't have heard them
Just placed an order for one of these
http://www.force4.co.uk/294/Force-4-Ecoblast-rechargeable-Foghorn.html
The pump is identical to the type sold to pump up fenders.
Needle valve adaptors available from ebay 5 for a £1
prv
Well-Known Member
I have an electronic horn, so no air cans involved. I should have a mouth-blown horn as backup, but I've just realised I let it go with Kindred Spirit. It was the kind you blow in the side of, with a vibrating diaphragm, and was quite remarkably loud for a human-powered device. I used it once in a street procession where lots of people had various noisemaking devices, and it made people jump for some distance around every time I blew it. Will have to get another one the same.
I guess that's the problem with an air-horn being quite directional. They were probably blowing their horns away from you. I've wondered the same about my loudhailer/horn, which points forwards. There was a yacht near ours in the yard we bought her from, which had lorry-style air horns pointing down towards the deck - presumably the idea was that the sound bounced off in all directions.
If I'd had a motor on I wouldn't have heard them
Traditionally one should stop the motor periodically in order to listen. Dunno how often that's actually done nowadays. To be honest I have little experience in fog, always avoided it without radar.
Well I guess the ships would hear the noise but not sure a loud bang counts in the Colregs
Air horns always used to use canned butane, so no difference. I don't know if they use something more eco-friendly now but quite possibly not.
Pete
Rigger Mortice
N/A
Well I guess the ships would hear the noise but not sure a loud bang counts in the Colregs
lustyd
Well-Known Member
can you post a thread when you've tried it? I'd be amazed if a little pump will keep up with 3 blasts every 2 minutes for sailing in fog. If it works I'll happily buy one though.
Joker
Well-Known Member
I have a clarinet on board. Does the fog horn need to be any particular frequency?
A1Sailor
...
If you start playing "Stranger on the Shore" folk will no doubt avoid you!
onesea
Well-Known Member
Need to buy myself a new canister, last one was rusty and empty... Boat does have a breath powered one, although to be honest although I have taken them up to the cockpit in fog. I have never sounded a fog signal..
prv
Well-Known Member
No - if you're under 12m you just need to make a noise.
It's an interesting point - I have cockpit speakers for the stereo, would playing Reel Big Fish very loudly count as a fog signal?
Pete
ChrisE
Well-Known Member
No - if you're under 12m you just need to make a noise.
It's an interesting point - I have cockpit speakers for the stereo, would playing Reel Big Fish very loudly count as a fog signal?
Pete
No, that would count as a bloody row
Piers
Well-Known Member
Hi Guys, if it's of any help, the details of what's required are here on my son's website: http://www.kahlenberg.co.uk/imo-sound-signal-requirements
This details the frequencies and loudness levels of horn required on any and all vessels over 12m loa. There's also an FAQ section: http://www.kahlenberg.co.uk/faqs
Hope this helps cut the way through the maze....
Slow_boat
Well-Known Member
I have a tenor sax on board. I reckon a low Bb would do the job.
I did see an old 'Bull-Roarer' foghorn in a Rye antique/junk shop the other day. At £40 I was tempted but it's a bit big................
I did see an old 'Bull-Roarer' foghorn in a Rye antique/junk shop the other day. At £40 I was tempted but it's a bit big................