Photo-Comments invited

[DAKA]

Photo 1

Taken in Alderney Harbour as we are about to leave.

Photo 2

Taken 1/2 hour later

The Yacht heading out the Harbour which you will no doubt have already noticed has not got Radar is most likely heading for the Swinge as the time is perfect for a Southern passage (apart from the Fog) through the narrow (cable or so) channel.

On the basis that all the Yachts will be heading the same way in the Channel with the tide he has maybe given this a lot of thought and could be safe .
Any boats coming in the opposite direction will almost certainly be under power and have to give way.

Despite having Radar and some experience on interpreting it ,I decided not to use the Swinge !

Was he safe ?

 

[Whitelighter]

I have come into Brea in heavy (more dense than shown in the photo) fog with only the old Decca 2000 system. Acheived by making constant plots to asses course and drift etc...

We did radio for anyone in the harbour with Radar to check if they could see us, but the only yacht to come back said we were making a fine job of it!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Its one thing being caught in poor viz whilst already out at sea, its quite another to deliberately head out into it whether you have a radar or not. IMHO, nobody should deliberately put themselves at risk in this way when the only reason for the voyage is pleasure
Doubtless if this yacht had been run down in fog by another vessel, there would be a lot of pious hand wringing in the yottie press but nobody ever seems to ask whether it was right for the yacht to be there in the first place particularly when they're as ill equipped as this one

 

[DAKA]

The fog got worse after that Jez but had all cleared by lunch time when we left Mike.
Radar was my first and most expensive toy I bought but I dont want to use it.