sailing in the fog - stories

[AntarcticPilot]

Long, long ago - it may have been in a distant galaxy - we sailed from (I think) Arbroath to Dunbar; it may have been from Stonehaven. Fog came down after we started, and for most of the passage, we were in thick fog; I doubt we could see more than a hundred metres. I was doing the navigation (in my late teens at the time), and our hand-held RDF set was a great help - I was able to use RDF bearings as good cross-bearings on our track (there was a beacon somewhere near Montrose). I remember doing the tidal calculations very carefully; the major hazard on that passage is Bell Rock, and we certainly didn't want to get near that! I remember being relieved when the cross bearing told me we were south of it. I think it cleared as we were crossing the Firth of Forth, so the Isle of May wasn't a problem.

My biggest worry was that I couldn't set up a safe clearing bearing, and had to rely DR using tidal calculations. I remember checking my working several times!

Shipping wasn't a problem; I don't think we saw another vessel on the entire passage. But in those days, with no GPS, no AIS and no radar for small-craft, the possibility of an encounter with a ship was just one of the things you took for granted, and listened carefully for engine sounds or sound signals.

 

[reginaldon]

Having a radar reflector at sea is one of the few things that are mandatory. See SOLAS V regulations.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_185781.pdf
===========================================================
Maybe 'Not a lot of people know that' - well I didn't!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Having a radar reflector at sea is one of the few things that are mandatory. See SOLAS V regulations.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_185781.pdf
===========================================================
Maybe 'Not a lot of people know that' - well I didn't!

A) We had one; I doubt it was much use, but we had one.
B) I'd be interested to know if SOLAS mandated radar reflectors in the late 1960s.

 

[oldvarnish]

Early 1970s, very inexperienced, coming up the River Crouch one November evening with a thick fog forming, freezing in the rigging.

Visibility was little more than a boat's length and I had not a clue how to find my mooring.

The light breeze was in the north but neither shore was visible. Then, in the air I smelled the chip shop and took a rough bearing of the direction from which the lovely scent was coming.

Knowing where the chip shop was in relation to my mooring, with a bit of motoring up and down I was soon able to find it.

 

[capnsensible]

Too many, precis.

Entering both Portsmouth and Lymington, quite thick.

Just north of Cape Trafalgar, all the way to Cadiz, very thick.

Twice off Atlantic Morocco complete with fishing fleets.

Portugal.

Straits of Gibraltar lots!

Couple of months ago, rounded Europa Point and saw nothing again until PHM entering Sotogrande. The entrance is not wide but you couldnt see across it.

Oh, found Marina Smir once in thickers but got lost leaving reception dock to go to berth.

Echo sounders are wonderful.

 

[oldbilbo]

Many years ago, when I was still young and stupid, I found myself in the Two-Handed Round Britain Race on an engineless 40' catamaran, reaching fast south about 80 miles SE of Lerwick. We'd been in dense sea fog all day, and were both on deck, straining our eyes into the grey mist. Visibility was maybe two boat lengths. Maybe......

Then the entire world to port turned a murky red as a huge ship slid past. It went on, and on, forever. We couldn't see the deck edge, nor any superstructure, but we did see briefly the top of the propeller, the rudder, and her name as she slipped away northwards.

We called her up. A startled voice replied, asking "Where are you?" We told him, and asked if he could see us... "Oh, yes. Of course I can....."

 

[lenseman]

. . . . Then the entire world to port turned a murky red as a huge ship slid past. It went on, and on, forever. We couldn't see the deck edge, nor any superstructure, but we did see briefly the top of the propeller, the rudder, and her name as she slipped away northwards. . . . . .

Sounds like, from your description, you were passed by a empty VLCC ?

 

[bobgarrett]

A few years back we were coming back from Alderney to Chichester. We left with a bit of mist but gradually it was getting thicker and I was just thinking maybe we should switch the radar on when we heard a deep noted engine. As I went below to power up the radar as I realised it had actually got much thicker than I had been aware of.
Just as I got below there was a call on the VHF asking the vessel at a lat/long to reply. I looked at realised it was probably me, but another boat replied and gave a similar position. The ship replied "no not you".
I responded and gave my position as the radar was still powering up.
The reply came back "do not be afraid" (there's a good opening phrase!), "this is the tug XXXX we are towing a VLCC and will pass just astern of you". He also gave his speed and course. I replied asking whether they wanted me to take any action and he said "do nothing, continue as you are".
By then the radar was on and I could see two big blobs quite close.
They did pass astern and we could just make out a shadowy shapes.
Scary!

 

[lenseman]

Having a radar reflector at sea is one of the few things that are mandatory. See SOLAS V regulations.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum.../dg_185781.pdf
===========================================================
Maybe 'Not a lot of people know that' - well I didn't!

Actually, the above statement is untrue.

The wording states:

"Regulation V/19 all small craft to fit a radar reflector 'if practicable'. If your boat is greater than 15 metres in length you should be able to fit a radar reflector . . . ."

A great many folk on these forums have boats smaller than 15 metres.


.

 

[johnalison]

Many years ago, long before GPS or Decca, we led another boat out of Boulogne towards Dieppe. It's about 50 miles and you lose sight of land anyway as you pass the Bay of the Somme, and visibility was only 1/4 mile. We were regarded by our friends in the other boat as old hands, since we had done the trip once previously.

After eight or ten hours motoring with the other boat astern the bouy off Dieppe appeared dead ahead and it was an easy matter to home in on the port.

I still feel guilty about basking glory for my apparently good navigation without telling them that I wouldn't have had a clue what to do if we hadn't found the buoy.

 

[reginaldon]

Actually, the above statement is untrue.

The wording states:

"Regulation V/19 all small craft to fit a radar reflector 'if practicable'. If your boat is greater than 15 metres in length you should be able to fit a radar reflector . . . ."

A great many folk on these forums have boats smaller than 15 metres.


.

Ah but read on - although a little unclear.

 

[lenseman]

Ah but read on - although a little unclear.

Well, I read on and still did not find the Statute? I found the RYA suggestions about radar reflectors and I agree they are certainly a good idea but there is nothing in SOLAS V which states they are mandatory.

 

[PhilipH]

See here for 20th May 2011 and entrance to New York Harbour in thick fog: http://www.minnieb.me.uk/page53.html

We had another interesting event back in 1996 when we sailed our Sigma 33 down the east coast of Ireland. Moored in Arklow we awoke to fog - we were heading for Kilmore Quay. We decided to wait and the fog cleared by about 1000, so we set off with a passage through the Arklow Banks. After about an hour the fog rolled in and visibility was down to less than 200 metres - no problem we had Decca (this was before we had GPS). Ah, problem - Decca says we are in the Gulf of Bothnia ..er ... no. So, back to DR and EP. We managed to buoy hop through the Banks to Rosslare where we called up the Harbour - visibility now about 500 metres. They said OK come in but watch out for the imminent arrival of a fast ferry. We looked around and yup there it was - we could see between the two hulls and did a swift turn to starboard with full power, just in time. Called them up on the VHF and they slowed and we followed them in. New York Harbour, despite the traffic was less stressful - thank goodness for GPS, chartplotter, AIS, Sea-me and radar. We had none of these in Ireland.

 

[Cloona]

I had stopped off after another trans Solent epic - Gosport to Wight - in a harbour called Bembridge - (v tricky entrance) and woke with banks of fog rolling off the downs -

being income slaves me and crew were anxious to get back to show our commitment to our beloved cheque deliverers

so set off but dropped the hook in Priory Bay and it got worse and worse - only have compass and charts and tin radar reflector and HW at Gosport 1530 - so after a load of nervous dithering and blathering set off into the nothingness on a heading for the fort - basically shaking with fear thinking that we'd get to the forts and head for the Swashway on a bearing and try and have a lot of confidence in the ferry skippers ..... basically I thought it was a really stupid thing to do but got talked into it .....

went about 200m and sailed into clear air and stunning views across to Portsmouth -

terrifying

 

[VicS]

Actually, the above statement is untrue.

The wording states:

"Regulation V/19 all small craft to fit a radar reflector 'if practicable'. If your boat is greater than 15 metres in length you should be able to fit a radar reflector . . . ."

A great many folk on these forums have boats smaller than 15 metres.


.

Apologies for abbreviating the Solas requirements but I did provide a link to the RYA website which they claim includes the exact wording from Solas V

However my boat is a lot less than 15m. I not only have a radar reflector but it is permanently mounted.

Dylans boat is bigger than mine so I am sure it is practicable for him to hoist a radar reflector when needed even if its not permanently fixed.

 

[chrishelen]

A couple of years ago we were coming back from a day trip to Guernsey on the Fastcat ferry, nice sunny day, doing 39knts, when all of a sudden mid channel we hit fog,very dark and gloomy,i expected the thing to slow down but the speedo didnt flicker, i suppose we were in the fog for around 5 mins but still doing 39knts, i hope any craft in our way showed up on his radar.

 

[NPMR]

We left Cherbourg many years ago in a slow 27' Cutlass for the Solent. Primitive Decca and Dead Reckoning. Forecast good.

About 3 hours out fog came down and Decca advised "position suspect" about the same time.

Carried on under engine as wind now dropped. The thump of a propellor close by was very unnerving and a medium sized freighter eventually slid by close ahead of us. I seem to remember it was green but only made out very indistinctly.

Later we were overtaken (nobody saw it coming) by a large yacht. Suddenly 'just there'!!

Much later, thoroughly unsure of where we were exactly, but felt we were in Christchurch Bay, we saw the wave measuring buoy they had back then, which looked familiar and so pressed on, still on the original course, until we finally saw the beach huts on the beach, west of Hurst Castle.

We turned to starboard and worked our way in keeping the beach in view vagely, on our left and once into the Solent set a new compass course for Lymington.

It was a long and very stressful journey.

Last year, with GPS (x2), chart plotter, DSC, AIS we were trying to find Isles de Groix in South Brittany in thick drizzle/mist with less than 50 yards vis. coming from Concarneau. Completely different feeling and SOOOO much more reassuring.

The wonders and joys of new technology.

 

[webcraft]

Apologies for abbreviating the Solas requirements but I did provide a link to the RYA website which they claim includes the exact wording from Solas V

However my boat is a lot less than 15m. I not only have a radar reflector but it is permanently mounted.

Dylans boat is bigger than mine so I am sure it is practicable for him to hoist a radar reflector when needed even if its not permanently fixed.

Our boat is 27ft and has a Firdell Blipper fitted permanently on the mast.

I have no faith in the put together and hoist up types. A decent radar reflector is surely the minimum effort you should make to be seen in fog.

- W

 

[richgiddens]

Earlier this year a mate and I were bringing his boat back from Salcombe to Gosport. It was flat calm and we'd gone through some substantial fog banks just outside the harbour but it then cleared.
Mid morning I was on watch in hazy sunshine; as I normally do, every five minuets or so I did a complete 360 look around and saw nothing in any direction. Five minuets later did the same and very nearly made a mess in my trousers. On the sbd quarter was a tanker of about 300,000 tons a quarter of a mile away on an almost closing course.
As I altered, the tanker, apart from it's upper works, slowly disappeared into a fog bank that was to all intents invisible. The light conditions, haze and fog had combined to somehow present the fog as a clear horizon.
Fortunately, I've rarely been caught out in fog but this brought home what everybody says about sailing in it: best avoided.

 

[myquest]

Only been in fog twice. The first time was when were new to our last boat going from Plymouth to Fowey in brilliant sunshine, no wind so motoring but unable to see any land. Turned to starboard when we thought we were about right for Fowey and entered the fog that was hiding the land. With lookout at the bow progressed slowly for about half an hour and came across a man in a dinghy fishing and could here the sound of the slight swell on a beach ahead. I asked him "Which way to Fowey?" and with a bit of a exasperated look he waved in the direction off our starboard bow. Slowly we followed the sound of the beach until I called out to the bow lookout " I think I can see seagulls on a cliff, keep your eyes peeled for rocks!" Moments later we were back in bright sunshine and the white seagulls were houses. We were actually in the harbour! The second time was a couple of years later going from St. Catherine's Bay, Jersey to Banquette, Sark. We had progressed to one of the early hand held GPSs. It gobbled up batteries so was only turned on to take a fix and switched off it again but what bliss to know where we were! Fortunately the fog cleared about a mile off Sark so the last bit was easy.