THICK FOG - A Question of Saymanship

[billmacfarlane]

The skipper who gave you the warning was trying to do you a favour - warning you of a hazard ahead. What you do with this advice is up to you of course. You're reasoning about sailing to Langstone and keeping out of the main shipping areas is spot on and if it was me I would have carried on. BUT and there's always a but, when I'm sailing with a crew I always have one experienced crew with me who I can trust to take over. If I was with 2 very nervous crew I might have thought twice about carrying on for the simple reason that I wouldn't have enjoyed it with a couple of flappers on board.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[loonyscot]

We were returning from Fowey to Plymouth and there was thick fog. To make matters worse we had misread the fuel gauge on our new boat and began to run out of fuel. For safety's sake we decided to sail on and save our fuel for berthing. It was then that we first realised the benefits of racing. Although there was only 5 kts of wind, tweaking various ropes- esp halyard, outhall, jib sheet traveller, let u round Rayme safely. At one point it was our quick(ish) spinnakker handling that gave us just enough way to hold a course, it may sound bizarre but racing is one of the bestways to learn how to cruise safely(ie. with backup after engine trouble).

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ponapay]

Deliberately sailing in fog

is not a seamanlike thing to do, even if equipped with radar.

How can you guarantee that you will see all dangers or be picked up on radar by others. YOU CAN'T.

Being caught out in fog is another matter and Graham's solution is undoubtedly (IMHO) the best - get into the shallowest water possible and anchor. Tell whoever you like, making sure they know you are not in danger.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[peterb]

Re: A radar lesson.

I was on one of the "boats" coming in to Poole on Saturday in the fog. In our case it was the fast catamaran ferry coming from Guernsey. Maybe you heard our foghorn. But I have to say that although we were sounding the foghorn every 105 seconds, the speed didn't change; a steady SOG of 39 knots. Makes you think!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[babylocked]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

The best time to learn how to handle fog is not when you get caught in it unexpectedly and therefore not fully prepared.
Surly it’s better to experience it in a controlled way, well out of the way of major shipping, and with no time pressure.
When it comes down to it, in shallow water what’s going to be travelling fast enough in fog to sink you.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jimi]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

"When it comes down to it, in shallow water what’s going to be travelling fast enough in fog to sink you."

- an idiot in another boat ...


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[babylocked]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

Assuming your not in a dingy it's very very difficult to sink a GRP boat with another GRP boat at 6knots. I've seen enough collsions on the start line to know that.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jimi]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

might be a big metal fishing boat or a large wooden motor boat, the idiot might also be going considerably faster than 6 knots ... unlikely I know but not unheard of ..

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[babylocked]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

True although neither is likely to sneak up on you.

IMHO I still belive that it's better to learn about fog in a "relativly safe" enviorment than in the middle of the channel, at night, with a dead engine.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[longjohnsilver]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

If it's foggy then they are likely to sneak up on you! I would say that anyone who goes out in fog knowing it's there without a radar just to get experience is a fool to himself and a danger to others! All imho.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Rob_Webb]

It doesn't sound like there is any right or wrong answer to this. You took a decision which had a positive (safe) outcome, so happy days.

The other skipper can't be criticised fo offering some helpful information - it could just as well have been a CG report on the VHF that your crew heard.

You simply took a decision based on all the factors around you, including your crew morale (which is very important after all), so I'd be very happy with that.

As for sailing in fog, well, I'll draw on an old flying adage which says "it's better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here" - says it all for me.

Rob

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[babylocked]

Re: Deliberately sailing in fog

At more than 6 knots both will be making plenty of noise.

I still disagree - flying a helicopter is always a risk, yet you wouldn't expect the air/sea rescue guys to only fly when answering a mayday.
I'm not for one minute saying that stupid risks should be taken but every time we leave the safety of a marina we balance risk against preparation/care - fog just means that the risk side of the equation is bigger meaning the preparation/care side has to be bigger to balance it.

IMHO anyway.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Peppermint]

Re: Mate of mine

was SAR pilot. He thought that fog was the worst conditions to fly in though it didn't bother him so much out to sea. It was mountain rescues in fog he didn't like. He'd never seen weather he couldn't fly in offshore, and he'd done both the Fastnet rescues and the Falklands unpleasantness, with the exception of very low temps.

<hr width=100% size=1>