WIND AND WAVES


10


Fog tactics


There are few occasions where you feel more helpless than when caught out in fog. And with reason, since this is undeniably a dangerous situation. The Colregs tell us that ‘every vessel shall proceed at a safe speed adapted to the prevailing circumstances and condition of restricted visibility’ – identical advice to that given to drivers when fog blankets our roads ashore. Unfortunately, as we know from the casualty figures, not everybody heeds the warnings. So, you can never be entirely safe; but there are steps we can take to minimise the risks. Here are a few tips.


■ Comply with the Regulations yourself. Keep your speed low and sound a single prolonged (meaning between 4 and 6 seconds) blast on a foghorn every two minutes.


■ Keep a constant lookout and listen intently. Call a halt to meaningless chatter and – if under power – every few minutes throttle back (or even stop) the engine so you have periods of near silence to listen for other sound signals or engines.


■ Carry a radar reflector and make sure it’s mounted correctly. Speeding vessels will almost certainly be relying on their radars, so you need to present as strong an echo as possible.


■ If at all possible, avoid shipping routes – particularly traffic separation schemes where ships are funnelled into narrow lanes. If you really must cross, do so at 90° and be very, very careful. If you have VHF, it’s not a bad idea to put out a SECURITÉ (pronounced ‘say-cure-it-ay’) message, informing other vessels of your position (either in lat and long or, better still, relative to a known landmark – for instance, ‘ten miles southwest of Bluster Point’). Also give a brief description of your boat plus its speed and intended course. You may even get a helpful response from a ship who has spotted you on his radar, advising whether or not it appears safe to cross. (Note: Emergency VHF procedures are described on page 84. To learn more about VHF you should refer to the RYA VHF Handbook.)


■ You can hide from the big stuff by working your way into shallow water, perhaps anchoring until the fog clears. Of course, you must be careful to avoid any inshore hazards.


RYA Seamanship for Sea Anglers 79


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