Fun in the Fog on Galveston Bay

Jun 23, 2013
271
Beneteau 373 Newport
FOG? What fog? Visibility greater than 2-3 boat lengths is haze
Or for our friends further north inMaine this is an almost leaf day!
Many years ago, racing here in Narragansett bay off Newport, with a guy sitting on the high side who was visiting from south Cal on the rail,
He said " what's big and red out here?" I said "what?" And he pointed up at about 40 degrees - OH SH:::T! .. Bottom paint of a freighter that had anchored in the fog!
Now that's racing inthe fog
 
Jun 23, 2013
271
Beneteau 373 Newport
Whoops forgot to mention winds were light, so no problem tacking in time, but when we yelled "there's a freighter out here" the response (in the fog) from the other racers was "WHERE, WHERE?"
 
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Likes: Franklin
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Well, sounds like you raced in the worst fog in history!
Whoops forgot to mention the Russian submarine, the UFO, and the "Flying Dutchmen" that some people say they saw in the fog, sorry...haze, about half way through the race. We were on a starboard tack and they got out of our way.
 

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,039
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
The admiral and I picked up our new to us boat in February 2011 in Waterford Harbor and headed out to Galveston and Offatts Bayou. At the Kemah-Seabrook bridge, we hit the fog. By the time we cleared the Clear Creek channel, the admiral was on the bow so she could see 40 more feet ahead. There are a few oil platforms in the bay and when the admiral violently signals "Turn to Starboard" you do it and then see the platform come out of the fog. :eek: So we made 3 or 4 knots down to the Texas City Dike. I was starting to sweat bullets as that area is extremely busy. But right as we got there, the fog lifted and we scooted through without any trouble at all.

I wouldn't want to try that again. Even now, when the fog sets in, we anchor.