The fog of shore

May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
anchored outside duluth on the ss armco, in dense fog,

during the night, waiting to go in to load at the shoot docks. a swarm of millions of brown bats, seemingly lost in the fog, found us. the doors of all the companionways were open. the swarm flew in and roosted on the bulkheads of the hallway and the windlass room in the bow. millions and millions covering everything.
 
Last edited:
Jan 21, 2009
253
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
Back in the late 60s I was trying to impress a young lady by going out for motorboat ride in my Lyman 16 footer. Left the Jafco Marina on the Niagara River on a clear sunny afternoon. Proceeded up the Niagara on the Canadian side of course, under the Peace Bridge into Lake Erie. Still a nice afternoon and we cruised out to the Canadian coast. Headed back to go home and there was a little bit of fog that eventually became thicker and eventually a total pea soup. Not good place to be with no visibility. Somehow with pure luck we came across an Erie County Sheriff's boat was anchored and had several other boats tied along side. The Sheriff had no radar and we sat waiting for a break in the fog. The Coast Guard arrived and led us all back to their base. Had to hitch a ride back to our car and got home very late.
Lesson's learned: Have a compass on board,Have charts of the area even if you think you know the area well, Have a radio,Check weather report prior to departure,
Learned that newspapers love these stories and print names of rescued. Most importantly, your girlfriend read the paper. OUCH, BUSTED.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
We arrived at Morro Bay pre-dawn in pea soup, I hove too near the bouy farthest out. I told 2 crew we'd wait until sunrise which would thin the fog a bit. I didn't want to go in blind because it's a long winding shoaling channel and there was a dredge with pipeline that could be anywhere. As the fog lightened I started to motor in and noticed some small white lights on the water I couldn't identify. Thought they might be kayaks or crab or lobster traps. So I asked a crew member to "Go to the bow and keep your eyes open on the water ".
Discussing it later the crewman asked me why I sent him to the bow to "keep my eyes open on the otters".
Turned out the lights were from houses on the hill that couldn't be seen in the fog. As people woke up and turned on their kitchen lights another weird refracted reflection of that light would appear on the water in front of me.
 
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WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,039
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
Worst fog I've ever been in was the day we picked up our "New to us" boat. Navigating by GPS waypoints at minimum steerage with the Admiral on the bow giving hand signals. Galveston Bay from Kemah to Offatts Bayou was not fun. Fog waiting just outside the Kemah Boardwalk and cleared up at the Texas City wye before closing back in past the Galveston Causeway. No radar, VHF had no RAM mike, had a schedule to keep. Three strikes but God looks after angels and fools.

Scariest moment was the Admiral forcefully signalling a turn to starboard. After I swung the wheel, the unlit and silent oil platform appeared out of the fog. We purposely stayed out of the Houston Ship Channel by running the cut on the west side of Red Fish Island. I was really relieved when the Red White Day Beacon showed up on the port side.

So that was our first day of big boat ownership. And our last day of moving in the fog. Even with radar, RAM mike and AIS receiver.
 
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Mar 3, 2003
710
Hunter 356 Grand Rivers
If you transit the river system, peticularly the Tenn-Tom waterway on the Great Loop you will most likely run into heavy fog and not necessarily start out the morning in fog, but get ensnarled in it later in the morning. The photos below were in Spring of 2014, but I have had similar experience with fog in the fall. Radar and AIS are essential to stay safe if you venture out and get caught in this. The photos start at 6:29 AM, running on radar, (two photos went in twice? Not intended)
D2334935-1E84-4A74-A690-F0DD576AFEE3.jpeg
6AAA52FD-5EA7-480F-B302-889B70358E58.jpeg
D2334935-1E84-4A74-A690-F0DD576AFEE3.jpeg
6AAA52FD-5EA7-480F-B302-889B70358E58.jpeg
823371DC-FC39-4CCD-9DFA-F9D4340AF82C.jpeg
9B54685C-7D39-4E8E-B93D-2AC708F39797.jpeg
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then intense fog at 6:58 AM, then 7:21 AM partial clearing, then it burns off in a few minutes