The fog of shore
- Thread starter Tiffany
- Start date
I've told this story in several different places but I'm not sure I told it here.
We bought our new to us boat in February in Kemah, Texas. We were told when we signed the deal that the boat couldn't stay in the broker slip any longer. Hey, no problem. I programmed in a couple of waypoints into the GPS so we could get out and stay out of the Houston Ship Channel on our way to Offats Bayou in Galveston. GPS, compass, standard below deck VHF radio and no radar. So we take off and head down Clear Creek to Galveston Bay.
Crossing under Texas Hwy 146, we find fog. Thick fog. Can barely see the bow of the boat fog. The Admiral goes up to the bow while we motor across the bay towards the HSC. She points directions so we can avoid obstacles in our path. One time she frantically points to starboard so I spin the wheel and an oil platform comes out of the fog. We finally find the the little cut on the west side of Redfish Island and squeak through as we are not sure about the depth finder on this old boat. But we made it with a foot to spare.
Now, though, I am starting to sweat bullets as we are approaching the Galveston RR and freeway causeways and the fog is still thick. What's the issue you ask? Just before you get to the causeway, you have to navigate the 5 way. The Galveston Ship Channel splits into the Texas City Ship Channel and the Houston Ship Channel and crossing all of that is the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. All busy channels during normal times. But lo and behold, just as we arrive, the fog clears out and we can see for miles. We scoot across this busy stretch of water and join the GICW heading west. Once we go under the I-45 causeway and find the entrance to Offats Bayou the fog socks back in and visibility drops to under 200 feet. We manage to get to our overnight stop without getting run over or running aground and gladly drop anchor for the night.
The next day was so much better as there was no fog and we got to sail most of the way to our new marina in Freeport, TX.
Checklist:
1) New VHF radio with RAM Microphone and AIS - Done
2) Radar - Done
3) Current century navigation equipment - Done
4) Radar reflector - Done
The old time sailors did not have to worry about tankers doing 10 knots in the same space as they are doing 2.
We bought our new to us boat in February in Kemah, Texas. We were told when we signed the deal that the boat couldn't stay in the broker slip any longer. Hey, no problem. I programmed in a couple of waypoints into the GPS so we could get out and stay out of the Houston Ship Channel on our way to Offats Bayou in Galveston. GPS, compass, standard below deck VHF radio and no radar. So we take off and head down Clear Creek to Galveston Bay.
Crossing under Texas Hwy 146, we find fog. Thick fog. Can barely see the bow of the boat fog. The Admiral goes up to the bow while we motor across the bay towards the HSC. She points directions so we can avoid obstacles in our path. One time she frantically points to starboard so I spin the wheel and an oil platform comes out of the fog. We finally find the the little cut on the west side of Redfish Island and squeak through as we are not sure about the depth finder on this old boat. But we made it with a foot to spare.
Now, though, I am starting to sweat bullets as we are approaching the Galveston RR and freeway causeways and the fog is still thick. What's the issue you ask? Just before you get to the causeway, you have to navigate the 5 way. The Galveston Ship Channel splits into the Texas City Ship Channel and the Houston Ship Channel and crossing all of that is the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. All busy channels during normal times. But lo and behold, just as we arrive, the fog clears out and we can see for miles. We scoot across this busy stretch of water and join the GICW heading west. Once we go under the I-45 causeway and find the entrance to Offats Bayou the fog socks back in and visibility drops to under 200 feet. We manage to get to our overnight stop without getting run over or running aground and gladly drop anchor for the night.
The next day was so much better as there was no fog and we got to sail most of the way to our new marina in Freeport, TX.
Checklist:
1) New VHF radio with RAM Microphone and AIS - Done
2) Radar - Done
3) Current century navigation equipment - Done
4) Radar reflector - Done
The old time sailors did not have to worry about tankers doing 10 knots in the same space as they are doing 2.
A professional captain once told me recreational boaters should stay at the dock in fog. The recreational traffic is a hazard to the professionals. He had a low opinion of GPS and Radar for recreational vessels as those would encourage non-professional vessels to go out when they shouldn't.
But there's times when you get caught out in fog. It can be terrifying. In Eastern Long Island Sound hearing the hum of large diesel engines nearby but unable to locate the vessel is scary.
Stories I could tell about. But one was how I almost hit the Watch Hill buoy. It was in my GPS as a Go To and we went to it. Almost hit it. To finally see this buoy come out of the fog as I had to look up at like it was an apparition The fear of missing it was replaced with the fear of hitting it.. I missed it by a few yards. The visibility was maybe 50 feet. Those who have seen New England "Pea Soup" know. I then had to nose my way into Stonington Harbor finally anchoring to get my handheld Garmin GPS II and a chart aligned. The chart was in minutes and seconds and GPS was decimals. I hadn't done extrapolation since high school. But I did then. Only yards from a rocky shore which we couldn't see, we used the fix to find the anchorage by the jetty protecting the Stonington Harbor. We anchored. Endured a thunderstorm and when the fog lifted found us way too close to that jetty. We moved. Dinner was a liquid.
The lesson was simple. Travel in nice weather. In bad weather find a movie theater.
But there's times when you get caught out in fog. It can be terrifying. In Eastern Long Island Sound hearing the hum of large diesel engines nearby but unable to locate the vessel is scary.
Stories I could tell about. But one was how I almost hit the Watch Hill buoy. It was in my GPS as a Go To and we went to it. Almost hit it. To finally see this buoy come out of the fog as I had to look up at like it was an apparition The fear of missing it was replaced with the fear of hitting it.. I missed it by a few yards. The visibility was maybe 50 feet. Those who have seen New England "Pea Soup" know. I then had to nose my way into Stonington Harbor finally anchoring to get my handheld Garmin GPS II and a chart aligned. The chart was in minutes and seconds and GPS was decimals. I hadn't done extrapolation since high school. But I did then. Only yards from a rocky shore which we couldn't see, we used the fix to find the anchorage by the jetty protecting the Stonington Harbor. We anchored. Endured a thunderstorm and when the fog lifted found us way too close to that jetty. We moved. Dinner was a liquid.
The lesson was simple. Travel in nice weather. In bad weather find a movie theater.