Today was my first fog of the season. Weather report predicted fog would burn off by late morning and to some extent it did. Salem harbor, while totally socked in (50 ' visibility) at 9, was clear at noon. However, sailing out of the harbor, the barrier islands (cat, baker and misery) were gone and the far side of salem sound was partially obscured. By the time I got across the sound, salem was totally gone. With a U-turn, a little attention to my compass, the fact that the wind was steady and it's only 2 miles or so across, I re-entered the harbor w/o any drama. I then spent an hour or so sailing out until totally fogged in, then u-turning back to salem. By the third trip, salem harbor was once again enshrouded. I was fortunate in that I didn't try anything too stupid such as reaching to manchester. My blind sailing was only for ten or twenty minutes at a time.
Funny, on my first trip out of the harbor, I could see a big barge heading in with a salem harbor master boat leading the way. I was surprised when the harbor master chose to sound his siren, run his lights and barrel over to me. I put the beer back in the cooler (no need to explain that lite beer has no real alcohol in it), rolled up the jib and luffed the main, awaiting some parley. I anticipated the harbor master giving a friendly warning about the obvious fog bank coming in yet his message was "stay away from the barge !". I was pretty far from the barge, not in its line of travel yet when the harbor master gives an order, all I can do is say "yes sir !".
Driving home that afternoon, the salem/Beverly bridge was socked in as well, like driving thru a cloud.
Wooster
Funny, on my first trip out of the harbor, I could see a big barge heading in with a salem harbor master boat leading the way. I was surprised when the harbor master chose to sound his siren, run his lights and barrel over to me. I put the beer back in the cooler (no need to explain that lite beer has no real alcohol in it), rolled up the jib and luffed the main, awaiting some parley. I anticipated the harbor master giving a friendly warning about the obvious fog bank coming in yet his message was "stay away from the barge !". I was pretty far from the barge, not in its line of travel yet when the harbor master gives an order, all I can do is say "yes sir !".
Driving home that afternoon, the salem/Beverly bridge was socked in as well, like driving thru a cloud.
Wooster
