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MORON
This was my reply on the SNESA e-mail list:
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This is trolling isn’t it? But in case it’s not, I’ll respond.
First of all, 240 deg magnetic out of the West gap brings you to Montauk, so you might want to take a boating course and learn how to plot a course.
Second, it is foolhardy to set out in “real bad” fog if you do not have the means of avoiding a collision with another vessel (like a tug towing a barge) via an effective lookout or radar. Since 4 AM is still dark, a lookout in fog would not be effective.
Third, I’m not sure what you mean by “we … flashed, and waved him down,” but if you were not calling Mayday, on the radio or shooting flares, he had no reason to believe you were in imminent danger (which you weren’t). Instead, your vessel was under power and you were trying to chat with his mate.
Fourth, the wording of your post seems to indicate that you think others are responsible for your comfort and enjoyment while out on the water. You need to take responsibility for your situation and not blame others.
FWIW, a more appropriate course of action would have been to hail the captain on the radio, explain that your gps has malfunctioned, and ask for the bearing to navigate to Block Island. He still would not owe you a response, but at least it would be a more professional way to ask for non critical help. Absent that, you could have headed back at 60 deg, assuming your compass is properly adjusted.
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