I don't know about your experiences on the water but I find no one (except ferry's) actually use their horn properly in restricted visibility situations. I particularly notice this problem when I am fluke fishing in the fog and some fool comes by at 30 knots...this seems to happen every season. Also, in crossing situations in the fog I have seen some real knee-jerk (emphasis on jerk) reactions to maneuvering...never a horn signal.
As I am installing a new horn this crossed my mind on why few actually use the horn and what the rules were back from the capt's course days a number of years ago.
I looked up the COLREG's again and it is a little complicated: Sail/Power/ underway but not making way, in distress...One short blast two longs..crossing port to port...etc ..adding that to all the other stuff you are looking out for in the fog (radar blips, douchebags running full speed, lobster pots, rocks, drifting crap, fools in kayaks in the middle of nowhere, jetskies, buoys chartplotter, compass, girl in bikini on bow) hey...your plate is pretty full.
The fact is boats under 12 meters (about 39' or so) are not required to blast the appropriate whistle signals (but after talking to the CG directly it is strongly suggested you do),however you ARE required in restricted visibility to make an some "efficient sound" (this is pretty undefined as what exactly this is) every 2 min's.
When you are fishing in the fog or even underway how many of you actually do this?
I came across this thing called the "fogmate" a switch of sorts that automajically blows the horn properly. Have any of you used this switch? (
www.fogmate.com) I am thinking of slapping one of these on-board have you seen/used/or know about these?
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