Driving in the fog

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:10 am

Now is the time of year when fog creates an obvious safety issue. Especially on the Delta. There are the guys who drive down the middle of the river or slough at 5 MPH and some WOT because they "know where they are going." I'm sure we all have stories about near misses in these situations...especially during tournaments.

Personally, I hug the bank on the right (at least enough to keep it in view) and plow just above 5mph. This keeps my boat in the safest zone and puts out a large enough wake to hopefully alert following vessels of my presense. If I put it on pad, it is only when the fog has lifted enough to be able to see and avoid obstacles or other vessels.

GPS is an incredible and important tool for navigation ...but it's not a radar! I've seen so many guys get too confident because they "know where they are going".

We need to be sure to carry the loudest noisemakers possible and drive at a speed that is sensible. Personally, I carry one of those airhorns and keep it close at hand. A loud/sharp whistle has also come in handy as it keeps your hands on the steering wheel.

PFD's, of course, are a must even while fishing in the fog.

If anyone has any other helpful safety techniques...please share them! This is a topic that I wish every boater pays attention to.
We all need to be on the same page on this.

Skeeterman · Post by **Skeeterman** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:34 am

If you have a partner make sure you use him. Have him keep his eyes and ears open. Have him watch all away around the boat make sure nobody comes up on you while you can concintrate driving.

Burke · Post by **Burke** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:28 pm

Caudawg,

I drive the boat like you when it comes to fog. Don't forget to have your lights on too -- something is better than nothing. When I'm driving, my partner is responsible for anything in front of us. As the driver, I'm focused on keeping the boat within visual sight of the right bank. If the fog is real thick, we stop the boat and hug the shoreline until the fog lifts.

It scares the s*&$ out of me when I hear a boat on plane coming at us in the thick fog. Like you said, GPS is not radar.

I believe having your lights on is critical. Last year, I was only going about 5 mph in fog on the Mokelumne when I almost ran into an fisherman in an anchored aluminum boat that was fishing with no lights. My partner hadn't seen it because his glasses had condensated with water and he was cleaning them.

Ken C. · Post by **Ken C.** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:53 pm

That's when those air horns come in handy! A quick blast or two when you hear a boat coming will help!

TritonBrent · Post by **TritonBrent** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:09 pm

One thing I do that helps out alot if its early in the morning is to turn the brightness of your in-dash graph down. Makes it much easier to see out in front of you.

BassManDan · Post by **BassManDan** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:14 am

5 or more quick blasts on the horn, hopefully those guys will recognize the DANGER signal and slow their a$$es down!

Be safe out there and wear your PFD's