On Friday, 1 June 2018 10:56:35 UTC-3, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 6/1/2018 9:29 AM, True North wrote:

My experience with heavy thick fog was a number of years ago on my buddies Mirage 33. We were sailing out of Halifax Harbour to a small harbour just down the coast. As soon as we got to the mouth we entered a fog bank. Without radar or a chart plotter, we went on dead reckoning using a compass, paper chart and listening to the waves smash agaiint the granite cliffs in the distance. Did pretty good...heard the sound of the buoy we were looking for and then the compass to set a new course. Once we got into the small harbour the fog lifted and we were happy to see land. Now....even with my handheld Garmin loaded with Blue Chart, I avoid fog like the plague.



The problem I've noticed with really heavy fog is that it can be
difficult to determine from what direction sounds are coming from.

As a kid my friend and I were in the areas outside of Boston Harbor
in a small boat. We were (illegally) camping on a small island called
Rainsford Island. Early in the morning we decided to cruise over to
George's Island about a mile away. Heavy, heavy fog developed and
we could hear the fog horn on an approaching big ferry but had no
idea from what direction the sound was coming from. Missed us, fortunately.

Much larger traffic is always my concern in a harbour like Halifax. I guess the smart thing for us to do was to contact Harbour Traffic on channel 12 VHS and ask them if anything was on a collision course with us. After our Explosion in 1917 they tend to keep a careful eye on anything coming and going. It's not super busy but lots of very large ocean going container ships, Navy ships etc seem to be around.