Fog...be careful!

[fishwish]

While fishing today, we heard Comox Coast guard dealing with a collision just north of Dent Rapids...couldn't get the full story from what was being said, but a 24' Campion Explorer had collided with a 34' Bayliner while running in heavy fog...no injuries nor threat of sinking from what we could hear, but after they collided, they were both running around trying to find each other to see if everyone was ok...another boat was able to assist both of them and get them back to a nearby lodge dock.

I am glad that nothing worse happened...gives us a quick reminder staying safe in the fog.

Use your radar and some common sense out there!

FishWish

 

[hambone]

This definitely is a good reminder of how dangerous fog can be. I know the guy in the campion, he has more experience on the water than most, really nice guy.

 

[Andrew P]

Very good reminder! I had the same type from my parents today who are sailing their way up through the Great Bear Rainforest. These close calls probably happen more than anyone thinks and there is no room for the risk.

"From Sullivan Bay we cruised up to Skull Cove with flat calm seas and no wind. We left Skull Cove at 6:30 am the next morning in the pea soup fog. When we were off Cape Caution at 8:30, Sue asked me what island would be off our port (left) side. I said "there is no island out here". She says "yes there is...I can see the red and white light house buildings". It then disappeared and did not show again until 1/2 hour later.....the "island" was still abut 1/2 mile away to our left. It turns out it was a barge stacked 4 high with containers, two of which were red and white! Yikes!! We had been listening to the radio traffic control and new there were tugs and barges heading north....we just didn't know we were within 1/2 a mile of them in the fog!!! By about 10 the fog had lifted and we could see the barges heading north to Prince Rupert as we headed in to Rivers Inlet."

SCARY!!

 

[RCA Dog]

How are your parents sailing through a forest ?
Just kidding, but on a serious note, most of these accidents are going to happen in areas we all think we know pretty well. If you don't know exactly where you are in a fog, you tend to excercise a bit more caution, and I would hope that people running around in a fog with no radar would realise that even though they may know where they are, there are most likely other vessels in the area that don't. Radar, (and reflectors) and AIS should be mandatory. Especially AIS, since almost everyone has a gps onboard as well as a VHF.

 

[fishwish]

Your friend in the Campion definitely seemed to know his stuff, just by the way he was talking on the radio...calm and collected, and gave the Coast Guard reliable, important information.

FishWish