McQ: Fog Solvers

I spend lots of time whiling away the hours on watch (between checking we going the right way as quick as poss/ the rig not falling down/the repairs are holding/ we not about to get squished by passing vessels etc) thinking about ‘what if’s’ so yesterday morning- I kid you not- my what if’s that I were running through were first reactions if forestay goes, backstay goes, shrouds go, minutes before The Big Bang!! Anyway, this morning I have been thinking about fog (Its a clear morning with a dash of sunshine too so hopefully no fog-dramas about to happen!!) Lots of different solutions really, for eg, if i was in the Channel and I had working radar/AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels./both, probably carry on fairly comfortably. If I was in the SolentStrait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. and had no radar/AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. etc and my GPS’s were all broken/out of batteries I’d probably head north (or south, depending on where I was by my last visual) to say 2m contour (assuming I didn’t draw more) and follow it to somewhere (Lyminton, CowesSeaport town on the Isle of Wight (UK). A home for international yacht racing., Hamble) or anchor till it lifted. I’d probably be quite grumpy too!!! I’m still working on no radar/AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. and broken GPS’s and definitely in middle of shipping lane in channel…

Anyway, these are all sensible things to think about and every situation is different. up here, according to all our repoorts it can get pretty foggy and grim round the Aluetians at this time of year, so may well have to put into practise various fog-solvers and then these won’t seem such ridiculoous thoughts!! We have no radar. Our AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. box hasn’t talked to the poot since Newcastle- of this we are 99% convinced but then again ships since then have been few and far between!!! GPS still working (touch wood) and we have a fully charged 276c too, so should be ok unless big president B presses any buttons. Fishing fleets prob biggest concern but through our great contacts in Dutch they know we are going to be around soon and would do all they could to guide us through, so worst case we could radio them and take it from there. Its all interesting stuff to think about really and good to keep us on our toes…

Big A has surfaced so I am going to go and discuss thoughts on putting a wee bit more sail up, since shroud-solution seems to be happy, and going a bit faster…

Top o the morning anyway,

Lots of love
McQueen
xxx