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29-06-2022, 10:02
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Marina del Rey
Boat: 2006 Wauquiez PS 41
Posts: 145
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Fog Signals: Is a whistle okay?
Can use a mouth blown rescue type whistle be used for legal fog signals under colregs for a 42 foot boat. I see some specs for frequency but that's not much use for me.
We don't have a bell, Do you?
What do you use for fog signals? I mean really use not what you carry to show the CG.
I'm not interested admonitions to just not go out. The boat has to move on Friday and while I won't leave in a pea soup, where we have to sail there's always a chance of hitting patches of fog. Boat has AIS and Radar.
Thanks
Kurt
__________________
Sailing is one of the many things I should have started much earlier in life.
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29-06-2022, 10:10
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#2
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Nearly an old salt
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lefkas Marina ,Greece
Boat: Bavaria 36
Posts: 22,801
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Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Whistles that you blow are typically 3khz to 5 kHz , well above the 700 hz specified as the upper limit of a small vessels whistle
You can buy a suitable plastic horn in most chandlers that you blow or an canister based compressed air version if you don’t fancy puffing
__________________
Interested in smart boat technology, networking and all things tech
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29-06-2022, 10:15
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft 381 Catalina
Posts: 6,190
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
A whistle is unlikely to meet the volume requirements, I think. We have proper fixed horns, so I installed a Fogmate controller to provide an automatic fog horn function.
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29-06-2022, 10:39
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Southern California
Boat: Catalina 320
Posts: 1,301
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Been using it for the last week, my favorite has a deep tone that makes even the cattle boats shear off.
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29-06-2022, 10:48
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Southern Maine
Boat: Prairie 36 Coastal Cruiser
Posts: 3,080
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Another satisfied FogMate user here. I can't say enough about that great little gadget.
Sorry if this is unpopular, but please do take the fog horn rules seriously. Use an adequate signal, even if it's mouth-powered. Use it about every two minutes in restricted visibility. Use the correct signal. That's one prolonged, two short if sailing, one prolonged if motoring. Prolonged means around five seconds. Count them out - one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc.
This won't protect you from idiots who run in the fog without signals, or too fast, but it will prevent you from being one of them.
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29-06-2022, 13:03
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SF Bay Area
Boat: Other people's boats
Posts: 1,103
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
I've used one of these: https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/acme-signal-horn-566
If you're regularly in foggy areas I'd really suggest a VHF that supports automated fog signalling via loudspeaker.
For a one-off trip, buy a compressed gas horn and a few refill cans from your local chandlery.
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29-06-2022, 14:40
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: North East USA
Boat: 1975 Tartan 41'
Posts: 1,044
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
really!? just pay the $12 for the USCG air horn, add $7 for a spare can of gas. I also carry a cheap bugle type manual horn, but it is not nearly as loud. I have my VHF wired to my hailer horn, so it does the fog horn automatically. And Yes I have a Bell as required by law too, but I don't use it.
https://www.amazon.com/SeaSense-SL52...%2C1658&sr=8-4
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29-06-2022, 15:44
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#8
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Lots of confusion because of the COLREGs use of the word "whistle". It certainly doesn't mean your typical sporting or PDF attached squeaker. Essentially, it's a fairly low frequency "horn" of some sort.
The word “whistle” means any sound signalling appliance capable of producing the prescribed blasts and which complies with the specifications in Annex III to these Regulations.
To ensure a wide variety of whistle characteristics, the fundamental frequency of a whistle shall be between the following limits:
...
(iii) 250 - 700 Hz, for a vessel less than 75 metres in length
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29-06-2022, 15:52
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,400
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Hi, KayZee,
We're also from California. We have bell, horn, and no whistle.
Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
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29-06-2022, 15:53
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 272
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
No,a whistleis no substitue ror a foghorn.
You'd probably be better off shouting.
Neither are necessary or adequate, when you can buy compressed air versions (which are the same as fprovided for ship's lifeboats.
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29-06-2022, 16:11
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#11
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: La Ciudad de la Misión Didacus de Alcalá en Alta California, Virreinato de Nueva España
Boat: Cal 20
Posts: 20,441
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by KayZee
Can use a mouth blown rescue type whistle be used for legal fog signals under colregs for a 42 foot boat. I see some specs for frequency but that's not much use for me.
We don't have a bell, Do you?
What do you use for fog signals? I mean really use not what you carry to show the CG.
I'm not interested admonitions to just not go out. The boat has to move on Friday and while I won't leave in a pea soup, where we have to sail there's always a chance of hitting patches of fog. Boat has AIS and Radar.
Thanks
Kurt
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A 42’ vessel (13m) is less than 20 so it is allowed to use a “whistle” with a frequency of 180-2100Hz with a minimum range of 0.5nm.
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/navigati...gamated#Annex3
A referee’s pea whistle probably has the range but is going to be too high in frequency, 3-5kHz.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...-hli051019.php
As long as you are actually using the whistle for approximately the right length of time at the required intervals and don’t get hit, unlikely to be a legal problem.
Getting out and blowing the whistle or mouth horn every 2min is going to get old within an hour.
Make sure you have ear plugs or you run the risk of hearing damage.
Canned air is convenient but you can run into problems in extended periods of fog.
If this is a one off passage, consider getting a car horn some wiring and a switch. Temporary mount away from where crew are in the immediate vicinity.
__________________
Num Me Vexo?
For all of your celestial navigation questions: https://navlist.net/
A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it.
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29-06-2022, 16:15
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2022
Location: Canada
Boat: Grampian 30
Posts: 265
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Please correct me if I am mistaken, but I don't believe there is a legal requirement to have a bell aboard unless you are a vessel greater than 20m in length, however I am certainly not criticizing the diligence of having one as a means of signaling when appropriate, or in an emergency.
Rule 35 (i) and (j) exempt vessels of 20m or less from sounding a bell, although they may do so if they wish as long as it is done correctly:
(i) A vessel of 12 m or more but less than 20 m in length shall not be obliged to give the bell signals prescribed in paragraphs (g) and (h) of this Rule. However, if she does not, she shall make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than 2 minutes.
(j) A vessel of less than 12 m in length shall not be obliged to give the above-mentioned signals but, if she does not, shall make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than 2 minutes.
As for what I have aboard for use in fog:
A 25W horn speaker wired to my VHF which can be selected to emit various sound signals, and a back up compressed air horn.
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29-06-2022, 17:20
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Coastal Maine
Boat: Quickstep 24
Posts: 78
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by chasfgr
\
You'd probably be better off shouting.
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Shouting what??? "Foggg Horrrrn! Foggg Horrrrrn"
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29-06-2022, 18:00
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: on our boat cruising the Bahamas and east coast
Boat: 2000 Catalina 470 #058
Posts: 1,296
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whiltle okay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calif.Ted
Been using it for the last week, my favorite has a deep tone that makes even the cattle boats shear off.
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Source for buying this?
__________________
Sailing a Catalina 470; now retired
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29-06-2022, 18:13
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: edmonton alberta
Boat: 1992 lagoon 42 tpi
Posts: 1,729
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Re: Fog Signals: Is a whistle okay?
This is the one I like
https://www.amazon.ca/PJLANDI-Boatin...87263876&psc=1
It's loud, doesn't need compressed gas, and is plastic so doesn't rust. Plus it's a good price
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