Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

[Stamey]

I took my boater education course over the winter, even though I am not required to by Virginia state law for another couple of years. My interest is becoming a safer boater.
In the interest of being a safe boater, I took the navigation rules for sounding your horn seriously. I did not know these rules before I took this course and have never heard anyone on the lake or the river sound their horn before. I got out on the lake this season and actually listened for people to sound their horns according to the rules. I sounded my horn but never got a reply.

Now I'm starting to feel dumb, like maybe this only applies to larger boats where there the waterways are much tighter for their size and perfect communication is essential.

I even contacted the Coast Guard to ask them about this, and was told I should be sounding my horn regardless of the actions of others.

So, this brings up 3 questions.
1. Do you sound your horn religiously, according to the Coast Guard rules of navigation?

2. What is the proper course of action if no one ever answers you? In a perfect world this means that the other pilot did not hear you and your desired navigation path had not been effectively communicated to the other pilot, presenting a dangerous situation. On top of this, I'm not sure if others can hear my horn as I am running along with my thru-hull exhaust. I can barely hear it. This may mean I can't hear it because of my exhaust and the wind in my ears, but they can, or maybe no one can hear it. Over the weekend I even passed a tug pushing a barge on the river and sound my horn only to receive no reply. Heck, he might not have heard it over HIS engines.

3. Are these "rules of navigation" laws or just suggestions? That has been unclear to me all along.

 

[Tahorover]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I use my horn often, but most OEM horns are worthless. I have a hidden set of air horns and they have helped keep us safe many times .

On my trip from my dock to open water I cross under a bridge. Two long pulls on the air horns clean out the birds that seem to enjoy doing business on my deck/shirt.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

So are you honking at everyone you see? Sounds like traffic in Jakarta. I just wave.

Of course the Coast Guard is going to say, follow the rules. I have never heard a Coast Guard (or any of the other 9 LEO's we have on the harbor) honk their horn. Seen the blue lights, heard the hailer, had .50's pointed at me, but no horn. There were some bubbles once in front of the naval base, I assumed a whale fart, maybe it was a sub blowing its horn underwater.

never seen anyone display a black ball while at anchor, either.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

Even if you use the horn properly, I can assure you that 90% of the other boaters have no clue what the signals mean, and think you're just 'Horn Happy'.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

This is a good question and observation by the OP. It is also telling in the responses received so far.

1st off, yes I use my horn to signal my actions to other boaters I encounter when approaching from the rear. Even if, as is mostly the case, they have no idea what it means. But they look, which means they see me as I approach for the pass, and therefore know I am there.

And I am never embarrassed by using my horn or doing anything else the right way, even if different from everyone else. They should be embarrassed for not knowing the correct procedures.

You are correct, if you are using the original horn on a sport, or small, boat the other boaters are not hearing you. You can tell because if they don't turn to look and flip you off, they didn't hear.

So, if you are really serious about the safety aspect, get a horn that can be heard. That would be at least an electric/air horn, or a real air horn. Or get one of the air/can horns, which are very loud.

As for the tug, no matter what he couldn't hear you. So you should have contacted him by VHF radio to announce your intentions.

And no, I have never had the occasion to do that!

PS. I did the horn thing before I did the Power Squadron thing.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

This is a good question and observation by the OP. It is also telling in the responses received so far.

1st off, yes I use my horn to signal my actions to other boaters I encounter when approaching from the rear. Even if, as is mostly the case, they have no idea what it means. But they look, which means they see me as I approach for the pass, and therefore know I am there.

And I am never embarrassed by using my horn or doing anything else the right way, even if different from everyone else. They should be embarrassed for not knowing the correct procedures.

You are correct, if you are using the original horn on a sport, or small, boat the other boaters are not hearing you. You can tell because if they don't turn to look and flip you off, they didn't hear.

So, if you are really serious about the safety aspect, get a horn that can be heard. That would be at least an electric/air horn, or a real air horn. Or get one of the air/can horns, which are very loud.

As for the tug, no matter what he couldn't hear you. So you should have contacted him by VHF radio to announce your intentions.

And no, I have never had the occasion to do that!

PS. I did the horn thing before I did the Power Squadron thing.

Spot on. I use the horn quite a bit, especially when overtaking another vessel. The majority of boaters don't have a clue what one (or two) short blasts mean, much less the 5 short blasts. That's why they look at you funny and then get into trouble. Twice I've blasted 5 shorts to overtaking vessels to get them to stop and they look at me puzzled or they just wave. One hit a sandbar and the other almost hit the Marine Patrol. I've found that a VHF works better, but the horn signals are still a valued part of the COLREGS. Too bad most boaters have never taken a course.

Don't be that guy. Sound your horn as you're supposed to, but get a set you can hear.

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I think there needs to be a universal boating course because it is true, most do not know what the horn signals mean and they think of it like a car horn as a means to aggravate people and not a means of clear communication of intent.

Nonetheless, I sound my horn, per the rules, when there are many boats and a restricted waterway where people SHOULD be communicating, on the open water with hundreds of yards or even miles between vessels or where I and they have plenty of room to pass safely, then no.

Occasionally somebody takes offense and goes off their rocker because I provided them the proper signals, which is a courtesy, not a reason to get angry, so for them that is what my CCL license is for.

JR

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

since few recreational boaters know, much less use, sound signals, what I do to signal my intentions, especially at night, is by exaggerated motions. This is especially important where the other boat doesn't know you pass port to port.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

The river I do most of my boating on is about 2 miles long and a couple of hundred feet wide. On the weekend, there will be at least 30 jet-skiers and an equal amount of boats. If I were to properly use the horn, I would be doing nothing else as would the rest of the traffic. By convention--with the exception of the jet-skiers who go every which way and pass much too closely, (not trying to diss them, but that is the way it is,) all boats follow a counterclockwise course and pass port to port unless there is an emergency maneuver.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

This applies to all waters or just coastal or shipping lanes?

I am way land locked and have never even heard of this before, if I am over taking someone from the rear or just want to make sure I am seen I will give a blast on the horn but otherwise I never use it and I would be hard pressed to remember the last time I even heard a horn.

Like Frank I am on an inland river most of it is a couple hundred feet wide and it is maybe 12 miles between dams.

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

This applies to all waters or just coastal or shipping lanes?

I am way land locked and have never even heard of this before, if I am over taking someone from the rear or just want to make sure I am seen I will give a blast on the horn but otherwise I never use it and I would be hard pressed to remember the last time I even heard a horn.

Like Frank I am on an inland river most of it is a couple hundred feet wide and it is maybe 12 miles between dams.

How can you have never heard of basic boat operating practice? Why do you think they put the horn there. I tell you what, if you have an accident and for whatever reason you are charged with fault, one of the questions may well be, did you signal your intent properly. It is like using turn signals and brake lights on a car, the laws says they must work and must be used ALL of the time. Obviously sometimes we don't and same with the horn signals but there are times you do need to use them and you should know what they mean should I or another sound our horns at you.

JR

 

[seabob4]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

When over taking a boat that just seems to want to putt along in the middle of a channel where there are no speed restrictions, or even a 25MPH limit, I sound the horn to get his attention. Then he can take the corrective action HE needs to to avoid the wake I'm going to give him.

I've gone to using AquaSignals Piezo quartz electric horn, it may sound like the warning horn in a nuclear powerplant, but it gets there attention...of course, if he is just putting along in the middle of the channel with his JL Audio Amps putting everything they have into his 10 speakers...well, I tried!

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I only honk at topless women!!!

 

[boatking]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

The river I do most of my boating on is about 4 miles long and a couple of hundred feet wide.

 

[gabrielhull]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

Boat honking here in Miami is done for any and every excuse. Nobody pays much attention it.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I have just never heard of it, NO ONE, even the DNR uses their horn here in Indiana except as I said when overtaking a boat or making sure your seen and even if I knew what they were and meant no one around me would, they would just see a guy honking his horn.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I've used mine to get the attention of the kids jumping off a bridge so they don't land on us! Other than that, people just look at you funny.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

Re: "How can you have never heard of basic boat operating practice? Why do you think they put the horn there."

None of my boats have horns--I guess the manufacturers haven't heard of it either. And not many have bells.

anyway, here are the rules that you think everyone knows:
a) When power-driven vessels are in sight of one another and meeting or crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other, each vessel underway, when maneuvering as authorized or required by these Rules:

(i) shall indicate that maneuver by the following signals on her whistle:

one short blast to mean "I intend to leave you on my port side";
two short blasts to mean "I intend to leave you on my starboard side";
three short blasts to mean "I am operating astern propulsion".

(ii) upon hearing the one or two blast signal of the other shall, if in agreement, sound the same whistle signal and take the steps necessary to effect a safe passing. If, however, from any cause, the vessel doubts the safety of the proposed maneuver, she shall sound the danger signal specified in paragraph (d) of this Rule and each vessel shall take appropriate precautionary action until a safe passing agreement is made.

(c) When in sight of one another :

(i) a power-driven vessel intending to overtake another power-driven vessel shall indicate her intention by the following signals on her whistle:

one short blast to mean "I intend to overtake you on your starboard side"
two short blasts to mean "I intend to overtake you on your port side".
(ii) the power-driven vessel about to be overtaken shall, if in agreement, sound a similar signal. If in doubt she shall sound the danger signal prescribed in paragraph (d).

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

In Indiana perhaps there are different rules but in most waters that are navigable you must have a working sounding device or you will be ticketed.

JR

 

[1980Coronado]

Re: Sounding the horm during clear weather navigation. Does anyone do it?

I've used mine to get the attention of the kids jumping off a bridge so they don't land on us! Other than that, people just look at you funny.

A kid was killed here in Indiana a couple weeks ago doing this. The guy he landed on, lost a bunch of fingers. I doubt a horn was used.

I can say that I know the horn signals as a land locked Hoosier, (Boilermaker by the Grace of God), but rarely use them. I don't see the need to blow the horn, signaling my intention, to back out of the boat lift at 6:00 am as I go fishing. The neighbors would be less than impressed! Passing a slow moving boat from the stern is another story. If I'm overtaking a slow moving boat from the stern, and there is other on-coming traffic that keeps me from going wide, I'll use the horn to signal and make sure the other driver sees me. Other than that, it's a little silly on the little inland lakes to be running around blowing the horn. The lakes are so congested, no one would know who's signalling whom or what it really meant. You're more likely to just get the "you're number one" signal back from the other driver.