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

[Captain Caveman]

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

For inland boaters, I'll just state that there is a different set of unofficial rules. Lakes are ringed with cabins and nobody wants to hear constant horns. We are all there to enjoy nature. Therefore horns are only used in emergency situations. Everyone passes on the right and yields to the boat coming from the right. However, if I were in bigger waters such as one of the Great Lakes, an ocean, or a main river connected to such a body of water, I would certainly familiarize myself with the proper horns, whistles, flags, and handshakes required for proper navigation. Those forms of communication are not needed on any inland body of water that I've witnessed nor are they desired by 99% of the people on or around the water.

 

[Andy'sDelight]

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

Where I boat out on the ocean, if you honk your horn chances are you will be greeted with a one finger salute. People likely don't know what the rules are regarding audible communications through horns. What is typical around me in the channels and near the channel entries is when boaters are clearly coming upon the same path one or both will kind of take the initiative to make a drastic move to "state their intention". For example, when I am leaving the channel from my marina to head east towards the sea and there is a ship that I see out there on plane coming in towards me to enter the channel, I will make a very dramatic move to either starboard or port so the other boat clearly see's my intended direction in leaving the channel. I will also tend to make the move that puts me out of his path the quickest. But if I blow my horn, they're either going to think I am telling the to GTFO of my way or stop to see if I am looking for assistance.

 

[smokeonthewater]

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

Just today, on the Ohio river about 2 miles north of louisville, I was overtaking a 40'er on my port side with tug and several barges further to port going the same way as us and another going the other way about to pass each other..... There was a marina entrance to starboard and we were a little closer than I would have been without the other traffic so I gave one 3 second blast a couple hundred feet behind him..... he was doing about 20 mph and I was doing 40.... the boat kind of wobbled about the same time as I blew the horn and as I was going by he was waiving and he came over the VHF with "good lord, I'm glad you blew the horn, I damn near turned in front of you".... me: "I'm sure glad you didn't, have a nice day." him: "you too"................ Nuff said?

 

[soggy_feet]

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

The waters here aren't congested enough to really need to use horns for passing most of the time, MOST OF THE TIME. But nobody knows the rules.. :\
I will sound the horn when backing out of the fuel dock at Champlain marina, I can't really see behind me, and the fuel dock is lined on either side with slips, with everyone backing out of those in the same situation.

Out for the fireworks last night, 70% of the trailered boats who were out for the night had nav lights on at anchor, and no anchor light.
One 40ish footer had NO LIGHTS, and instead decided to go out with those little glow stick rings you give kids looped around every vertical post of his rail. I almost hit him, fortunately, I can only travel about 8mph, and I was able to reduce power and turn away from him. At least there wasn't any go-fast boats out in the bay that night, because it would have been a VERY close call if one of those crossed paths with him.