Re: [Paddlewise] : Air horns...

On 8/2/07, Michael Orchard <mspadorchard_at_comcast.net> wrote:
>
>  Any means that works is legal I suspect... but your ability to avoid a
> collision is far better if you are seen, and heard, unless you can go where
> the on coming vessel cannot.
>

The problem with that is that you might choose a method that doesn't work
and not know it until it's too late. The Rules of the Road specify an
"efficient" method. One of the reasons we are supposed to carry whistles.

Five blasts?  Would not three be a legal method of signaling if need be...
> if you gave only three... .or one, that is a far cry better than none.... no
> matter what the law...  Being seen and heard empowers the other guy to be
> more able to do his part also...
>

Do not confuse the horn (or whistle) of a vessel with the horn of your car
where a couple "beeps" only serve to attract the attention of other drivers.
Marine sound signals (like light signals) have specific purposes and giving
the wrong one can be worse than giving none at all.

The only "legal" sound signal for danger is "five or more". If you choose to
only give one or three and there is a collision you may have shifted some of
the liability onto yourself. And anyway, how much longer does it take to
give another 2 or 3 short blasts on the whistle or horn. Heck, if you're
excited enough it might be difficult to stop.

Three short blasts means "I am operating in reverse". If you gave that
signal and the other person understands sound signals then they will be
mightily confused.  They would likely conclude that you are stopping to let
them continue on. If that is NOT what you want, then those three balsts on
your horn (or whistle) were not only not legal but highly counterproductive

Look at your car. A flashing red light or a flashing blue light might make
your car more visible and avert accidents. The only problem is that those
signals are reserved for something else and they would be telling other
drivers something that's not true. It's the same thing with sound signals.

They are quite audible... whether the other boater takes heed is always the
> unknown part of the equation....
>

If you sound three blasts on your air horn and the other operator continues
on believing that you are backing down to let him continue then he's
certainly taken heed of what you've (inadvertently) told him.

Again, the point of a soung signal is not just to alert the other operator
to your presence but to give him an idea of what you intend to do. He may
not understand what the difference is between one, two, or three blasts on
the horn (or whistle) mean. But he will certainly understand that if you
give more than five something is up. Maybe it's just all my years at sea but
when I hear five blasts on a ship's whistle I perk right up.

And if there are witnesses on other vessels who hear you give these signals
what do you think would happen if they testify that they thought you
signalled that you intended to pass "starboard to starboard"?


Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA

PS: One short blast: I intend on leaving you to port; two short blasts: I
intend on leaving you to starboard; three short blasts: I am operating in
reverse.
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************