Navigating in Fog: Practical Steps

Fog rarely gives you time to think. One minute the horizon is clear, the next you are inside a grey wall with no bearing on anything. What follows is not about why fog forms — it is the checklist you run once it is already around you.

Slow Down and Set a Safe Minimum Speed

Cut the throttle first. Safe speed in fog is the speed at which you can stop within the distance you can actually see — and that distance shrinks fast. If you can see fifty metres, you should be able to stop comfortably inside fifty metres.

Before visibility drops, note your compass heading and your last confirmed position. Write them down. In fog, memory is unreliable and the chart screen becomes your only fixed reference.

Steer by Compass and Treat GPS as a Guide

Hold your heading on the compass, not on the view. Use GPS waypoints and the chartplotter to follow a known safe line, but never assume the line is clear just because it is drawn. GPS tells you where you are, not what is drifting in front of you.

• Set the next waypoint before you enter the fog, not while blind.
• Keep to known depth lines and avoid cutting corners near shoals.
• Plot your position at fixed intervals and compare.
• Carry a paper chart or a second device as backup.

Sound Signals, Lookout and Silence

Switch on your all-round white light. Post a lookout forward, as far from engine noise as possible, and silence the crew — no music, no chatter. Stop the engine for a slow count when it is safe, and just listen.

Sound your horn or whistle at regular intervals, and listen for replies. The reply to fear is silence: wooden dhows and small boats often carry no electronics, no AIS and no lights. Assume they are out there.

This is where an app like B7R earns its place: it is free on Google Play and gives Gulf sailors tide times for Shuwaikh and Shuaiba, current sea state, and navigation tools — useful references to check before you commit to a line, though they never replace your own eyes and ears.

Anchor or Continue? Decide Early

Make the decision early, not when you are already drifting. Two honest options: anchor clear of the channel, or continue along a line you have already confirmed.

If you anchor, stay well outside shipping lanes, pay out enough scope, and mark your position so others can see you. Do not anchor inside a fairway and hope traffic misses you.

If you have neither radar nor GPS, reduce speed to a crawl, steer a known depth line, and consider stopping in a safe spot until it clears. There is no shame in waiting.

Brief the Crew and Abort When It Is Time

Assign roles before the fog thickens: one person on the compass, one on the horn, one forward with eyes and ears. Give everyone the abort rule — the point at which you turn back.

Decide early, don't drift in. Check sea state and tides in the app, log the trip, and if the picture does not add up, head home.

Plan your next run with B7R — free on Google Play, with navigation tools and an emergency SOS button. Download it on Google Play.