Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! It has been reported that David Glasgow Farragut, a rear admiral or some such rank in the army… shrieked that nefarious statement, and at the top of his lung capacity mind you. I mean… that was in 1870 during the American Civil War, at the now infamous battle of Mobile Bay.
On the other hand, not being in a pitched battle, and when it comes to fog: Slow down. For the most part torpedoes are not present in our part of the Salish Sea, but… logs, rafts of sea birds, the odd conglomeration of kelp, bits and bots of trash… and boats without AIS or fish boats that have turned their AIS off so other fishers cannot easily see where their top secret fishing holes are. All those obstacles are hard to avoid until the fog clears… Always a good idea when vision is impaired by mist, drizzle, rain, snow, fog, darkness and… generalized sensory confusion: Slow down.
Darkness Darkness,
Hide my yearning
For the things I cannot be
Keep my mind from constant turning
Toward the things I cannot see now
Things I cannot see now
Things I cannot see…
Those lyrics associated with the Youngblood’s contemplations from 1969, resonate with me and surface from time to time. When presented with fog and the need to “see” through it… the line: “Things I could see I cannot see now” means: Break out the big radar. It’s no time to rely upon the little ones. Oh yes… I do have 3 functioning radars. Don’t you? Make sure the big chart and the little charts are fully functional. Check the AIS feeds on the big chart and the new Timezero charts that live on my little tablet and smart phone. I’m testing those for Timezero… Above all else: Slow down!
Before the fog enveloped and dampened our visual world:
The first shimmering puffs emerged on the edge of the imaginary. The shimmers built, as they’ve been known to do, into a turbid miasma. Fog marched onto the stage and brashly pushed Shimmer, Puff and Turbid off to the side. The Fog stood squarely in center stage. Aloof, cocky, brazen, and serene. The center of attention.
After the Fog’s arrival”:
Pea soup anyone?
And then we have: The radar picture with all of its dazzling color:
Great Northern in the middle of the radar screen. The huge, fast moving Washington State Ferry was invisible in the fog. The 3 other radar images, although close to Great Northern, were invisible to the naked eye. My skiff in tow was visible, but only 50 feet away… and tracking on radar. My speed, a comfortable 7.3 knots. I slowed to 5 knots while determining what and where the 3 small boats were. Caught in the act: they were hauling crab traps…
The electronic chart data:
Just after passing Frost Island, we turned into Lopez Sound and sashayed the 4.6 miles down to Hunter Bay. The fog was thick for a while, but the closer we got to Hunter Bay the fog started to dissipate.
Mischief managed…
Salish Sea Cruising With Blair, Les, Leo, and Bliss 
The thing I find most unsettling about fog is how disorienting it is. It becomes impossible to gauge how far into the fog one is looking, may be 1000 yards, or could be just 10.
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