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A few things to consider which haven't been mentioned come to
mind regarding the potential conflict with freighters. Our
experience is only with the coasts of Washington, Alaska, and British
Columbia.
One is that those "deep drafts" don't always follow the rules. In the
fog, we have seen them cut a corner and cross into the opposing traffic
lane for some reason or another. Scared the h....out of us. (In the more
confined and complex areas a pilot is also required so the potential for
a mistake is less.)
We also monitor the local VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) radio
channel which gives us an idea of the potential commercial traffic.
At times the freighters speak little English and are very hard to
monitor so we only understand the instructions and comments of the VTS
controller.
We try to cross the traffic lanes at right angles but with a 7-8 knot
trawler that can take over 3 hours in places and that can seem much,
much longer in the fog. Also, as previously mentioned, they are so
large that their speed is very deceptive to say the least!
We also run with the radar on all the time and try to visualize how the
radar returns, without fog, compare with what we see. That knowledge
and experience helps when we do get caught out there by the fog.
Don't hesitate to call VTS if the situation becomes a safety concern.
It's even better to call them ahead of that time. It's our experience that
they are extremely competent. It is also possible to obtain their
services to monitor your voyage, similar to "Flight Following" with
ATC for aircraft. Just because you are a pleasure craft doesn't mean
that you can't ask for their assistance.
Sandy and Dawna Floe
"Sea Eagle" (39 CHB)
Day Island, WA
