I live along the coast in the Cape Fear river area. When I took my first attempt at instrument flying we flew out over the ocean on a moonless night. Got plane flying flat and altitude stable. About 5 min later he ask me did i see those lights off the right side of the plane. Yep, I have that plane in sight. That plane was a shrimp boat, talk about spatial awareness… Happy trails
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I was out paddling in my usual spot off of Newcastle, NH/ Kittery, ME one day last summer. Sunny, clear day. I could see to the south a fog bank approaching, but I didn’t know it would be as thick as it was. When I first saw it, I started back towards the closest part of the shore I needed to be at to get back to my vehicle, about a mile away, and roughly 2 1/2 miles from the boat launch. I have a compass attached at the front of my kayak, and it came in handy. I made it a little more than half way to the shore before the fog got to me. It was so thick, I couldn’t see anything much beyond the bow, which made me nervous because there is usually a lot of boat and ship traffic through there. Keeping an eye on my compass, listening for approaching boats, I made it to the shore line. For a little while, I couldn’t see the shore, I could only hear the waves on the rocks. Luckily it was a calm day, so the waves weren’t much of a concern. I turned south, keeping the sound of the waves on the shore to my right, until I made it back to the harbor entrance. By the time I was in the harbor and had to cross to the boat launch, the fog had gone through and it was clear again. Glad I had the compass.
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I was going fishing in my center console with the GPS chart plotter, depth gauge, etc. We started out along the ship channel along the jetties to fish at the end. As often that time of year there was fog at the coast. We knew where we were. But traffic was unknown. So we pulled over about 10ft off a small beach at the beginning of the jetty, maybe 4 ft of water, anchored and started to wait. Shortly after that we heard a high pitch of an outboard at fast plane. That is when the flats boat came speeding through at maybe 30 mph between us and the jetty (10ft) headed back in. 
We up anchored and move in from the jetty until the sea fog lifted.
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That’s scary, I keep a strobe in dry sack if I know I am gonna be in open water like that. Keeps you visible on the water.
The loss of equilibrium came from a denial of multiple sense and your brain gets confused and starts making stuff up to rationalize.
Similar thing happens in caves if you shut off all the lights so it’s total darkness and total silence and you’ll collapse.
When I lived out west and would snowboard big mountain resorts you’d get in fog like that. One time I accidentally nailed a person mid turn. So I started wearing a strobe for safety. Ended up a dozen or so people would end up following me. Around in the fog.
They always said I didn’t know where I was but your strobe seemed like it was down hill. But they were following me on huge sweeping S turns back and forth while I followed my altimeter in my watch. Down kinda of like tacking in a sailboat.
A strobe is considered an emergency distress signal on a boat.
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Yep lost in the fog physically disoriented trying to not getting ran over by barge or ferry fits the bill.
You are asking for someone like the USCG to come rescue you then? A legal steady light will work just as well.
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Yep you’re right just wanted everyone to know.
rstevens15 is correct 100% without a doubt no gray area.
Using a strobe is a terrible idea it’s all bad nothing good will come of this.
Dude got into the cartel this way
I know a guy got lost in the fog, turned on his strobe, coast guard shows up with a helicopter, fast lines onto his boat, you’re not in distress they say, your just lost in a PWC, boom hit him with a felony, caught a case and is setting in a Federal Prison for 15 years as a member of the Mexican Cartel.
Using a strobe will get you into organized crime.
strobes reflect back in deep fog, so do lights, if they are bright. They get you super disoriented. Fog is bad enough.
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Rule 36 in COLREGS:
If necessary to attract the attention of another vessel any vessel may make light or sound signals that cannot be mistaken for any signal authorized elsewhere in these Rules, or may direct the beam of her searchlight in the direction of the danger, in such a way as not to embarrass any vessel. Any light to attract the attention of another vessel shall be such that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to navigation. For the purpose of this Rule the use of high-intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided.
Misuse of strobe lights may result in a $5,000 civil penalty.
The rules of navigation are long and fairly complex. Several areas deal with strobes, but none permit a strobe to be used as a fog warning light.
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Yes. And, Rule 37 of the Inland Rules specifically identifies a strobe light as a distress light. We travel year round up and down the US east coast and it is not uncommon to hear CG Pan-Pan announced for boaters to watch for and report a flashing light and to “render assistance to those in distress.”
I once went off my course by a few miles to investigate a flashing light. It was a sailboat, all fine. They just liked the visibility of a strobe. Couldn’t care less that responsible mariners interpret and respond to it differently. That they inconvenienced us mattered not. That their light actually had the opposite effect of their intent. Went way over their heads.
Solid white light used by paddlers = “I am a small craft. Navigate around me safely.”
Flashing white light = “Come here immediately. I am in distress and at risk of imminent grave bodily harm or death.”
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On the lights, there are clearly written requirements for lighting in fog. If a lobster boat who often has to be out in the fog can use a white light - and in my experience most do - someone in a paddle boat should be capable of following the rules. Ignoring it is arrogance, not seamanship.
Being caught in the fog is a lesson that everyone eventually learns. Being lost in the fog means proper navigation tools or practices were lacking. That is only an emergency for an unprepared paddler.
Fog is in general one of those things that catches people out a lot in Maine in the early summer, because of two false beliefs. One is that you can beat the fog bank home when it comes in - only works if you are already fairly close to shore. The other is that it can be forecast like temperature and wind speed. In fact if you know an area very very well you can often make an accurate guess about it. But that means like living there or having a lot of years paddling in a given area. Most people who come for a kayaking adventure don’t have that time.
So the basics - at the first tendril of fog you see coming in - in Muscongus Bay for example keep an eye on Pemaquid Point - get a compass heading for home. Because if you are a mile plus out from your home beach you will be in pea soup fog before you get back to it.
It is surprisingly disorienting. But the correct tools and practices will get you home. In my experience fog is also usually associated with calmer water. The trick is to find a route where you have the least chance of getting run over by a motor boat who cannot see you in time in the fog. And if they are moving fast on auto pilot no chance they will regardless. I have come back a very long way once or twice, hugging shorelines around points rather than shooting straight. Made for a very welcome hot shower and beer after.
I would bet the Coast Guard showing up would be better than some commercial fisherman who had to stop working and steam 10 miles to find you if a call went out.
While it might be “better” for the CG to come out, the law requires other mariners to render assistance to the extent they can and without risking harm to themselves or their crew. If not the law, one would hope common decency would dictate coming to someone’s rescue even if it means they have to stop fishing.
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My point is how “impressed” the fisherman would be for coming to the rescue of someone who uses a distress beacon as a navigation aid and does not need help at all.
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