Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Tradition

At sea, southbound off the Mindocino coast:  If you had asked me a month ago if ships still sound their horns when steaming in fog, I'd have answered "no." I would have reasoned that radar makes fog horns obsolete.

Incidentally, I'd have been wrong. We have sailed through considerable dense fog off the Oregon and California coasts and have sounded the horn whenever visibility was especially bad. I suppose it is done to warn small vessels that carry no radar. Or maybe it is just tradition?

The cruise ends later this morning, we are scheduled to disembark at 10 a.m. I hope that process goes smoothly as it often, but not always, does. Today will be a long, tiring day.