Just a friendly reminder to always have a compass in your boat!

[irishfield]

Flew a guy to Temagami today. His wife dropped him at my house this morning and then she proceeded to their cottage South of Snug Harbour. Plan was leave here, to Temagami to look at an airplane I'm brokering, and then on the way back I was going to drop him at his dock for the whole experience of float flying.

 

We were 8 miles North of Snug Harbour (Parry Sound)... Georgian Bay was absolutely clear and POP, 2 miles later the entire lake turned into a fog bank on a beautiful cloudless day.

 

We cruised up and down the coast.. couldn't even see his Bay to land. Some quick texting to his wife and then me seeing a Marina in a semi open bay I dropped him in Dillan Cove and was back in the air in 45 seconds. That bay closed in behind me as I was climbing out.

 

His experience went from the "oh honey it's great to see you" to "hey honey, can you put down your gin and tonic and come and get me!"

 

So don't assume because it's a gorgeous day as you head out, that at 3 pm in the afternoon this can't happen. Don't forget that compass!!!

Edited June 13, 2015 by irishfield

[Parnelly]

Great post. Just recently, leaving Cross lake into Temagami, on the monday of the opener weekend, we ran into some nasty fog. I have been traveling the lake since I was a kid, and had never seen it come in this bad. South east arm was fine, until we hit the main body of the lake. Then it was total white out. God bless my gps/navionics on the smartphone. I would have gotten spun around otherwise.

 

This is me leading through the fog, they could have thrown a rock and hit me.

 

[glen]

Wayne what a neat pic. It's like a blanket.

[spincast]

fog+ Temagami = trim up and slow down. That would be hariy if you were not 100% familiar with the lake, even with the chart plotter.

[Terry]

real cool picture

[lew]

Had a similar thing up on the West Arm a couple years back Wayne, bright clear blue bird skies and a solid wall of fog just ahead of me.

 

Crazy stuff for sure.

 

[davey buoy]

Great shots guys,scary stuff.I was caught in a zero visibility fog.Have the dash mounted compass,but would not dare head west.Probably hit some dock or rocks.The fog gave way about a hour or so later.

[Dave Bailey]

Hard to beat a compass. Sit on the flight deck of the most high-tech airliner in the world, surrounded by wizardry that NASA would have been jealous of just a few years ago. And what will you always see affixed to the centre post of the windshield? A compass. If all those gadgets go kablooey, you still have that simple magnet to guide you.

[lew]

I had a house trailer on Lake Katchawanooka north of Peterboro for 36 years and knew every square inch of that lake.

 

I headed out early one morning to do some trolling and even though the visibility was absolute zero because of the heavy fog I wasn't concerned because I knew where I was going...ya, right.

 

I didn't troll a 1/2 mile and I ran right into the shore, going 90 degrees the wrong way. I thought I was going south but instead went east.

 

Should have had a compass that day LOL

[davey buoy]

That's crazy Lew,the time we were stopped,we could here people talking all around.Scary when you heard a motor start,luckily it stopped almost as fast as it started.When the fog lifted there must of been 15 boats with in a 50 yard circle from the ramp.No one could see,but only hear .

[OhioFisherman]

I went out on Lake Erie one morning with a friend to do some smallie fishing, an hour or two later the fog rolled in. I doubt we were a half mile off shore, but couldn't see 50 feet. If it hadn't have been for the busy railroad tracks and horns and noise from the trains and traffic we might not have made it back.

 

A compass, cheap protection! I didn't think small boats needed one, that incident changed my view.

[Garnet]

I was at cottage last weekend and what direction was north came up. Out comes my phone compass and we get that settled.

 

Almost ever body had a compass on there phone and didn't know it.

[Spanky80]

Had a similar thing up on the West Arm a couple years back Wayne, bright clear blue bird skies and a solid wall of fog just ahead of me.

 

Crazy stuff for sure.

 

 

That's a beautiful pic!

[Old Ironmaker]

We have been there and it can be scary especially when in the shipping lanes here on Erie. It happened last year and thankfully the GPS route showed us the way back because I never took a heading when we left port. I know land was North but much of the shoreline North is rocky and Iron soil cliff face straight down into the water.

[dave524]

Had it happen to me on Lake Ontario probably about 1990 before GPS. Bluebird day and a charter buddy of mine had got a new boat that I had not seen yet. Fishing was dead off Grimsby and he was into them on the radio off Port Credit, I was alone , lots of gas so off I go some 20 plus miles. Yep a 42 foot Post Sportfish is a hell of a boat, and a few cohos in the box too. Time to go home couldn't see the other shore which is normal, takes a real clear day to have 20+ mile visibility on the water, Trusty old Silva Ranger compass from my forestry days and off I go headed south figuring I'd pick up sight of the shore in a bit. Few miles and I was in a pea soup fog, less than a 100 foot visibility, throttle back and continue south, old Lowrance paper graph will tell me when I'm closing in on shore. Finally in about 30 feet of water I make out shore, move in closer trying to get a landmark to see if I am W or E of Grimsby, Takes a minute but there is the Beacon and the QEW bridge at Jordan Harbour, got a fair hike to go west to home. At home looked at the chart on the wall SW would have been a better heading. As a forester I took pride in map/chart compass ability , should have planned a trip like that and at least consulted the chart before leaving but I was younger, the weather was great and went on a impulse.

Edited June 14, 2015 by dave524

[Joey]

That's crazy Wayne, just like a wall. Great picture.

 

Lew, that's a great pic too

[wkrp]

Ritchie compass has been in my boat from day 1.

[Freshtrax]

My first trip with the new boat this year I had my buddy drive while I set lines, told him to keep an east heading on the compas. I get half the spread out and I'm like wth, we're driving in circles. It was foggy as sin and the ipad with the navionics was too close to the compas and giving false readings lol. Was nerve racking that day. Let alone was it a new boat out on lake ont. With cold water but it was so foggy a ocean liner could have easily snuck up on us.

[Woodsman]

I seen it once on Erie that the rain was so heavy that we scraped up against a bouy we could see untill we heard the thunk.

This was at trooling speed during a walleye tournament.

This was just before it got really heavy.