CT Grounding a Lesson for Running in Fog

Photo: Sea Tow Central Connecticut/Capt. Tom Kehlenbach.

Sea Tow Central Connecticut’s Capt. Tom Kehlenbach and crew rescued a 31’ Silverton on Thursday, May 23, after the skipper became disoriented in fog and ran aground on rocks just north of the I-95 highway bridge on the west side of the Connecticut River.

Practice plotting and running courses from buoy to buoy using your radar, chartplotter, depthsounder and compass…

While no injuries were reported, Kehlenbach says that the incident should serve as a good example of why boaters need to prepare themselves for fog.

“Know how to navigate in the fog. A good way to practice fog navigation is to use all of your electronics on clear, sunny days, so you’ll know how to rely on them when the soup rolls in on you,” he says. “Practice plotting and running courses from buoy to buoy using your radar, chartplotter, depthsounder and compass on nice days; this will pay big dividends and possibly keep you from running aground in the fog. Too many boaters wait until it’s too late to start learning how to integrate all of their electronics.”