Depth of coastal fog?

[bdkorth]

Hi,

My wife and I are quite possibly going to be leaving landlocked Idaho and moving to the Oregon coast, North Bend, Oregon to be precise.

Having always been landlocked and only sailed on lakes, and for a week off San Diego, I have some questions that are probably kind of common knowledge to coastal people, but I must ask anyway...

When over there a few weeks ago it was foggy in the morning and nights, then the bank sat just offshore for the daylight hours. How far out, typically, does one of those fog banks last? Can a person get out past them for a nice daysail, or are they typically too deep.

Thanks for any input. When I asked the questions in the past about getting feedback and support on this net due to the lack of support of landlocked people in Idaho, one of the common responses was "Move to the ocean." Okay, we most likely will be in the next month. The big house is sold, the extraneous toys (expenses) are gone, some sailing training is under the belt, and we are going for the additional experience that we can gain having a boat and sailing in the ocean, experience that we can''t gain on inland lakes. Little by little we are getting closer to casting off. Still years away, but we will get there.

Thanks for any input and additional knowledge.

Brad

[thefantasea]

Regardless of how deep it is, how long it lasts, or how fast it can roll in, your visibility can be quickly reduced to zero.

The least expensive radar and GPS will keep you out of trouble and get you home safely even when you can''t see your bow from the cockpit.

If you can manage it, add an autopilot. They steer a better course than any sailor I ever met.

[fourknots]

That''s a tough question to answer. I''ve spent a few weeks in the Oregon coast and quite alot of time in Puget Sound. My experience was that the fog bank was pretty large. Partly it depends on the water temperature - if it''s colder farther out, you''re likely to get fog there. In Alaska, I sometimes saw fog banks move in and after a few hours, leave again. Maybe someone who lives there can help.

If you''re thinking of moving to Oregon to sail, you''d do a lot better in the Seattle area. There are enough places to go there to spend a lifetime. Oregon pretty much has open ocean, which gets boring after a few times. Usually the rivers that lead into the ocean are treacherous and often you can''t get through. You can nearly always find a great anchorage, even in crappy weather in the Puget Sound. At least there when you encounter fog, you can just hunker down until it''s gone. I''d hate to try to cross a river bar when the fog returns.

[bdkorth]

Thanks for the input on the fog. I greatly appreciate it. I had thought that the temperature of the water, therefore time of the year, would effect it.

I look forward to figuring it all out. Gotta love GPS and Radar.

Brad