GL: you may really hear a whistle

[Coleen Barger]

A post on the topic asked, "What is everyone talking about 'whistles'? ...
You're talking to him on a VHF, for cryinoutloud, not sounding your horn!"

Got a true story for you. About 4 1/2 years ago, Gary and I were southbound
on the Mississippi River and about to go around a sizeable bend at a place
where the river was pretty wide (and for you folks who don't know rivers,
wide often equals shallow). Ahead of us and downstream was a Coast Guard
cutter who was repositioning or replacing a can. We were trying to stay
out of his way and so we turned to our right to cut across the bend and
get on downstream of him. Immediately, just as we made our turn, the skipper
of the cutter gave us a horn signal, two whistles, in fact. We knew what
to do on hearing that and immediately returned the signal and altered our
course to keep him on our starboard side. If we hadn't understood the whistle
and taken immediate action, we would have gone aground on a sandbar. The
cutter was warning us away from the sandbar in the fastest way he could
do so.

Moral of the story: You may not always be able to use the radio or use it
fast enough. Whistle signals are not obsolete. Learn 'em.
Coleen Barger
"Calypso Poet" Carver 466
website -- http://www.calypsopoet.net