Horn

C

cdory25

New member
My horn sounds like a sick duck. I have read that it can be fixed to sound like new by soaking the diaphragm with spay oil (WD40 or equal). I just don't know exactly where the little bugger is.

TIA
Blues Cruiser
 
We have a 23 Venture ours is under the visor/brow above the front windsheilds. A new horn are pretty reasonable. Maybe spring for a new one would be a consideration. Never know when you might really need to be sure the horn will work right?
D.D
 
Wow it must be weak if you can't find it when you press the switch. Mine sounds like a working towboat's horn. It's under the brow in the middle. May need a swap out. George
 
I have heard a good dose of WD-40 will fix that, but have not tried it. Look under the brow, and carry a back up. Canned air, a human powered plastic type, (my fater-in-law used to carry a 3ft piece of conduit) or a conch shell.

I replaced my hailer/fog horn speaker before I knew about the WD-40 trick.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
When I get out into open water away from other boats I usually give my horn a short test blast every time I go out. This helps keep it from seizing up and comfirms it is working.

Regards, Rob
 
When we first got our GB, the horn was pathetic. I checked with the GB folks and the told me that most air horns have a fitting to receive oil. Most of the time the fitting is red. I found the fitting, added a couple of drops of 3in1 oil and voila! What a sound.
 
Robert H. Wilkinson":3pm4jyr1 said:
When I get out into open water away from other boats I usually give my horn a short test blast every time I go out. This helps keep it from seizing up and comfirms it is working.

Regards, Rob
Click to expand...

Rob,

It is also acceptable practice, though not used often, to do a 1 second horn when leaving a slip, or slipway and entering a fairway, when visibility is hindered. Don't be shy :? or obnoxious :oops:

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
hardee":xpx3pja7 said:
It is also acceptable practice, though not used often, to do a 1 second horn when leaving a slip, or slipway and entering a fairway, when visibility is hindered.
Click to expand...

That's a good point, although I understand the rules to say it would be one prolonged blast, and that it doesn't matter whether visibility is restricted or not when getting underway from a slip - what matters is that you are in inland waters.

There is also one prolonged blast for "blind bend," but that's independent of the "getting underway" function, and it applies to both inland and int'l.

A short blast has to do with altering course to starboard/leaving another boat to port.

A short blast is about 1 second; a prolonged blast is 4-6 seconds. These would be in Rule 34.

a) One prolonged blast
Inland - when getting underway from a dock or berth (forward) (if operating astern propulsion add three short blasts).
Inland and International - when approaching a "blind bend" (could be a blind fairway too).

b) One short blast
Inland - I intend to leave you on my port side (if other boat agrees, answer is the same signal).
International - I am altering my course to starboard
(Also has overtaking applications.)

There is more here:
http://navruleshandbook.com/Rule34.html

Sunbeam
 
Sunbeam,

Thank you for the correction. I see this used very infrequently around the marina. At the Ferry dock, yes. I have used it rarely, like when seeing the top of a mast coming down the fairway, and I am waiting at the intersection to enter, and it looks like that mast is starting to come my way, but I know that skipper cannot see me from behind the 40+foot cruiser in the intervening slip.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
 
hardee":exhkctbf said:
It is also acceptable practice, though not used often, to do a 1 second horn when leaving a slip, or slipway and entering a fairway, when visibility is hindered. Don't be shy :? or obnoxious :oops:

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Click to expand...

I used to do this routinely when leaving our slip at Everett. Visibility at the main waterway was blocked by large boats tied to the very end of the long dock. One day, as was my practice, I gave a blast out the window on a hand held air horn. This liveaboard guy came up on deck and proceeded to holler at me for interrupting his nap!
 
dotnmarty":346t5dyo said:
hardee":346t5dyo said:
It is also acceptable practice, though not used often, to do a 1 second horn when leaving a slip, or slipway and entering a fairway, when visibility is hindered. Don't be shy :? or obnoxious :oops:

Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Click to expand...

I used to do this routinely when leaving our slip at Everett. Visibility at the main waterway was blocked by large boats tied to the very end of the long dock. One day, as was my practice, I gave a blast out the window on a hand held air horn. This liveaboard guy came up on deck and proceeded to holler at me for interrupting his nap!
Click to expand...

Marty, give him a "Prolonged Blast". It indicates a "change of status" and it indicates just that... Asleep... To...Awake... :mrgreen:

Charlie
 
I guess I'll probably be buying a new horn(s). I did the WD 40 trick and it went from the sound of a sick duck (goose actually) to the sound of a Fiat! I need a foghorn. Anyone recommend a good online source? Thanks!
 
If you want a robust deep sound without spending a lot of money, you might consider the FIAMM Fultone II. We've had two of them, and I haven't heard a small boat horn that comes close. It is a little more complex, and takes more space than the small electric horns, however. Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss? ... fultone+II

Our boat was built with one, and it lasted 11-12 years, even mounted improperly - horizontally. Make sure the horns are mounted tilted downward, so that salt spray doesn't get trapped in the horns. Got our second one on eBay for $130.
 
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