What is important to maintain while navigating in fog?

Maintaining reduced speed and sounding the horn while navigating in fog is essential for several reasons. In low visibility conditions, such as fog, it is crucial to slow down to allow for greater reaction time and to avoid potential collisions. Reduced speed enables a boater to better assess the situation, respond to obstacles, and maintain control over the vessel, which is particularly important when visibility is compromised.

Sounding the horn serves as a safety measure to alert other vessels to your presence. It communicates your location and intentions, helping to prevent accidents in an environment where visual cues are limited. In foggy conditions, other boats may also be sounding their horns, providing additional auditory awareness that can inform navigators about nearby vessels.

Other options focus on inappropriate actions for safe navigation in fog. High speed can lead to dangerous situations, as the operator may not have enough time to react if another vessel appears suddenly. Complete silence is counterproductive in fog, as it eliminates a critical tool for situational awareness. Following other boats closely could also result in accidents, especially since visibility is reduced, and maneuvering may be drastically limited. Thus, approaching fog with caution, by slowing down and using sound signals, is the best practice for ensuring safety.