[Fred Carmichael]

Fog, more so than any other weather condition, is the condition which creates conflict between Office personal and Boat Capts.
The U.S.C.G. holds the Capt. as the final responsibility for safe operation of their vessel. The company needs vessels working to make money. The reason they got into this business.
If a Capt. operates his vessel in the fog and has an accident, the Coast Guard could care less what pressure the Capt. was placed under to do so. This could include the Capt. being fired Not for refusing to run in unsafe conditions but rather for some other company policy made up at the moment.
There are several people on this board this has happened to.
A story which relates to this type of situation involves a dispatcher trying to get a Ship Tug to run in the fog.
The dispatcher called the boat and gave them orders to run to a ship. Even in good weather the timing was close. The dispatcher relayed the companies concern that the tug had to go NOW, or risk losing the job.
The Capt told the dispatcher that he was tied off in shut out fog. The boat was about 20 mile away from the office.
The dispatcher again, very forcefully told the Capt. that he needed to get underway.
Again the Capt. told the dispatcher it was shut out due to fog where he was at.
The dispatcher again told the Capt. to get underway and if not he would have to call the company owner.
Tha Capt. told the dispatcher to do so, if he felt he needed to.
THe Capt. again informed the dispatcher he was in fog.
The dispatcher informed the Capt. that could not be the case as it was not foggy in the field beside the office.
After a long pause, the Capt. informed the dispatcher he was not running the damn Tug in the field beside the office!!
The Capt was later called to the office to "Talk over the matter".
It seems a if the office could care less about the U.S.C.G. regs. when it get to Capt. vs. dispatcher.