Accepting the inevitable could keep you out of trouble
Well-documented studies carried out in the Northern Hemisphere show that people who are cut off from sensory information about their surroundings tend to move in a circle, usually clockwise. It makes no difference whether they’re driving, walking, swimming, or steering a yacht.So, if you happen to be caught in dense fog in a dinghy—or even in a bigger boat—without a compass, accept that your chances of steering a straight course are slim. You may have a little breeze to guide you, but there’s no guarantee it will remain steady in direction. If you have a fishing line, try trailing a length astern to help you keep going straight ahead. However, even if it does keep you straight for a little way, you won’t know in what direction you’re traveling, and sooner or later you’re going to start veering off to the right, even if it does take a little longer.Merely knowing that you’re going to circle clockwise is not much of an aid to practical navigation; its usefulness lies in the fact that you will not fool yourself into believing you can maintain a straight course. That could keep you out of worse trouble.To my knowledge, no equivalent studies have been carried out in the Southern Hemisphere, where it’s possible that you might circle counterclockwise instead of clockwise.See also Fog Types.
