Taking bearings in fog

Fog is when people reach for dashboards. Lights, counts, a board that looks like command. Meridian has none of that. In fog you take a slower bearing.

One light on the table

A lamp is enough. One source you still trust. Plot a short rhumb from there, not a voyage. Issue nothing. Sound often. The plate should look almost empty. Empty is not unfinished; it is accurate.

What not to do

Do not average the last five soundings to invent depth. Do not let the model “fill gaps.” Gaps are the map. Filling them is how ships find rocks that were always there.

Morning

When the glass rises, you will be glad the night plate was ugly. Ugly plates survive contact with daylight.