My $4.06 horn

[Marvin willis]

I found this on Amazon for $4.06. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on a horn that isn't gonna last anytime because of the salt air so I tried this. I'm satisfied with the results since I've never had to use a horn on a boat in my life

 

[Marvin willis]

Tried to upload a video for sound but it wouldn't let me

 

[MrMoose]

Sorry, couldn't resist...

 

[Marvin willis]

Lol how do you do that? It's only a 2 sec video

 

[MrMoose]

Lol how do you do that? It's only a 2 sec video

@Marvin willis , the video clip was already on youtube. I just copied and pasted the url into the reply text and posted the reply.

 

[Marvin willis]

That's cheating

 

[Marvin willis]

 

[Big Shasta]

I replaced mine twice and after the second died I just got a whistle and put it on the kill lanyard. Meets the CG requirement. You're right, salt air kills em.

 

[Marvin willis]

The horn has never worked since I had the boat. It came with the whistle too. I figured for $4 and free shipping it was worth it. No idea what the stock horn sounds like.

 

[Topper232]

my 4th horn now sounds like a sick duck and not "sick" like the young kids say. I'm also on the hunt for a better horn replacement

 

[treeskier]

I use my horn all the time (see below). Also I have just a generic replacement horn that has been fine for the 3 seasons I've had my boat and it sits on a lift from April to November above salt water and I never had an issue.


From "The Complete Idiots Guide To Boating and Sailing"....


The vast majority of recreational boaters simply don’t use their horns as signals, except in the same way they use them as signals ashore—to indicate displeasure. However, to be legally correct, you should know the sound signals and use them any time there’s danger that an approaching boater may not understand your intentions.

Many skippers use VHF radio (which I’ll cover in Chapter 14, “Nautical Radio Gear and Procedures and Your First Longer Cruise”) to inform other boats of their intentions. This is really a better approach than sound signals because you can convey more information. However, some small boats don’t have VHF, and the situation may not allow you enough time to make a connection by radio, so it’s important to know and use sound signals.

The correct ways to signal with your horn on inland and coastal waters are as follows:

• ◆ One short blast: I am turning to starboard and will leave you to my port side.
  
  
• ◆ Two short blasts: I am turning to port and will leave you to my starboard side.
  
  
• ◆ Three short blasts: I am reversing engines.
  
  
• ◆ One long blast: I am getting underway (used when leaving a dock).
  
  
• ◆ One long blast followed by one short blast: Please open the drawbridge.
  
  
• ◆ Five short blasts: Danger—get out of the way, or don’t do what your signal says you intend to do.
  
  The other vessel (or the bridge tender) should repeat with his horn what he heard from your horn to confirm. If the other vessel does not repeat your signal, he either didn’t hear it or doesn’t understand horn signaling. If he does not repeat your signal but issues five short blasts, he is telling you that your intended action is dangerous. In either case, it’s prudent to slow to idle and review the situation before proceeding.
  
  Just remember, if you do use horn signals when approaching a small boat, there’s about a 95 percent chance the other skipper won’t have any idea what these signals mean, so keep a very close eye on the situation and maneuver to avoid the other boat. Or better yet, make contact on your VHF radio and find out his or her intentions.
  

 

[Big Shasta]

I use my horn all the time (see below). Also I have just a generic replacement horn that has been fine for the 3 seasons I've had my boat and it sits on a lift from April to November above salt water and I never had an issue.


From "The Complete Idiots Guide To Boating and Sailing"....


The vast majority of recreational boaters simply don’t use their horns as signals, except in the same way they use them as signals ashore—to indicate displeasure. However, to be legally correct, you should know the sound signals and use them any time there’s danger that an approaching boater may not understand your intentions.

Many skippers use VHF radio (which I’ll cover in Chapter 14, “Nautical Radio Gear and Procedures and Your First Longer Cruise”) to inform other boats of their intentions. This is really a better approach than sound signals because you can convey more information. However, some small boats don’t have VHF, and the situation may not allow you enough time to make a connection by radio, so it’s important to know and use sound signals.

The correct ways to signal with your horn on inland and coastal waters are as follows:

• ◆ One short blast: I am turning to starboard and will leave you to my port side.
  
  
• ◆ Two short blasts: I am turning to port and will leave you to my starboard side.
  
  
• ◆ Three short blasts: I am reversing engines.
  
  
• ◆ One long blast: I am getting underway (used when leaving a dock).
  
  
• ◆ One long blast followed by one short blast: Please open the drawbridge.
  
  
• ◆ Five short blasts: Danger—get out of the way, or don’t do what your signal says you intend to do.
  
  The other vessel (or the bridge tender) should repeat with his horn what he heard from your horn to confirm. If the other vessel does not repeat your signal, he either didn’t hear it or doesn’t understand horn signaling. If he does not repeat your signal but issues five short blasts, he is telling you that your intended action is dangerous. In either case, it’s prudent to slow to idle and review the situation before proceeding.
  
  Just remember, if you do use horn signals when approaching a small boat, there’s about a 95 percent chance the other skipper won’t have any idea what these signals mean, so keep a very close eye on the situation and maneuver to avoid the other boat. Or better yet, make contact on your VHF radio and find out his or her intentions.

No WAY I would rely on this horn for signaling. When you're underway, Imagine hearing a car horn that is inside a compartment 100 yards or so away (adequate signaling distance, maybe more even). While good info, that really only applies if you have a real air horn mounted high facing forwards. Maybe it would work idling up to a drawbridge but not likely our boats would need a drawbridge opened.

 

[treeskier]

It's got to be better than the whistle method. I agree at speed you'd be hard pressed to hear any horn on most of our yamahas. I think the larger problem is that most boaters don't know what the signals mean IF they hear them. For the record we have a draw bridge not that any of our boats would need it raised but there is a big sign to call or text the bridge tender to open the bridge. I guess the U.S. CG is a bit behind the times.

 

[Big Shasta]

We have a drawbridge too. When I had my sailboat I would use a handheld air horn and signal for them to raise it. They did raise it based on my signal but the sign says to call them on the radio.