Coastal Night Passages

graham

graham

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More and more people I talk to are becoming reluctant to make coastal passages in the dark due to

1, Pot markers

2,Abandoned bits of fishing net ,ropes etc

3,Floating ships containers Logs or other potentially damaging items.

Are they worrying too much ?Personally I think night times are for eating drinking sleeping etc but there are times when a night passage is needed.
log.jpg
 
Thats very bristol channel ive done in my props twice in the last year
both times had to be lifted out chocked up props sent off then relaunch
down in the clear waters of the solent theres no mud at all hardly
High water springs up near portishead theres more branchs than both water and mud floating about
i would cross the english at nightbut not from portishead to cardiff
 
The bits of trees etc are more common in the upper bits of the bristol Channel but the further West you go the more pot markers and fishing rubbish you see.

The Solent and rest of South coast certainly have their fair share of pot markers . have you considered stainless props? They will take a lot more punishment.
 
It is not an unnreasonable fear but the reality is you will often not see these dangers soon enough in daylight either, because the ones that are a real problem are hidden by the waves or pulled under by the tide. We have had some glorious sails at night and I wouldn't avoid night sailing at all from the point of view of perceived dangers. Crossing shipping is often easier at night as big ship lights show the ship's aspect often more clearly than in daylight and Mk1 eyeball. In the old days pre Decca, GPS radars and plotters making landfall at night was easier than in daylight with specific light characteristics identifying them more easily than a simple visual ident.

I'm talking sailboat speeds here mind, in a fast mobo I might want to be at displacement speeds 'just in case' but then they have less reason perhaps to need to be out in the dark, other than for the pure pleasure of it.

Sailing fast straight down the moonbeam - WOW

Watching the phosphoresence on a really dark night -WOW

Seeing a 'moonbow' - WOW

I once had an elderly friend on board fo a night trip, his wife hated night sailing so he didn't get to do it. We were crossing the Channel with 4 of us, all owner-skippers on a pre-Xmas booze trip, and I suggested to my friend it was his turn for sleep, but he refused and insisted on not missing one minute of it such was his pleasure.
 
I think they are worrying too much.
The odds are that even in daylight you are not going to easily see any of the hazards mentioned, even if you keep an eagle eyed look-out.
I enjoy night passages - when I was living on the south coast of the UK, we would occasionally sail over to France or the Channel islands on a bank holiday weekend, and to maximise time spent abroad we would usually do a night passage each way.

The doom mongers will probably now say that it is time to start doing all the risk assessment and risk management procedures to determine if the perceived levels of safety are adequate.....

Methinks that if a log or container has your name on it, theres nowt much you can do about it.

PS - I agree with Robin's comments above, absolutely - you have described the pleasures of night passages far better than I could.
I have also refused to go below for kip on a beautiful moon-lit passage, despite it being freezing cold, simply because I was enjoying it immensely and wanted to make the most of it.
 
All we do are night passages......generally the sea is calmer (Bristol channel) and marks are much clearer. Must admit containers could be a problem but the odd branch is not. Days exploring.....night under way with family sleeping.
 
I'll add a bit more too to my earlier comments. I'm one of those who can live with a very late night much better than I can a very early morning. There are a lot of people I know in Poole where we sail from who will go out to Studland the evening before leaving fo France ready for an early (like 5am) departure next morning, that implies getting up at 0400/0430 -UGH! Why not keep going having already left the harbour the night before and arrive about the time they would be dragging themselves out of bed? It is basically down to wanting to make the trip in daylight, the fear of the night I believe, yet more imagined than real.

The grey just before the dawn is real too sometimes but then with luck a beautiful sunrise followed by a hot bacon and egg sarnie and all is right with the world again!
 
In B.C. the tidal currents distribute a variety of debris....mostly logs deadheads all over the place.At night the big tugs drag in 1000 foot long booms filled with logs through narrow areas.
Big lumber carriers bound for the US east coast slip by me by no more than 1000 yads and you cant hear a thing.I do not go out very often at night except when the moon is bright and visibility is good on a calm sea.Crab pots are especially troublesome at night for hard chined hulls like mine
I dont imagine you have many big wood carriers in the UK...but surely your shipping lanes must be congested with other ships.A good radar set I would think is mandetory if you are going to do it on a regular basis.

As a rule I prefer to on the hook somewhere at night.
 
I agree night sailings great!Another good point is when you round a headland and the winds far stronger than you thought you cant see just how bad the sea is.

Be sure to dress walmly even in summer and have a thermos to hand with chickin legs and hot potatoes done in there jackets,and another with with walm rum or port I mix a bottle of port with a bottle of good red local wine walm it and have that in a pump type thermos

Rum or brandy makes me sleepy

Before night passages i always check my halyards and sheets as the last thing you want to do is to be on deck replaceing broken ones,its not so bad at the time but i have nightmares weeks or months later.

Dress walmly have good food an drink to hand and dont think about containers nor trees,the scenes so wonderful theres lots of pleasent things to think about

Its been such a long time since ive spent summer where its hot that i forgot to add that in summer when its very hot and the days find crowds of boats everywhere a night passage is the only sensable way to move!

Even in August the med nights need a pullover.amazingly theres very little traffic at night and no blazing sun 40 degrees to fry you. These days it seems wherever i go the rain follows me though this winters been wonderful like a really good summer
 
Bringing Fosca home from Holland, Amazing sunrise, tall ship Prince William siloetted on the horizon and Samantha had just said Yes she would marry me, Night sailing is fantastic but that morning beats any night sail I've ever had, /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
 
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I'm talking sailboat speeds here mind, in a fast mobo I might want to be at displacement speeds 'just in case' but then they have less reason perhaps to need to be out in the dark, other than for the pure pleasure of it.

Sailing fast straight down the moonbeam - WOW

Watching the phosphoresence on a really dark night -WOW

Seeing a 'moonbow' - WOW
>>>

I like cruisng in the dark. Yes, at displacement speeds and I need someone with better night vision than I to be with me. Thames Estuary is never dark enough for phospohorescence though. Moonbow, I agree, one of God's twiddly bits just done for fun and sheer artistry. London River at night is a nasty place if you get unlucky, all sorts of rubbish to avoid and have often considered the use of a searchlight.

Saily types probably haven't the chance, but the medway from East farleigh to maidstone is pretty special at night too, and that is searchlight territory 'cos there's no straight bits:-)

Anyone any good night time shots?
 
I go along with what some are saying too. Night sailing has bigger highlights than day sailing. The sunrise, the moon on the water, the stars and the vapour trail like phosphoresence that we experienced motorsailing past Start Point one year will stay with me forever.
 
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