gravygraham
Well-Known Member
As autumn draws on, more of us will be having views like this. It's still on my 'to do' list, but how many of you venture out in the dark of night?
Into the night
- Thread starter gravygraham
- Start date
lisilou
Well-Known Member
No, never. And tbh it 's not something I fancy either.
Mr Googler
Well-Known Member
I think night passages are fantastic. They challenge your senses, skills and offer a totally different experience to daylight. I regularly used to be out on the Solent in the dark with a chart, compass and a bit of red plastic over the end of my torch. Magic 
Do your nav prep, know your lights, go steady and enjoy
Do your nav prep, know your lights, go steady and enjoy
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
It can be fun and quite rewarding. You'll be surprised at how much you will see even on the darkest of nights, even better with a bright moon. Just turn all the instrument lighting down to its lowest setting and don't turn on any intrrnal lights.
carlton
Well-Known Member
Wonderful to set out really early and then witness the sun come up.
gravygraham
Well-Known Member
Just what I'm looking forward to. I'll probably begin with an early morning departure - that way if I bottle it I'll only need to tread water until dawn comes and then sneek back with my tail between my legs.
rbcoomer
Well-Known Member
+1 for the night cruises. Done a number of times on others' boats, but yet to do much beyond twilight on our own. As has been said above it's surprising what you can see and I find it quite exhilarating - but arguably, Torbay is at it's best at night! (Not quite what it was in the 80's with all the Neon on the hotels and along waterside, but still worth doing ) Calm, clear moonlit nights are also something you shouldn't miss!
) Calm, clear moonlit nights are also something you shouldn't miss!
shetland536
Well-Known Member
i do a fair bit of night fishing and love it, its different every time .if you have the lights of a harbour to head towards its lemon squeezy to spot stuff in the water ,bouys and post and the like but if your going away from the lights and you have a moonless night your mind and eyes can start playing tricks with dark or light shadows from chop or waves.
i was at hengistbury head fishing and had to get back to hamworthy slip way in poole harbour last friday. probably 20-25mile round trip..no moon and the chop got up ...it was really hard work to concentrate and be on the look out for lobster bouys non stop. feels like your eyes are going to pop out.
sounds weird but i sometimes find it easier to spot stuff in the dark by looking slightly to one side of straight ...if you know what i mean. more peripheral i think.
i'm only in a 14ft dory and only have to cope with a dim lit depth/fish finder but it must be harder for you boys/girls that have to cope with any glare/reflection on a windscreen.
i was at hengistbury head fishing and had to get back to hamworthy slip way in poole harbour last friday. probably 20-25mile round trip..no moon and the chop got up ...it was really hard work to concentrate and be on the look out for lobster bouys non stop. feels like your eyes are going to pop out.
sounds weird but i sometimes find it easier to spot stuff in the dark by looking slightly to one side of straight ...if you know what i mean. more peripheral i think.
i'm only in a 14ft dory and only have to cope with a dim lit depth/fish finder but it must be harder for you boys/girls that have to cope with any glare/reflection on a windscreen.
whisper
Well-Known Member
I think night passages are fantastic. They challenge your senses, skills and offer a totally different experience to daylight. I regularly used to be out on the Solent in the dark with a chart, compass and a bit of red plastic over the end of my torch. Magic
Do your nav prep, know your lights, go steady and enjoy
Agreed but I've only really enjoyed it whilst sailing. Catching a crab pot one evening, in our mo-bo, has put me off coast hopping under power at night. Certainly wouldn't feel safe at above 6-8kts.
benjenbav
Well-Known Member
Interesting video here:
I was particularly impressed by the back of the helmsman's head at 0:14 - 0:17
I was particularly impressed by the back of the helmsman's head at 0:14 - 0:17
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OAF
Well-Known Member
At this time of year I have no choice but to go out in the dark as we are tide and bridge height dependant so sometimes have no choice, but usually just down the river to Warsash, but last year we often took the rib over to Cowes in the dark, can be quite exhilarating, but you need your wits about you, wouldn't fancy doing it when it's rough
dpb
Well-Known Member
We regulary returned from Swanage to Poole after a night out in Swanage in the dark with our previous sportsboat boat but with this one we are more likely to sleep on board and return in the morning.
Spotting the pots is the only thiing that mars the experience.
Spotting the pots is the only thiing that mars the experience.
ctva
Well-Known Member
Night on the water.... best time. Reason, no one else about, you see so much you don't notice by day. Your senses really start to work.
I was out last Thursday night on the Clyde and at 10.45pm I saw what I thought was a plane taking off from Glasgow airport, but it was very bright then suddenly exploded and continued across the sky still glowing as it disappeared over the horizon above Rothesay. Saw the whole thing start to finish with no interfering light polution. You don't get that during the day!
Go for it, but either get a bit of training or take someone that's done it before as it can be a bit disconcerting.
Oh, and hot chocolate with rum is brilliant in the wee small hours!
I was out last Thursday night on the Clyde and at 10.45pm I saw what I thought was a plane taking off from Glasgow airport, but it was very bright then suddenly exploded and continued across the sky still glowing as it disappeared over the horizon above Rothesay. Saw the whole thing start to finish with no interfering light polution. You don't get that during the day!
Go for it, but either get a bit of training or take someone that's done it before as it can be a bit disconcerting.
Oh, and hot chocolate with rum is brilliant in the wee small hours!
Quest
Well-Known Member
I've done a bit, but mainly in harbour areas such as Falmouth, Plymouth and Poole.
If these harbour areas are familiar then you're not going to get lost in a hurry, but it's worth doing it because the experience is so different.
Seeing how the buoys are lit and identifying each one from the chart by it's flashing sequence, spotting the sector lights and understanding how the large vessels navigate by the sector lights, looking back onto vistas that you know so well from daylight viewing etc etc It's great experience and if it's done in familiar waters then it's really not too bad and you can always turn around and go back in at any point.
Worth a little try I think. Just pick a calm evening, with some company. Definitely work out how to dim the lights on your GPS before you go - surprising how big an issue this is.
If these harbour areas are familiar then you're not going to get lost in a hurry, but it's worth doing it because the experience is so different.
Seeing how the buoys are lit and identifying each one from the chart by it's flashing sequence, spotting the sector lights and understanding how the large vessels navigate by the sector lights, looking back onto vistas that you know so well from daylight viewing etc etc It's great experience and if it's done in familiar waters then it's really not too bad and you can always turn around and go back in at any point.
Worth a little try I think. Just pick a calm evening, with some company. Definitely work out how to dim the lights on your GPS before you go - surprising how big an issue this is.
stuarta
Well-Known Member
It sounds like the firework season has started around Glasgow then. They seem to have moved on from firing them horizontally along Queen Margaret Drive like they did when I was a student in Glasgow in 1998!
Back on topic, the sea at night is a fantastic place and as mentioned above it will certainly develop your skills. I can get confusing, however, particularly with lots of background lights and remember that the closest light may not always be the brightest. The mantra of not leaving a known point (buoy, light, etc) until you've identified where you are going next is even more applicable in the dark.
Again, as has been said, take it easy. Even with the best navigational plan unexpected things appear out of the dark - pot markers, jetskis, unlit buoys. Better to take your time, learn and enjoy rather that have an epic and never do it again!
henryf
Well-Known Member
Night cruising, especially when you have a decent radar and chartplotter is a very rewarding experience. It is very much like being in charge of a large commercial vessel as you put more faith in your instruments. Speeds are lower than daytime and you are always cross checking lights and so on. Learn both your navigational lights as well as your ships lights.
I can't stress enough the benefit of getting some professional instruction. It will make you feel more relaxed and teach you all you need to know.
As for looking slightly to one side of the object you are viewing, it does work. The reason for that is to do with rods and cones (from memory). The retinal cells best used during daylight are centred around the middle of your retina where images get focussed. The more sensitive cells used during low light are slightly to the side of the central sweet spot on your retina.
Special forces training
Henry
I can't stress enough the benefit of getting some professional instruction. It will make you feel more relaxed and teach you all you need to know.
As for looking slightly to one side of the object you are viewing, it does work. The reason for that is to do with rods and cones (from memory). The retinal cells best used during daylight are centred around the middle of your retina where images get focussed. The more sensitive cells used during low light are slightly to the side of the central sweet spot on your retina.
Special forces training
Henry
gravygraham
Well-Known Member
So how many of you sunshine skippers are now tempted out into the blackness? I'm even more interested now having read the above posts.
maybh1
Well-Known Member
Quite right too Lisilou.
I used to go and hide somewhere if we ventured forth after dark
May
xx
LittleShip
Well-Known Member
Well for me it's that time of year when I move Little Ship to her winter shed berth at Glasson Dock. I have been looking very closely at the weather for this week and it's tonight or tomorrow for the 70 mile journey.
The problem is I can either travel through the night or travel through the day. If I travel through the day I will have to navigate the river Lune up to Glasson in the dark tomorrow night.......something that is bad enough in daylight as some on here will know. There is a one hour window to do the 6 miles and get into the dock as the river completely dries.
I'm still tossing the coin to see if a night passage and the Lune in daylight is a better option.
Years ago I use to love night sailing but in recent years with pots etc I find it quite stressful especially as I will be on my own drinking coffee to stay awake
Tom.
The problem is I can either travel through the night or travel through the day. If I travel through the day I will have to navigate the river Lune up to Glasson in the dark tomorrow night.......something that is bad enough in daylight as some on here will know. There is a one hour window to do the 6 miles and get into the dock as the river completely dries.
I'm still tossing the coin to see if a night passage and the Lune in daylight is a better option.
Years ago I use to love night sailing but in recent years with pots etc I find it quite stressful especially as I will be on my own drinking coffee to stay awake
Tom.
Piers
Well-Known Member
I've always been scared of night passages for fear of being caught by a pot. To overcome this, I've just fitted a FLIR thermal camera to see pot markers at 1km. I have yet to test this but I've been asked by a few people to take pics and report - which I will do.
Piers
