Leaving a harbour at night

As an aside, I don't think anyone who's tried one of the newer really decent LED torches would even consider using a searchlight-type lantern again, particularly anything with a cord. My little Fenix torch easily picks up other boats or buoys from a hundred metres away. Often there simply isn't enough light to rely on night vision. As long as you only shine it on distant objects, the night vision you do have isn't necessarily ruined. Oh, and of course you can always close one eye to retain night vision on one side - can be a very useful trick, albeit not practical for long periods!
 
To put this in context, and thank you all for some helpful comments, I was not referring to well lit harbours. I do have radar but as we all know it doesnt work especially well with very small close objects.

The context was entering and leaving channels and estuaries where there are often long lines of bouyed boats, and, I am afraid even sometimes very small craft that arent properly lit.

I agree if there is reasonable ambient light it isnt too much of an issue, but I have had more than a few occasions when there isnt ambient light and the plotter cannot be relied on for a past track or for other reasons. I usually either have someone up front with a powerful torch or a torch from the back to give some visual cues, which works fine. However, especially when it is cold the front of the boat is not always the best place to be standing holding a heavy torch for 40 minutes or so and waving it arounf 50 feet back also not perfect.

This is why I am tempted to fit a wide spotlight on the bow that can be switched on and off from the helm and provide some necessary light in these circumstances.
 
Robin said:
With good night vision they should be visible especially if forewarned by plotter and/or radar. The only buoy I ever hit (tide assisted) was green and well lit, but another tale
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But the OP specifies a dark night. On the dark moonless and starless nights that I've been at sea, there was absolutely no chance of seeing unlit buoys directly ahead until you hit them as they are camouflaged against the black sea.

We can't make an assumption about radar, in fact I suspect that it is not available, and the plotter is not going to help as it's not that accurate with buoy placement which might well have moved.

Richard
 
ip485 said:
What is the collective view on leaving a harbour on a dark night?
Working your way through a long line of boats that are bouyed can be quite challenging. I have found a need some one up front with a spotlight to do so safely.
I also accept a spotlight isnt the most social solution if another boat comes in the opposite direction, and could confuse with other navigation lights.
I am tempted to have a spotlight on the front that can be turned on and off from the helm when some form of forward lighting is required for safe visual navigation.
I guess another alternative is a FLIR camera, but, at a price.
I raise this only in relation to motoring through a line of boats which are not lit, and of course not in open water or anchorages etc.
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Someone up front with decent torch is sufficient. At least we always found it sufficient to-ing and fro-ing from DQ
No need for it to be a zillion candle power searchlight
 
ip485 said:
However, especially when it is cold the front of the boat is not always the best place to be standing holding a heavy torch for 40 minutes or so and waving it arounf 50 feet back also not perfect.
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Heavy torch? To be blunt, you need a new torch! Take a look at e.g Fenix.

When shining a torch around coming into somewhere at night, I always take care not to shine it into cabin windows if the boats might be occupied. You couldn't do that with a massive floodlight on your pulpit.. depends on the circumstances of course.
 
Carib said:
As an aside, I don't think anyone who's tried one of the newer really decent LED torches would even consider using a searchlight-type lantern again, particularly anything with a cord. My little Fenix torch easily picks up other boats or buoys from a hundred metres away. Often there simply isn't enough light to rely on night vision. As long as you only shine it on distant objects, the night vision you do have isn't necessarily ruined. Oh, and of course you can always close one eye to retain night vision on one side - can be a very useful trick, albeit not practical for long periods!
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My handheld is a rechargeable LED one and can be used cordless or corded and has a huge range if needed of 500m but my anchor never stuck out that far. So far it's only real action has been to scare off a thief breaking into another boat
 
Carib said:
Heavy torch? To be blunt, you need a new torch! Take a look at e.g Fenix.
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Ha ha, I thought someone would say that. Actually it isnt that heavy, albeit a bit heavier than some as it is still just about the most powerful LED torch I could find, but we all know what the Vice Admiral's are like. :).

The other issue it is quite noce to feel that these things can be done single handed for those occasions you pitch up at some unGodly hour and the crew are all snozzing! Lots of places I am more than happy to anchor by mself, so I guess it is a convenience issue as well. Flick the switch and all that on those dark nights when you just cant see where you are going.

I suppose in all this I am well aware of trying not to disturb others and confusing anyone else navigating, but in my mind safety also comes first and I dread the thought of motring into something I havent seen. I know from experience that there are a few occasions it would have been a bit risky without a torch up front, and with the evenings closing in, even coming back late afternoon and it can be pitch black.
 
Robin said:
Had a couple of times experienced total night blindness at the helm because somebody was 'helpfully' waving a very bright light around willy nilly.
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BlowingOldBoots said:
Entirely preventable by the skipper briefing the person wielding the lamp.
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Not easy if the idiot with the torch/searchlight is on another boat.
 
Leaving harbour by night is one of the great joys of sailing. You will be amazed how much you can see once your eyes have become adjusted to the dark.

Switch all the unnecessary lights off and set instruments to night and wait five minutes with a cup of something hot, slip your mooring or berth and take the most direct and safe route to a marked channel.

In the past I have sat on the bow with a nervous skipper, with an LED headtorch, and pointed out moored vessels, but felt that made the first 15 minutes of the trip far more stressful than it should have been.
 
ip485 said:
Ha ha, I thought someone would say that. Actually it isnt that heavy, albeit a bit heavier than some as it is still just about the most powerful LED torch I could find, but we all know what the Vice Admiral's are like. :).

The other issue it is quite noce to feel that these things can be done single handed for those occasions you pitch up at some unGodly hour and the crew are all snozzing! Lots of places I am more than happy to anchor by mself, so I guess it is a convenience issue as well. Flick the switch and all that on those dark nights when you just cant see where you are going.

I suppose in all this I am well aware of trying not to disturb others and confusing anyone else navigating, but in my mind safety also comes first and I dread the thought of motring into something I havent seen. I know from experience that there are a few occasions it would have been a bit risky without a torch up front, and with the evenings closing in, even coming back late afternoon and it can be pitch black.
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Read what you have to say and can I suggest you don't do any night sailing or you poor vice Admiral won't be your Vice Admiral for much longer :)
 
Conversation with my co skipper ( I call her my co skipper as she been sailing as Long as me and was also a solo sailor once )
Three hours into a night sail , how it going up there darling ? Can you see any thing ?
No reply ,
I said how it going up there ? Still no reply
ARE YOU OK CAN YOU SEE WHATS IN FORNT?
All the sudden it hit me , she clumb in through the forward hatch and down below fast asleep :)
 
Never needed more than a small torch. If you need to see things from a long way away, you're going too fast.
You'll never scan the whole area with a pencil beam searchlight.
Adequate planning comes into it. Know where the fairway is. Knows which moorings are fore and aft!
Maybe even think ahead and move onto a mooring that's easy to leave, the evening before?

Ensuring your own boat isn't blinding helps a lot. Deal with navlights which reflect on the pulpit etc etc. Turn down the instrument lights, even cover the ones you don't need.

I've used a powerful torch to find my mooring, but that's a completely different game. Once I find my mooring, I know what's around it. I only need to see that one object, then I can go back to looking twenty feet ahead.
 
sailaboutvic said:
Conversation with my co skipper ( I call her my co skipper as she been sailing as Long as me and was also a solo sailor once )
Three hours into a night sail , how it going up there darling ? Can you see any thing ?
No reply ,
I said how it going up there ? Still no reply
ARE YOU OK CAN YOU SEE WHATS IN FORNT?
All the sudden it hit me , she clumb in through the forward hatch and down below fast asleep :)
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? ? ? ?
 
Thanks everyone.

i do wonder about some of the night vision comments. I know my eyesight is "perfect" as I have to have it tested annually and I know that there have been occasions I honestly could not navigate without a front facing light. That is simply my personal experience.

Anyway it is an easy fit so think on balance I will put a wide angle light up front and use it when I must but I hear what everyone has helpfully had to say.

It will be on a swivel so will be useful for anchoring and going onto a bouy as well I suspect.
 
ip485 said:
Thanks everyone.

i do wonder about some of the night vision comments. I know my eyesight is "perfect" as I have to have it tested annually and I know that there have been occasions I honestly could not navigate without a front facing light. That is simply my personal experience.

Anyway it is an easy fit so think on balance I will put a wide angle light up front and use it when I must but I hear what everyone has helpfully had to say.

It will be on a swivel so will be useful for anchoring and going onto a bouy as well I suspect.
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Are you trying to be both Helm and sole lookout?
I'm curious what harbours you are finding to be such a problem?
 
TernVI said:
Are you trying to be both Helm and sole lookout?
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Yes, sometimes, not often, but like to have the capability.

Upper sections of Dartmouth, Salcombe, Beaulieu and quite a few of the other estuaries and rivers around these areas are good examples.

Going through the Bag and upper section at Salcombe was especially interesting on a very dark night and I would offer not easy with no light and a very dark night unless perhpas at a very slow speed.

Thinking a little further ahead there are plenty of other places in the Med. which could prove potentially even moe interesting.
 
ip485 said:
Yes, sometimes, not often, but like to have the capability.

Upper sections of Dartmouth, Salcombe, Beaulieu and quite a few of the other estuaries and rivers around these areas are good examples.

Going through the Bag and upper section at Salcombe was especially interesting on a very dark night and I would offer not easy with no light and a very dark night unless perhpas at a very slow speed.

Thinking a little further ahead there are plenty of other places in the Med. which could prove potentially even moe interesting.
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I think you could be right, from those examples. I've been there but not tried to navigate in the upper stretches at night.

It easy to think of ways that should help, but not so easy when put into practice, especially short-handed. Image-intensifying glasses might be the ideal solution but late-generation models are no doubt expensive. My plotter could in theory display the picture from such a camera, and probably spoil one's night vision in the process. 7x50 binoculars can make a great difference in marginal conditions.
 
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