Navigation at Night

amoore658

amoore658

Member
Joined
20 Dec 2009
Messages
30
Location
Northern Ireland, GB, UK
Visit site
Hello

The forecast for tonight in Belfast Lough is very light southerly winds, so I thought I will go across to Bangor on my Fletcher DQ Dory which is 13 ft

I haven't been out at night for a while...So I feel I've lost the nerve, especially after reading about a Boston Whaler that was...Destroyed by a much bigger boat.

My Navigation lights are powered from the battery, 12v. I have the red light on one side, green on the other and then a 1 metre 20 cm high all round white. The white probably sits about 1m 80 from the water's surface.

I'm just hoping other boats could see me. I haven't had problems seeing other boats in the past. The nav lights claim to have a visibility of 1 nm.

Is sailing on this boat at night wise, and do you have any tips on how to make sailing at night safer. I know to keep my head on a "swivel" and keep looking, but any thing else I can do?

Thanks :)
 
I'd say take it slow and don't leave a known mark until you have identified the next. Be prepared for lots of shore lights making it hard to pick out navigation lights. It might also be worth taking one of those million candlepower torches as a last resort if you think a larger vessel hasn't seen you. I'm not advocating shining it at the bridge of every passing ship, they won't thank you for that but it might get there attention if required - especially as you may not paint well on radar. Also, make sure someone knows where you are going and when you will be in touch.

Of course there are a lot of other bits of kit that you shouldn't be without: VHF, Flares, warm clothing, food, engine spares, tools, headtorch for doing anything with 2 hands, chart, compass, gps, "get you home" outboard...

Others will be along with more no doubt!

Departing as it is getting dark may help your confidence but be aware that dusk navigation can be harder than night nav - you can't see lights at such range, etc.

Not trying to put you off - I'm sure it'll be very rewarding, however, if you are in doubt or unhappy at all then don't try to be a hero. Better to turn back and do it (enjoyably) another time rather than have an epic and be put off for ever!

Enjoy and do a write-up so that us that can't get out can get some pleasure from your trip too!
 
Minn said:
I have one word for you, at this time of year:

drysuit
Click to expand...

Good advise - although remember a Drysuit is useless without adequate clothing underneath !!
Don't forget though - if you're using a drysuit with full feet then ensure you've got a good lifejacket on - as if the air goes to the feet then you could end up the wrong way up if you end up overboard!
 
Agree with the other posts and I'd also add that whatever is your daylight hours practice, you should use the kill cord lanyard correctly at nightime, it would be easy to hit something and be tipped out at night!

Have a good and safe trip!

Cheers, Brian.
 
fireball said:
Good advise - although remember a Drysuit is useless without adequate clothing underneath !!
Don't forget though - if you're using a drysuit with full feet then ensure you've got a good lifejacket on - as if the air goes to the feet then you could end up the wrong way up if you end up overboard!
Click to expand...

Absolutely right and I should have said that.
 
I think stuarta hit the nail on the head.

Also, if at all possible have a small anchor & line; I don't know how far or exposed you are going, but a Plan B engine or at the very least oars & rowlocks would be essential in my book, with a 'normal' torch to work by as well as a powerful searchlight, which Halfords & Homebase etc sell nowadays.

As mentioned, have a sleeping bag or at least a space blanket in case things go wrong, and if not a waterproof VHF then at least a mobile phone in a snap-tight waterproof sandwich bag.

Also a compass ! Binoculars and a bucket for bailing are always handy too, and take the chart.

A rucksack is always handy to carry the kit ( apart from the engines and oars ! ) if trotting to the pub, club etc.

I'm sure you'll be fine and it will be a rewarding experience; the idea is to plan for the worst possible scenario, then in all probability you'll have a doddle of a trip, it's people who don't plan who get treated to the full works !
 
Last edited:
Be aware that they've recently moved the fairway buoy much further out into the Lough and set up rules for shipping rounding the buoy in the new position. There are also some additional channel buoys too.

So check you've updated your chart to cover this or you might get confused by the buoys you see along the way.

Also watch out that the commercial shipping is now following slightly different routes from what you might've become used to. In particular shipping rounding the Copelands is likely to be heading further north to round the fairway buoy. It would be easy for example to assume that a ferry coming out is heading from Cairnryan then find it altering course to the south for the IoM or England far later than they used to.
 
Seajet said:
A rucksack is always handy to carry the kit ( apart from the engines and oars ! ) if trotting to the pub, club etc.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I must disagree rather strongly on this one.

The temptation to put a rucksack on your back, in, or getting into or out of the boat, is overwhelming... and can very, very easily be fatal.

A decent seafarer's kitbag on your shoulder and in the bottom of the boat is fine - it won't drag you under should you find yourself in the water.

No rucksacks unless landing a climbing party, and in that case in the bottom of the dinghy, please.
 
VHF, LED Searchlight (LED type will last for hours before battery goes flat), 1 lifejacket, 1 buoyancy jacket, 2 x weather jackets plus waterproof trousers, woolly hat, wellies, plenty of coffee.
 
amoore658 said:
Is sailing on this boat at night wise, and do you have any tips on how to make sailing at night safer. I know to keep my head on a "swivel" and keep looking, but any thing else I can do?
Click to expand...

There are two main problems at night: fatigue and visibility.

Even if you are well rested before you set out, the normal human body is programed to shut down and will try hard to do so about 1am. Bring some warm caffeinated drink. Set alarms to go off every 10 minutes (for a good 360 look around) and for then next waypoint/turn/buoy). Keep a log (position, speed, ships sighted, etc) - not necessarily because it the information will be all that valuable, but because it forces you to be active and engaged in the trip every 30 minutes or so

For visibility, you have it both ways (them seeing you and you correctly interpreting what you are seeing). It sounds like you are going to be on a small boat . . . I would just forget thinking they will see your nav lights or you on radar. Bring a very bright flash light - and shine it around and call them up on the VHF if you want to alert someone you are there. Don't be shy if you think someone does not see you. But take early action to avoid also. As to your seeing things - the lights will be confused (by angles and shore lights, and the colors will go funny) and will sometimes look closer and sometimes further than they are. Have a laminated card with the different nav light configurations, and some decent binoculars (they really help reading the lights) and take the time with each target to identify what exactly its lights are saying to you.

But I love the night at sea. Its very special.
 
amoore658 said:
Hello

My Navigation lights are powered from the battery, 12v. I have the red light on one side, green on the other and then a 1 metre 20 cm high all round white. The white probably sits about 1m 80 from the water's surface.

I'm just hoping other boats could see me. I haven't had problems seeing other boats in the past. The nav lights claim to have a visibility of 1 nm.

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I had lights with a claimed visibility of one mile on my last boat and they always seemed bright enough whilst I was on board. However, when I sold the boat and watched it sail away into the dusk I realised how soon they faded away. One of the guys was wearing an LED headlight and that stayed visible for much longer.

In your position I would keep a much brighter light than your nav lights available, preferably a LED one to reduce battery consumption.

On a nice quite night you will be fine and night sailing can be magical.
 
amoore658 said:
Hello

The forecast for tonight in Belfast Lough is very light southerly winds, so I thought I will go across to Bangor on my Fletcher DQ Dory which is 13 ft

I haven't been out at night for a while...So I feel I've lost the nerve, especially after reading about a Boston Whaler that was...Destroyed by a much bigger boat.

My Navigation lights are powered from the battery, 12v. I have the red light on one side, green on the other and then a 1 metre 20 cm high all round white. The white probably sits about 1m 80 from the water's surface.

I'm just hoping other boats could see me. I haven't had problems seeing other boats in the past. The nav lights claim to have a visibility of 1 nm.

Is sailing on this boat at night wise, and do you have any tips on how to make sailing at night safer. I know to keep my head on a "swivel" and keep looking, but any thing else I can do?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

If taking rucksack ONLY use one shoulder strap, I often take one as its easier carrying once ashore but ONLY ONE SHOULDER STRAP near boats.

Can you set off at dusk? Easier to get your bearings with the lights when light is fading...

If you are going to do it regularly something like this with charts is good idea...
 
sailing at night

Rather than putting a precise route into a handheld gps I use Seaclear to load a zig-zag notional route that uses absolutely every buoy as a waypoint.e.g.route X covers the entire Thames estuary North.

With a noted sequence of buoys relevant to the intended course (and a chart or chart extract to hand) you can then navigate using the GO TO function to either head for or keep track of distant buoys.

Also works for distant buoys in daylight when either the light is playing tricks or there is a lumpy sea.
 
estarzinger said:
There are two main problems at night: fatigue and visibility.

Even if you are well rested before you set out, the normal human body is programed to shut down and will try hard to do so about 1am. Bring some warm caffeinated drink. Set alarms to go off every 10 minutes (for a good 360 look around) and for then next waypoint/turn/buoy). Keep a log (position, speed, ships sighted, etc) - not necessarily because it the information will be all that valuable, but because it forces you to be active and engaged in the trip every 30 minutes or so

For visibility, you have it both ways (them seeing you and you correctly interpreting what you are seeing). It sounds like you are going to be on a small boat . . . I would just forget thinking they will see your nav lights or you on radar. Bring a very bright flash light - and shine it around and call them up on the VHF if you want to alert someone you are there. Don't be shy if you think someone does not see you. But take early action to avoid also. As to your seeing things - the lights will be confused (by angles and shore lights, and the colors will go funny) and will sometimes look closer and sometimes further than they are. Have a laminated card with the different nav light configurations, and some decent binoculars (they really help reading the lights) and take the time with each target to identify what exactly its lights are saying to you.

But I love the night at sea. Its very special.
Click to expand...
Unless I am very much mistaken, the OP has a 13 ft dory. That means he has a motor! And that he has posted on the wrong forum! Plus, he has not said how far he is going. Another give away is he talks about an all round white being about 1.8m above the water line, so a very short mast !
 
Solitaire said:
... Plus, he has not said how far he is going.
Click to expand...

He said across Belfast Lough to Bangor. That does sort of narrow it down a bit. It would tend to rule out New York, Aberdeen or Hamble as the starting point. Maybe Carrickfergus is still on the shortlist though. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Irish Rover
Northern Lights Genset air filter
Replies
8
Views
195
Irish Rover
Irish Rover
W
Downsizing to your boat.
2
Replies
28
Views
704
Wansworth
W

Share this page

Top