night boating

[whisper]

If you are shaft drive would installation of "rope" cutters help?

PS: We often cruise well after dark, dropping the hook in favourite anchorages regularly after mid night.

Sterndrive for our sins. Mind you that does make it easier to untangle offending line/s. Wouldn't enjoy that at night though, having to hold torch in one hand and unravelling/cutting with the other. Have tried doing it in daylight, lying on bathing platform, with a lumpy sea - not easy.

 

[koenig]

The last boat would sometimes get caught after dark on way home. Marina that we kept our boat at times has commercial salmon fishing and avoiding their gill nets can be fun. Did run over nets twice, both times it was rough weather so couldn't see the buoy markers.

 

[EddieBlue]

Would love to do more, but the number of pots all along the coast (Poole/Christchurch Bay) tends to leave me heart in mouth!

However, happily left Poole Friday afternoon and arrived in Cowes later in the evening to be greeted with mates, Stella and a fantastic meal aboard our chums boat so will when there is a reward at the end LOL

Eddie

 

[rbcoomer]

Interesting thread as it's something I've not yet tried. I've done many of the Torbay night cruises and even DJ'd on a Dart pleasure boat from Dartmouth to Totnes and back many years ago (odd experience!), but not yet under my own 'steam'. Like many here, I love the sea at night and not being a particular sun worshiper, would really love to do some night runs. Especially as the sea is usually calmer at night too. I currently only have nav-lights however and presume that some sort of spotlight(s) would be required in anything other than unobstructed moonlight?

Although much of my local area (Torbay) would have reference lights along most of the coast, I usually launch at Teignmouth and the Teignmouth to Torquay coastline is much less populated and thus darker! I'm a bit concerned about the lobster-pot comments too... Any advice on the best setup/essential kit for night running? (bearing in mind my boat is only 14'... )

 

[longjohnsilver]

presume that some sort of spotlight(s) would be required in anything other than unobstructed moonlight?

Although much of my local area (Torbay) would have reference lights along most of the coast, I usually launch at Teignmouth and the Teignmouth to Torquay coastline is much less populated and thus darker! I'm a bit concerned about the lobster-pot comments too... Any advice on the best setup/essential kit for night running? (bearing in mind my boat is only 14'... )

Take it slowly, you'll be surprised at how quickly your eyes will become accustomed to night vision. Using any sort of spotlight will destroy your night vision for quite a few minutes. I'd only use it when looking for a particular mooring or buoy. But you'll see most of them anyway. Particularly if you're not looking through a windscreen.

 

[rbcoomer]

Take it slowly, you'll be surprised at how quickly your eyes will become accustomed to night vision. Using any sort of spotlight will destroy your night vision for quite a few minutes. I'd only use it when looking for a particular mooring or buoy. But you'll see most of them anyway. Particularly if you're not looking through a windscreen.

I recall trying 'no lights' in a car in a field many, many years ago - it ended with a puncture on a lump of rock! Not sure I'd be that keen on repeating in a boat... But I'll take your word for it and maybe take a torch just in case.

 

[AndieMac]

Any advice on the best setup/essential kit for night running? (bearing in mind my boat is only 14'... )

As LJS said the spotlight will ruin your night vision (just get used to the dark), as will bright deck mounted instruments reflecting on a screen in front. Have your spotlight ready in case of an emergency, or picking up a dark pontoon or bouy at the conclusion of the cruise.
It's best to be looking from above your screen for the location of channel markers, but be aware distances off will be confusing in the dark so don't aim directly at the piles/markers, just to the correct side.
Many folks have come undone, especially travelling quickly at night, steering directly at the markers and being confused by distances off.

Try the new generation LED torches, very cheap (and small) to buy and put the old school spotlights to shame, using a fraction of the energy.

 

[Bajansailor]

Here is a nice description of the basics re eyes :
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/retina.html

Re night vision, try just using your peripheral vision rather than the 'full' vision.

Re peripheral vision, what works for me is to look at the horizon and then let your eye(s) sort of go out of focus, ie don't concentrate.
(You dont need to have binocular vision - monocular is fine)

You will be amazed at how you can pick up very dim objects or lights with the rods in your peripheral vision - if you see a very dim light and then try to focus / zoom in on it using the cones, the odds are it will simply disappear.
Let your eyes go 'out of focus' again, and the object / light re-appears.

Remember that it takes quite a while for your eyes to become fully acclimatised to the dark.
And as mentioned above, you lose this night vision instantly if a light is turned on, and you then become almost 'blind' again.

PS - This thread on Scuttlebutt is very sobering - http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265888
I would guess that the gentleman concerned probably left a well lit bar ashore, jumped into his tender and took off (fairly fast) before his night vision had fully 'kicked in', with fatal consequences.

 

[epervier]

My insurance says I have to be tucked up safe somewhere, not allowed to motor at dark o'clock, for me it's not an issue as I find that there's too much traffic out there at night in the summer, this time of year's no problem though.

The Solent in the height of summer, night or day, seems like the M25, too many boats not enough water during Cowes week you could almost walk to the Island

But you already knew that, being a local girl

 

[rbcoomer]

Thanks

As LJS said the spotlight will ruin your night vision (just get used to the dark), as will bright deck mounted instruments reflecting on a screen in front. Have your spotlight ready in case of an emergency, or picking up a dark pontoon or bouy at the conclusion of the cruise.
It's best to be looking from above your screen for the location of channel markers, but be aware distances off will be confusing in the dark so don't aim directly at the piles/markers, just to the correct side.
Many folks have come undone, especially travelling quickly at night, steering directly at the markers and being confused by distances off.

Try the new generation LED torches, very cheap (and small) to buy and put the old school spotlights to shame, using a fraction of the energy.

I do have an LED hand-held spotlight, but wondered if that would be enough. I guess I'll have to see how I get on and not venture too far at first. I wear specs or contact lenses and I find the contacts much better at night - the optician reckons they reflect less light and that's why. I can easily look over my screen so that should help.

 

[rbcoomer]

PS - This thread on Scuttlebutt is very sobering - http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265888
I would guess that the gentleman concerned probably left a well lit bar ashore, jumped into his tender and took off (fairly fast) before his night vision had fully 'kicked in', with fatal consequences.

That's tragic. I expect there are many who have done similar, but most thankfully had better luck and not hit anything. Easy to realise it was 'a bit too fast' with hindsight - in a boat or on the road.

 

[PaulGooch]

I do have an LED hand-held spotlight, but wondered if that would be enough. I guess I'll have to see how I get on and not venture too far at first. I wear specs or contact lenses and I find the contacts much better at night - the optician reckons they reflect less light and that's why. I can easily look over my screen so that should help.

With respect, you're still missing the point. You cannot use a torch or spotlight.

You navigate by instruments, same as you do in daylight. If you think about it, you don't actually use your vision much in daylight for navigation, you use the instruments. You obviously use your eyes to keep a lookout for buoys, debris etc.

Using a torch/spotlamp not only destroys your natural night vision, but it will only light up a very small area. It's hard to explain in a way that you'll fully appreciate. Next time you're driving in a remote place in the dark, park the car and go stand in a field. You won't be able to see a thing, but stand there for a while and your eyes adjust to the light levels and you'll be surprised just how well you can see. Your vision at sea is even better, unless it's the darkest of night, with heavy cloud cover, the sea will be "shiny", even small pot buoys can be seen.

It's a weird experience to begin with, but once you try it for a while and get some confidence in your natural night vision and can comfortably rely on your instruments, it's not bad at all.

 

[benjenbav]

With respect, you're still missing the point. You cannot use a torch or spotlight.

Next time you're driving in a remote place in the dark, park the car and go stand in a field. You won't be able to see a thing, but stand there for a while and your eyes adjust to the light levels and you'll be surprised just how well you can see.

But don't leave your keys in the ignition!!!

 

[PaulGooch]

But don't leave your keys in the ignition!!!

lol, you speaking from experience ?

 

[rbcoomer]

With respect, you're still missing the point. You cannot use a torch or spotlight.

You navigate by instruments, same as you do in daylight. If you think about it, you don't actually use your vision much in daylight for navigation, you use the instruments. You obviously use your eyes to keep a lookout for buoys, debris etc.

Using a torch/spotlamp not only destroys your natural night vision, but it will only light up a very small area. It's hard to explain in a way that you'll fully appreciate. Next time you're driving in a remote place in the dark, park the car and go stand in a field. You won't be able to see a thing, but stand there for a while and your eyes adjust to the light levels and you'll be surprised just how well you can see. Your vision at sea is even better, unless it's the darkest of night, with heavy cloud cover, the sea will be "shiny", even small pot buoys can be seen.

It's a weird experience to begin with, but once you try it for a while and get some confidence in your natural night vision and can comfortably rely on your instruments, it's not bad at all.

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting use of a torch/spotlight all the time (i.e boat with headlights! ), but more for when it was really cloudy and there was a need for light to investigate something. Would it be of any use or is something more substantial wired-in needed? I'm assuming that the shoreline is almost always going to be visible in darkness because of either breaking waves or other contrasting reflectiveness - even when calm? I was really more concerned about any floating objects or debris, but your reassurance on the visibility of such things is somewhat encouraging and thus to have a small spotlight to hand if needed is I guess more than enough then?

 

[PaulGooch]

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting use of a torch/spotlight all the time (i.e boat with headlights! ), but more for when it was really cloudy and there was a need for light to investigate something. Would it be of any use or is something more substantial wired-in needed? I'm assuming that the shoreline is almost always going to be visible in darkness because of either breaking waves or other contrasting reflectiveness - even when calm? I was really more concerned about any floating objects or debris, but your reassurance on the visibility of such things is somewhat encouraging and thus to have a small spotlight to hand if needed is I guess more than enough then?

I've got a remote spotlight which we sometimes use for picking a buoy up in the dark and we carry a torch too. Problem is, if you switch either on, they mess your night vision up and it takes 20 minutes for it to recover fully. Surprising how well you can see though.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I had a spotlight on my previous boat and did a fair bit of night time boating, only recall using it once. And then it was almost useless due to the reflection off the water.

 

[ricky_s]

I've only used mine in Chichester harbour in the dark as the pots/big sea bit keep me away from the "outside"!

Is amazingly quiet in the harbour in the dark but SWMBO doesn't like boating at night. In fact she hasn't been on the boat in the dark at all!

 

[AndieMac]

I had a spotlight on my previous boat and did a fair bit of night time boating, only recall using it once. And then it was almost useless due to the reflection off the water.

You see the big mobo's with spotties mounted at flybridge height, remote controlled at either helm, but turning them on just seems to illuminate the fore-deck and kicks up a big reflection on the highly polished SS pulpit/deck rails, and you can't see any further out.

 

[AndieMac]

I'm assuming that the shoreline is almost always going to be visible in darkness because of either breaking waves or other contrasting reflectiveness - even when calm? I was really more concerned about any floating objects or debris, but your reassurance on the visibility of such things is somewhat encouraging and thus to have a small spotlight to hand if needed is I guess more than enough then?

The water is going to be the brightest 'dark' colour at night because it reflects any light at all, and the shore and tree-line of course will be very dark, but will contrast against the water. As I said before, judging distances away from any objects does take some getting use to.
I assume your 14' foot boat will have little electronics, maybe a depth sounder and radio? so no gps to follow.
Learn to identify the nav. lights on other boats moving around at night so you can tell which direction they are travelling, and keep a constant eye on them to calculate their approaching speed to avoid close quarter encounters.