Transat planning 2013 - Lunar considerations

[tcm]

I'm not doing a transat this year but if I was, I'd like the moon to be visible as much as possible at night so that (even if it's cloudy) you don't lose sight of the horizon - it's illuminated for as long as possible during the long 12+hour winter (but warm) nights. Partly a safety thing I suppose, you know which way is up and partly helps avoid newbie crew getting spooked which again is safer, really. As far as I can make out, for a 2-ish week blast from the Canaries to the carib, I'd go something like November 10th or December 9th. The ARC will likely go (not sure of dates) around the Sunday 24th Nov (?), not so good from this point of view, in fact possibly rather bad. Is anyone planning a trip, I wonder?

 

[Mike_Alpha]

Hi,
we plan to leave Lanzarote for Barbados about Januar the 8th, for exactly that reasons!

Michael

 

[macd]

I'd suggest that one of the the main reasons for needing some illumination at night is to spot approaching squalls. Moonlight certainly helps but even without, I've found it easy enough from the way squall clouds block out starlight. If the squalls are rain-bearing, radar, of course, also helps.

 

[tcm]

I'd suggest that one of the the main reasons for needing some illumination at night is to spot approaching squalls. Moonlight certainly helps but even without, I've found it easy enough from the way squall clouds block out starlight. If the squalls are rain-bearing, radar, of course, also helps.

No, it's for hand steering and keeping one's orientation, general vis.

I spose any worrisome squalls are almost certainly rain-bearing else I would call them "clouds", really, and yes they normally turn up from SE on radar - sometimes initially present as an approaching vessel. I have sometimes tried call them up at about 15nm distant if they still look like approaching vessel, and the squalls never ever reply, or not on ch 16 anyway. But yeah, being several thousand feet high and blocking the night sky from astern usually port qtr, squalls don't much need "spotting" really...

 

[macd]

No, it's for hand steering and keeping one's orientation, general vis.

I spose any worrisome squalls are almost certainly rain-bearing else I would call them "clouds".

You might call them clouds until they clobbered you

Fair winds for the trip.

 

[tcm]

Hum, as per OP, I'm not doing the trip this year. If they aren't rain-bearing, they don't do much if any clobbering.

 

[bjl]

If it makes you feel safe then you should make its consideration an important planning factor for your trip. If I were planning the trip I wouldn't consider the moon even for a moment.

 

[tcm]

oh well, whatever. I try consider EVERYTHING before a trip. This is only a minor issue, as above.