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Boating at night
- Thread starter Zricky
- Start date
patrick and linda
New member
radar, gps and depth finder, vhf and bible!
good luck
pat
good luck
pat
All of the above plus, your spotlight will just destroy your night vision, especially if it reflects off of your anchor, etc.
Its just not safe to be out without knowing where you are, the depth, etc.
We have all of those electronic items and still do our best to avoid getting caught on the water after dark, too much debris in the water, etc.
Its just not safe to be out without knowing where you are, the depth, etc.
We have all of those electronic items and still do our best to avoid getting caught on the water after dark, too much debris in the water, etc.
A good chartplotter and depthsounder as a minimum. Forget spotlights. Monitor the vhf on the local bridge to bridge communications in case there are others out there that you need to know about. Radar is nearly a must in fog, but most of us make do without. I haven't had many problems offshore at night. If it is at least partially clear you can usually see enough to get by. But inland and foggy is the worst. Your nav lights bouncing off fog will pretty much blind you.
matt_unique
New member
I love cruising at night. I recommend getting very used to an area during the day prior to cruising in that area at night. Things can look REALLY different once the sun goes down. Make note of towers or buildings or anything that would have a steady fixed light. This will help with your location reference. Lobster or crab or other pots will be moved by the fisherman but are generally clustered around navigation buoys. (Nav buoys show up good on radar and fishermen use this tactic to more easily find their pots). Not usually around busy navigation channels but ledge markers or other things will have large clusters of pots.
A chart-plotter, even a VHF handheld chartplotter, is a must. Radar would increase the safety and navigation awareness. Your compass MUST be setup with night illumination. (I spliced my compass light wires into my Running Light wires. When I turn on the running lights my compass lights up).
You must have a good sharp knife aboard capable of cutting line in the event your prop gets fouled. I keep my 'Mick Dundee' knife right beneath the helm.
Lastly, keep the spot lights OFF unless alerting a nearby vessel or illuminating something specific in the water. Believe it or not, once your eyes adjust to low light you will be able to see most lobster/crab pots in front of you. It is important to run down the brightness of your electronics when cruising at night. Regular day levels will diminish your night vision.
Lastly, be weary about cruising at night after an unusually high tide. This is when debris is more likely to be floating about (timbers, logs, etc.)
Enjoy! Nothing like the stars you can see at night on the water.
A chart-plotter, even a VHF handheld chartplotter, is a must. Radar would increase the safety and navigation awareness. Your compass MUST be setup with night illumination. (I spliced my compass light wires into my Running Light wires. When I turn on the running lights my compass lights up).
You must have a good sharp knife aboard capable of cutting line in the event your prop gets fouled. I keep my 'Mick Dundee' knife right beneath the helm.
Lastly, keep the spot lights OFF unless alerting a nearby vessel or illuminating something specific in the water. Believe it or not, once your eyes adjust to low light you will be able to see most lobster/crab pots in front of you. It is important to run down the brightness of your electronics when cruising at night. Regular day levels will diminish your night vision.
Lastly, be weary about cruising at night after an unusually high tide. This is when debris is more likely to be floating about (timbers, logs, etc.)
Enjoy! Nothing like the stars you can see at night on the water.
FIRST RESPONSE:
TOOK SEVEN MORE TO EVEN MENTION A COMPASS :roll:
OK, let's see here. Off the California coast, 10 miles, and after dark. I think I would be looking to go east 10 miles, then sort it out. Everything mentioned so far is spot on. Oh, and 10 miles off shore without twins or a kicker, --- Well, in my book that is gambling. Some do and win, (sounds like you did on that trip), and some don't. Be sure and take a big sack lunch, it might be a while before you drift in to Hawaii, or Japan.
If you don't have any of the "fancy electronics", I would invest in this order, (and it is an investment in your safe return next time):
A good Compass, and have it set up correctly
A good VHF marine radio, and GOOD antenna, (best you can afford)
A Handheld GPS with chart capability
A Depth finder (can help in locating position too)
A Chart plotter (could put this with a depth module as one unit)
A Bible and a good connection to the Man upstairs
And it wouldn't hurt to get the boater bible too AKA "Chapman's", available at most book stores, and any good marine store.
Good luck, stay tuned here, its a great sight,
BTW, welcome to C-Brat Society, and That is a pretty 16.
Harvey
SleepyC
:moon
"radar, gps and depth finder, vhf and bible!
good luck
pat"
TOOK SEVEN MORE TO EVEN MENTION A COMPASS :roll:
OK, let's see here. Off the California coast, 10 miles, and after dark. I think I would be looking to go east 10 miles, then sort it out. Everything mentioned so far is spot on. Oh, and 10 miles off shore without twins or a kicker, --- Well, in my book that is gambling. Some do and win, (sounds like you did on that trip), and some don't. Be sure and take a big sack lunch, it might be a while before you drift in to Hawaii, or Japan.
If you don't have any of the "fancy electronics", I would invest in this order, (and it is an investment in your safe return next time):
A good Compass, and have it set up correctly
A good VHF marine radio, and GOOD antenna, (best you can afford)
A Handheld GPS with chart capability
A Depth finder (can help in locating position too)
A Chart plotter (could put this with a depth module as one unit)
A Bible and a good connection to the Man upstairs
And it wouldn't hurt to get the boater bible too AKA "Chapman's", available at most book stores, and any good marine store.
Good luck, stay tuned here, its a great sight,
BTW, welcome to C-Brat Society, and That is a pretty 16.
Harvey
SleepyC
:moon
Been living on this Mississippi Gulf Coast most all of my life and traveling on the water here since I was a kid. I love being on the water at night. Actually predawn is awesome. That is actually my favorite time and when running a charter (part time business) I can't believe they are paying me for this personal enjoyment.
You really have to do everything possible to protect your night vision. Dim down all of your electronics to their lowest settings. If your passangers require lighting low floor level courtesy lights in red, or geen will save your eyes the most.
Flood light are often a life saver, but as said above, if not set-up correctly the glare off of railings, and other stainless/chrome metals will make you think everyone on shore chose to turn off their lights at once. some kind of "Mass energy savings histeria causing everyone to go green at once. Reality you have just lost your night vision and it will take a long while before it returns.
In my real work life when doing medical air transport the helicopter pilot will not even lift off if you kill his or her night vision. They don't care how sick you say the infant you are transporting is. Do it in the air and it may be your last ride!
And those keys you placed by your compass, they may throw it off by several degrees. Especially the North and South Poles of the battery in the remote car access key fob we all tend to have on our key rings/clips.
You really have to do everything possible to protect your night vision. Dim down all of your electronics to their lowest settings. If your passangers require lighting low floor level courtesy lights in red, or geen will save your eyes the most.
Flood light are often a life saver, but as said above, if not set-up correctly the glare off of railings, and other stainless/chrome metals will make you think everyone on shore chose to turn off their lights at once. some kind of "Mass energy savings histeria causing everyone to go green at once. Reality you have just lost your night vision and it will take a long while before it returns.
In my real work life when doing medical air transport the helicopter pilot will not even lift off if you kill his or her night vision. They don't care how sick you say the infant you are transporting is. Do it in the air and it may be your last ride!
And those keys you placed by your compass, they may throw it off by several degrees. Especially the North and South Poles of the battery in the remote car access key fob we all tend to have on our key rings/clips.
Hi Zricky,
I don't mean to sound flip, but your original question leads me to think that another important thing would be a comprehensive boater safety class like the Power Squadron or Coast Guard Aux. In that, you will learn navigation and lights.
When running the ICW at night, I do use a spotlight to light the cans on long stretches... Otherwise, as others have said, it just messes up your night vision.
We use a chart plotter, radar, and depth finder along with paper charts, a compass, and a red light (to maintain that night vision). The electronics have either a night setting or dimming capabilities.
Night boating is a whole different animal... Lights along the shore can be confused with nav aid lights. A small boat with a single white light can get lost in the mix... Radar is your friend. A second set of eyes is also very helpful. I prefer a handheld spotlight out the helm window over a fixed light, just for the aiming capabilities... when close-in.
I especially enjoy heading out early in the morning when it's dark and watch the world come to light as the sun rises... my favorite time of the day.
Some folks consider night boating a "near emergency" situation, but with proper planning and equipment, it's a special time on the water.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
I don't mean to sound flip, but your original question leads me to think that another important thing would be a comprehensive boater safety class like the Power Squadron or Coast Guard Aux. In that, you will learn navigation and lights.
When running the ICW at night, I do use a spotlight to light the cans on long stretches... Otherwise, as others have said, it just messes up your night vision.
We use a chart plotter, radar, and depth finder along with paper charts, a compass, and a red light (to maintain that night vision). The electronics have either a night setting or dimming capabilities.
Night boating is a whole different animal... Lights along the shore can be confused with nav aid lights. A small boat with a single white light can get lost in the mix... Radar is your friend. A second set of eyes is also very helpful. I prefer a handheld spotlight out the helm window over a fixed light, just for the aiming capabilities... when close-in.
I especially enjoy heading out early in the morning when it's dark and watch the world come to light as the sun rises... my favorite time of the day.
Some folks consider night boating a "near emergency" situation, but with proper planning and equipment, it's a special time on the water.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
C-Pup16 in Los Angeles
New member
Is your name Murphy? ...if your message was for real, then realize how damn lucky you were stuck at sea that night and sell your boat, NOW. You are a danger to yourself and anyone with you on your boat. If you won't, then it's unlikely that spending any amount of money will keep you from peril when your comment revealed a shocking lack of common sense... just save your money for your heirs. It's harsh, but you need to hear this.
If you decide on being a survivor and eventually a seaman, then invest time before you invest money... take Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron courses on boater safety, coastal navigation and then BUDDY BOAT WITH SOMEONE SKILLED AT NIGHT TIME NAVIGATION. Sure, you can drop an anchor and sleep until dawn (you DO have an anchor I hope!)... if the anchor reaches the bottom... and pray you are not in the path of a cargo ship, tanker, high speed ferry or a distracted yachtsman who runs you over. (Does your boat even have a radar reflector?)
Don't go racing through the dark willy-nelly either. A guy who bought a used wood Bayliner put his wife, baby, young child and mom on board and took off in the dark from Marina del Rey to Catalina a few years ago. It was his maiden voyage. Ten minutes out of Marina del Rey, he rammed an unlit tanker buoy at full speed and immediately sank, killing his whole family. I bet he wished he had died too. He was driving his boat through an area with many tanker buoys the size of a C-Dory that was well marked on a chart.
I can't believe some messages I hear at sea over the the VHF radio. Last weekend, it was "Hello, Coast Guard? We're lost. We haven't seen land for a long while. Now we're passing some island but we don't know what. Can you come get us?" They had no GPS coordinates for the Coast Guard to find them. Was that YOU?
To be nicer about your ignorance, I too started as a fool on the ocean. Thank God I had seasoned C-Dory owners to guide me on my first group gathering. Because I had years of experience with a 16 foot ski boat on a lake as a kid, I wrongly thought I'd be a quick learner on the ocean. Boy was I wrong! There's a lot to learn! Boy did I under-budget the cost of equipping my C-Dory for the sea after buying the basic boat and outboard!
You can not be cheap about safety at sea. Sell your wife's car and make her take the bus if you have to in order to equip your C-Dory so that you will be confident of your qualifications and in command, ...capable of responding to Murphy's Law when it occurs at sea. It's your responsibility as the master and commander of your vessel once you step on board. These are not toys like snow mobiles. Even if you're okay gambling with your life, you have no right to risk the life of rescuers or to put a guilt trip on another boat captain who innocently runs over you at night.
I am not harsh to be mean or to ridicule you for the sake of my ego, but to make you realize you have some obvious knowledge and skill deficits to fill. Good luck doing that. Don't shy away from asking more questions here because you got criticized by me. Seamanship is a learning curve. I'm still learning. We all do, hopefully enough to stay our of trouble and to respond properly when it occurs.
Keith
C-Pup16
If you decide on being a survivor and eventually a seaman, then invest time before you invest money... take Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron courses on boater safety, coastal navigation and then BUDDY BOAT WITH SOMEONE SKILLED AT NIGHT TIME NAVIGATION. Sure, you can drop an anchor and sleep until dawn (you DO have an anchor I hope!)... if the anchor reaches the bottom... and pray you are not in the path of a cargo ship, tanker, high speed ferry or a distracted yachtsman who runs you over. (Does your boat even have a radar reflector?)
Don't go racing through the dark willy-nelly either. A guy who bought a used wood Bayliner put his wife, baby, young child and mom on board and took off in the dark from Marina del Rey to Catalina a few years ago. It was his maiden voyage. Ten minutes out of Marina del Rey, he rammed an unlit tanker buoy at full speed and immediately sank, killing his whole family. I bet he wished he had died too. He was driving his boat through an area with many tanker buoys the size of a C-Dory that was well marked on a chart.
I can't believe some messages I hear at sea over the the VHF radio. Last weekend, it was "Hello, Coast Guard? We're lost. We haven't seen land for a long while. Now we're passing some island but we don't know what. Can you come get us?" They had no GPS coordinates for the Coast Guard to find them. Was that YOU?
To be nicer about your ignorance, I too started as a fool on the ocean. Thank God I had seasoned C-Dory owners to guide me on my first group gathering. Because I had years of experience with a 16 foot ski boat on a lake as a kid, I wrongly thought I'd be a quick learner on the ocean. Boy was I wrong! There's a lot to learn! Boy did I under-budget the cost of equipping my C-Dory for the sea after buying the basic boat and outboard!
You can not be cheap about safety at sea. Sell your wife's car and make her take the bus if you have to in order to equip your C-Dory so that you will be confident of your qualifications and in command, ...capable of responding to Murphy's Law when it occurs at sea. It's your responsibility as the master and commander of your vessel once you step on board. These are not toys like snow mobiles. Even if you're okay gambling with your life, you have no right to risk the life of rescuers or to put a guilt trip on another boat captain who innocently runs over you at night.
I am not harsh to be mean or to ridicule you for the sake of my ego, but to make you realize you have some obvious knowledge and skill deficits to fill. Good luck doing that. Don't shy away from asking more questions here because you got criticized by me. Seamanship is a learning curve. I'm still learning. We all do, hopefully enough to stay our of trouble and to respond properly when it occurs.
Keith
C-Pup16
C-Pup16 in Los Angeles
New member
Spunky,
You're not far from me. I welcome you to come up some Saturday to see C-Pup or to fish with me in the evening for sand bass out of MDR. September is earliest.
Keith
C-Pup16
You're not far from me. I welcome you to come up some Saturday to see C-Pup or to fish with me in the evening for sand bass out of MDR. September is earliest.
Keith
C-Pup16
starcrafttom
Active member
two things to consider. Dont get hit and Dont hit anyone.
first don't hit any one. So the best way to not do that is to know where you are. gps, depth sounder, compass and map should take care of that. Next best would be to know where THEY are. they being boats ships buoys containers drug subs real subs and other assorted floating debris. radar and AIS will take care of most of,but not all, of that.
Now about you not getting hit. a radar reflector and a AIS transmitter not to mention good lights.
Now the most important tool in the kit is the one between your ears. some one already covered that in detail. Why in the hell were you 10 miles out with out the right gear let alone at night.?????
first don't hit any one. So the best way to not do that is to know where you are. gps, depth sounder, compass and map should take care of that. Next best would be to know where THEY are. they being boats ships buoys containers drug subs real subs and other assorted floating debris. radar and AIS will take care of most of,but not all, of that.
Now about you not getting hit. a radar reflector and a AIS transmitter not to mention good lights.
Now the most important tool in the kit is the one between your ears. some one already covered that in detail. Why in the hell were you 10 miles out with out the right gear let alone at night.?????
patrick and linda
New member
hello keith,
thus my recommendation for a bible!
like capt mattie and many others i to enjoy boating after the sun goes down, and like the others i only do so after many, many classes, 100 ton masters license, many hours of on the job training and all the necessary equipment to safely and enjoyably navigate.
hope our new c-brat friend takes the information given here in the positive spirit it is offered.
i also agree this is the best site, has the most informed members and offers the good spirited fellowship we all seek.
best regards to all
pat
thus my recommendation for a bible!
like capt mattie and many others i to enjoy boating after the sun goes down, and like the others i only do so after many, many classes, 100 ton masters license, many hours of on the job training and all the necessary equipment to safely and enjoyably navigate.
hope our new c-brat friend takes the information given here in the positive spirit it is offered.
i also agree this is the best site, has the most informed members and offers the good spirited fellowship we all seek.
best regards to all
pat
captainrick
New member
I scanned all of the replies and didn't find a compass mentioned. To me, whether on land or sea, a compass is the one indispensable tool I never leave the trail or shore without. No fuses, no batteries, no wires, no updates...! Just know where shore is and go slow.
Good Luck,
Rick
Good Luck,
Rick
Don and Brenda
New member
Interesting, a compass was mentioned in several of the posts, and I agree an essential item for nights on the water.
matt_unique
New member
By the way, I will echo the previous suggestion about a radar reflector. Very few vessels have them from my experience. I have had one aboard every vessel I have ever owned. I use the trilens radar reflector. It is AMAZING how small even a 30' vessel can appear on radar. (A navigation buoy shows up much larger on radar than a 30' wooden cabin cruiser for example). The radar reflector draws no power and just provides a really reflective surface. You can see mine in my album under installations.
All these things cost money though. If it were me, I would first prioritize the USCG minimums for vessel equipment to include fire extinguisher, life preservers for all passengers/every cruise, throwable flotation device, compass with night light as I mentioned in my previous post, etc. Refer to the following link to make sure you have all the following covered: http://www.safetyseal.net/what_is_vsc.asp
You of course also need an anchor and a VHF.
Assuming the above is covered, I would first prioritize a hand-held GPS chartplotter. The chartplotter type are a little more expensive than the non-chartplotter type, but they are much more useful as they show you a scrolling map of where you are. Also spend $20 for a paper chart and $20 for plotting tools. It will be a fun experience to learn how to read them and plot out courses 'the old fashioned way' and these combined with your compass are the non-electronic backup in the event your electronics ever fail.
Enjoy the process!
All these things cost money though. If it were me, I would first prioritize the USCG minimums for vessel equipment to include fire extinguisher, life preservers for all passengers/every cruise, throwable flotation device, compass with night light as I mentioned in my previous post, etc. Refer to the following link to make sure you have all the following covered: http://www.safetyseal.net/what_is_vsc.asp
You of course also need an anchor and a VHF.
Assuming the above is covered, I would first prioritize a hand-held GPS chartplotter. The chartplotter type are a little more expensive than the non-chartplotter type, but they are much more useful as they show you a scrolling map of where you are. Also spend $20 for a paper chart and $20 for plotting tools. It will be a fun experience to learn how to read them and plot out courses 'the old fashioned way' and these combined with your compass are the non-electronic backup in the event your electronics ever fail.
Enjoy the process!
smittypaddler
New member
>Spunky,
>You're not far from me. I welcome you to come up some Saturday to see C-Pup or to fish >with me in the evening for sand bass out of MDR. September is earliest.
>Keith C-Pup16
Keith is typical of the kind and gentle spirit I see on C-Brats. The newbie that started this post probably needed a few harsh words as a wake-up, but he could also use a helping hand, and this C-Brat offers get him started. Way Cool!
>You're not far from me. I welcome you to come up some Saturday to see C-Pup or to fish >with me in the evening for sand bass out of MDR. September is earliest.
>Keith C-Pup16
Keith is typical of the kind and gentle spirit I see on C-Brats. The newbie that started this post probably needed a few harsh words as a wake-up, but he could also use a helping hand, and this C-Brat offers get him started. Way Cool!
Lots of great advice on here so far. I am just adding some experiences.
For one, it is amazing how many abandoned wells and other structures are unlit, unmarked and often at or just below the water's surface. You for sure cannot just go parading around any bay, or waterway, much less the open ocean.
Although most of my boating is now on Grand Lake, OK, it is much like Puget Sound in that floating logs abound and is about 70 miles long with over 1400 miles of shoreline - mostly rocky. You certainly cannot just put the pedal to the metal there at night. I actually had to avoid a floating refrigerator there one night!
There is a new multiple light flashlight that has a red laser in it that can bounce a red flash off anything 350 feet ahead without damaging your night vision. It has a green light which the instructions say is non damaging to night vision, but I don't know about that. I think it is called the CSI and costs about $30.
I hang a dark colored shirt ,usually red or purple, but maybe green should be the color? over the gauges and Raymarine displays at night since they don't darken down enough.
The ocean and Gulf and many bays are very busy places in today's world and a pleasure boater is the bottom man on the totem pole. He/she must learn to be responsible for themselves and to avoid creating dangerous situations for others - even for the rescuers.
Of course, I too, 30 years ago, used to go 30 miles out with no radar, no gps, no Loran, just a compass and sextant. Not too smart looking back.
John
For one, it is amazing how many abandoned wells and other structures are unlit, unmarked and often at or just below the water's surface. You for sure cannot just go parading around any bay, or waterway, much less the open ocean.
Although most of my boating is now on Grand Lake, OK, it is much like Puget Sound in that floating logs abound and is about 70 miles long with over 1400 miles of shoreline - mostly rocky. You certainly cannot just put the pedal to the metal there at night. I actually had to avoid a floating refrigerator there one night!
There is a new multiple light flashlight that has a red laser in it that can bounce a red flash off anything 350 feet ahead without damaging your night vision. It has a green light which the instructions say is non damaging to night vision, but I don't know about that. I think it is called the CSI and costs about $30.
I hang a dark colored shirt ,usually red or purple, but maybe green should be the color? over the gauges and Raymarine displays at night since they don't darken down enough.
The ocean and Gulf and many bays are very busy places in today's world and a pleasure boater is the bottom man on the totem pole. He/she must learn to be responsible for themselves and to avoid creating dangerous situations for others - even for the rescuers.
Of course, I too, 30 years ago, used to go 30 miles out with no radar, no gps, no Loran, just a compass and sextant. Not too smart looking back.
John