Planing at Night?

[CW]

I grew up on the West side of Mercer Island. We had one of the few enclosed boathouses there (the grey one), so the boat was always ready. We used to boat all of the time, often at night, planing along, though with a keen eye ahead, not near shore where a swimmer might lurk and had minimal trouble with logs//propstrikes over a 15 year period. The last ten years here on the Columbia River, where there are more logs and deadheads, I've done likewise, though in a boat better suited-- a thick hulled 23 ft. aluminum jet sled with a 6 inch draft, and nothing sticking below the 11 degree deadrise hull. I also have two large Dick Cepeck fog // rally lights facing forward.

Since I am going to re-boat to something (CD 22? 24 Tomcat?) - most likely glass with four stroke outboards, I understand I will now have to slow as I approach shallows and lift the motors up some (whereas with a jetboat you speed up!). But my question is, how many of you plane at night - given flat water with excellent visibility?

C.W.

 

[Hunkydory]

We have planed at night on the Inland Passage where there is always danger of "crap" in the water as defined by Jim and Pat in the floatsom-jetsom thread. Only at low speed something near 11 to 14 knots and enough moon light to see with the reflection of the surface on smooth water. Not much different than same speed in day light with a couple feet of chop with a little swell or medium foggy days. To me its the speed in either case that can cause the problems and as I see it the main drawback of the Tomcat with its higher planing speed verses the 22 and 25 c-dory.

Jay

 

[Sea Wolf]

Most everywhere I boat, or have boated, has restrictions on after dark boat speeds that would rule out planing for all but emergency craft.

Generally speaking, short of a medical emergency, I can't see much of any reason to take on the added risk of running at those speeds at night.

One of my personal cardinal boating rules is to plan ahead enough not to require boat movement after dark, although sometimes an anchor switch may be dictated by a wind change.

I do move around at night, but only when absolutely necessary.

Why do you need to plane around on the Columbia River at night? (Just curious!)

P.S.: Have you considered a night vision device?

Joe



Lights for just in case!

 

[RJD Wannabe]

We've done alot of fishing at night in the NorCal delta and the ability to plane does allow more fishing time when "chasing the tides" for sturgeon, etc. It's with 2 hand held spots, a spotter and intense concentration (and some luck). And great knowledge of the area. Wouldn't do it for long, but a 20 min ride at 20 mph would get us the 6-7 miles to change locations. Felt fairly comfortable with the 2 lights, both 1M+ candlepower. Would never do it solo.

 

[Hunkydory]

In all the cases we have planed at night it was due either to poor planning (sometimes just enjoying the present to much and letting the time slip by, so was forced to cruise at night to make destination) or just situations coming up that we had to continue on for anchorage or other destination or leaving very early to meet the right tide conditions. Normally I can see very few good reasons to cruise at night, (we cruise to see) but as I said earlier as far as real danger goes as long as speed is kept to a reasonable limit its not that much different from cruising in medium foggy days or choppy days that are not extreme. This is one area I can speak about with real life experience with over 4000 miles cruising in the Inland Passage in many different conditions with debri always a danger. In any case (I'am 100% with you here Joe) I would not plane at night in a boat such as the Tomcat that doesn't get onto plane untill 18 to 20 knots unless there was an emergency.

Jay

 

[El and Bill]

Like Joe, we rarely cruise at all after dark -- try to plan to have the hook down in daylight. We have night vision binocs but more for watching animals along the shore at night.

Logs are hard enough to spot - especially if cruising into the sun, but at night very hard to see for us and the radar seldom picks them up.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Just another passing thought or two:

As age takes it's toll, my night vision has gone downhill, making such endeavors at night less attractive.

Add a couple of sundowners (or "sundrowners"!), and it gets even worse!

One of the primary reasons to boat for most is to go out and relax. To that end I'm always goping to try to get where I'm going to spend the night well ahead of full darkness.

However, a slow cruise on a moonlit night on a calm lake in summer is a great way to spend part of the evening!

To each his or her own!

Joe. :moon

 

[JamesTXSD]

I used to really enjoy motorcycling on a warm night... until a close encounter with a deer made it hard for me to... um, "unstick" myself from the seat. A real lesson to not "over drive" the visibility or conditions. We consider it similar with the boat - at night or in low visibility conditions, I don't want to go any faster than I can see and avoid (or stop) for something in the water. Our 25 will plane at about 12 knots... beyond my comfort zone at night. We have a spotlight and an old Gen 1 night vision mono; I'm OK if I don't have to use either. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[Dreamer]

Very early in our boating lives, my wife and I took a couple of inlaws for a moonlight cruise down the middle of Donner Lake in the Sierra's. We were planing along when something told me to slow down. We came to a stop about 15 feet from a string of inner tubes carrying 10-15 teenagers crossing the lake.

The looks on their faces has stuck with me for over 40 years. I shudder to think what almost happened. We don't boat at night, period, much less plane. In CA, as Joe said, the speed limit after sundown is 5 mph. I think it's a good law.

 

[thataway]

I believe that the california boating "law" is "A safe speed should be maintained at all times so that: a) action can be taken to avoid collision and b) the boat can stop within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. In restricted visibility, motorboats should have the engines ready for immediate maneuvering. An operator should be prepared to stop the vessel within the space of half the distance of forward visibility.”

Keep in mind that the sailboater on Clear Lake CA.who was at the tiller of the sailboat, drifting, with perhaps improper running lights, is being charged with Manslaughter, when the sailboat was run down by an off duty Sheriff's deputy, who knew the risks of running fast at night, and some folks think was going over 35 mph.

There may be some restricted speeds on specific bodies of water, but to my knowlege California does not have a "speed" limit at night.

As to the planing speed of the Tom Cat--most of us with the Permatrims are able to plane the boat down about 11 to 12 knots--some claim 9 knots (which we have not been able to replicate). 11 knots is a pretty low planing speed.

We have done a lot of boating after dark--most of it in open water. I have made many hundreds of trips to Catalina Island after dark. We generally do not run at a planning speed in the Florida waters, but we do run up Perdido Bay at low planing speeds after dark. This is a body of water we live on, are out on weekly, and rarely has other boats on it--virtually no swimmers, and rare serious debris. We are always running with Radar, chart plotter and fishfinder--NO foreward looking search lights.

We avoided running at at all after Dark except when essential, in the PNW, because of the debris and deadheads. Even with good lookouts and moving at 6 to 7 knots we hit several dead heads in the 3 years of cruising that area. A lot of difference with a full keel, prop protected slow boat, than any C Dory product and its surviability if one hit a deadhead.

We discourage boats running with "headlights". They decrease your distance vision, (such as seeing the tug towing the barge) for dim running lights or other objects on the water, and have very limited range, no matter how bright. They also are confusing to other boaters, as well as decrease the other boater's night vision.

Our personal experience with type I night vision (which we have and use) is not all that good. Even those with the expensive FLIR have found that they can miss deadheads and other debris--and again--they sacrifice their night vision when watching the FLIR screen. If you are going to use night vision--I would suggest that one person's vision be dedicated to the night vision, and the helmsman watch out on the water, and the electronics (Radar, chartplotters and fishfinder). AIS is the latest technology which will help light running--by identifying the vessel using AIS, plus giving its speed, direction and projected track.

 

[rogerbum]

If it's dark out, I NEVER go more than 5-7 kts. PERIOD! I don't care how good your vision is, or how flat the water is, you simply can't see stuff or people in the water early enough to stop in time. Also, your odds of being found once you do sink after striking that large log at 15-25kts is greatly reduced. There are few other boats around to help (because most have the good sense not to play on the water at night) and it's MUCH harder to locate a boater in the water at night. So way less help around and a much hard job to do in the event of an accident. Given that, it only makes good sense to travel at a rate of speed that won't sink the boat if you hit a log head on.

 

[Hunkydory]

If it's dark out, I NEVER go more than 5-7 kts. PERIOD! I don't care how good your vision is, or how flat the water is, you simply can't see stuff or people in the water early enough to stop in time. Also, your odds of being found once you do sink after striking that large log at 15-25kts is greatly reduced. There are few other boats around to help (because most have the good sense not to play on the water at night) and it's MUCH harder to locate a boater in the water at night. So way less help around and a much hard job to do in the event of an accident. Given that, it only makes good sense to travel at a rate of speed that won't sink the boat if you hit a log head on.

Roger

In many of the areas we cruised with the constant danger of debri there was no other boats around day or night and the point I was trying to make is with flat or near flat and a full or near full moon you can see as well or better as in the day light with chop and a light swell especially if looking into the son. In either case I said and agree with you to stay under 15 knots. And the overall point I was trying to make is many will only go at displacement speed at night then cruise at 20 + knots during the day in conditions where the visibility of detecting debri in the water is actually worse.

Most all the cases of boats being damaged by debri that I am aware of happened during the day in the main cruising channels by boat cruising at speed to fast for visual conditions..

5-7 knots is safer than 11-14, but with the moon safe enough for us. At night without the moon no matter how flat the water we too would go no faster than 5-7 knots or maybe even slower.

Dr Bob thanks for the correction on the Tomcat planing speed with permatrims.


Jay