Night Sailing Basics

[Big Windy]

Night

I rarely sail at night...on my lake there are way too many power boaters who get out and roar up and down the lake after consuming way too many adult beverages. During the week is not too bad, Sat and Sun are dangerous.

 

[Phiggins]

GPS was real handy.

A few years ago, when I had my Northern 25, I use to leave Whitby harbour after work and sail 4 hours straight out in Lake Ontario. On the way back after dark it was nearly impossible to tell where the harbour entrance was with all the shore lights. Fortunately, I had my trusty handheld Magellan GPS. One time I couldn't believe the direction it was pointing but decided to trust it. It was right and took me right to the mouth of the harbour.My new boat has a Furuno radar/chartplotter (and still the Magellan for backup) but its still an eery feeling slipping through the blackness.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I understand

RickA cruise ship, lit up at night, on open waters, is like dragging Pasadena out to Hawaii.Makes running lights very hard to find.Stu

 

[s sauer]

Chesapeake Night Sailing

Our Marina entrance is just 100 yards off the main channel on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake opposite Baltimore. The Eastern shore is rural so shore lights aren't much of a problem, but even seasoned sailors loose their sense of direction once away from the channel. I prefer a little bit of moonlight to help see crab pots; but keep a chart, search light and GPS handy and note your compass direction often. If you sail within the channel you miss the crab pots, but you need a sharp look out particularly for tugs pushing barges and they don't always stay in the channel. None the less, an evening sail with a cooler breeze and fewer boats is a wonderful thing once you have the confidence to navigate in the dark. Since our headsails are deck sweepers, we drop the Genoa and sail on the main or motor when we need to navigate tight areas. Finding cans and day marks to get into creeks and anchorages is a little more challenging, but use the light sparingly to preserve your night vision. I usually only go into anchorages I am familiar with from daytime visits, or where I know the depths are not a problem. I can't wait to get out again next season.

 

[a poor old sailor]

Anchor lights as nav lights

It has been mentioned in this thread to use your anchor light at night and also that this practice is illegal. I have always used my anchor light because it is the most visible to other vessels. Pay attention to other sailboats while out there and you will notice that the anchor light is visible while the deck height nav lights are frequently blocked by gear or waves.To avoid confusion and to make the 'anchor light' into a legitimate light, I don't use a stern light or steaming light. The all-around anchor light then becomes a combination stern light and steaming light. Sure, I give up my right of way as a sailing vessel by indicating that I am also steaming, but I would never push my right of way as a sailboat at night anyways.(Please note that there may be some vessel size restrictions regarding the use of these lights, check with Chapman's or the Coast Guard to verify the legality of your application.)

 

[Stu Jackson]

Why Not Just

get a real masthead tri color light and refrain from using could be construed as confusing nav lights?Stu

 

[Fred T]

Night sailing

Hi,BobJust to get one thing out of the way: there is NO WAY that use of an anchor light as a running light at night can be considered a "legitimate" practice. Using anything other than correct legal lights is an extremely dangerous practice. Proper lights indicate to other boats the size, type, direction of travel, and method of propulsion of your boat. It's frightening to think that there are "sailors" moving about out there at night who don't understand this. Imagine sailing in front of an apparently anchored boat (hey, he's showing an anchor light) only to be run down by same boat which is actually underway!It's true that running lights on deck might be obscured at times; if this is a concern, there are legitimate tri-colored (red/green/white) lights that are approved for sailboats and are mounted at the masthead. Chapman's has all the info on proper lights. Incidentally captains of large ships state that, in the vicinity of towns/cities with many lights on shore, deck-mounted lights are MORE visible to them than lights at the masthead. Masthead lights can blend in with shore lights and be hard to see. Night sailing can be a true joy, but you should be fairly adept at navigating/piloting and familiar with the basics of the navigation lights on various types of boats that you might encounter. Learn about fog and other audible signals, and the sounds and lights on aids to navigation.Have you taken any of the Coast Guard or Power Squadron basic boating courses? They can be a lot of fun. You get to hang out with other boaters and with guys/gals (the instructors)who really know their stuff.Sailing at night can add to the spectrum of your boating pleasures. Learn the basic skills, perhaps take along an experienced sailor who knows and respects the rules of the road, and you will have a wonderful AND safe experience.

 

[BarryL]

steaming light vs anchor light, other lights

Hello,Unless I'm missing something, there really isn't any difference between a steaming light and an anchor light. If the white light at the top of the mast is lit, AND the red / green / white nav lights are on, you are operating under power, and must obey the power boat rules. If the white light at the top of the mast is lit, AND there are no other nav lights lit, then you are anchored.Finally, regarding nav lights and night sailing, sailing around the Port Jeff / Mt. Sinai area of the Long Island Sound, I have seen everything from big dinner cruise boats lit up like Xmas trees, to PWC's without lights (at least they are easy to hear), to fisherman anchored by bouys with NO lights, to boats anchored in the middle of the channel. I'll take a sailing boat with nav lights AND an anchor light over a boat with no lights any day (or would that night) of the week.Barry

 

[Dana M26D]

A Radar Reflector is...

essential if there is any commercial traffic in your area. Even in perfect conditions it gives my fibreglass boat a much better chance of being seen. At night or in reduced visability it could save your life. I doubt that you'll ever run into the boat you see. The boat you don't see may see you on radar and sound a warning. These things are cheap, usually around $50-$100. In the pic you can see many of the boats at our club use them. We deal with occasional fog and a lot of traffic, so I'd never sail without a radar reflector.

 

[p323ms]

steaming light is not a 360 light

I think that the anchor light would be legal if your stern light was turned off while motoring. But from the stern two white lights one on top of the other indicates a greater than 50 meter craft at anchor. So an approaching craft would take evasive action. But legality and what actually occurs on the water are very different things. But if a large boat was involved in an accident while trying to avoid a "large anchored craft" you might be found financially responsible. Just like the rules of the road are rarely enforced until an accident happens. If you are on a port tack and ram another sailboat on a starboard tack you are at fault and have to pay for both boats. But if the guy on the starboard tack avoids the accident the most that usually occurs is he shoots you the bird or calls you an ignorant a$$hole.tom

 

[a poor old sailor]

Anchor light as a legitimate nav light

Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been regarding my use of the anchor light.While under way at night, the only lights I show are the all-around white anchor light and the red/green bow lights.From the front, others see red and green with white well above - typical lighting pattern for a boat under power.From the side, others see red or green with white well above - typical lighting pattern for a boat under power.From the back, others see one white light - typical lighting pattern for a boat under power (and others).My lighting is very simple, with an LED at the top of the mast I have very little power draw and almost no maintanence.The use of a mast top tri-color could regain my right of way as a sailing sailboat, but I wouldn't assume that others would grant that right regardless of my lights.Have you priced tri-colors lately, especially LED ones? Then there's all of them wires, weight, and maintanence at the mast top. No thank you, I'll stick with what I have.

 

[patrick]

Anchor light is NOT a steaming light

If you do not know the difference, get a book and learn about it, ask someone knowledgeable, take a course, or else stay on shore. If you use your anchor light instead of or in addition to a steaming light, you are an ignorant a**hole and deserve the consequences. If I see you doing this, I will report it to the CG and hope everyone else will too. I just hope you do not kill or injure someone else in the meantime by your stupidity.

 

[p323ms]

Poor Old sailor you are right

Using your anchor light to mimic a powerboat as long as there is no stern light. I guess if push came to shove you could claim that your motor was started and thus even with sails you are legally a powerboat. You could even use a pole type all round light like the bass boats use. Assuming that you are less than 12 meters. Heck unless your state says otherwise a less than 7 meter sailboat doesn't have to display lights but must have a flashlight available!!!! Many state requirements are more stringent. Tom

 

[Stu Jackson]

Missing something?

"Unless I'm missing something, there really isn't any difference between a steaming light and an anchor light." Yes, there is.An anchor light is at the top of the mast and is a 360 degree all around light.A steaming light is on the front of the mast, cannot be seen from behind and is only 2/3rds of the way up the mast.The steaming light is used by a sailboat when motoring. It is off when sailing at night.An anchor light is only to be used at anchor.See the difference now?When people start re-interpreting the simple, basic rules for their own selfish interests it somehow not only demeans the sport, but sends some other very serious attitude issues about safety for both themselves and others. And saying that motor yachts and PWCs are worse is malarkey. Just because they don't doesn't give you any excuse to do so, too.Recently there was a very nice Pacific Seacraft 34 out on the bay with BOTH his deck running and tricolor lights on. It was very calm with enough breeze to sail. When I mentioned it to him, non-confrontational, in passing, he got all sorts of weirded out and started yelling *&&%$#$ names at me. His lights were very confusing. Coming at me head on, I didn't know if there was a small sailboat being followed by a VERY big but narrow ship, or whether I was really missing something important, and relevant to MY safety.Folks, it's just NOT THAT HARD to do it right to begin with.Stu

 

[patrick]

Stu

You are right on! It is not that hard to just do things right. It does not matter your age or economic status.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Navigation Rules

Believe it or not, P32 is spot on. I'm currently taking a course to get my captain's license, and interestingly enough, we just got through covering the Navigation Rules. Lighting is part of the Navigation Rules.The instructor started the class by explaining something that I always assumed I knew the answer to, but found I was wrong. I always thought the purpose of the lighting rules was to help you identify the type of vessel you were seeing. He informed us that the purpse of the lighting rules is to establish the stand on vessel and to aid in safe naviagation.To prove the point, he asked what it meant when you saw a single white light dead ahead. The answer was that it could be ANY vessel underway, or it could be a vessel less than 50 meters at anchor. He then asked how you could tell which it was? When we sat there pondering it, he said, you can't. It doesn't matter. You have to give way to a vessel you are overtaking, and you have to give way to an anchored vessel, so either way, the light has served its purpose, you MUST give way to it.A poweed vessel 12 meters in length or less must display (while underway) side lights, and either a stern light and masthead light, or a single all around light.Assuming Poor Old Sailor's boat is less than 12 meters, if he's running a combination of side lights and a single all around white light while he's sailing, he's technically wrong, but in practice, as long as he understands (which he acknowledges) that he gives up is "stand on vessel" priviledge when he's running lights that way, he should be OK.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Light Definitions

In response to Patrick's post below, Stu may be right in that doing thins right is not that hard to do, but Stu is wrong in defining an anchor light. The rules don't define an anchor light, the define the following:Masthead lightSidelightSternlightTowing lightAll-around lightFlashing light(these are international rules, the inland rules include a special flashing light)A boat at anchor (less than 50 meters) requires a single all-around light, this is what most of us call an anchor light.A power boat (which is ANY boat, sail or motor, that is under power by mechnical means) under 12 meters while underway can instead display a single all-around light and sidelights instead.This would be the same all-around light used while at anchor, but sidelights would not be displayed.

 

[a poor old sailor]

Questions about Colregs

Is it really technically wrong to run one all around white in conjuction with red/green on the bow, regardless of means of propulsion?A vessel must behave in regards to the Colregs as the type of vessel that they present themselves as. I am lit as a boat with mechanical propulsion and follow the regs as such. Does it really matter to others whether my propulsion is from my engine, engine and sails, or sails alone?Others have asked why not just do it right? My understanding of the regs is that I am doing it right and I would never sail offshore at night without a light at the top of the mast. Almost every sailor I know (who actually gets over the horizon once in a while) lights their anchor lights as well. Most probably do not even bother to extinguish their stern light, thinking that the more lights they show, the better their chances are of being spotted. The nav rules will do you no good if that steamer never sees you...PS Thanks, Herb, for the 12 meter referrence. I had previously indicated that there may be a size restriction to my method, but I couldn't remember what the cut-off was.

 

[a poor old sailor]

Patrick sure is emotional...

...but he is right in saying that an anchor light is not a steaming light. In actuality, an anchor light is a combination steaming light and stern light. I have previously stated that I use it instead of the steaming light and stern light, and do not appreciate your foul language and insinuations of my ignorance when it is actually you that should learn more. When you report me to the Coasties, perhaps they will educate you...

 

[eds928gt]

The sailing lights include a stern light.

Whether the sailboat has a combination light at the top of the mast or side lights and a stern light, from the rear others will see you as a white light. As they pass you, they will see the side light (red on your port side, green on your starboard side), and they will also know you're sailing without mechanical propulsion.However, an all-around light (aka anchor light) means you're not moving or cannot move under your own power. As they pass you, they will still see that all-around light, but will be confused when they see a side light. Are you anchored, or are you underway? If the latter, are you using the engine? If so, why isn't the steaming light on and the anchor light off?Seems to me, there are valid reasons for using navigation lights. Moreover, I can understand how justifying their mis-use causes some grief to sailors who do their best to follow the rules.~ Happy trails and sails to you ~ _/) ~