I love sailing at night. Its serene, yet mysterious. It even feels a little dangerous. Its not, really, but there are a few things I look out for.
UNLIT BUOYS
These things have always freaked me out. Some nights you can see quite clearly. Other nights are very dark, inky black, you can't see anything.
Whenever I would approach the location of an unlit buoy I would peer ahead and grow anxious. They would loom up out of the darkness, sometimes close aboard. Many times I would never see the buoy and remain anxious until certain it was safely behind.
One night a buoy appeared dead ahead. Only slamming the tiller hard over avoided a collision. I don't know if hitting a buoy at speed would punch a hole in the boat, but it might. At least it would require a time-consuming and embarrassing repair.
I tried for years to memorize their location. Mostly I just gave the location a wide berth. A spotlight doesn't help, it just ruins your night vision. The buoys around me have little, if any, reflective tape. They do have quite a few dents in them.
Eventually I bought a GPS. I don't see any other way.
NAVIGATION
Even local waters can seem unfamiliar at night. If the coast is dark, it can be difficult to judge your range from it. If the coast is lit up, flashing buoys can be difficult to see amidst the clutter. If the night is clear, you can even mistake one buoy for another.
You just have to be more alert. If you feel unsure, resist the temptation to keep charging ahead, hoping things will become clearer.
COLLISION
These powerboats just zip by. I can see the opearator lit up in the blue glow of a big chartplotter. I wonder if they're looking ahead. Other boats go by with every light on, floodlights on the cockpit. Can they see ahead? I spot a surprising number of boats with no running lights on at all. I don't know what's up with them.
There's no doubt that a signifigant percentage of boaters are drunk. They're coming back from a day of fishing or some waterfront bar. If you happen to be in their way, you could have a problem.
All you can do is increase your visibility. I keep a flashlight in the cockpit. If somebody makes me nervous I shine the light on the sail. You might also want to keep an air horn in the cockpit.
The factory running lights on the boat are pretty dim. If you put in a new socket they burn quite a bit brighter.
I know some guys who sail with the anchor light on. I wouldn't do that. I know other guys who sail with the steaming light on. You're not supposed to shine that light unless you have the motor on. But, 95% of powerboaters don't know what that light means. The 5% who know aren't the type of boater you need to worry about. I still haven't decided. Self preservation may be more important than complying with the rule.
You want to keep the battery well charged. However, running lights will start slowly getting dimmer long before they quit. Having an outboard with a charger is nice because you could just fire up the engine and the lights will get brighter as you head home.
You also want to keep some gas in the tank because the wind often dies at night.
MAN OVERBOARD
The consequences of a MOB can be more severe at night. Give some thought to prevention and recovery. A harness is best, at least a PFD. I really shouldn't preach. I've got all sorts of PFDs--orange ones, sport vests, float coats, an auto-inflator. I hardly ever wore one. Then I bought a Stormy Seas jacket. It looks and feels like a regular jacket but has inflation bladders and a CO2 cartridge. That one I wear. Keep a little waterproof flashlight and whistle in the pocket. Maybe a handheld VHF.
Well, that's about it. The days grow shorter now. I need to get get my fill of sailing before the winter comes. I'll be out there at night . Stay out of my way.
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