Prior to going out in the boat, if there is even a hint of being out past dark, I check my lights to make sure they are functioning, kinda like a "pre-flight" check on an aircraft. Also check for gas and oil in the external tank for the Optimax, life preservers handy, GPS up and running, maps handy, paddle still there, usually test the horn simply because it is next to the light switch and I almost always hit the wrong one
...
It certainly was a dark ride home on Sunday night from Wolfeboro, and I was glad to have my wife keeping an eye out, and she even asked if I knew where I was at one point!!!!! Thank god the answer was YES!!!!! I think she started to relax once we passed the infamous and hard-to-see black marker SE of treasure island and could see the flashing light outside WAM. I keep wanting to make my own waypoint mark for it, but forget about it during the day.
I enjoy watching fireworks by boat, and would go to the Weirs, but I'm just not sure I want to get in that much traffic that late at night after others may have been imbibing for most of the day and evening. Bottom line, be defensive to the nth degree, and when in doubt, throttle back and light it up!!!!!!!