Navigation Lights!

[Cal Coon]

IMHO, I have always thought that boating at night kind of sucks, no fun to me at all. UNLESS of course, you are on someone else's boat!!

[8gv]

Saturday night we were on the lobsta cruise on the Mount Washington.

It was pretty dark on the return leg.

At one point a boat passed fairly close at a pretty good clip in violation of the 150' rule.

Once abeam the boat hit their blue MP lights for a short burst.

The Mount reciprocated with a brief flash of their search light.

[Patofnaud]

Originally Posted by Cal Coon

IMHO, I have always thought that boating at night kind of sucks, no fun to me at all. UNLESS of course, you are on someone else's boat!!

Water is calm, chowderheads have gone home for the most part. I love it. Just need good electronics, and turn down all the nonessential lighting and stand up forward of the dash lights and let your eyes adjust.

Made a nice long drive from Moultenboro to Paugus about 10-11pm Saturday night with no moon and it was gorgeous.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Cal Coon

IMHO, I have always thought that boating at night kind of sucks, no fun to me at all. UNLESS of course, you are on someone else's boat!!

I LOVE operating my boat at night. On moonless night it feels like I'm crusing through in space and moonlit nights are spectacular. I put a switch in my boat that kills the gauge lights. That really helps on moonless nights.

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I put a switch in my boat that kills the gauge lights. That really helps on moonless nights.

Ditto -- BEST thing I ever did !

[ursa minor]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I LOVE operating my boat at night. On moonless night it feels like I'm crusing through in space and moonlit nights are spectacular. I put a switch in my boat that kills the gauge lights. That really helps on moonless nights.

I generally love it too, I'd better because "islander" so really not an option for us.

There's only been a few times over the years when I've been concerned. Obviously this most recent incident was one. We were able to see an unlit pontoon boat (wake anyway) in the moonlight one night about 4 years ago ( I "helped" him out by lighting him up with my spotlight) and once a headway speed trip to the island because of rain / fog on the water late in the season. I suppose that's a pretty good record given we've been doing it for quite a while now.

I agree 100% on doing what's needed to make the most of your night vision, the boat we commute with is well suited to night driving. I have a roll up section of the canopy over the drivers area so I can stand up and see over rather than through the windshield.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by ursa minor

I generally love it too, I'd better because "islander" so really not an option for us. There's only been a few times over the years when I've been concerned. Obviously this most recent incident was one. We were able to see an unlit pontoon boat (wake anyway) in the moonlight one night about 4 years ago ( I "helped" him out by lighting him up with my spotlight)
and once a headway speed trip to the island because of rain / fog on the water late in the season. I suppose that's a pretty good record given we've been doing it for quite a while now. I agree 100% on doing what's needed to make the most of your night vision, the boat we commute with is well suited to night driving. I have a roll up section of the canopy over the drivers area so I can stand up and see over rather than through the windshield.

Why headway speed? In rain/fog, you can waterski just fine!

There IS a boat (and skier) in this photograph...

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by ApS

Why headway speed? In rain/fog, you can waterski just fine!

There IS a boat (and skier) in this photograph...

So if you can see them from the distance that you took this photo from, I am willing to bet that other boats on the lake would be able to see them just fine.

[Woodsy]

If that pic was taken by Umbrella Point facing Rattlesnake... the distance between the 2 points is a little over a mile... it increases from there.

So you took a pic of a boat that is clearly over 1/2 mile away and claim there is a visibility problem?

Really?


Woodsy

[ursa minor]

Ummm, APS... my headway speed trip was at NIGHT. As in in the DARK in October with very few lights on the shore, air temp in the 50's with light rain and fog on the water. Not fun. Not quite the same as someone water skiing on a rainy day. I can see the boat in the picture you posted so not sure what your point is?

Oh, and all my navigation lights were on...which was the point of the original post.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by ursa minor

Ummm, APS...my headway speed trip was at NIGHT. As in in the DARK in October with very few lights on the shore, air temp in the 50's with light rain and fog on the water. Not fun. Not quite the same as someone water skiing on a rainy day.
I can see the boat in the picture you posted so not sure what your point is?
Oh, and all my navigation lights were on...which was the point of the original post.

Not intended as a criticism: I've navigated at top speed on a moonless night—turning off my navigation lights. (With justification).

Originally Posted by Woodsy

If that pic was taken by Umbrella Point facing Rattlesnake...the distance between the 2 points is a little over a mile...it increases from there.
So you took a pic of a boat that is clearly over 1/2 mile away and claim there is a visibility problem Really? Woodsy

Question: Seeing that they're "fog-skiing" in the middle of the day, would you have put your navigation lights on in that situation?

The opposite shore is ½-mile distant. The boat is about ⅖-mile distant—and taking a different course every minute.

Originally Posted by chipj29

So if you can see them from the distance that you took this photo from, I am willing to bet that other boats on the lake would be able to see them just fine.

Below is the cropped version of the original photo, but the unavoidable cropping of that original still magnifies the image.

I can make a case that wearing polarized sunglasses in fog would've been advisable. Wanna see the same boat through a polarizing filter?

I am reading the original title (now) that says the "skier" is really a "wakeboarder".

.

[Cal Coon]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I LOVE operating my boat at night. On moonless night it feels like I'm crusing through in space and moonlit nights are spectacular. I put a switch in my boat that kills the gauge lights. That really helps on moonless nights.

To each his own... There's a reason why the lake is "dead" at night, because most people don't enjoy boating at night, otherwise it would be the zoo it is during the day. I don't mind the "zoo" during the day. As a matter of fact, it is one of the things I love about Winni. It is very entertaining to me for many reasons. I love people watching, (mostly bikini's!!) and I love looking at other boats as well. I will speed up on the highway just to catch up to a boat on a trailer, just to "check it out"!! I love watching people doing stupid things too, especially at the boat ramp! Another thing I'm not crazy about boating at night is the condensation on the vinyl, I don't enjoy the feeling of wearing a wet diaper... You can have the nights!! Also, when you mentioned putting a switch on the dash to kill the lights to help you see better, it reminded me of a little tip I learned years ago when backing up a vehicle at night, turn your headlights off and it makes a world of difference to see behind you!! Don't know if they teach that today in driving school (doubt it), but I know they weren't in my day. Amazes me how many people never heard of this.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Cal Coon

To each his own... There's a reason why the lake is "dead" at night, because most people don't enjoy boating at night, otherwise it would be the zoo it is during the day. I don't mind the "zoo" during the day. As a matter of fact, it is one of the things I love about Winni. It is very entertaining to me for many reasons. I love people watching, (mostly bikini's!!) and I love looking at other boats as well. I will speed up on the highway just to catch up to a boat on a trailer, just to "check it out"!! I love watching people doing stupid things too, especially at the boat ramp! Another thing I'm not crazy about boating at night is the condensation on the vinyl, I don't enjoy the feeling of wearing a wet diaper... You can have the nights!! Also, when you mentioned putting a switch on the dash to kill the lights to help you see better, it reminded me of a little tip I learned years ago when backing up a vehicle at night, turn your headlights off and it makes a world of difference to see behind you!! Don't know if they teach that today in driving school (doubt it), but I know they weren't in my day.

Having the lake/ocean/river/canal to myself at night is a major plus for me. I enjoy looking at crowds of boats and mayhem too, but I really enjoy spending time on the boat with just my wife and no one else around for miles.