4 Sailing Tips for Sailing at Night

Sailing at night can be both amazing and frightening. Nighttime on the water, characterized by picturesque fog and brilliant phosphorescence, has a certain still, mysterious quality that draws people to it. At the same time, without proper preparation, good gear and a watchful eye, sailing at night can be downright disastrous.

Try following the tips below to ensure your night sail goes off without a hitch.

Sailing Tip # 1: Make Sure the Crew Understands the Equipment

All crew should know how to operate the navigation and safety equipment prior to embarking on any trip. While sailing, if a quick decision becomes necessary at night to avoid a collision, “you don’t want them reading instruction manuals by flashlight,” quips Sail Magazine Editor Charles J. Doane.

To ensure the crew is familiar with the technology on your vessel, Doane recommends:

• giving them a briefing on operating radar and AIS equipment prior to sailing;
• ensure that at least one member of each watch has good working knowledge of the vessel's lighting patterns in case of technical difficulties; and
• encourage the crew to wake you if they are unsure how to operate a piece of equipment or if there is a threat of collision.

Sailing Tip # 2: Set a Watch Schedule

Setting a solid watch schedule is absolutely crucial with night sailing to avoid a collision. Make a definite watch schedule and ensure everyone knows when they are to be on duty.

It can be quite difficult to stay awake while on watch, particularly when the night is warm and comfortable. If you fall asleep while on watch, it can be very disorienting and greatly increases the risk of hazard. To help those on watch stay awake, have coffee and refreshments on hand and encourage them to move around if they feel sleepy.

Sailing Tip # 3: Make Safety a Priority

Sailing at night is adventurous and awe-inspiring, but it also should be safe. You can never be too cautious. To make safety a priority on your trips, DIY Wood Boat recommends that you:

• wear a safety harness;
• ensure everyone on deck is clipped into an anchor point;
• set up jack lines so everyone can remain clipped in at all times;
• have blankets or extra jackets on hand to stay warm, should the temperature drop at night; and
• throttle back and traverse slowly and steadily because crash avoidance takes a greater degree of caution at night.

Sailing Tip # 4: Minimize Your Power Usage

It’s important to manage power usage carefully while sailing at night, given the enormous amount of power modern tools consume. “Between your nav lights, autopilot, chartplotter, radar, VHF radio, AIS transceiver and myriad illuminated instrument displays, you’ll see your amp-meter spiking a lot higher than it normally does,” Doane explains.

Ensure your boat can handle the electrical load. To conserve power:

• dim your displays;
• use flashlights whenever practicable to avoid using cabin lights; and
• try to replace any incandescent lights with less power-hungry LEDs.

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