Have you ever wish for a night escapade just to relax or be with your intimate group? Wherein the cold breeze slaps your skin while the blinking lights from afar spur romantic ambiance. Well, there were a lot of boating locations like the Gondolas on the Grand Canal, Venice, wherein couples, friends, and families share the same space and fell in love with the place. With the ecstatic thought of going at night, why not give it a try to sail or plop down to a boat for at least once in a lifetime?
If given a chance or crossed the plan, these are the things that should be considered when sailing at night, either alone or with someone else.
Gear Up
Before hustling to sail, there are things that you must prepare for safety purposes. Life jackets, flares, and sound signaling devices are the basics but are primarily essential to navigate the sea, river, or lake at night. When on the water, the chart plotter and compass are necessary not to get lost because it will be hard to see the location with the dark surroundings. In terms of clothing, consider wearing or bring warm clothes due to the cold temperature of the water area. If the need to stay in place occurs, get an anchor but practice first before using one, especially since night boating is precarious.
Slow Down
Night boating is tricky, so do not be reckless and always mind the possible circumstances. There might be debris, logs, and other obstructing materials. Slowing down is highly helpful, especially when the boats are crossing to avoid big wakes to smaller vessels. Also, maintain the proper speed or check the local regulations. This is boat safety and for you as well.
Tone Down the Lights
Lights are important so the other navigators can recognize your sailing. There are different lights that you should be mindful of. The red light should be on the left side of the boat. The green light should be on the right side. The white lights, especially the docking lights that are positioned at the front of the boat others won’t collide with you.
Preserve Your Vision
It will be a dark vision for night boating so keep in mind that using lights must be moderate too. It is also important not to confuse the other boaters with your light. Another thing is to stay alert because there are lights that you might get confused about. Heightening your sense of hearing is also vital due to the difficulty of vision.
Avoid Getting Too Near
Keep the boat far from the others. Maintain the right space from the other boats to avoid collisions and worst accidents. Especially, small boats are hard to recognize at night, so it might be dangerous if not prepared. Unexpected pointing lights in your direction might cause you temporary blindness so keep a distance of one mile away for smaller vessels and two miles away for larger than 39.4ft.
Minimize Noise
It is vital to slow down to reduce the noise of the engine so you can hear your surroundings too. Probably, there are other boaters around, too, so minimize the noises and be vigilant of what’s coming near you. Chit chats aren’t prohibited but keep in a low voice and avoid music if possible.
Do Not Gaze at the Sky Too Long
It might be wonderful to stargaze while on the boat because of the luminous sky. But do not stare for too long. It is because you might get vertigo in a few seconds only if the boat is moving while you’re looking above. Just do it for some time, so your escapade won’t get spoiled by too much indulgence.
Best Boats to Prefer at Night
With all the preparations on the list, you should also think the most of what boat you could sail with. Sportfishing yachts are the best to sail the open ocean. Cabin cruises are best to use for vacations with your family. The motor yacht has two engines and offers privacy and luxury to owners due to the intricate design and is spacious. Today, sailboats have a lot of abilities and are perfect for intimate spending of time.