Every Boater Should be Prepared For Nighttime Boating, even if it isn’t planned

The first day of fall doesn't mean the boating season has to end any time soon. However, boating during the fall season means that nightfall will be happening much earlier than you realize. So, as the days get shorter and you find yourself unexpectedly out on the water after sunset, you should know what to do to keep you, your passengers, and your boat safe while boating in the nighttime.

The following tips and best practices will help ensure a safe and fun boating experience at night:

1. It’s the law! Make sure all navigation lights onboard are working, and that they comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. And make sure to turn them on before it gets completely dark so that other boats can see you.

2. Go slow. There may be hazards in the water such as pilings or exposed rocks that are harder to see at night. By driving your boat slowly, you’ll be better prepared to see and avoid these hazards.

3. Learn how to determine a boat’s speed and movement by looking at its navigation lights. If a boat approaching from the side stays in the same relative position to your boat, it could be on a collision course. Slow down or turn until its relative position begins to change. You could also contact the other boater on your VHF-FM radio and let them know your position, speed and course heading.

4. Have another person besides the boat operator act as a lookout - two sets of eyes are better than one. A lookout can allow the operator to concentrate on proper navigation and be alerted of any hazards.

5. Everyone on board should wear a life jacket. If someone should end up overboard, the jacket’s high-visibility color and reflectors will help rescue efforts in low light or dark conditions. Plus, swimming in the dark with no lights around can be scary and confusing, so a life jacket will keep the person afloat. And ensure that every life jacket has a whistle attached to it to allow the person to signal where they are.

6. Visual distress signals are required to be carried on board certain boats by the U.S. Coast Guard depending on where they are operating. New electronic flare models have recently been certified for use and can be substituted for pyrotechnic flares, which can be harmful to the environment and expire after 3 years, which means that they would need to be replaced. The new e-flares never expire and require only a new set of batteries to be operable, plus they float!

7. Every boat should have a GPS/fishfinder even if the owner is navigating in familiar waters. Make sure to dim the screen to its lowest visible setting to preserve night vision. If your boat doesn’t have a navigation aid, use a smartphone to download the Navionics app, which uses the phone’s internal GPS. There’s a two-week trial that allows the operator to download local charts for free.

8. While boaters should always carry a high-poweed flashlight, it shouldn’t be used for navigation. The powerful white beam impairs night vision and can blind a boater coming toward you, but it can be used to search for someone who has fallen overboard or as an all-around white light by pointing it upwards in cases where the navigation lights are not working.

9. If you plan to operate your boat at night on a regular basis, you may want to invest in night vision equipment. It uses infrared heat signatures to help identify obstructions on the water, and some options can even function as a low-light color video camera that helps you see almost as if it’s day light.

10. If people on land are expecting your boat’s arrival before dark, call and let them know your status so that they don’t initiate a search and rescue operation based on your float plan.

11. If you are still having issues navigating in the dark and feel it’s unsafe to proceed, help is just a phone call away to your local Sea Tow franchise. You will need to be able to provide your coordinates and location and ensure that your boat is not in a channel and is also visible with lights so that it does not pose a threat to anyone else on the water.

Have you been boating at night unexpectedly during autumn or any other time of year and have any other tips? If so, provide them below in the comments.

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Photo by Bob Burkhard on Unsplash