Sailing through the night on chartered boat? is it allowed.

[OS2Dude]

Even in open water, you have to remember yours won't be the only vessel out there. My brother and a friend of his were sailing the Gulf of Mexico a while back with their wives, the friend on watch at night. My brother's wife was nervous about some lights ahead and got my brother to come on deck. The friend had seen the lights and thought it would be OK to sail between them, until my brother told him the lights were a Tug pulling a barge raft and if he had sailed between them he would have gotten them all run down and likely killed...

[Cheechako]

I guess if your anchor drags and you come adrift you should abandon ship in the dink and head to shore, lest you be caught "sailing at night"!

[Mrfish]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Never knew that, to me night sailing / boating is easy I don't see the issue, but I guess maybe a couple thousand hours of night flying helicopters may be why?
Biggest concern to me would be a MOB on a moonless night

Tie yourself to the boat at night, why take the chance.

My biggest fear at night is unlit floating objects. ie. Logs, Containers, net buoys.

[Mithril Bham]

The only exception I know of is when we taught ASA Advanced Coastal Cruising and used our charter boats for overnight cruises with an insurance rider.

[Kentb]

I have gone to the BVI's twice and we had to be at a Mooring ball or dock before dark each night. Anchoring was strongly discouraged, but there was no way to know if there would be moorings available, especially if you arrived later in the day.
My eyes are getting older and now wearing glasses, I do not enjoy the night sails as much as I once did. But it still can be nice.

Issues are:
1)Ability to avoid obstacles (to see them, or be able to interpret charts or chartplotters).
2)Ability to understand lights of other craft and stay out of harms way. Like previous post about steering between two lights which turned out to be a tug and barge.
3)Ability to deal with emergency situation in dark. (MOB, taking on water, engine out or rigging failure is a completely different scenario without daylight
4) finally and foremost - what you have no control over is idiots out for night joy rides on other boats (especially power boats).

Bottom line, is even in familiar waters, unfamiliar things happen and that is where casualties come in to play.

[CaptRory]

I have chartered out of Fun in the Sun in Ft. Lauderdale several times for trips to the Bahamas and left at 0200 to make a scheduled daylight landfall and then sailed across the banks over night...all approved in advance. Perhaps it depends on your skill, experience level and crew. Just ask them. Years ago, I chartered out of Yachting Vacations in Punta Gorda and sailed overnight to the Dry Tortugas...all scheduled for safe daylight landfall. A subsequent charter from (different management) Yachting Vacations had language in the contract saying no night sailing and I lined it out, initialed it and added my itinerary in a note. No one mentioned it and I sailed overnight. Make up your itinerary, give it to the company and they will yes or no.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by clownfishsydney

In Queensland you have to be moored, anchored or in marina by 1600 and the actual location has to be approved by the charter company.

Same in New Zealand.

[El Pinguino]

I think the OP wants to take a charter boat out at night to get some experience of night sailing before buying his own boat.

Charterers probably feel the same way as the older woman who said to me when I was quite young.. 'I'm looking for experience.. not experiments'.

[Clivevon]

Interesting thread - chartered once in Whitsundays Australia and met this anchored by 4 pm thing - due to coral.

However in UK i've never come across this before. I have certainly been on charter boats doing overnight cross channel (English Channel) passages many times. Crossing the busy shipping lanes is the thing but on my own boat, integrated AIS on a cockpit chart plotter makes life a lot easier these days, & radar too for warships, fishing boats & other yachts. You do need to know how to dim your instruments and we worked on the principle that if you fell off the boat you were dead. So you clip on before you leave the cabin, and stay that way. On a cruiser its nice to set the boat up before it gets dark so you hopefully wont need to reef in the dark. You need a good searchlight anyway, in case you need to throw serious light on something...

Obviously you need to be able to set watches with people you trust so you can get some sleep...

[Scottuk]

Originally Posted by Ludek

In Europe it is OK to sail during night,after all that what sailing is all about,,

That is not what I found in Croatia. We were not allowed to sail at night and this is with a experienced crew that also had Yahtmaster tickets. It was for the best as we do enjoy our drink.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Just depends on the charter operator and insurance company's risk assessment based on average client and local conditions.

Respect the owner of the boat. I'd reckon that fewer boats will be allowed to be sailed at night in the Caribbean. Idyllic conditions can suddenly change and surprise the newbie and grounding is more likely as it's probably less better surveyed and more geologically active than the western Mediterranean.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Scottuk

That is not what I found in Croatia. We were not allowed to sail at night and this is with a experienced crew that also had Yahtmaster tickets. It was for the best as we do enjoy our drink.

Than next time you should use another charter provider. I have charted once with Bantours and what the say in the contract is:

"that he shall not sail by night without using all navigational lights and without adequate observation from the board."
General terms - Ban tours

and I did sail at night.

Charted also once in Croatia with Salona charter and they said nothing to me about not sailing at night.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by Polux

Than next time you should use another charter provider. I have charted once with Bantours and what the say in the contract is:

"that he shall not sail by night without using all navigational lights and without adequate observation from the board."
General terms - Ban tours

and I did sail at night.

Charted also once in Croatia with Salona charter and they said nothing to me about not sailing at night.

If Salona charter is the same as Salona yacht production I'll be surprised if they included any sails

[knockabout]

need to ask the charter company / pay for overnight sailing inclusion in your charter agreement / they are in business to make money if you have plenty charter a private yacht with experienced continuous sailing crew / and learn the ropes

[Ludek]

Yes, on all barebone charters,,,,,