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

[pskudlarski]

Hello,

In preparation for buying a bigger yacht we are chartering different boats in various places. We have recently chartered in Chesapeake Bay and in Charleston and in both places the contracts required us to stay on marina or anchor overnight. We were told that it is a standard clause in all chartering contracts.

Is it true on Caribbean too?

I understand that even if charter operator would turn blind eye, we would be in serious troubles with insurance if something went wrong during night sail.

Are there places where you can actually charter a boat to make a longer passage?

Thanks.

Pawel

[brianlara 3]

Depends what you call "serious trouble". I would think that having an insurance company sell my house etc....really serious.
Blind eyes in courts are wide open.

[Saleen411]

Moorings in BVI.....no sailing at night.

[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.

[Cotemar]

All the charter companies want their boats on the hook or moorings before dark.

It takes a few years of chart plotting and radar skills to be doing night sailing safely.

You never want to do it on your own the first time.
It's best to go with a buddy that has the night sailing skills already.
Things look much different at night, so your buddy can point out what your actually looking at, so it will help you make the passage safely.

All of a sudden moonlight becomes your friend.

All your instruments have to be set just right or you will be blinded or not be able to read them.

You will be going by a seawall that maybe 20 feet to port and if you cut to early, BAM.

Night Sailing is a skill you want to take your time with and learn it right.

[puffcard]

Chartered about a dozen times with several different companies... None I've used allow night sailing. My question is why? The boat is already in a good cruising spot. If you want to move boats at night get with a delivery capt and offer yourself up.

[DRS]

I have a boat in charter and it to is no night travel. Fortunately in the PNW during the summer its not dark till after 9 but still there is no way I want charter clients making a night passage.

That is an expensive piece of equipment you are "borrowing". It is in charter to earn revenue during a season. The potential cost of the damage to the boat itself and the lost revenue during the down time while those damages are repaired is not a risk I, as an owner, or any charter boat company I know of are prepared to take.

With all due respect if you want to do an overnight passage please do it on your own boat and as mentioned in a previous post ideally with experienced crew for the first few times

[brianlara 3]

Driving a car is one thing. Driving a boat is entitely another. Driving a boat at night, even in very familiar waters, is a whole other thing. Triple potential for mishap. But my favorite trips are done at night, just lovely, and no baking sun.....been bit by the melanona bug, Stage 4 !!

[Hoofsmit]

Hi
I am a freelance skip in the Caribbean, as others have said , no night sailing and most require anchoring or Marina berths an hour before dark
One very good reason is that the Caribbean is not the best charted or buoyed cruising area, what you read on the chart as a navigational guidance is often in accurate or missing all together, for example, I entered Falmonth harbour, Antigua this morning only to find that the preferred Chanel marker was not ' on station ' it was replaced by a red unlit fender. With out local knowledge in the dark you would be aground within 2 ca !
and this would be your bolt hole if things turned nasty inter island down here.
Even the guys I know who have sailed here for decades avoid coming into areas they know at night and will lay off until the sun is high enough to read the shallows



Sent from my iPad.......i apologise for the auto corrects !!!

[brianlara 3]

WOW !!!

[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

[brianlara 3]

How impressive A64.

[pskudlarski]

Interesting,

I was of not thinking of navigating tight spots or entering harbors, more something like a run from Charleston to Savannah when I leave harbor and go to the sea during day, sail open ocean through the nigh and enter new harbor next day. Imagined sailing between islands could be similar in some cases.

I did sails overnight as a crew or mate and would like to try longer passages on my own before buying my boat to get a better taste of the family life on boat before the big jump.

I imagined that any bare boat chartering requires trust in the skipper judgement.

Thanks

Pawel

[MarkJ]

Not allowed in the Caribbean as far as I know.

There are very few bays I would come into at night. (I am a but of a 'stand off'er).

The islands are so close together that overnight sailing is not really needed.

But one neva knows, maybe if you ask and pay an insurance premium...?

[CaptainChip]

We don't allow our guests to sail at night at CYOA Yacht Charters. As said before there's absolutely no need for it. All of the islands here are a short afternoon sail away. If you wanted to make a longer "passage" (used very loosely) we allow guests to go as far as st Croix, svi, and anegada.