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

[Suijin]

Aside from the challenge of navigating at night, there are a whole slew of other considerations that make it more challenging and potentially dangerous and which novice sailors simply don't have the experience for or with, generally speaking. Knowing light signals and being able to interpret bearing/course/intercepts with other boats, managing running the boat in the dark, dealing with weather changes, etc.

I used to keep my boat at a marina in Annapolis that is the base for a number of big charter companies, and on weekends there was a constant parade of charter boats going in and out. The number of them coming back in with damage, or who suffered and inflicted damage when returning to the slip was shocking. Seemed like every month there was boat coming back in with half a mast because the charterer had gone through Kent Narrows, even though it was strictly prohibited by the charter companies (narrow channel, strong currents, narrow single leaf bascule bridge). The rigging company there was very busy.

While there are plenty of experienced skippers who charter, it's just too much of a risk for charter companies to let their clients sail at night. There is just too much that can go wrong.

[belizesailor]

OP, as already posted, few if any charter companies allow night sailing (Belize Moorings wants hook down by 4PM). If you want night experience then see if charter co will allow with local captain/instructor aboard.

For example, I used to work as a charter captain/instructor in Belize. If I was aboard then we could run at night (required for some classes) and could use routes/destinations prohibited to bareboats. You can probably find something similar in other venues.

[nautical62]

The company I owned and chartered with in the VIs did not allow sailing after dark within the VIs but allowed overnight sailing if you sailed from there to one of their bases in another island group such as St. Martin. I don't know if this is still their policy or not or what qualifications and practices one needs to meet if sailing out of the VIs.

[Sandero]

How is this enforced?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Sandero

How is this enforced?

They ring you in the VHF at 4pm and ask your position.
Unless you're a Donald Crowhearst it's not worth the lying for the whole charter. especially if you break down in Martinique after chatering from BVIs

[Ludek]

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

[TeddyDiver]

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

Same feelings here. Night sailing is the best time ever. No background with helicopters thou but speaking as a retired poucher

BR Teddy

[s/v Moondancer]

I have chartered out of Ft lauderdale and been allowed to sail overnight to Bimini. Horizon Charters in Grenada allowed me to sail at night to get to St Lucia.

However, like Mark I stand-off until dawn unless it is a well lit channel like Miami...Never be in a hurry to get into trouble!

As crew I was on a boat entering Cherbourg, at night, and the skipper lined up perfectly on the bow of the 20,000 ton ferry on its way to the UK. US skipper and red right returning, the mast head lights he interpreted as lined up range markers!

[Hoosiersailor]

There are a few Florida charter companies that will allow it if you have the right qualifications. Several of them allow trips from St. Pete to the Dry Tortugas and from south Florida to the Bahamas.

Check the itineraries

Fun in the Sun Yachts | Sailing Yacht Charter and Rentals in South Florida
St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay - Sailing Yacht, Catamaran & Fishing Charters

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Ludek

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

Why that big diference with the Caribbean or it is all US? I don't normally charter boats but on the period of two years that I was without a boat I charted 2 weeks in each year (on the med) and never heard about that.

After all if I have little time for sailing and want to visit a considerable amount of nice places and have to turn back for delivering the boat, doing a considerable distance, I have to do some night sailing, otherwise that would not be possible.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

They ring you in the VHF at 4pm and ask your position.
Unless you're a Donald Crowhearst it's not worth the lying for the whole charter. especially if you break down in Martinique after chatering from BVIs

And no insurance coverage.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Ludek

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

On a bareboat chartered boat?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

How impressive A64.

It wasn't meant that way, it was meant that some people are just comfortable at night and do well at night, and are just "night people"
There is a theory that as a species we became day creatures out of necessity, early man that wondered around at night, was eaten and didn't pass the genes on.
Almost all cultures have fears of the dark, Boogie man etc. its sort of like fear of snakes, people that have never seen one are afraid when they do, its sort of a racial memory thing.
But some people just enjoy nights, I had rather night fly than daytime, even if I were spraying crops. Some reasons are its not Africa hot, there is little to no wind or turbulence, the big nasty birds are not out (hitting a turkey buzzard is something you remember) and the bees are not out and there are no people in the fields. But even with all the advantages of night flying only people that I know that do it exclusively is Dole Costa Rica, everybody else just about flies days as nights are scary.
Part of it I guess is that as a young man I could still distinguish colors when most people were having a hard time seeing shapes, I had great night vision, something that you lose with age by the way.
But once you get used to it and learn to like it, there is nothing better than a passage at night.
I love the desert at night, and I guess I have not gotten far enough out to get away from all the light pollution, or maybe its the humidity, but I've not yet gotten that super clear night at sea yet like in the desert.

You know my kids had never seen the milky way until I showed it to them on a passage across the Gulf and they are 17 and 21.

[puffcard]

I agree that night passages can be fun and a way to cover some distance. We went out during the Super Moon off the East Coast bypassing some of the ICW. What a night, the moon was so bright, light winds, little traffic, a ton of fun and a very good passage. But I came into a Class A Inlet and had people I trust on watch. Also I'm a night person, rarely sleep more than 5-6 hours and usually still up at 1am. On an overnighter I don't/can't sleep.

[Hoosiersailor]

A64 - Been a long time since I have flown (fixed wing) but I used to love flying at night. The air was more settled and on a clear night you could see forever. However, I did have several pilot friends that really were not comfortable at night. Just depends on the person. Sailing seems to be the same way. The biggest difference is I never saw any crab pots that I could hit when I was flying.