What do single handlers do at night?

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Rule 9 isn’t about interfering with commercial traffic, it’s about priority in a narrow channel.


https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...lgamated#rule9

If a recreational vessel is constrained by draft such that they need to remain in a Channel, a commercial vessel has no higher priority.

Rule 9 also says: "(b) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."

Again. It's all about the circumstances and intent, and not the strict reading of the words. A tanker (i.e., commercial traffic) has priority in a fairway over a sailboat. Period. Even if that fairway is the only way to proceed and even if it's two miles wide. Interpretation of whether there was "impedence" could be different depending on one's perspective -- and course and speed over ground and weather conditions and on and on. This is why these kinds of discussions are fun and enlightening. It ain't really real life till someone has to look at it from both sides of an actual situation and decide the outcome.

[IAmGroot]

Having stood officer of the deck bridge watch in the Navy, I can totally appreciate this thread. It is very difficult to see a small craft visually and radar can be useless for small craft, especially if there is any kind of sea state. Having sailed offshore before being in the Navy, small boats were always on my mind and I REMEMBER those couple times on a dark night in the west Pacific where I picked out some small sailboat lights bouncing around a mile or so away, and thinking, OK, what if that was my boat? I also have the occasional nightmare about the fishing boat running dark that turned his lights on about 100 yards off our port bow, the lookout reporting it as it passed down the side. The saying is "A collision at sea can ruin your whole day." (And then having to call and wake the captain to tell him about the close encounter.) While I am thinking of it, the common standing order for waking the captain was 10000 yards CPA, with a preference to keep that distance.

Radar reflectors are a must (duh I am sure) and I learned recently about some transponders I want to check out. Boat bucks add up for that stuff...

Look at the height of the waves around you... If they make you lose the horizon on every trough then your hull may as well be invisible. Higher speeds also gives the bigger ship less time to react to YOU. Old, probably sun-darkened nav lights with 2nm range are pretty pathetic really, and give a ship at 20 kts a max six minutes to see you and respond to your lack of reaction if you are sleeping. (LEDs came out after my Navy time so have not seen them from a big ship...I can only imagine they must be a lot better)

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

I have the red-over-green configuration conforming to COLREGs Rule 25(c). The red light is a 2-mile all-around light, and the green light is actually four green 2-mile sidelights (spaced so closely horizontally that they appear as a single light) with overlapping sectors to prevent blanking from the sail heads, and mounted on the mast sides 1 meter below the red all-around. The red light is elevated 500 mm above the masthead, so the greens are only 500 mm (20 inches) below the masthead.

This sounds like something I totally want to do with my boat. The distance between the lights is really important. Is this something you put together or is it an off the shelf item?

With regard to comments about strobes... Great idea, and I want to do that too. Just don't leave it on all the time and try to avoid strobes with 1 second intervals, which is commonly recognized as a distress signal, and would likely cause sphincters to tighten on any passing vessel, and might even make them TRY to get closer to check you out if you do not respond on the VHF. FWIW, Colregs Rule 36, Signals to Attract Attention also states:

For the purpose of this Rule the use of high intensity
intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided.

Would I let that stop me from using a strobe on an as-needed basis to keep from getting run down? No way.

Great thread!

[gamayun]

Hi Groot, curious what you thought about radar reflectors because I kinda forget about using them except on long passages. They're such no-tech passive devices. Could you actually tell the difference between a radar reflection hit off a boat versus its radar reflector? Or does it just help in big sea state when it would be hit and miss off fiberglass?

As to strobes, I'm a firm believer in turning them on when there's any question about where a boat is, but not keeping them on all night unless it's for emergency purposes. I was astounded at how easy it was to actually "see" a small boat from just a handful of miles away at night. Nav lights on a recreational boat are really useless unless they're right on top of you (so to speak...).

[IAmGroot]

It is very difficult to say how much difference radar reflectors made in the boats I observed. Sea state was always such that nav lights were the first thing seen, and with that hint, we could sometimes make out a blip on the radar. That said, note that this was twenty-five years ago, using at least fifteen year old technology, and tuning-out waves while still seeing "real stuff" was very difficult. Doppler and digital radars were not available to us. No idea if this new technology helps or if it hinders.

A reflector has got to better than nothing though, and so it has got to be regarded as an essential piece of diligence. I had a Tri-Lens on my last boat, that being the highest rated reflector at the time.

[mglonnro]

Someone figure out what it says on the back

[owly]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

Someone figure out what it says on the back

When I saw the title of this thread, my instant reaction was .....masturbate??

[owly]

Seriously though......... I've been looking at outfitting a boat specifically for single handed voyaging. My conclusions may not be the same as yours.


Small catamaran with panoramic bridge deck cabin.... Woods Sagitta or Eclipse fill the bill nicely. This allows sleeping in a recliner...... which is my normal mode anyway, with "instant up" look about, check AIS and Radar. Step out into the cockpit without having to climb a companionway............ Minimal sleep disruption.... about like waking up to take a pee.... You could take it a step further with video cams, a well positioned screen, and lights as needed.........if you are a high tech extremist. The main thing is a good look about, and sail check, and instrument check. Radar would be an asset for shore and weather. Radar is more valuable for detecting weather and land than boats. You shouldn't be sleeping anywhere near shore or shipping lanes.

[a64pilot]

probably been brought up but if I know there is a ship close by that doesn’t answer the radio. Some don’t and I assume it’s because maybe no one on watch speaks English, but anyway I’ll turn on my spreader lights, particularly if the sails are up I believe that lights me up so much that if anyone is looking, they can’t miss it.

[StoneCrab]

My grandfather was a fisherman and in WWII his fishing boat was cut in half in the middle of the night by a troop carrier running with its nav lights off. The crew survived miraculously by climbing up on the troop carrier's anchor. They got a lot of press with pictures.

I can't sail at night without thinking of his collision...

[IAmGroot]

Without question, your best bang for the buck is as much light as you can produce, as high as you can place it.

"Red over green, sailing machine" is the way I memorized Rule 25(c). I like the method outlined by Cpt Pat a few posts ago.

And for those "sea lawyers" that like to quibble over whether the rules of the road are law or not...well, it's your life, and the lives of your passengers at stake, that's all. Oh, and the lifelong conscience of the poor schmuck that runs you over on a dark rough night because they could not see you...

As I mentioned earlier, radar reflectors are "due diligence" - meaning, do the best you possibly can to help the other guy see you.

If you are single-hander, it is on YOU to make it so the other person CAN do their job, since YOU are sleeping.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by owly

When I saw the title of this thread, my instant reaction was .....masturbate??

Yes 🙈😊

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by owly

When I saw the title of this thread, my instant reaction was .....masturbate??

But.. Why wait till night time.???
Not logical.

[FAST FRED]

My ocean preference is for a single masthead bright WHITE light.

Colored lenses waste 90+% of the light.

To a ship at 15-30K the response to white will be the same , avoid hitting an anchored vessel or over running a stern.

At 6k or 7k we are for most ships a fixed not moving target that will be avoided.

When below under sail a ship can be heard while still over the horizon , so there is loads of time to go on deck and take a look.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Rorzech

That old german guy they found a few years ago that was floating around the worlds oceans for 7 long years in a 36 foot sloop never got hit by a ship, container, Land, or whale, and never looked around for seven years. Had no AIS, Radar, binoculars auto pilot, or even sails. I'd say he did a pretty good job.If they hadn't found him , he might still be out there.

Later, an autopsy showed he'd only been dead for a week.

[Jim Cate]

When below under sail a ship can be heard while still over the horizon , so there is loads of time to go on deck and take a look.

In my experience this is far from true. Follow this practice at your own peril.

Jim