night sailing

Sailing a laser at night is a good idea…


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Student Driver

New Member
Does anybody have any experience sailing a laser at night? Aside from needing good night vision—certainly having the moon out would help with that—and port & starboard bow lights and a stern light if you're worried about being night-legal, what other considerations are there? I've been thinking that sailing at night is tempting at a time of year when the sun sets too damned early.
 
I searched for "night sailing" and found nothing relevant (e.g., "Introducing the new class sail," and "Why did you choose sailing over a powerboat?"), so I started this thread. THEN the forum suggested these actually relevant threads:
"Night sailing" by grrladventure,
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=7887

"night sailing" by squeakywaffle,
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=9846

Timely. Sysadmin, have you looked at improving the site's search algorithms? :)
 
I would suspect any answer would depend so much on conditions (e.g. flooding or ebbing tide and strength, wind, likelihood of evening calm, temperatures, presence of other boats, moorings, light/clouds, etc.

Personally, in any set of conditions (night or day) there are a load of factors to consider. At night some of those factors have somewhat higher importance and become more critical. Thus, I can't really vote as in all cases there are possible reasons that could make it daft to go out.

Ian
 
I would suspect any answer would depend so much on conditions (e.g. flooding or ebbing tide and strength, wind, likelihood of evening calm, temperatures, presence of other boats, moorings, light/clouds, etc.

Very good point, Ian, particularly about the presence of other boats. My home port is on a very heavily trafficked estuary (Clear Lake, Texas) with several dock-equipped bars. Unfortunately that means that even sailing in broad daylight is a real exercise in vigilance, regardless of any of the other factors you mentioned. The powerboaters are literally not watching where they're driving—one of them struck my family's dock in broad daylight with people standing on the dock, waving and shouting! Fortunately no one was seriously hurt, but it makes me think that even time of day makes no difference to that menace. But I suspect vigilance can help as much at night as it does during the day.
 
IMHO, even if you were on a body of water that had/got NO other boat traffic, sailing such a small craft after full sunset is a way iffy proposition. And given that few if any of us "own" their lake, well...... All of which is why I opt for Never. But I also have to qualify that. It is never a GOOD idea. But under the right circumstances, I might do it anyway. :eek: Then again, I rarely if ever have a "good" idea. I have occasionally done thing that were not a good idea. And have the scars and repair bills to prove it.
 
I've done it several times in a laser... the body of water has little traffic, I used the glowsticks as lights, had one on the bow and one tied to the top of the mast, and a couple flashlights on the dock to help finding the way back easier...

Make sure people know you are going... it's not as it they will hear your motor cut out ans start looking for you. I also would not do it in cold water... help at night is harder to come by than in the day... help at night in the winter a mile from shore...
 
Very good point, Ian, particularly about the presence of other boats. My home port is on a very heavily trafficked estuary (Clear Lake, Texas) with several dock-equipped bars. Unfortunately that means that even sailing in broad daylight is a real exercise in vigilance, regardless of any of the other factors you mentioned. The powerboaters are literally not watching where they're driving—one of them struck my family's dock in broad daylight with people standing on the dock, waving and shouting! Fortunately no one was seriously hurt, but it makes me think that even time of day makes no difference to that menace. But I suspect vigilance can help as much at night as it does during the day.

Ugh. I used to sail around there (Seabrook). Lots of traffic, lots of drunks, lots of pilings and surmerged stuff. I wouldn't recommend it. I did a ton of night sailing on Lake Somerville in college.
 
I wouldn't do it, on Lake St Clair and Lake Huron where I sail there's too many foolish powerboaters. That factor not withstanding I still wouldn't, risks go up significantly at night and on a Laser that's enough for me to say no thanks and I'm very comfortable with sailing the boat in most conditions.

I have a better option for night sailing, besides the Express I also have friends with an array of boats of all kinds for nighttime adventures.
 
Park your car at the top of the slipway with headlights on. When they go dim after half an hour its not the battery [energiser? is that what you call them in US]. It the parking brake just failed. Your car is in the water! .....it happened.
 
I have a better option for night sailing, besides the Express I also have friends with an array of boats of all kinds for nighttime adventures.

Oh which Express? I also sail on a friend's Express 34, Petite Helene, which is really a great boat. Very strong and very light for her size, sails great with a spinnaker.
 
I did a ton of night sailing on Lake Somerville in college.

Hell yes! I bought my C-15 while at A&M and I paid the sailing club a bit extra to keep it at their Somerville boat yard... some very good times.


To the topic at hand: I have never night sailed my laser - but sailing at night in general is my happy place. It's incredible.

Find a quiet lake that you know well and give it a shot.

I found, at least in Dallas when I used to night sail the C15 a lot, that the wind would often die at sunset, but that it would come back after dark.
 
If you do go out, you are required to have a flashlight to illuminate your sail as needed.

I've sailed many times at night with my Highlander, a much larger sail. A 6V flashlight, one of the big square ones works well. (the yellow ones float)

I found, at least in Dallas when I used to night sail the C15 a lot, that the wind would often die at sunset, but that it would come back after dark.

Much the case here as well. The sun goes down, and thermals show up a coupla hours later as the temperature of the water and air change. Usually a very gentle set of conditions.

I agree that there are absolute doofus guys and gals out there in power boats. Our lake has very few boats 'running' after dark. It's just too narrow for that. But you do have to be aware that they could run you over. The lit sail is a great safety trick, and you are quite visible. Maybe more than in the daylight..
 
Strap a torch to the lower mast with the the lens facing the sail is fine if your boating regulations allow it. The best option are some nav lights taped on sticks either side to port and starboard and a masthead light attached to the webbing at the top of sail.

A lit up sail from a torch shining up onto it when its pitch black is a bit disorientating as you lose your night vision every time you glance up. If you really want to set up for night sailing take the time and spend a few dollars to create a good setup.

The one thing you will notice when sailing at night is how fast you seem to be going all the time. I would recommend you have a reasonable degree of competency in your boat handling etc before sailing at night.

Be fun to pimp out an old laser with lights and a stereo. 12v battery in the hull and waterproof speakers and some navigation lights and stereo. Be an entertaining race boat too.

I have raced/sailed catamarans at night and it is fun but really just too dangerous as they are too quick. Hobie 18's crossing port and starboard in 18 knots do not give you a large response time with just glow sticks taped to head of mast on a dark night.

I did a 24 hour race once in a fleet of Lasers for some charity event. Was a drifter most of the night but was good fun although more tiring than you might expect.
 
I would never sail after sundown on Lake Huron (where I sail). It's heavily trafficked and the conditions can change rapidly. I would also worry about any navigation lights I have onboard not getting enough clearance from the water to be noticed by other vessels. If there's any chop, anything mounted on or around deck level is about as good as useless.
 
For Australian's and from memory are no different from the International Regulations, so different countries may have more requirements, but a Laser being under 7 metres only needs to display a single white light and this light can just be a white hand held torch which is displayed when anyone approaches. We are to small to require port/starboard lights etc.
 
For Australian's and from memory are no different from the International Regulations, so different countries may have more requirements, but a Laser being under 7 metres only needs to display a single white light and this light can just be a white hand held torch which is displayed when anyone approaches. We are to small to require port/starboard lights etc.

That's true also in the midwestern US. I just typically try to use all the safety gear instead of what you think you might need. To me, being dead (yet legal!) isnt all that grand :)
 
That's true also in the midwestern US. I just typically try to use all the safety gear instead of what you think you might need. To me, being dead (yet legal!) isnt all that grand :)

The problem with using extra stuff, such as port and starboard lights, is that you confuse people who are in the know, and they may think that you are faster and more maneuverable than reality.
 
The problem with using extra stuff, such as port and starboard lights, is that you confuse people who are in the know, and they may think that you are faster and more maneuverable than reality.

I understand your point, however I question the notion that anyone truly "in the know" would assume a boat with proper navigation lights is a powerboat. You can find various flavors of the language that state the torch on the sail is the minimum requirement, but the standard navigation lights are more desirable...

'A sailing vessel of less than 7 meters in length shall, if practicable, exhibit regular navigation lights, but if not practical, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.'
 
I used to have what was basically a flashlight with a clamp that you could attach to the front of the boat. Half of the lens was red, and the other half was green.

Quite frankly, I would get a bright, normal flash light. I would attach it to the mast so it illuminated the sail. This would be more visible, and it might give the powerboaters some idea of what kind of vessel they are about to mow down.
 
I used to have what was basically a flashlight with a clamp that you could attach to the front of the boat. Half of the lens was red, and the other half was green.

Quite frankly, I would get a bright, normal flash light. I would attach it to the mast so it illuminated the sail. This would be more visible, and it might give the powerboaters some idea of what kind of vessel they are about to mow down.

Then they can make an educated decision to mow you down anyway :)
 
I used to have what was basically a flashlight with a clamp that you could attach to the front of the boat. Half of the lens was red, and the other half was green.

Does that give you the correct angles. Most flashlights have quite focused beams and the point where somebody looses visibility of your red or green gives them information about you (and you heading). Obviously I cannot comment on the flashlight you were using but Merrily's point is very true - bad lights can mislead people and cause greater risk to you.

Ian
 

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