properly lit sailboat at night picture

How Should a Sailboat Be Lit At Night? (Expert Advice You Need To Know)

Are you a sailboat enthusiast looking for ways to ensure your vessel is properly lit at night? Our expert advice will provide you with the information you need to know.

From US Coast Guard regulations and lights for longer vessels, to testing lights and the advantages of searchlights, we will cover all the details necessary for proper illumination.

Well even give you some tips and recommend the best accessories to help you navigate the night.

Lets get started on how to light your sailboat at night!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

At night, a sailboat should be lit according to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

This includes displaying a white light at the masthead, a white light on the port side, and a red light on the starboard side.

Additionally, a stern light should be visible from the rear of the boat, and a deck light should be used to show the length of the boat.

Finally, a 360 degree all-round light should be used to show the boat has a length of less than 50 meters.

US Coast Guard Regulations for Sailboat Lighting

When it comes to sailing at night, it is essential to have proper lighting on board your vessel.

According to the US Coast Guard, all sailboats should be equipped with at least one all-round white light that is visible at a distance of two miles.

This light should be at the highest point on the boat and should be able to be seen from all directions.

Additionally, if a sailboat is longer than 39.4 feet, it should also be equipped with a masthead light, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight.

These lights should all be visible from a distance of two miles and should be arranged in a specific order in order to clearly identify the direction of the vessel.

All of the lights should be kept in good condition and should be tested regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly.

It is also recommended that any sailboats that are out after dark should also be equipped with a searchlight.

This will help other vessels identify the boat’s position and its direction of movement, ensuring the safety of all sailors.

It is important to remember that the lights should be clearly visible and should not be obscured by any other objects or sails.

Additionally, if you are sailing in an area with other boats, you should be aware of their lights as well.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your sailboat is properly lit and can be seen from a distance.

Necessary Lights for Longer Vessels

When sailing at night, it is essential for all vessels to be properly lit.

This is especially important for sailboats, which can be difficult to spot due to their low profile and lack of power.

The United States Coast Guard recommends that sailboats be equipped with certain lights to ensure that they can be seen from a distance of two miles.

For vessels that are longer than 39.4 feet, they should be outfitted with a masthead light, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight.

These lights should all be visible from a distance of two miles, and should be arranged in a specific order so that they can clearly identify the direction of the vessel.

It is important to remember that these lights should be in good condition and should be tested regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly.

Additionally, it is also recommended that long sailboats that are out after dark should also be equipped with a searchlight.

This will help other vessels identify the boats position and its direction of movement.

A searchlight can be particularly useful in areas with a lot of traffic, as it ensures that other vessels are aware of the sailboats location.

Proper lighting is essential for a safe and enjoyable sailing experience at night.

By following the recommendations of the United States Coast Guard, sailboats can ensure that they are properly lit to ensure that they are visible from a distance of two miles.

Furthermore, the addition of a searchlight can also help other vessels identify the boats position and its direction of movement, making it easier for them to navigate around the sailboat.

Testing Lights Regularly

When it comes to sailing at night, it is important to ensure that your boat is properly lit.

This means not only having the correct lights, but also testing those lights regularly to make sure they are functioning properly.

According to the United States Coast Guard, any sailboat out after dark should be equipped with all-round white lights, masthead lights, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight, all of which should be visible from a distance of two miles.

Furthermore, these lights should be arranged in a specific order to clearly identify the direction of the vessel.

Testing your lights regularly is the best way to ensure that they will work when you need them to.

This means checking for any cracks or damage that may have developed over time.

Additionally, it is important to make sure that the lights are still functioning properly, as the bulbs can burn out over time, leaving you without the necessary illumination at night.

It is also recommended that any sailboats that are out after dark should be equipped with a searchlight.

This is especially important when navigating in unfamiliar waters, as it can help prevent collisions with other vessels.

By testing your boats lights regularly, you can be sure that they will be working properly when you need them.

This will help ensure that you are visible to other vessels, and that you can clearly identify the direction of your boat.

Additionally, having a searchlight onboard can give you an extra layer of protection while sailing in unfamiliar waters.

Searchlights For Extra Visibility

When sailing at night, it is important to ensure that your boat is properly lit for other vessels to identify your position and direction.

One of the most important pieces of equipment for night sailing is a searchlight.

It is recommended by the United States Coast Guard that boats sailing after dark should have a searchlight in order to make themselves more visible.

A searchlight is a powerful light that can be aimed in a particular direction to indicate the position and direction of the boat.

The light is made up of a powerful lamp, a reflector, and an aiming mechanism which allows for the light to be focused and directed.

Searchlights can be powered by either electric or battery power and can be mounted on the mast or stern of the boat.

The searchlight should be powerful enough to be seen from a distance of at least two miles, just like the other required lights.

It is important to make sure that the searchlight is in good working condition and is tested regularly, as it is the most important light for identifying the boats position and direction in the dark.

The searchlight also serves as an extra level of safety for the boat and its crew, as it can be used to identify other vessels in the vicinity and to determine their direction of movement.

In conclusion, a searchlight is an essential piece of equipment for any boat sailing after dark.

It is important to make sure that the searchlight is in good working condition and has been tested regularly.

With a searchlight, other vessels will be able to easily identify the position and direction of the boat, providing an extra layer of safety and helping to ensure safe night sailing.

Advantages of Searchlights

Searchlights offer a number of advantages to sailboats that are out after dark.

They can help other vessels identify the boats position and its direction of movement, making it easier to avoid collisions.

Additionally, they provide a convenient way to scan for other vessels, buoys, and other obstacles in the water.

Searchlights also offer greater visibility in foggy or low-light conditions, helping the boats crew to maintain better situational awareness.

Finally, they can also be used to signal to other boats, as many searchlights come with a variety of colors and patterns, allowing for more effective communication.

All in all, searchlights can make sailing at night easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

Tips For Proper Illumination

When it comes to properly lighting up your sailboat for night sailing, there are a few key tips to keep in mind.

First, always be sure to equip your boat with the required lighting.

The United States Coast Guard requires that sailboats be equipped with at least one all-round white light that is visible from two miles away.

Additionally, vessels longer than 39.4 feet must also be equipped with a masthead light, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight.

All of these lights should be visible from two miles away and should be arranged in the proper order to clearly identify the direction of the vessel.

Second, be sure to regularly test and maintain your lights to ensure they are in working condition.

The lights should be tested at least once a month and any faulty or damaged lights should be replaced immediately.

Additionally, it is a good idea to clean and polish the lenses of the lights every few months to ensure they are not obstructed by dirt or dust.

Finally, if you are out sailing after dark, be sure to also equip your boat with a searchlight.

This will help other vessels identify your boats position and its direction of movement.

It is also a good idea to carry a few spare bulbs for your lights in the event of a malfunction.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your sailboat is properly lit for night sailing.

Be sure to always adhere to the regulations set forth by the United States Coast Guard and always practice safe sailing.

Recommended Accessories

When it comes to sailing at night, it is important to make sure your boat is properly lit.

According to the United States Coast Guard, sailboats should be equipped with at least one all-round white light, which should be visible from a distance of at least two miles.

Additionally, any vessel longer than 39.4 feet should also be equipped with a masthead light, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight.

These lights should all be visible from a distance of two miles, and should be arranged in a specific order to clearly identify the direction of the vessel.

All of these lights should be kept in good condition, and should be tested regularly to ensure that they are functioning properly.

This will help other vessels identify the boat’s position and its direction of movement.

In addition to these necessary lights, there are a few other accessories that can make sailing at night safer and more enjoyable.

A deck light is a great accessory to have on board as it will help light up the deck and make it easier to see any potential obstacles.

Additionally, it can be used to help locate items that may have been misplaced.

A strobe light is another great accessory for night sailing, as it can be used to signal for help in an emergency.

It is also wise to have a set of navigation lights, which will make it easier to identify your boat as you sail in the dark.

Finally, having a handheld flashlight or headlamp on board can be invaluable in case of an emergency.

By making sure your boat is properly lit and equipped with the necessary accessories, you can ensure that your night sailing experience is safe and enjoyable.

With the right precautions and preparation, you can make sure that you and your crew are well-prepared for any potential hazards that may arise while sailing in the dark.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, sailboats should be properly lit at night to ensure the safety of the vessel and those on board.

The United States Coast Guard has specific regulations for sailboat lighting that should be followed.

Additionally, any vessels longer than 39.4 feet should be equipped with a masthead light, red/green sidelights, and a sternlight.

It is important to regularly test these lights to make sure they are functioning properly.

Searchlights are also recommended for sailboats that are out after dark, as they can help other vessels identify the boat’s position and direction of movement.

By following these tips, you can make sure your sailboat is properly lit at night and ensure a safe journey.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Sailboat Navigation Lights: A Guide to Safe Nighttime Sailing

by Emma Sullivan | Jul 26, 2023 | Sailboat Maintenance

==Short answer sailboat navigation lights:== Sailboat navigation lights are essential safety features that help vessels communicate and avoid collisions at night. These lights, such as the red and green sidelights and white stern light, allow sailors to determine the direction and status of approaching boats.

Understanding the Importance of Sailboat Navigation Lights

Sailing, with its air of romance and adventure, is a timeless pursuit that has captured the hearts of seafarers for centuries. While sailing enthusiasts revel in the sense of freedom and connection with nature that this activity provides, it is crucial to recognize that safety should always be a top priority when out on the open water. Among the many precautions taken to ensure safe navigation, sailboat navigation lights play an essential role.

These lights serve as beacons in the darkness, guiding both sailors and other vessels on their watery voyages. They are particularly vital during low visibility conditions such as fog, twilight, or nightfall when discerning a sailboat’s presence can be challenging. By understanding the importance of sailboat navigation lights, sailors can take proactive steps towards avoiding collisions and mishaps while enjoying their time at sea.

First and foremost, these lights serve as a communication tool between vessels. Just as traffic signals guide drivers on roads, sailboat navigation lights communicate a vessel’s navigational status to others nearby. These lights convey critical information about a boat’s direction of travel and whether it is under power or relying solely on wind propulsion. This enables other boats to predict potential collision courses and adjust their own paths accordingly.

In terms of regulatory compliance, having properly functioning navigation lights is not just recommended; it is required by international maritime laws like The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS). These regulations provide clear guidelines for different types of watercraft around the world to standardize safety measures. Following these rules ensures that every sailor speaks the same language when at sea, diminishing misunderstandings and encouraging mutual respect among mariners.

Furthermore, sailboat navigation lights contribute significantly to situational awareness – an invaluable asset in any seafaring endeavor. By displaying specific colors and configurations such as red/green sidelights and a white stern light visible from 135 degrees, sailors can discern the orientation of approaching vessels even in complete darkness. This knowledge empowers sailors to make informed decisions about altering their course or speed to avoid potential dangers.

In addition to enhancing navigation safety, sailboat navigation lights also add a touch of elegance and charm to nighttime voyages. Picture yourself sailing under a summer moonlit sky, with the soft glow of your vessel’s navigation lights casting mesmerizing reflections on the water’s surface. These lights not only provide reassurance but also create an enchanting ambiance for both sailors and onlookers.

While it may be tempting to dismiss the importance of sailboat navigation lights as just another cumbersome boat regulation, understanding their indispensable role is crucial for every sailor’s peace of mind and for ensuring uninterrupted enjoyment of our beloved pastime. So next time you set sail, remember that these little beacons serve as more than mere accessories – they are your allies in darkness, silently guiding you towards safe passages and unforgettable adventures on the open sea.

How to Properly Install and Operate Sailboat Navigation Lights

When it comes to sailing, safety should always be a top priority. And one of the essential safety measures on a sailboat is proper navigation lighting. Sailboat navigation lights help other vessels identify your boat’s position and course, especially during low visibility conditions or at night. In this blog post, we will guide you through the correct installation and operation of sailboat navigation lights to make your sailing adventures safe and enjoyable.

Installing sailboat navigation lights may seem like a simple task, but there are several key factors to consider for optimal functionality. First and foremost, familiarize yourself with international regulations regarding navigation lights. These regulations ensure consistency across different countries and improve communication between vessels on the water.

Before starting the installation process, carefully choose high-quality LED lights specifically designed for sailboats. LEDs offer numerous advantages over traditional incandescent bulbs, including energy efficiency, higher light output, longer lifespan, and reduced heat emission. Additionally, LEDs are more durable and resistant to vibrations commonly experienced while sailing.

To begin installing your sailboat navigation lights:

1. Determine the appropriate locations: Positioning your navigation lights correctly is crucial to maximize their visibility and effectiveness. Refer to your boat’s owner’s manual or consult with a marine electrician to identify the ideal mounting points for each light.

2. Prepare wiring routes: Plan out the wiring routes before drilling any holes or mounting fixtures. Concealing wires within the boat’s structure not only enhances aesthetics but also minimizes potential damage caused by exposure to external elements.

3. Drill strategically: Using an appropriately sized drill bit, carefully create mounting holes following the instructions provided by the manufacturer of your chosen navigation lights.

4. Connect electrical components: Install a waterproof junction box near each light fixture to protect wires from moisture and corrosion. Make connections following color-coded standards (red wire – positive; black wire – negative), ensuring proper polarity is maintained throughout the circuit.

5. Securely attach fixtures: Once all wiring connections are made, attach the navigation light fixtures to their designated mounting positions. Double-check that they are secure and properly aligned to maintain optimal visibility.

With your sailboat navigation lights installed, it’s time to understand their operation. Different situations call for specific combinations of lighting:

1. Underway with power: When sailing under engine power, display both a red (port side) and a green (starboard side) light visible from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft each beam. A white stern light should also be shown.

2. Sailing without power: When solely relying on wind propulsion, display just the red and green sidelights in the same manner as during powered navigation.

3. At anchor: If you’re moored or anchored, only exhibit an all-around white light at a location high enough to illuminate unobstructed from every angle.

4. Restricted maneuverability: In situations where your sailboat’s maneuverability is impaired (e.g., towing another vessel), use three shapes—two balls vertically aligned above one diamond—to indicate restricted movement.

Lastly, always ensure proper maintenance of your sailboat navigation lights:

1. Regularly inspect for damage: Routinely check for signs of wear and tear on the electrical connections, housing seals, lenses, and reflectors. Replace any damaged components promptly.

2. Clean for maximum visibility: Keep lenses clean from dirt, grime, salt residue, or any other obstructions that could limit the effectiveness of your navigation lights.

3. Carry spare bulbs/batteries: Be prepared by carrying backup LED bulbs or batteries in case of failure during extended voyages.

By following these installation steps, understanding proper operation techniques according to maritime regulations, and maintaining your navigation lights diligently; you can cruise confidently knowing your sailboat is equipped with highly visible and functional navigation lighting system—an important feature enhancing safety while enjoying the open water at any time of day or night. So, set sail with peace of mind and navigate the seas safely while embracing the thrilling adventures that await you!

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Sailboat Navigation Lights for Safe Sailing

Welcome aboard, fellow sailors! Today, we are going to dive into the nitty-gritty of setting up sailboat navigation lights for safe sailing. As you know, proper navigation lights are an essential part of ensuring your safety on the water, especially during low-light conditions and at night. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back, and prepare to learn how to illuminate the seas like a professional.

Step 1: Know Your Lights Before we jump into the technicalities, let’s familiarize ourselves with the different navigation lights required on a sailboat. These include the red port light on the left side, green starboard light on the right side, white stern light at the rear, and if our boat is longer than 20 meters (or 65 feet), a white masthead light at its highest point. Having this knowledge sets you up for success in navigating effectively while abiding by maritime regulations.

Step 2: Choose Your Lighting System Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to decide which lighting system is most appropriate for your sailboat. You have two options: traditional incandescent bulbs or modern LED lights. While both serve their purpose well, LED lights are more energy-efficient and tend to last longer – a win-win situation!

Step 3: Gathering Materials To ensure smooth sailing throughout this process (pun intended), gather all necessary materials beforehand. This includes navigation lights (either incandescent bulbs or LED lights depending on your preference), wiring connectors, heat shrink tubing (to protect connections from moisture), electrical tape, wires (preferably color-coded for easy identification), wire strippers/cutters, and mounting hardware suitable for your boat.

Step 4: Planning Placement Consideration of placement plays a crucial role in setting up navigation lights effectively. Ensure visibility from all angles without obstructing other boat equipment or compromising aesthetics onboard. Take note of any manufacturer guidelines provided with your purchased lights for optimal placement. Remember, safety doesn’t mean sacrificing style!

Step 5: Wiring Your Lights Now we’re getting hands-on! Let’s start with the stern light. Attach the wires of your chosen light to the existing electrical system using appropriate connectors and ensure a secure connection. Utilize heat shrink tubing and electrical tape to safeguard against any moisture-induced malfunctions. Repeat this process for both port and starboard lights.

Step 6: Don’t Forget the Masthead Light If your sailboat exceeds 20 meters in length, you’ll need a masthead light too. Carefully mount this light on top of your mast using suitable hardware. Then, run additional wires through the mast to connect it securely with your electrical system.

Step 7: The Proof is in Testing After successfully wiring all navigation lights, it’s time for a crucial step – testing! Double-check that all connections are secure and operational before venturing out onto the open water. Be meticulous; don’t let a faulty bulb ruin your sunset cruise or impede your journey under a moonlit sky.

Congrats, sailors! You’ve now mastered the art of setting up sailboat navigation lights for safe sailing. Remember, maintaining these lights should be an essential part of regular boat maintenance as well. With proper illumination, maritime rules adhered to diligently, and cautious seamanship skills mastered, you can enjoy many breathtaking nights on tranquil waters without compromising safety. So go forth into the starry night with confidence and raise anchor towards new horizons! Bon voyage!

Frequently Asked Questions About Sailboat Navigation Lights, Answered!

Title: Frequently Asked Questions About Sailboat Navigation Lights, Answered!

Introduction: Navigating a sailboat safely and responsibly requires understanding and adhering to various rules and regulations. One vital aspect of sailing is ensuring proper use of navigation lights. These lights not only aid in visibility but also help communicate with other vessels on the water. In this blog post, we will delve into frequently asked questions about sailboat navigation lights, offering detailed professional answers infused with wit and clever insights.

1. Why are navigation lights necessary for sailboats? Navigation lights serve as visual signals that enable sailors to identify vessel types, positions, and movements at night or in low visibility conditions. They are crucial for promoting safety on the water by helping prevent collisions and aiding in the communication between boats.

2. What are the different types of navigation lights found on a sailboat? Sailboats typically feature three main navigation lights: red (portside), green (starboard side), and white (stern light). The red light tells other sailors that your boat’s portside is facing them, while the green light indicates that your starboard side is visible. The white stern light illuminates the rear of your vessel, making it easier for others to determine your direction of travel.

3. When should I turn on my sailboat’s navigation lights? According to international rules of collision avoidance at sea, all vessels must show proper navigation lighting between sunset and sunrise or during periods of restricted visibility such as fog or heavy rain showers. It’s essential to remember that even during daylight hours if visibility drops due to poor weather conditions, switching on navigational lights can greatly enhance safety.

4. Are there any additional requirements regarding sailboat navigation lighting? Yes! Aside from displaying the three main distinct navigation lights mentioned above, it is crucial for sailboats under power or motorsailing – using engine power alongside sails – to display an additional white forward-facing masthead light apart from the stern light. This masthead light helps identify the sailboat as a power-driven vessel, providing further clarity to nearby boaters.

5. Can I use LED lights for navigation purposes on my sailboat? Absolutely! In fact, LED lights are highly recommended for their energy efficiency and prolonged lifespan compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. However, it is essential to ensure that any LED navigation lights you use adhere to relevant maritime regulations concerning color, visibility range, and intensity.

6. How can I check if my sailboat’s navigation lights are working correctly? Regular maintenance and testing of your navigation lights are vital to guarantee their functionality when needed the most. Before every outing, visually inspect each light for signs of damage or corrosion. Additionally, switch on all navigational lights while docked or at anchor to verify they illuminate brightly according to the appropriate standards laid out in navigational lighting regulations.

Conclusion: Understanding sailboat navigation lighting not only ensures your safety but also promotes effective communication with other vessels on the water. By knowing when and how to properly utilize these lights, you contribute to maintaining a harmonious sailing environment. Remember, navigating with wit means being informed and cleverly enhancing your skills as a sailor while keeping safety at the forefront of your adventures!

Top Tips and Best Practices for Maintaining Sailboat Navigation Lights

Maintaining Sailboat Navigation Lights: Expert Tips and Best Practices

Picture this – you’re out on the open water, gliding along with the wind in your sails. As the sun dips below the horizon, darkness begins to envelop your sailboat. This is when maintaining proper navigation lights becomes paramount for both safety and legal compliance. In this blog post, we will dive deep into top tips and best practices for ensuring that your sailboat’s navigation lights are not only functioning but also showcasing their brilliance.

1. Regular Inspections are Key: To ensure your sailboat navigation lights are in prime condition, regular inspections should be conducted. Make it a habit before every trip to thoroughly examine all lights, from bow to stern. Look out for any loose connections, cracked lenses, or water intrusion that could hamper their effectiveness.

2. Ensure Proper Power Supply: One common issue faced by sailors is inadequate power supply to navigation lights, leading to dimness or complete failure at crucial times. Check that the wiring system is correctly connected and working optimally. Additionally, consider installing a voltage monitor or battery analyzer to keep tabs on power levels during extended journeys.

3. Choose LED Lights: When it comes to choosing sailboat navigation lights, opt for LED technology without hesitation. LEDs offer brilliant luminosity while consuming minimal power compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Their longevity and durability make them ideal for equipping your vessel’s masthead light, sidelights, stern light, and anchor light.

4. Cleaning is Essential: Navigation lights on a sailboat accumulate dirt and grime over time due to exposure to various elements like saltwater spray or bird droppings (we all know how seagulls love making our boats their restroom). Regularly clean the lenses with a soft cloth and mild soap solution followed by drying with a lint-free towel. Keeping them crystal clear will maximize their output and visibility range.

5. Protect Against Moisture: Water ingress can be a persistent menace, harming the functionality of your sailboat’s navigation lights. To combat this, ensure watertight seals around light fixtures and wiring connections. Applying silicone lubricant or dielectric grease to connectors further enhances protection against moisture.

6. Carry Spare Bulbs and Fuses: Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong – especially in the middle of nowhere. Imagine how disheartening it would be if one of your navigation lights suddenly fizzles out on a moonless night! Always carry spare bulbs and fuses suited for your specific lighting system to avoid such predicaments and keep your journey uninterrupted.

7. Stay Familiar with Navigation Regulations: Being updated on marine regulations regarding navigation lights is not only essential for your safety but also ensures compliance with local laws. These regulations dictate the placement, colors, and timings for displaying navigational lights based on different conditions such as underway, anchored, or sailing near other vessels at night.

In conclusion, maintaining sailboat navigation lights might seem like a mundane task; however, its significance cannot be undermined when it comes to safety during nighttime voyages. Regular inspections, adequate power supply, LED technology adoption, cleanliness, moisture protection, carrying spare bulbs/fuses, and adhering to maritime regulations should become second nature for any seasoned sailor. By following these top tips and best practices meticulously, you’ll be able to navigate the vast expanse of dark waters with confidence while ensuring a safe voyage each time.

Exploring Different Types and Designs of Sailboat Navigation Lights

When it comes to sailing at night, having the right navigation lights on your sailboat is absolutely crucial. Not only do they help you stay safe and avoid collisions with other vessels, but they also ensure that you are compliant with maritime regulations. In this blog post, we will be exploring different types and designs of sailboat navigation lights, so you can make an informed decision for your own vessel.

One of the most common types of sailboat navigation lights is the sidelight. These lights are usually mounted on either side of the boat and emit a green light on the starboard (right) side and a red light on the port (left) side. The purpose of these lights is to signal the direction in which your boat is moving to other vessels in the vicinity. Additionally, sidelights should be visible at a distance of at least two nautical miles, ensuring that other boats have ample time to react accordingly.

Another important type of navigation light for sailboats is the sternlight. As its name suggests, this light is mounted at the back or stern of the boat and emits a white light. The sternlight helps other vessels determine if you are moving away from them or approaching them from behind. It should be visible from a distance of at least two nautical miles as well.

In addition to sidelights and sternlights, sailboats also require an all-round white light, commonly known as an anchor light. This light serves as both an anchoring indicator and a warning signal to other boats that your vessel isn’t under power and may be stationary. Typically mounted atop the mast or another elevated point on the sailboat, this white light must be visible from all directions within two nautical miles.

Now that we’ve covered the main types of sailboat navigation lights, let’s delve into their designs. While traditional incandescent bulbs were once widely used for their simplicity and affordability, LED technology has revolutionized marine lighting. LED navigation lights are highly energy-efficient and have a considerably longer lifespan compared to incandescent bulbs. Additionally, LEDs emit a bright and focused light, making your sailboat more visible to others even in adverse weather conditions.

Furthermore, many LED navigation lights come with built-in features that enhance safety and convenience. Some models have automatic sensors that adjust the brightness of the lights depending on the ambient lighting conditions. This means that if you’re sailing during twilight or dawn, when visibility is reduced, these lights will automatically become brighter for better detection by other vessels.

Moreover, some innovative designs include combination lights that incorporate both sidelights and sternlights in one compact unit. These multifunctional lights save space on your boat while still ensuring compliance with regulations. Additionally, there are folding or telescopic navigation lights available that can be easily stowed away when not in use, further optimizing your deck space.

In conclusion, choosing the right types and designs of sailboat navigation lights is crucial for safe night sailing and regulatory compliance. Sidelights, sternlights, and anchor lights are essential components of any sailboat’s lighting system. Consider opting for energy-efficient LED technology that offers enhanced visibility and longevity compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Moreover, explore innovative designs such as combination lights or folding options to optimize space onboard your vessel. By equipping your sailboat with the right navigation lights, you can navigate confidently through the darkness while captivating other sailors with your illuminated elegance on the open sea!

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Boat Lights at Night: A Guide to Safe Sailing in the Dark

• 1 Safety Considerations
• 2 Necessary Lights for Boating at Night
• 3 Understanding the Importance of Visibility
• 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
• 5 Conclusion

The summer months of the year bring hours of sunshine, giving boaters plenty of time to explore during the day. When the sun sets, safety becomes a priority for anyone operating a boat in the dark. It’s crucial to know which boat lights must be on and how to stay visible and safe while sailing at night.

We’ll provide all the essential information you need to make sailing at night a safer and more enjoyable experience. You’ll get an overview of the different types of boat lights available and tips for staying safe and visible while sailing in the dark.

Safety Considerations

Safety should always be the top priority of any sailor, regardless of the time of day. When boating at night, you must know the rules and regulations in your designated area and familiarize yourself with the navigation equipment on most vessels. Understanding these regulations and investing in additional equipment can make a big difference in ensuring a safe voyage.

It is essential to understand the local laws and regulations regarding boating at night and what lighting you need for each vessel. Boat operators should also be aware of their speed limits, acceptable waterway passage areas, and any potentially hazardous areas they should avoid.

In addition to staying knowledgeable about local regulations, your navigation equipment should be up-to-date and functioning appropriately. Marine vessels typically come equipped with depth sounders and radar systems, but investing in additional accessories can further increase visibility during nighttime sailing. This equipment can include GPS chart plotters or portable AIS receivers, which can help navigate safer routes and alert boat operators of nearby vessels.

Necessary Lights for Boating at Night

Depending on illuminated waters after dark, boat light illumination is necessary for all recreational vessels. Boats must display three main types of lights, including bow, stern, and riding lights.

The bow light indicates to other boats where your vessel’s direction is facing, appearing as a green light on the starboard side and red on the port side when looking forward from the rear. It is important to note that this light should only be visible from directly ahead or nearly directly ahead of the vessel itself. It must have a wide enough angle range for optimal visibility while ensuring it is not too bright or blinding for other boats passing by.

The stern light works similarly to a bow light, except it shines from the back end of a vessel, making it easier for oncoming boats to identify your direction. Per maritime law, this light should also appear white but visible from behind only, ensuring no unnecessary glare toward other boats or obstructions ahead.

Riding lights, or masthead lights, provide additional visibility for your vessel. These lights indicate the vessel’s length according to measurements determined by maritime law enforcement officers. This type of light usually appears as white but occasionally has a blue tint depending on individual regulation standards in your area.

Understanding the Importance of Visibility

When selecting boat lights, it’s crucial to consider their wattage output or bulb type to ensure optimal visibility in dark environments.

Colored boat lights are often found on vessels and can come in white, blue, or red colors, each serving a specific purpose based on the laws at sea. White lights generally have a stronger output compared to other colors. Blue lights are more effective underwater, and red lights can mark specific areas within narrow channels, among other uses.

In addition to colored boat lights, reflective materials like tape can upgrade the common areas on ships, such as rails or posts. These materials help draw attention to the vessel’s proximity to other nearby ships and enhance safety.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Proper maintenance of boat light systems is crucial to keep operating costs low, especially when dealing with high-wattage fixtures commonly found in the marine environment. Regularly maintaining these systems throughout their lifespan is essential.

One critical maintenance aspect is storing boat lights properly during off-season storage periods. It is crucial to ensure that each unit remains dry. This storage is necessary to preserve their longevity and ensure their functionality when powered back on. Moisture buildup can lead to short circuits, malfunctions, and damage to the light’s components.

You should follow basic troubleshooting methods as part of routine maintenance. This maintenance includes cleaning off any corrosion and regularly checking bulb connections. These steps should become a natural course for anyone embarking on nighttime sailings or exploring uncharted territories.

Proper illumination is crucial for safe and legal boating at night. All boats need to have adequate lighting regardless of their size and capabilities. Following maritime laws and regulations related to navigational requirements and using the correct boat light format enhances safety for everyone on maritime travels. The mastery of navigation skills and adherence to these standards will continue to uphold the honor and legacy of future generations.

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• How to sail at night

Captains are often asked if it's possible to sail at night. In the vast majority of cases, the answer is yes, unless you are just starting out. You just need to know the specifics of night sailing — the rules of boat lighting, beacon signals, have navigation and nautical charts handy, and most importantly, follow basic safety rules on board. So, do you know what night sailing entails?

You can't do it without the correct lights

While on land, lights are primarily there to help us see, at sea it's the other way around. All boats must be properly lit for other vessels to see. And, a boat doesn't work like a car either, where we shine our headlights on the road ahead to see what's in front of us. At sea we rely on navigation, nautical charts, lighthouses and the captain's knowledge.

Basic boat lights include running lights, steaming lights and anchor lights. There are clearly defined and standardized rules for lighting a ship  under sail at night . So the question of how to light a yacht at night has a very simple answer. Running lights, or side lights, show other vessels where your port and starboard sides are, with red indicating port and green starboard, and you must also have a white stern light on.

Lighting the yacht at night is very important because, unlike during the day, the helmsman cannot judge the distance and direction  of other boats by sight. Running lights make the position and direction of the surrounding vessels visible, as well as their approximate distance, and helps to avoid possible collisions. Radar is also highly practical in this respect, as it shows the size and distance of the vessel.

However, when sailing there can be situations where the sails need to be lowered, and with that, the lighting also needs to be changed. If travelling under motor power , a steaming light  (masthead light)  must be turned on , which shines at the same angle as the side lights. When a sailboat is not under sail, it has to abide by the rules set out for power boats by COLREG (The International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea).

Lighting regulations when at anchor are again different. When at anchor at sea , only the anchor light should be on . According to the regulations this could be either a 360-degree white light atop the mast, or a light suspended from the boom, above the foredeck or on a furled genoa. If the boat is moored in port, the light is not normally used.

Navigation, GPS and maps

Nowadays, GPS and navigation aids integrated into the boat or that work as mobile apps are commonly used to determine the position of the boat. Modern technology is very accurate and reliable, but it is still worth understanding, reading and checking your position on  paper nautical charts . After all, almost any skipper will tell you that their GPS or navigation system has at some point told them they were on land, even when tens or hundreds of metres from shore.

Thanks to nautical charts, you will not only know of possible danger spots, but also lighthouses , enabling you to easily and accurately determine your position with the help of a compass. Each lighthouse is different, being lit and flashing in a unique way. A nautical chart will tell you how to identify a lighthouse by the number of flashes, their frequency and the colour of the light. To determine your exact position, you’ll then need two lighthouses in sight that serve as reference points for each other.

YACHTING.COM TIP: Lighthouses are not only practical, but they are often buildings with impressive architecture that are well worth stopping off at. Take a look at  15 lighthouses you must visit .

Safety is paramount when sailing at night

Even during the day, there are clear rules regarding the movement of the crew on board. Basically, the crew should not stand unless they are engaged in manoeuvres. In all other cases, they should be sitting on benches, at the side of the boat when heeling, or in the cabin. Apart from the fact that a standing crew member could obstruct the helmsman's view, it also poses a greater risk of falling overboard . If you're interested in getting to know this subject in more detail, check out our article Sailing Etiquette A to Z .

At night, the rules are even stricter to ensure the crew remain as safe as possible and avoid damaging the yacht. If a crew member is on deck at night while sailing, they should wear a lifejacket  and ideally be attached to the boat with a lifebelt or harness.

Except for really experienced seafarers, the rule of thumb is that there should be at least  two people on board when sailing at night. And the captain should schedule shifts so that there are always two  rested crew members on board. After all, you need to be doubly vigilant when sailing at night, and staying awake all night is certainly not conducive to alertness — especially when manoeuvring  or entering port. For the same reasons alcohol is prohibited when night sailing. While during the day, crew members other than the helmsman can toast Neptune or have one glass of wine or beer, drinking alcohol is not permitted during a voyage at night. By all means celebrate a successful journey upon arrival in port at a local tavern, but it definitely pays to keep a clear head at sea.

Specifics of night sailing and boat handling

Steering and controlling the boat  is not particularly different during the day and at night. There are just a few nuances to make sailing that bit smoother. If you're on a vessel you know well, that’s one thing, but if you're on a charter boat , it's worth marking the sheets and other lines so that you know your way around in the dark.

Sailing at night, it is also important to assess  the weather conditions well. What you would normally do during the day can be significantly more challenging at night and requires a more careful assessment of weather conditions and weather patterns. It is always better to choose smaller sails and if you have even the slightest doubt about anything, postpone the trip. 

When  entering a harbour  or sailing close to shore, be doubly cautious. There are several risk factors. During the day, the surrounding boats, the rocks and the potential hazards on the surface and below are visible. At night you have to rely on navigation, charts and lighting. When entering the harbour, charts and GPS can provide you many clues but lights can cause issues. For example, you might get dazzled by the light from the shore, the anchor lights of other boats are easily confused with the lights on land, and, last but not least, you may encounter poorly lit fishing boats. However, if you keep in mind all of these potential risks, you will arrive safely in the harbour.

The magic of night sailing

When compared to sailing during the day, night sailing places more demands on the captain's experience and knowledge of sailing regulations. But it is also a truly romantic experience. Millions of stars glistening in the night sky and the waves sparkling in the moonlight. If you're lucky, sailing out of the mist from land on a clear night with a near full moon, it will seem almost like daylight.

If you're serious about sailing and steering your boat, there are other benefits to night sailing. Navigating at night sharpens the senses and enhances the sailing experience as well as your experience of the sea itself. It truly gives a whole new meaning to sailing. But if all you want is to just enjoy yourself, night sailing is one of the most romantic experiences you can have. Check out our article on how to enjoy romance on board a yacht charter .   

Are you new to the sea? We will recommend experienced captains who will take care of you on the ship. Give us a call.

Denisa Nguyenová

Faq how to manage a night sailing.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Night Sailing: A full guide to sailing in the dark

• September 23, 2022

Pete Goss provides an in depth guide to night sailing to help you get the most our of your boat when the sun sets

Night sailing is bread and butter to an ocean sailor and often crucial to coastal passage making, be it to catch a tide, avoid bad weather or simply to eat up delivery miles in preservation of precious cruising time at the destination of choice. It is an essential skill and, like anything in life, it needs to be learned and then honed with training and experience.

The dark hours don’t need to feel threatening. Some of my most memorable moments at sea have been thanks to the magic of darkness as it blankets distant clutter to bring an intimacy with nature that eludes us under the harsh spotlight of the passing sun.

Sound seems to carry as the gentle chuckle of the bow forging its path carries to the cockpit. The hull’s motion is celebrated by the glow of a swirling phosphorescent wake. Waves seem to be accentuated and smells become evocative on the damp air. A moonless night sky descends to wrap us in a blanket of bright heavenly bodies, untarnished by light pollution. Conversely a full moon can cast its own spell – there is nothing like the magic of sailing down the reflective path of a moonbeam.

A few hours of night sailing can hugely extend your cruising range. Photo: Richard Langdon

Perfect memory

Two weeks after rounding Cape Horn during the Vendée Globe I have a vivid memory of perfection. Earlier that day we had transitioned from a frustratingly fickle area to the blissfully consistent trade winds. The cloying cold became a memory as thermals were shed to welcome the refreshing joy of a deck shower. Flushed with the relief and optimism of surviving the Southern Ocean I had a rare four-hour sleep.

I awoke to find that darkness had ushered in a world of magic. Aqua Quorum quivered with joy as she surfed across building seas. The deck, speckled with spots of phosphorescence cast by surging water had come to life. Mesmerised, I sat on the companionway bubble, the only dry spot on board to be surrounded by a super pod of dolphin. Swirling streaks of phosphorescence around and under the boat marked their playful antics. It was a moment, too special to be caught on film, that has never left me.

Having become seduced by the intimate beauty of the night, it’s not unusual for me to gift the off-watch crew a full night’s sleep as I see it through to dawn. This comfort in the dark hours has taken time though. My first night sail was  sailing across the Channel  with my parents and I struggled as benign conditions became threatening with darkness.

Teach crew to use the moon, stars, clouds or (fixed) lights to help hold a steady course at night. Photo: Richard Langdon

My seasickness was accentuated and we seemed adrift in a void with no points of reference. Ships offered little sense of size, direction or proximity and rather than reassuring me, the few flashing lights on the coast seemed to taunt me. Even the colour-coded ropes lost their individuality as I fumbled about trying to make sense of this new world.

Having subsequently introduced many to night sailing I have realised that my reaction was common, so I thought I might share a few reflections on how to compensate to make night sailing safer and above all more enjoyable.

The moon provides a fair amount of light at sea. Photo: Richard Langdon

Night sailing spacial awareness

The visual horizon, reducing with darkness, needs to be replaced by the projection of spacial awareness. If you struggle with this break it down to focus on each of its components and layer by layer it will become a reliable comfort, effortlessly adjusting for tide, wind, waves and the quirks of your boat.

Couple this with a clear mental chart, created like a dot-to-dot picture linking available references from lighthouses to buoys, the looms of civilisation and even the passage of a ferry whose course offers a straight line reference between two ports.

The outcome can be remarkably accurate and I test mine by putting a circle of estimation on the chart before plotting our position. It won’t stand the test of measurement but it can offer a sense of reality which is both reassuring and can counter errors. A gut feeling that ‘that just doesn’t feel right’ can save lives.

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Night sailing passage plan

Start with a detailed passage plan. Think about sight lines, wind and wave direction, where will lights pop up or sink below the horizon. Where will you be at dusk and dawn, will the weather bring rain, cloud cover or perhaps fog? What are areas of heightened risk – draw them on the chart, break them down for clarity. Pore over pilot books, talk to others to make your visual reference as detailed as possible.

Ideally take the crew ashore, draw breath and talk through the passage plan as you run your finger across the chart. You’re aiming to paint a lasting picture so keep repeating the passage of your finger as you add layer upon layer of information. Explain the limitations of darkness and the ship’s routines to mitigate them. Underline that casual daylight references such as wind and wave direction should be given more attention.

Setting a reliable passage plan is key when sailing at night. Photo: Richard Langdon

The heavenly bodies and even clouds can be used to avoid becoming compass blind. Steer with all your senses and be guided by periodic glances at the compass. The fact that these senses are inherent is illustrated by the steadying effect of asking a wildly erratic novice to close their eyes. It’s as if a primal gyro has been switched on as they steady up.

Give responsibility by asking one of the crew to take the forecast and relay it, another to go over your tidal calculations, another to organise the snacks and so on. Further this by having everyone take turns at filling in the hourly log and plotting the position. Breaking a passage into watches makes the handover of information essential.

Wake the oncoming watch with at least 15 minutes in hand. Welcome them with a hot cuppa and a general overview as they don their equipment. As they make their way on deck check safety gear and that hats and gloves are to hand. They must clip on before leaving the companionway and finding their feet. The off-going helm should stay by their replacement until dismissed. The new watch leader requires a formal handover of the boat set-up, visual references and chart updates.

Contrary to common misconception, navigation is often clearer during the dark hours due to the pinpoint accuracy and identification of navigational aids. What is clear at night can degenerate into a smudge with the coming of dawn. So make sure that the last fix of the night is exemplary for this could be the crucial fix from which all dead reckoning will follow. The flip side is that a city’s gaudy background can make identifying navigation lights very challenging.

Hot drinks and snacks will help crew stay warm and awake on watch. Photo: Richard Langdon

Staying awake when sailing at night

Tiredness inhibits all senses, silently eroding safety and decision making. As darkness calls for as much alertness as you can give, so your body winds down, no matter how hard you fight it, to provide less and less attention as the night unfolds. A good watch system helps – two five-hour watches during the day to give a longer sleep backed up by short night watches. If a watch is really exhausted I will stand in as skipper to allow cat napping. Should broader exhaustion set in consider shortening watches, heaving to, anchoring up, or a revised passage plan.

Seldom does a landfall mesh with a watch system so consider extending the approach watch to ensure a well-rested watch for harbour approaches. If you are able to step outside the watch system, plan your sleep to be alert for decision points; headlands, tide changes, passing fronts or land fall. A clear understanding of when, where and why the skipper should be called will empower the crew to maintain alertness and resist the temptation to retreat into their hood.

Encourage movement, from press-ups to regular helm changes and scanning the horizon from the cap shrouds. Rotate the watch through plotting the hourly position, providing hot drinks, snacks and boiled sweets. Anything to maintain engagement and spacial awareness.

It might sound daft but be overt about no question being a silly question, particularly at night. The crew are your eyes and ears so encourage them to express any concern or intuition. Reward it by establishing the cause of their concern to provide a learning experience and safety check.

Make a cup of tea ready for the oncoming watch. Photo: Richard Langdon

Night sailing watch routines

The most important entity on a boat is the crew, so spend your money on good clothing and personal equipment before being tempted by the latest gadget.

Watch for early signs of seasickness or hypothermia and take immediate action. Being on watch is a duty, so reduce talking to essential information; if feeling divorced from the elements drop your hoods and remove hats. Allocate quadrants of responsibility, scan the horizon by turning your head to improve hearing and other senses; open your mouth. Sporadically weave the boat to alter shadows, motion and noise. Walk up to the bow and stand there for longer than feels appropriate, as long as you’ve told someone you’re going up. You’ll be surprised how different things look, sound and feel up forward.

If it’s particularly dark or foggy I often turn off the navigation lights and run with the tricolour for short periods if motoring. This cuts glare and can be aided by posting a crew member on the bow if there is lots of shipping about. Periodically turn off the engine for a listening watch, even if sound isn’t necessarily directional in these conditions. If you have a plotter and radar below, put a crew member below and turn off the deck instruments.

Use red light below to protect night vision and help others sleep. Photo: Richard Langdon

Night vision

Contrary to common misconception it takes 20 minutes to gain your night vision. Red light is preferable but it still affects it.

Rather than red lights below I prefer red head torches to reduce light emission and ensure it is focussed. Remember red light can blank out colour definition on your chart.

A waning moon calls for greater light discipline as the nights get darker. Modern cockpits can suffer from screen blindness so don’t be afraid to put the cover on electronics and have a dedicated crew member looking as the others turn away.

Teach the crew to use their peripheral vision when scanning the horizon for it is much more sensitive. Once your periphery picks something up the eye will be able to focus on that to which it was blind. It takes practice to focus just above the horizon but is a revelation when you get the hang of it. If your direct sight still doesn’t pick it up use your binoculars.

There is nothing more damaging than a smoker flashing up their lighter. Ban smoking at crucial times, at others ask them to both mask their lighter and warn the crew before ignition. The smoker must face aft and draw behind their raised collar and hood. Recognise that life goes on below so have porthole curtains and drop in the washboards where appropriate.

Change helms regularly, take your hood down, and look out from different points of the boat to remain alert, and avoid developing blind spots. Photo: Richard Langdon

Perspective

Darkness can bring a change to perspective so extra care needs to be taken when judging distance. I can’t offer any simple tips here apart from suggesting extra time spent on looking at landmarks and using your spacial awareness, binoculars, fixes and radar to correct any anomalies.

From hard experience I have found that on a very dark night a lone navigation buoy with nothing around it to offer perspective can jump from seemingly afar to right under your nose. During a training course for the British Steel Challenge I was off watch when we glanced off a hoofing great Trinity House navigational mark which I had laid down as a turning point. I didn’t hear the collision thanks to a lumpy night and being tired. It was dawn before a very sheepish mate woke me with the news.

In truth I thought it was a wind-up until I looked over the bow to be shocked by a large dent. I just couldn’t believe that four keen trainees under a Mate with thousands of miles including a circumnavigation could simply sail into such a big, well-lit buoy.

I interviewed them all separately and they all swore that they had watched the buoy from afar. All were confident of their position when it suddenly appeared under the bow with just enough time to throw the helm up.

I have since experimented under similar conditions to experience the same phenomena. On a very dark night I will always leave extra room and put a spotlight on the buoy from afar, ensuring that others have turned away with their eyes shut. It’s something that I have found to be remarkably consistent so beware.

The absence of a visible horizon makes seasickness more likely. Photo: Richard Langdon

Seasickness

Remember that seasickness is accentuated by darkness so be minded if you know someone is susceptible. Issue seasick tablets or even stand them out of the night watch, for an ill person is useless and needs looking after.

Darkness inhibits balance so be extra vigilant about clipping on and press home the ‘one hand for the boat and one for yourself’ mantra. This is particularly important as decks at night are often slippery with condensation.

Before any deck work have a team-talk to walk through the order of events and who will do what. A fun training exercise I used to great effect on the British Steel Challenge was to blindfold the crew on a quiet day to practise reefing and even putting the spinnaker up.

Equipment you need for sailing at night. Photo: Richard Langdon

Night sailing equipment

It’s important to have binoculars that have a wide lens to draw in as much light as possible. I have found that image stabilising seems to have a greater effect at night. Beyond that there is thermal imaging and IR scopes. My wife Tracey’s dream would be a FLIR Scope. I have yet to use the more exotic scopes on a boat but know from the military how remarkable they can be.

AIS is wonderful as it gives course, speed and risk of collision with vessels festooned with so many working lights they blank out their navigation lights. Radar is also an excellent aid to seeing beyond the darkness but once again it can inhibit night vision.

I like to provide the cockpit with a proper palm stopwatch with a neck lanyard for identifying lights. Wristwatches incapacitate both arms and are often lost in the confines of wet weather gear and thermals.

Don’t forget the ‘opposition’ are suffering from the same challenges so be ready to aid them by running a spotlight over the sails. Worst case, you might flash it directly at the ship’s bridge or ignite a white hand-held flare to avoid collision. Powerful LED torches are readily to hand in your pocket and have negated the constraints of an electric lead of older searchlights.

Use the steaming light for less invasive illumination, or better a dim, ideally red, torch. Photo: Richard Langdon

This is a difficult one that is best addressed by developing an intimate feel for your boat such that she can talk to you through feel alone.

Of course you should always sail within your ability and comfort zone but at the same time don’t be frightened of the dark. I personally wouldn’t change the way I sail between night and day. A boat should always be sailed well, for it not only reduces risk by making your destination earlier but also ensures the boat is happily responsive and able to talk to you. An underpowered hull will wallow to make deck work and moving about below riskier. It will also make extra leeway and tend to wander about the course to compromise navigation.

Get to know your boat, train for night manoeuvres by walking it through with the crew. Have some fun with blindfolds. I see no reason why the spinnaker should come down at night, for nothing that influences how the boat reacts is lost with light. A well sailed boat has a jaunty aura that lifts the crew’s enjoyment and alertness.

Should complex manoeuvres be required such as gybing the spinnaker I prefer to turn on the steaming light as opposed to the deck light which you can’t see beyond. Talk the manoeuvre through and slow it down by pausing between each step. Before you know it, night sailing will be like bread and butter. Always remember to give the horizon a good scan before turning on the steaming light.

You can use deck lights for sail trim and foredeck work, but it will completely blind you to anything outside the boat. Photo: Richard Langdon

Use your instruments of course but I find that a masthead windex is a great aid at night for it is clearer as it relates directly to the mast and sails. Trimming is generally easy at night if you have preserved your night vision. If needs be, a member of the crew can shine a weak torch at the tell tails while everyone else protects their night vision.

On racing boats I have seen a dim light shining up the headsail from the deck but this seems dangerous to me as it has to affect night vision. There are glow in the dark tell tails but I’ve found these wanting.

Don’t let instruments divorce you from your senses. It pays dividends to remove your hood and woolly hat to get a proper feel for the wind. The only ground I would give to sail setup at night would be to give extra weight to the forecast. If you know the wind will shift early on I might shelve the spinnaker and sacrifice a few miles by poling out the headsail. I might also delay shaking out a reef until the watch change. This would only be when cruising though.

Sailing solo at night is possible, but requires a higher degree of caution and less ambitious plans. Photo: Richard Langdon

Short handed sailing at night

I wouldn’t start with the premise that night sailing should be avoided, because it is quite safe and can offer the best of experiences. I would, however, make allowances if short handed or sailing with novice crew. If it feels like risk is elevated, make a proper risk assessment, which should include the possibility of breaking the trip into day sails where possible. I would also consider a delay when sailing two handed if both of you are ground down and at a low ebb.

If single handed I have a very loud alarm much like an egg timer and will judge my cockpit naps against the risk of collision. This can mean as little as five-minute naps for a ship can come over the horizon at a fair old clip so look at the shipping lanes, make a judgement. If five minutes feels risky then you just have to suck it up and stay awake with coffee, music and exercise, or whatever it takes, as long as it doesn’t wake the off watch.

If you are very tired when two handed, keep reducing the watches until they’re workable. I was once reduced to 20-minute watches. The golden rule is to get relief if you’ve stopped functioning properly.

Under pressure I personally don’t mind one of the on watch having a cockpit nap provided they are covered by their buddy. The reality is that two exhausted people are no more efficient than one that has had a nap as the boat works towards topping up a depleted sleep reserve through bad weather or some other perfectly acceptable reason. A lack of discipline or being hungover is not acceptable. The boat shouldn’t leave under these circumstances – that is what a conscientious skipper is for.

It’s worth having both crew awake when sailing in or near traffic lanes or separation schemes. Photo: Richard Langdon

Fishing hazards at night

We’ve all been faced with an erratic fishing boat that is seemingly continually correcting any of your course changes back to a collision course. The reality is that they are focussed on fishing and are completely distracted from lookout duties.

This scenario is always compounded by a plethora of working lights which drown out their navigation lights. If there is a blessing it’s that their speed will be low thanks to the drag of their nets. This is where binoculars, radar and constant use of a hand bearing compass come into their own.

When passing in close proximity to a fishing boat I will always start the engine and leave it ticking over just in case drastic action is required. Although fishermen seldom respond to a VHF call, it’s worth a try. Other shipping are much better at responding and helpful, particularly when crossing a busy shipping lane. AIS is hugely helpful here: not only can they see you but you can identify a ship’s name for your VHF call.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Night sailing – the essential guide for offshore cruisers

• April 19, 2017

Chris Tibbs on how to prepare for and enjoy offshore night watches

With a full moon and following wind, night sailing can be one of the great pleasures to be had when passagemaking; but on a dark night in a gale it can be very stressful and leave you longing for dawn.

Whether you are crossing the Channel or crossing an ocean, sailing in the dark is something that everyone experiences at some stage in their sailing career and with some simple preparations you can make it easier and safer.

Have you ever been asked by a non-sailor: “What do you do out on the ocean at night?” It often comes as a surprise to find that sailing has always been a 24-hour pastime.

Traditionally, passages were made at night and planned so that landfall was at dawn to assist with identifying the lights and confirming the yacht’s position. Then the skipper could enter port safely during daylight.

With GPS we now rather underestimate the usefulness of lights for position fixing and, as more yachts are fitted with AIS, crossing shipping lanes has become less difficult now that you are not solely reliant on identifying each ship’s navigation lights.

Of course, not all vessels have AIS!

How to prepare for long passages

Generally night sailing falls into one of two categories: the first is a one-off night sail, such as the start of a summer cruise to get the boat to your cruising ground, or perhaps a RORC or JOG cross-Channel race. The second is a long passage where there will be a number of days between the start and finish with consecutive night sails.

For me there should be little difference when setting up the boat although there will be a difference in watchkeeping.

Whether cruising or racing, the crew spending consecutive nights at sea requires a more rigid watch system – covering the full 24 hours – than the one-night crew. But the principles of watch-keeping do also apply to single nights at sea.

One of my pet hates used to be the Friday night cross-Channel races. Crews would arrive all enthusiastic after a hard week at work, but by 0200 tiredness had set in and we would see ourselves slowly working our way to the back of the fleet with only one or two awake enough to be competitive.

Most boats are logical in their layout and it is always a pleasure when a new but experienced crew comes on board as they will rarely need telling twice which rope is which.

Yes it is good to label clutches but soon after joining everyone should know by feel and position which rope is which.

Close your eyes and feel – size becomes very apparent and the covers will feel different. Hold the spinnaker halyard in one hand and the topping lift in the other; feel the different sizes and textures.

It is always good to keep the same ropes in the same position so at night in the dark, when the label is obscured anyway, it is easy to pick up the right one.

Humans are not particularly good at seeing at night and it takes a long time to get full night vision.

The eyes are incredible complex and there are three phases in adapting to the dark.

Initially our pupils dilate to allow as much light in as possible; this may take from a few seconds to a minute to happen.

The next phase takes place in the cone cells of the eye. In the absence of light we get chemical changes in the cell and it can take ten minutes for the cone cells to adapt to the dark.

Lastly we have rod cells which are responsible for black and white vision and these contain rhodopsin which is reactivated in the absence of light. This will take several hours to fully adapt to the dark.

Although we are all different, as a rough guide it takes about ten minutes to get most of our night vision, which gets slowly better over the following few hours. This can be put back to zero very quickly by the use of bright lights.

How to use lights on board at night

All crew members should have a flashlight and it’s worth keeping a powerful spotlight on deck for rig checks and emergencies.

When sail trimming try and use as weak a flashlight as possible and also warn the helmsman and lookouts before using it.

We have had great success in painting the lenses of flashlights with red nail varnish: the red light is much kinder on the eyes and nail varnish is more readily available than red flashlights.

Red lights are also crucial below. Some yachts will have split lights with red to be used at night. In the past, I have used stick-on red film from a photographic shop.

Generally we cover half of the lights red when cruising, but for long offshore passages we will cover all the lights with red film to avoid the wrong switch being used.

It would be nice to have two complete circuits to turn off the white lights completely, however ten minutes with a pair of scissors and all lights are covered.

Head torches leave both hands free, but I actually hate them on deck when sailing. If spoken to it is the natural reaction to turn and look at the person speaking, instantly ruining their night vision. Some head torches will have red bulbs but any bulb shining straight into your eye is damaging for your night vision.

Use light sparingly as the less you use, the less you tend to need. With the latest instruments and multifunction displays you can control the brightness of the image: keeping it to a minimum helps night vision and also consumes less power.

I am told that in training, some Mini Transat and Figaro sailors will practice sailing blindfold.

Night sailing tips for cruisers

I have been involved with the ARC for many years and it seems that most crews will routinely drop spinnakers and reduce sail for the night. All very prudent but nights are long in the tropics – approaching 12 hours of darkness.

I am not one for fixed rules, so I would rather see a boat set up for simple sail handling and allow conditions to dictate the sail plan. This also depends on the number of crew on board and the watch-keeping regime.

It makes sense to mark halyards and control ropes. I like to sew in a whipping of a contrasting colour onto the line marking the correct position just out of the clutch. This can be felt as well as seen and is particularly useful when reefing.

I also like to mark halyards at the maximum hoist to avoid anyone getting too enthusiastic and winding the splice or knot into the sheave. This is something racing boats have done for years and for cruisers would be useful for both day and night sailing.

Luminous draft stripes can be added to sails to help with sail shape and small amounts of reflective tape can also be stuck around the boat to help see and identify equipment.

On my boat the wheel is marked with a turk’s head knot to feel the centre point, to which we have also added some reflective tape to make it visible in low light.

If you make sail changing and trimming simple you can usually do it with just the ambient light and a small flashlight. The decklight knocks out any visibility forward. A tricolour light should light up the windex and if conditions are marginal, a steaming light can be used to check spinnaker trim, although any lights forward spoil night vision and, of course, a steaming light indicates to others that you are motoring not sailing.

When planning a voyage, make life easier and safer by maximising your moonlight hours: sailing under a full moon and clear sky is as easy as sailing during the day.

Crew preparation

Sailing is no fun when tired and hungry. There seems to be a tendency on cruising yachts to run short-handed with single-person watches. Of course, single-handed sailors circle the globe in ever faster yachts, but the average cruising yacht is not really very well set up for single-handed sailing.

Hot drinks and snacks at night are essential.

The typical cruising yacht has a number of roles to perform, so the ideal deck layout in terms of sailing efficiency will be compromised by the requirements of the cabin space below.

This tends to encourage slow sailing: if it is hard to single-handedly reduce sail, it makes sense to automatically reef at night so you do not have to call anyone to help.

Two or three hours is long enough to be up on your own and with shorter watch times, there is the opportunity to change sail during a change of watch when there are two people on deck.

When my wife and I are double-handed passagemaking, we stick to three-hour watches, as this is as long as I can keep concentration. But it is tiring. For ocean crossings we tend to have an extra person to help.

Night raids and the importance of the midnight snack

When racing you have to push 24 hours a day to be competitive, although you can be a bit more conservative at night to help preserve the boat and crew.

When I skippered Concert in the BT Global Challenge, we would occasionally do a ‘night raid’. This involved handing out a few extra treats for dinner then, putting the best drivers on the helm, we would really push through the hours of darkness. This usually paid off with a few miles gained.

I would be happy to cross an ocean on freeze-dried food but I think I am in a minority! Food and drink is important for fuel and also for enjoyment.

Food at night is particularly important for energy and well-being. Sealed personal drink flasks stay hot for a couple of hours, the biggest danger being burning your mouth in the first hour. Snacks are also good on night watches: our bodies are used to sleeping at night and a snack helps to keep us going.

One trick that I like is a Cup-a-Soup in a wide-mouthed flask with a few teaspoons of couscous added. Put the lid on and leave it five minutes and you have a tasty and filling savoury snack!

How to be a watchkeeper

Watchkeepers should not take the responsibility lightly. You need an experienced watchkeeper crossing the Channel due to the level of shipping and navigation required on the passage. Further offshore a less experienced watchkeeper has more time to call the skipper.

Why longer passages are easier

Everyone on board has to get enough sleep. It may be possible, physically, to go 24 hours without sleep, but decision-making suffers and it is easy to make mistakes.

I prefer, if possible, to have at least two people on a watch, this avoids having to call extra crew for small sail changes or manoeuvres. It does also mean that when you are off watch, your sleep is not disturbed. With two on watch, three or four-hour watches pass quickly, split between steering, lookout, and navigation.

Racing is a bit different as there is generally a bigger crew. I am not a fan of everyone on the rail all night, and rotating the crew so everyone gets some sleep is important.

For longer races like the Fastnet I would have a rigid watch system so everyone gets some good sleep. If anything goes wrong then it always seems to happen at about 0400 when people are at their lowest ebb.

I would also get into the watch system early, probably before Portland, to get into a rhythm. Our bodies are very complex and need time to adjust; a short passage of two or three nights can be more tiring than a transatlantic.

Personally I find it takes about three days to get settled. I then get one really good deep sleep and I am fine for the rest of the voyage. I tend to find short passages – anything less than three days – more tiring, which is why I prefer a bigger crew for sailing a few hundred miles than I do for sailing longer passages.

7 Top tips for Safety at  night

• Prepare your boat: mark all halyards and brief crew on cockpit layout • Be patient with night vision: it takes three hours to fully adapt and moments to ruin • Red lights: either use red see-through film, red light bulbs or even nail polish • Get into watches early on the voyage: the body needs time to adjust to a new rhythm • Good food is especially important at night when the body is conditioned to be sleeping • Think safety and preparation: don’t run a one-person watch if the boat’s not easy to sail solo • Avoid getting overtired: concentration and decision making is essential at sea

Chris Tibbs is a meteorologist and weather router, professional sailor and navigator, as well as an ARC safety inspector. He is currently doing a circumnavigation with his wife, Helen, on their own boat, Taistealai.

Night Sailing: Seven Main Tips to be Safe and Happy

If you plan to do a bit of night sailing , there are several things that you need to consider. Here are several tips to keep in mind if you’re going to be sailing at night .

Personal Flotation Device

We understand that life jackets might not be comfortable, but when you’re sailing at night it’s a very good idea to have your personal flotation device on. Some personal flotation devices can have a beacon or light attached to them which makes it easier to find you in the water if you happen to fall overboard. by using a personal flotation device, you simply improve your safety when on the water at night time.

Clear and Safe Waypoints

You should make good use of your electronic sailing aids to ensure boating safety at night. You should also make sure that the waypoints you have entered your navigational aid are correct so you don’t have any mistakes while sailing at night. Make note of your surroundings such as islands and other obstacles to ensure that each one of your waypoints from point A to B is going to be safe for you to sail through.

Know Light Patterns

When you sail at night you may encounter other boats, so it’s critical that you understand the lights on other boats. This will let you understand what is going on out on the water. When you understand what the various lights mean and what they are doing, this will help keep you safe and reduce confusion.

Dress for Weather

At night you’re naturally not going to have the warmth of the sun so you should dress according to the weather. On the water at night time, it can become quite chilly even if the daytime temperatures have been hot. If you want to enjoy your time on the water, make sure you have proper attire for nighttime sailing.

Have a Watch

While you want to enjoy sailing at night you should also have someone as a lookout and a watch. There’s going to be restricted visibility so even though moonlight might give you some light, you should still have somebody watching things as you sail. It might be boring being on a watch, but it’s essential to ensure safety. If you boating alone, you’re going to be the person on the watch so you must not only steer your boat but be cautious of where you’re going.

No Need to Rush

At night time it’s a good idea to run your boat a little slower. At night time you want things to be safer and you can have a better experience if you’re not sailing as fast as you might say out during the day. You won’t have as much reaction time at night so it’s a good idea to keep things slow and easy during a nighttime sail.

Good Searchlight

Your eyes will become accustomed to sailing in the darkness, but you still want to have a good Searchlight in case of emergencies. You may need the flashlight when you want to verify a navigational aid, come into the harbor to park your boat, or try to identify something in the water that might be foreign such as a log or other small obstacle that might be dangerous to your boat. You should have a good searchlight for all situations because you never know what you might encounter in the water at night time.

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Boat Lights At Night (The Rules For Safety)

Boat navigation lights at night are used for safety. They are designed so they can be seen easily. Boat lights vary according to boat type and size, boat use, navigation area, and geographic location. Boaters should learn boat light meanings and keep up-to-date on boat light requirements.

Boat navigation lights indicate a boat’s heading (Aspect) and what it’s doing. The boat’s red and green lights show the boat’s port and starboard sides. Let’s explain boat light type, actions, and requirements in detail.

Types of Boat Lights

Boating safety starts with proper boat navigation lights. If you are a boater, it’s important to understand the 4 types of common navigational lights on your vessel so that you can be seen by other boats in the water and avoid accidents or running aground.

Boat navigation lights are split into four groups. There are Sidelights, Stern light, Masthead light, and All-Round light.

Sidelights show Red or Green to other vessels approaching from the side or head-on, while stern light only points out white light when you’re coming up behind someone else’s boat.

Masthead light should be mounted high on a vessel’s aft-most part of the structure that extends above deck level. The masthead light is a requirement on all power-driven vessels. It shines forward and to both sides and the color of this light is white.

The boat’s all-around white light is on the mast, stern, or somewhere else on the boat. This light can act as an anchor light when a boat is anchored.

Boat Navigation Light Color

• Masthead light color – White
• Port sidelight color – Red
• Starboard sidelight color – Green
• Stern light color – White
• All-Round light color – white

Boat Light Visibility Range (Minimum)

• Side lights; Boat < 12m (39.4 feet) – At least 1 NM
• Masthead light; Boat < 12m (39.4 feet) – At least 2 NM
• Stern light; Boat < 12m (39.4 feet) – At least 2 NM
• All-Round light; Boat < 12m (39.4 feet) – At least 2 NM
• Boat < 20m (65.7 feet) – Masthead light at least 3 NM; Other light at least 2 Nm
• Boat > 20m (65.7 feet) – Masthead light at least 5 NM; Other light at least 2 Nm

Boat Navigation Lights Indicate W hich Side ?

Your boat’s navigation lights will basically tell you what side of the vessel is a port and which side is starboard. The red light indicates a vessel’s port (left) side; the green indicates a vessel’s starboard (right) side. Stern light is seen only from behind or nearly behind the vessel. Masthead Light shines forward and to both sides.

What Are Boat Lights Used For ?

Boat lights are typically used to guide boaters at night, but they can also be used for a number of other purposes. They can help you and other boaters determine which is the give-way vessel when encountering each other on the water during periods of restricted visibility such as fog or rain. So never forget boat lights at night — boat lights make you and others visible at night on the water. They are used only for boat safety purposes.

Boat Lights and The Law

To navigate safely in the water, vessels are required to show proper navigation lights. There’s no need to worry about boat lights being an inconvenience because they must be displayed from sunset to sunrise and during periods of limited visibility.

You must turn on boat lights when underway between sunset and sunrise, as well as during any period of restricted visibility such as fog, rain, or heavy snowfall. And when it is deemed necessary by any boat skipper, boat lights must be turned on during the day.

Why Do Boats Have Blue Lights?

The reason boats have blue lights is to signify that they are law enforcement vessels. They may display a flashing blue light when engaged in direct law enforcement or safety activities, so as not to interfere with the visibility of their navigation lights.

What Does a Single White Light on a Boat Tell You?

When you see a single white light on the horizon, it may mean that you are overtaking another vessel. In order to avoid collisions and other mishaps, give way to either side of the boat. Also, one single white light could mean that the other boat is at anchor.

What Does a Red Flashing Light Mean on a Boat?

A red flashing light means that it’s a WIG boat.

What Size Boat Requires a Stern Light?

If your boat is 39.4 feet or longer, make sure to get a separate masthead light and stern light. However, If you’re on a power-driven boat less than 39.4 feet in length, then the masthead and stern light may be combined into a single all-round (360 degrees) white light. 

Where to Put Navigation Lights on a Boat?

• Masthead – over the centerline of a boat (seen ahead from 225 degrees)
• Stern – near the stern, lowest height on a boat (seen 135 degrees from behind)
• Side – port/left side and starboard/right side (112.5 degrees sides arc)
• All-round – over the centerline of a boat (360 degrees arc)

Safety Tips When Using Boat Lights

– Must be turned on when underway between sunset and sunrise

– Should be turned on when in poor visibility

– Must be turned on when deemed necessary

– Must be mounted in such a way that boat lights are not obscured by any other obstructions

– Used for boat safety only

– Can never be used as floodlights

– Must be mounted in such a way that the other boat operator can see them clearly

– Should be properly illuminated at all times

– Must be mounted securely

– Must never be covered by boat covers or other obstructions

– Should be turned off when a boat is at anchor (Turn on anchor light)

Boat lights are more than just a way to see where you’re going at night. They can be used to communicate with other boats, and they can help you avoid collisions.

Boat lights are essential for safe night boating. They help other boats and vessels see your boat, and they also help you see where you’re going. There are different types of boat lights available, and it’s important to choose the right ones for your vessel.

What Are the Most Popular Boat Lights?

Here’s a look at some of the most popular boat lights and what they offer.

LED Boat Lights: LED boat lights are becoming increasingly popular due to their energy efficiency and long lifespan. They’re also much brighter than traditional incandescent bulbs, making them ideal for night boating. Many LED boat lights come in waterproof versions, so you don’t have to worry about them getting wet if you encounter rough waters.

Solar Boat Lights: Solar boat lights are a great eco-friendly option since they’re powered by the sun. They typically have built-in batteries that store solar energy during the day so that the light can shine at night.

Battery-Powered Boat Lights: Battery-powered boat lights are another popular option, especially for smaller boats. These lights typically use either disposable or rechargeable batteries, depending on your preference. Some battery-powered models even come with solar charging capabilities, so you can keep them charged even when there’s no sun available.

What Lights Should Be on When Boating at Night?

There are many different types of lights (including navigational lights) that are required or recommended to be used when boating at night. The type of vessel, the size of the vessel, and the area in which the vessel is operating will all play a great role in what specific lights need to be used. In general, however, there are a few basic rules that apply to all kind of vessels.

All these requirements exist so that other boats can easily identify your vessel and know its intentions (whether it is stopped, coming towards them, or moving away). By following these simple guidelines you can help keep everyone safe on the waterway.

Which Side of a Boat Has a Red Light at Night?

The side of a boat with a red navigation light at night is the port side. The port side is the left side of the boat when you are facing forward.

When Boating at Night What Does a Single Green Light Mean?

When you see a single green light, be sure that you are approaching a sailing vessel. In this case, you have to take action and you must give way. Remember, A sailing boat is always the stand-on mode except when it is going to overtake you.

What Lights are Required on a Boat at Night in Florida?

In Florida, boaters are required to display a white light visible in all directions from sunset to sunrise. Boats must have a white light visible from 360 degrees whenever they are safely moored or anchored away from jetty.

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7 Tips for Night Sailing

By: Pat Reynolds Cruising Tips , Learn To Sail , Safety

Now that we’re into the summer months, lots of you might want to stretch your skill set and do a bit of night sailing. It’s a bit of a different animal so we’ve cobbled together seven things to keep in mind as you head off into the wild black yonder.

• Dress accordingly It may be obvious for some, but don’t forget the big ball of yellow heat will be replaced by a cold little white ball that will not help the warmth cause at all. Your ability to enjoy the pleasure that a gorgeous night on the water can provide is directly proportionate to you being dressed for the environment. Don layers, with a spray jacket on top and life should be good.
• Carry a decent searchlight Night boating involves becoming accustomed to the available light and acclimating to it. It’s actually one of the cool things to experience during a sail in the dark, so constantly shining a spotlight like you were hand-holding your car’s headlights is not where it’s at. That said, there are instances where having a high-powered light on board can make things considerably safer. Coming into a harbor, verifying a navigational aid or identifying something foreign in the water are all common situations that benefit from a good light.
• Stand a watch Of course someone should always be keeping an astute lookout whenever the boat is underway, but this is hyper-important during the restricted visibility that night sailing involves. If you’re lucky enough to have a bright full moon than things are a bit easier but short of that, it’s dark out there folks! Someone needs to keep a mandated watch. By the way, if that person is you, be prepared to have one of the most quality “alone-times” you’ve ever had. People are known to find the meanings of their lives on night watches. You might well return from your nice sail and promptly quit your job, dump that angry spouse and finally get in shape!
• Don’t push Many old salts attach a different attitude and mentality for night sails. During the day the fun might be to vigilantly trim and adjust, catch lifts, shift weight and monitor that knot-meter for that rewarding uptick – 3/10s of a knot – Yes! “ Herman are you secretly racing that little boy in the sabot? ” “ No, of course not. ” But Herman is racing that little boy in the sabot! Anyway, at night it’s good to downshift and run the boat at a lower percentage. Enjoy the serenity this time of day has to offer and understand that downsizing the operation a little will make for a safer and more fulfilling experience.
• Make sure Waypoints are Clear & Safe Most sailors rely on electronic aids to see them around the waterways and at night they become even more important. They can also, in certain situations, make things less safe. A few years ago, the famous Newport to Ensenada race reported their first deadly accident when a group of sailors ran into a small island off the coast of San Diego. After an investigation, it was determined that the sailors, in all likelihood, didn’t account for the land-mass (island) when they entered in their waypoints. They might have been sleeping or just not paying attention when their cruising boat tragically ran up on the rocks. This would never have happened during the day, but sailing at night brings with it these kinds of considerations.
• Know the Light Patterns Fortunately charts and boats are all set up for sailing at night so it’s absolutely essential that the skipper and at least some of the crew know what the language of lights is saying out there. Boats are equipped with lights situated in such a way that other boats can tell what’s going on and charts are filled with light-related information that will clue mariners in on where they are. It can be confusing to look into a harbor located outside of a city and try to understand what is going on. “ Why is that harbor entrance light switching from green to red like that? Oh, that’s Washington blvd… ” Know what to look for and how the lights behave and the confusion will be greatly reduced.
• Wear a PFD We understand that not everyone wears their pfd for whatever reason – it’s not comfortable, it’s filthy from lying on the floor for the past month, it sucks away at your already limited sex appeal – we get it. We don’t agree with the decision, but okay. For night boating, swallow your reasoning and put that thing on. Things can get slick on the boat at night and God forbid you end up in the drink, that little pea head of yours is very hard to see in the night. If you’re floating around for a while screaming “over here!” things are vastly better. Attach a battery powered personal beacon/light to it while you’re at it. Follow our advice and should you end up overboard you’ll be back in the boat in no time!

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Navigation Lights at Night

by Harbor Sailboats | Dec 4, 2020 | Blog | 1 comment

Great article! Boat lights are the means of communication between sailing vessels. These lights are also a tool to let my presence known even from a distance.

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Navigation Lights for Sailboats (And How To Read Them)

Last Updated by

Capt Chris German

June 15, 2022

Navigation lights on a sailboat can be confusing. If you understand the reason behind why they are the way they are however, they can make a lot more sense.

At their heart, sailboats are really just a power boat and as such must adhere to all power boat rules such as navigation lights. Other times however, a sailboat is classified in a special category. They have a set of additional lights they CAN show as an option, but are not always required to do so.

That’s about as clear as mud if you ask me and I contend that that is where the confusion about lighting a sailboat begins.

Just because you can show a light to identify yourself in times of low visibility, does not mean you have to and then we add in a little sibling rivalry between power and sail and things get downright adversarial when it comes to navigation and the night.

Table of contents

The USCG says You’re a Power Boat Whether You Like It or Not

Much to the consternation of many a sailor who has earned a commercial license to drive their sailboat, when you received your credential from the USCG it says you are a master of steam and power across the top with no mention of wind as a source of propulsion.

It is not until you read the back pages of your little red book that feels like a passport and looks like a US Sailing credential, that you will see the term “sail auxiliary”. That is because most of the time the U.S. Coast Guard knows that you are primarily reliant on your mechanical power to propel your vessel.

It's a sad thing, but the days of commercially viable sail boats are done and all but the most select few even have sails let alone use them as their primary power source. All sail boats by law are powerboats, but not all powerboats are sailboats.

Navigation Lights for a Power Boat

As a power boat, you are required to show certain lights and have been required to do so before power was even invented. 

In the days of man powered vessels like the viking ships who relied on oars while in close quarters to power their vessels, they needed to show other boats, friend or foe, where they were by showing lanterns in the dark to identify themselves. As you know, it is a time honored rule among all the nations of the world both past and present, that you must avoid a collision at all costs while at sea and even the viking knew that you should not run into things.

By lighting the front and back of your boat, you could warn other boats of your presence as well as identify which way you were heading. As such there is a very specific rule in the Code of Federal Regulations Number 46 (CFR46 by common name) that spells out with detail how many, the color, the luminosity or brightness, the angle of visibility and the location of all of the lights required for navigation on every single boat, seaplane, submarine and other nondescript vessel conceived by man to date that they must show while underway in reduced visibility.

And there is no flexibility in the rules.

As such a power boat, and by extension all sailboats, MUST, without question show one green light on the starboard bow and one red light on the port bow and one all around white light or lights while operating in reduced visibility. These lights should shine at all 360 degrees of visibility with the bow lights shining at an angle of dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam and the stern lights shining 225 degrees dead aft. A forward facing masthead light that is white in color shall shine forward to comply with the directive that all vessels must carry an all around white light. For more read here .

As you can see, there isn’t much wiggle room when it comes to lights that must be shown.

Sailboats get a little flexibility with lights

Sailboats however, are a little different when they are in fact sailboats, which is only when you are entirely reliant on the wind for power and in no way reliant on any mechanical or manual means of propulsion. And for good reason.

Back in the day when men were men and sailboats were wooden, fire was a major concern. Sails were coated with wax and other flammable substances and the wood on boats was saturated with oils and grease. Even the ropes were plant materials saturated with oils to keep them pliable and strong.

Add those highly flammable substances to a parching environment like the sea and you had what was essentially a giant floating tinderbox.

Then tell that giant floating tinderbox that they need to identify themselves to the world at large at night using oil lamps with flames because batteries and lights were not invented yet. It didn't take very long or very many ships burning to the water line for the Governments to say to the sailboats, you get to do things a little different.

As such, sailboats are given special dispensation when it comes to lights aloft. They don't have to show an all around white light in their rigging because no one wanted to set their rig on fire with oil lamps 60 feet up in their rig.

However, when a sailboat takes their sails down such as when they are powered or at anchor, they must resume the display of an all around white light or lights aloft. That became a real challenge with aluminum masts and the disappearance of rat lines on the shrouds because there was no easy way to climb the rig and check the bulbs up the mast on a regular basis. 

Red over Green Sailing Machine

I have no idea where the history of this particular light comes from, but if you ever take a deck exam with the USCG, you better remember this mnemonic. An all around red light over an all around green may be displayed on a vessel during times of reduced visibility to indicate that a vessel is operating under sail power alone. 

I won’t even speculate on how or why they came up with this particular light configuration, but if you want to use these lights as a sailing vessel, you can do so, but that means that you will need three all round lights at the top of your mast, an all around white, an all around red and an all around green, just in that order.

The red over green is to be displayed in addition to the running lights or the red and green bow lights with the 225 degree stern light. As always, when the motor comes on, so does the steaming light or the forward facing white light that is also usually about ¾ of the way up on your mast to complete the requirement of an all around white light that indicates a power vessel.

What is a “steaming light” and why are you mentioning it now?

Most sailboat electrical panels will have a switch that is labelled “steaming light” and it will only come on when your anchor light is off. This is probably the most confusing part of sailboat navigation lights so if you are confused about this, you're in good company as most people are. 

A “steaming” light is named thusly, going back to the days of steam powered sailboats where when they fired up their boilers and doused the sails, they became a power boat once again. There aren’t too many steam powered boats, let alone steam powered sailboats, but the name stuck and it is a vestige of a bygone era.

Either way, when you fire up your motor, you turn on your “steaming light” and that locks out the all around white light which is used for anchoring to minimize the number of switches on your panel and reduce the number of wires in your mast. The fewer wires, the less chance of something not working or becoming disconnected.

The steaming light and the anchor light both go up the mast, but you can’t use an all around white light while using the 225 degree stern light at the deck level because to other boaters you would look like you have two white lights from the stern and that would be confusing.

The anchor light is used exclusively for anchoring while the steaming light is used to indicate you are a power vessel while underway.

As to why I am mentioning it now in the article, is because this would have blown your mind if I started with this subject cause it can be really confusing stuff.

Aspect Recognition with Lights

Remember when I said earlier that lights can help you tell others which way you are heading as well as tell you which way other boats are heading? That is called the aspect of the vessel and the USCG tests you on this for your deck exam as well. 

Knowing that the bow lights go 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on both sides or 112.5 degrees on each side, and the stern light faces 225 degrees aft for a total of 360 degrees of visibility, you can tell a lot about where a boat is heading and who has the right of way.

One thing that's easy to remember is red means stop and if you see a vessel's red light, it means stop as you are the give way vessel and approaching the other vessel from his port side. Conversely it works with green as well as that means you are approaching from the other vessel's starboard side and you are the standon vessel.

If you see a red and green light equally low on the horizon, that means your heading dead on into another vessel's path and conversely if all you see is a white light low on the horizon, it means you are overtaking another vessel power or sail, we don’t care because it is an overtaking situation. However, any time you do see a white light aloft in addition to the red and green bow lights, you know you are encountering a power boat.

Then there are angular approaches as well, where you see white and red or white and green light low on the horizon. You know in that case you are seeing a portion of the bow lights and stern lights from the side approaches of a vessel. Based on which direction those lights are heading, you can deduce which way that boat is going in relation to your boat.

So put it all together and you see a green light and a white light low on the horizon with a red over green light aloft, you know that you are approaching a sailboat that is traveling to your port and that might make you the standon vessel. That is of course, if we didn’t concern ourselves with windward and leeward and port tacks and starboard tacks, but that is a discussion for another article. So stay tuned when we talk about sailing rules and the right of way. But for now, do good, have fun and sail far.

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Capt Chris German is a life long sailor and licensed captain who has taught thousands to sail over the last 20 years. In 2007, he founded a US Sailing-based community sailing school in Bridgeport, CT for inner city youth and families. When Hurricane Sandy forced him to abandon those efforts, he moved to North Carolina where he set out to share this love for broadcasting and sailing with a growing web-based television audience through The Charted Life Television Network.

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What are the proper sailboat lights at night?

As a sailor, it is essential to be aware of and adhere to proper sailboat lighting when navigating at night. These lights are necessary to ensure safety and avoid collisions with other vessels.

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) specifies lighting requirements for different types of boats. There are different lighting rules for vessels under power and those under sail. In this article, we’ll discuss the proper sailboat lights at night.

Sailboats are required to have three lights at a minimum: a masthead light, a red port light, and a green starboard light. The masthead light is white and is located at the top of the mast. This light should shine forward and aft and be visible from 2 nautical miles away. It is important to ensure that the masthead light is not obstructed by the sail or any other structure onboard.

The red port light is located on the left or port side of the boat and is visible from 1 nautical mile away. The green starboard light is on the right or starboard side and is also visible from 1 nautical mile away. These lights should shine out from the vessel and be visible from dead ahead to 112.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side.

In addition to these lights, sailboats that are underway may show an optional stern light. This light is placed at the stern of the vessel and is white. It should be visible from 2 nautical miles away and can be used to indicate that the sailboat is underway and not at anchor.

If a sailboat is not underway but still poses a potential hazard, it should display an anchor light. This is a white light that is visible from 2 nautical miles away and should be located near the top of the mast. This light indicates that the sailboat is anchored and should be avoided by other vessels.

It is important to note that the visibility of the lights depends on the weather and other conditions. In foggy or hazy conditions, the lights may not be visible from the specified distance. It is always a good idea to maintain a lookout and be aware of other vessels in the vicinity.

Proper sailboat lighting at night is critical to ensuring safety and avoiding collisions with other boats. It is essential to understand the required lighting regulations and to ensure that all lights are functioning correctly before heading out on the water. Remember to always maintain a lookout and be aware of other vessels around you. Happy sailing!

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Top tips for sailing at night

When most boats have moored up for the night clive loughlin ventures out into a different world.

There is something rather magical about sailing at night, and I love it.

In many ways very little changes – the chart plotter, depth sounder, log, AIS and radar still work just as they do in daytime, and yet somehow everything is different.

Although you can sail at night with your eyes glued to an electronic screen, it is much more fun (and safer) to supplement technology with traditional techniques, and I hope the following will help you brave the dark.

Not to be undertaken lightly

Probably the single most significant safety measure is to make sure that your eyes have adapted to night vision before you set off (see box).

Most saloon and cabin lights are far too bright to be left on at night, and yet it is important to be able to pop down below without stumbling around. I like to use a bicycle rear light, or other torch switched to red mode, and reflecting off the saloon coachroof to provide a dim bordello-like atmosphere.

Switch on compass and instrument backlights and dim chart plotter displays to their lowest setting. They may look too dim at first but they will soon seem brighter as your night vision kicks in.

  Dressing for the occasion

It gets cold at night so you must wrap up warm, and a woolly hat and gloves are essential.

Over the years I have spent a fortune on ‘sailing’ gloves and been disappointed. I now use industrial gloves designed for people working in refrigerated warehouses. These give me the dexterity I need, and are warm and very low cost.

A man overboard is really really bad news in daylight, but in the dark it is a literal nightmare. So always wear a lifejacket and clip on.

The eyes have it

The sensitivity of our eyes increases the longer they are in the dark and it typically takes 30-45 minutes for maximum sensitivity to be acquired, and the improvement is dramatic. Unfortunately it can be lost in a few seconds of exposure to bright lights.

Eyes have cones that are used for colour vision in daylight, and more sensitive rods that come into their own at night. The rods are not sensitive to red light and this means that if you switch to red illumination (or red ‘Steampunk’ goggles) your eyes can continue to adapt while you move around the boat.

Each eye adapts separately and pirates used to wear an eye patch so that one eye was always adapted to darkness. This enabled them to move easily between the bright Caribbean sunlight and the vestigial gloom below decks.

The bad news for those of pensionable age is that your eyes will only be about a third as sensitive to low light as in your youth. Binoculars will boost illumination by about fifty times and go a long way to redressing the balance; but it still pays to have your youngest crew on lookout.

Paper charts still reign supreme in a number of areas and one of these is the display of lights, and in particular the sectored lights that are so crucial for our safe arrival into harbour.

I simply cannot get on with having a red light at the chart table. The same goes for chart plotter ‘night modes’ where the colour palette is changed to something gothic. I much prefer a very dim white light so I can view charts as nature intended.

A cunning plan

A pilotage plan on a whiteboard in the cockpit is handy for the navigator and crew to refer to and saves countless trips to the chart table. I like to use a book light clipped to the whiteboard. A standard book light is far too bright, but can be made useable with a few layers of primary red nail varnish or a wrap or two of masking tape.

A pilotage plan wants to be the simplest you can come up with that will safely do the job; and with a few backup strategies in case the main one doesn’t work out for any reason.

Don’t assume that a navigation mark is lit, as most, including some cardinal marks, are not.

Yellow buoys (seasonal special marks) may not be there at all, but you are generally pretty safe to assume that port and starboard lateral marks, cardinals, sectored lights and lighthouses are all present and correct.

As with daytime pilotage, you cannot beat a forward or back transit for keeping you on track.

Around harbours most lit navigational buoys will have a visible range of 2-5nm, while main channel markers and important cardinals will have a 5-10nm range and lighthouses can be visible at 25nm.

Cautious sail plan

Moving around on deck should be avoided whenever possible and so it makes sense to only have out sails that are well within the conditions at the time.

In busy areas I also like to have quite a bit of the headsail rolled away as this improves visibility looking forward.

Light spotting

Towards shore the horizon will likely be a confusion of lights and it can be very difficult to spot the one you are after. One trick is to work out the bearing that the light is meant to be on and get the boat heading in that direction. Then the crew can restrict their searching to just 10 degrees either side of the bow, and this narrows the field considerably.

The biggest danger comes from deciding that a light is the one you are looking for simply because you want it to be. The green light you are actually looking for may be as yet too dim to be seen, but a bright alternative on ‘more or less’ the correct bearing must surely be it?

Judging distance can be very tricky as well. Is that a bright light a long way off or a dim one much closer?

Lights can also come up on you in a bit of a rush. On numerous occasions I have been heading for a mark for half-an-hour or so with it seemingly never getting any closer and then suddenly it is 50m off the bow and evasive action is called for. Ships are even worse.

Look behind you

My crew is often surprised by just how few lights are provided in anchorages and rivers. If there is nothing ahead to guide you then full use must be made of back bearings.

For example, the very popular anchorage in Newtown River on the Isle of Wight has no lights at all within, but it does have the smallest lit west cardinal known to man just a few cables out from the entrance.

Fishing pots have been in the news a lot recently with the Cruising Association campaigning for them to be made easier to spot. Whatever happens in the future it is likely that they will always be difficult to see at night, and the crew need to be on their guard and looking ahead on both sides of the hull, especially if under engine.

Silhouettes

Although shore lights can be a distraction for most nocturnal navigation, if you happen to be looking for an unlit buoy or mark (a popular task for Yachtmaster candidates), plan the approach so that the mark is between you and the lights ashore.

A good torch

For close-quarters maneuvering you simply cannot beat having a trusty crew on the foredeck armed with a powerful narrow-beamed torch. They need to be careful never to shine the torch on the deck or headsail, as this will blind everyone on board, but they can quickly earn their rum ration by scanning the torch around to highlight any obstacles that threaten the boat’s safe passage.

One of my first outings as an instructor included a night time pilotage up the river Beaulieu in January. This is a sparsely lit passage at the best of times, but on this occasion there was no Moon and the few navigation lights had been removed for winter maintenance. My fledgling career was saved by the rapid deployment of a ridiculously powerful torch that was able to pick out the red and green reflective marks on the piles in sufficient time before we ploughed into them.

I would be remiss if I did not caution against head torches. They are fine for the person wearing them but are a menace to everyone else.

Thanks to: Trusty crew Tracy, Vivien, Paul, Alexandre and Davide.

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Sailing at Night: Top Tips

30th jan 2018 by samantha wilson.

If you’ve never sailed at night then you’re really missing out on one of the most magical and soulful sailing boat experiences possible . The stillness of a star-lit sea on a cloudless night can be a contemplative adventure that distills the very essence of pure sailing.

However, it does raise challenges. How well do you know your yacht’s layout in the dark? How do you anticipate the squalls and gusts if you can’t see them?

In this guide, we’ll look at a few hints and tips to help make your night sailing experience safe and secure .

Night Vision  while Sailing

• If you’ve been wearing sunglasses all day, allow up to 40 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark . Night vision relies on rod cells in the eyes. They can take 20-40 minutes to adapt to darkness.
• Ensure your navigation screens are dimmed and turn off any unnecessary light-emitting electronics .
• Use a red bulb in your flashlight if possible. If you’re using a white bulb then avoid shining the light directly at the rig, as the reflected light will destroy your night vision.

Food and Clothing while Sailing at Night

• Don’t forget that no matter where you are sailing, it always gets cooler at night to ensure that you wear adequate warm and dry clothing.
• Store hot drinks and food within easy reach of the cockpit.

Safety Equipment while Sailing at Night

• Ensure all crew members wear a lifejacket and harness whenever they are on deck at night. Make sure everyone is aware of the clip-on points and jackstays. Even if you are sleeping in the cockpit, don’t go forward without someone else clipped on and awake in the cockpit.
• Review your man overboard procedures and ensure the light is attached to the horseshoe/DAN buoy. Check before you commence the voyage.
• Any crew member on watch should be equipped with a red bulb flashlight, a knife, and a personal EPIRB/AIS locator.
• Ensure that all gear is carefully stowed away. Set up lee cloths and check that all seacocks that need to be closed are closed.
• Test any communication equipment before leaving.

Night Watch while Sailing at Night

• Set up a clear watch schedule to ensure all crew members have adequate rest and breaks. If there are only three people on board, a three hours on-six off watch system will ensure all crew has adequate rest time whereas a four-man crew could operate on two hours on four hours off system. Brief your crew thoroughly to ensure that everyone knows and understands the watch system and what your expectations are.
• Make all crew members aware that they could be called onto the deck at anytime.
• Never post an inexperienced crew member on watch alone. Pair them up with a more experienced member of the crew.
• The retiring crew should give the new watch a briefing on sea and weather conditions, hazards or traffic in the area, and any relevant information as to the state of the boat. Remember the crew member taking over the watch may have only just woken up. Ensure they are awake enough to carry out the watch- your life is in their hands!
• Rest. Don’t be tempted to stay up all night star-gazing on deck. Even if you don’t sleep, rest in your berth to ensure you are fresh and awake for when it’s your turn on watch. Set an alarm for about 15 minutes before your watch period is due to begin and get some food and drink.
• Be considerate to your off-watch crew. Tether deck hooks and rattling pans in the galley; sound travels farther on a still night. If you’re running a generator, consider timing it to be split over two shorter watches rather than over one long watch. Alternatively, charge batteries in the afternoon and watch your power consumption so you don’t need to use the generator at night.
• Don’t get lost in a book whilst on watch. Keep your head on a swivel and simply enjoy the experience of steering the boat and the sights and sounds of the night. Scan the horizon every 10 to 20 minutes. Check the radar and AIS and make proper log entries.

Seamanship at Night

• It’s a good idea to make your first night sail in familiar waters with a full moon to aid visibility.
• Under Rule 25 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea , a sailing vessel must exhibit both red and green sidelights and a white sternlight. The craft under 20 metres can combine the prescribed lights with a tricolour lantern near the top of the mast.
• Rule 23 states that a sailing vessel under power must exhibit sidelights, a sternlight, and a white masthead/steaming light forward. Make sure your ensign isn’t draped over the stern light. Test all lights before leaving and make sure you carry spares for all lights.
• Identify any navigation marks that have light characteristics using your charts. For quick reference, make a note on your passage plan the sequence of expected lights. Work out a clear bearing from the navigation lights and make a note on your passage plan to avoid hazards. Plot a series of GPS waypoints and use the “navigate” function to follow a reference guideline.
• Although it is easier to see other vessels at night, it is also easy to confuse the distances involved. Assess a vessel’s intentions by keeping a good watch and adjust your path accordingly. Keep a close eye on your radar and AIS but don’t rely on them solely. Fishing boats tend to have unpredictable movements and lights so be vigilant when on watch.
• Don’t run at 100% . Most skippers operate at 80% capability at night. This will help minimise any disruptions and will ensure a comfortable ride.
• Base any sail adjustments to be made by each watch on your crew’s experience.

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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Home » Blog » Sail » Sailing at night: tactics and tips

Sailing at night: tactics and tips

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: December 2, 2021

As an early-to-bed person, I find a night passage offers special and sublime opportunities for stargazing, precious alone time, and quiet contemplation. However, I’ve also found myself wet, cold, and not-so-quietly contemplating the lights of a ship bearing down on us. Does that tanker see us? Fortunately, after 3,000 nautical miles of trial and error while sailing from Canada to Mexico, my partner, Robin, and I have learned a few tricks that make night passages more comfortable and serene.

Feed the crew

Good hot food makes all the difference in keeping energy (and spirits) up on a night passage, especially when very little cooking is involved.

Minimize galley time – It takes three days for most sailors to get their sea legs, so we like to have no- to low-effort meals and snacks planned for those first days at sea. Less time spent in the galley also means we have more time for the boat, rest, and sleeping. To minimize galley time, we prepare all our food for the first 24 hours at sea ahead of time. One of our go-to evening meals is soup, made in advance and kept warm in a thermos on deck. After the first 24 hours, quick-to-make meals (canned soup, beans on toast, curry in a bag) are a good bet.

Splurge on fun treats – We stock a “sin bin” with trail mix, chips, and chocolate and also prepare some of our favorite nibbles (muffins, scones, cinnamon buns). Milk chocolate is good for a jolt of energy, but doesn’t keep us up past our watches.

Stay hydrated

Water is very important for keeping the mind alert on night watch. In fact, dehydration is often mistaken for fatigue.

Keep a water bottle on deck – One of our friends has a rule that anyone who yawns on the boat must take a drink of water. Every member of the crew should keep a water bottle on deck when on watch. As well as making water accessible, this is a good way to monitor intake.

Serve warm drinks – One of our favorite hot drinks is Chai tea, kept in a thermos in the cockpit. We make it by adding an inch of fresh ginger to three cups of water, bringing it to a boil, and then adding cardamom, honey, and black pepper to taste. The spices and honey give us a boost without the diuretic and stimulating effects of caffeine. Cider (the soft kind!), tea, and hot chocolate are great too.

Sleep, glorious sleep

Sleep can feel scarce when sailing overnight, but we take steps to manage it.

Sleep before leaving – First, we make sure we’re well rested before we leave. We never start a passage with a sleep deficit.

A workable watch schedule – Sailors use many different watch schedules and tailor them to the number of crew on board. To find out what works best for us, we started with shorter watches (of perhaps 1 to 2 hours) and increased the length over time. We usually sail with just the two of us (plus autopilot) and find 3-hour watches work well, but on many occasions we’ve gone to shorter watches because one of us was not able to stay alert for the full 3 hours. If you’re hand steering, definitely err on the side of shorter watches. And when you feel like you can’t keep your eyes open, it is always better to wake your partner than risk snoozing at the wheel.

Avoid alcohol and stimulants – One of the principal ways we improve the quantity and quality of our sleep on board is to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulating drugs. The half-life of caffeine is 4 to 6 hours in humans, so the chances are, someone who drinks a cup of tea at the beginning of a 3-hour watch will still be feeling the effects at the end of it. When this happens, it’s then tempting to use alcohol or sleeping pills to get to sleep. Alcohol has been proven to reduce the quality of sleep. The result is waking up feeling more tired and feeling the need for more coffee, and thus the vicious loop repeats.

Try light sleep aids – One sleep aid to consider using is the seasickness medication Gravol. Someone already taking Gravol for seasickness might consider timing the dose at one-half hour before the end of a night watch. This gives the Gravol time to kick in, aiding sleep at just the right time. By the time the off-watch is over, the Gravol has been partially processed and, you hope, the effect is less drowsiness and no seasickness. For those not taking Gravol, a cup of chamomile or valerian tea half an hour before the end of their watch will help sleep come more quickly.

Get comfy – We made sure we had a safe and comfortable sea berth by setting up a snug leecloth on a berth close to the boat’s center of gravity, where the the off-watch sleeper would feel the least motion (see “ Make your own Leecloth ,” January 2017). Earplugs and an eye mask help reduce stimuli to further aid sleep.

Staying awake

Staying awake on night watch can be difficult, but we engage in a number of activities to help us keep our eyes open.

Stay occupied – If we don’t keep ourselves lightly occupied on night watch, we find it difficult to stay awake, so we create watch routines that keep us focused and alert. Filling out our ship’s log is one such task. I’ve learned that one of the most effective things I can do to avoid dropping off is to keep my brain engaged in some light listening (podcasts, music, audiobooks) through a single earbud. This keeps me awake while I scan the horizon and listen for any changes in the boat or environment. If you’re in need of something to listen to, check out the salty audiobooks at Audioseastories.com , GoodOld Boat’s online store.

Keep moving – When I get overly drowsy, I stand up and dance in the cockpit. Though I might look ridiculous, it gets the blood moving and keeps me sharp a bit longer. If dancing is not your thing, stretching or jogging in place also works.

Set alarms – When I find I’m feeling a bit droopy-eyed, I set a wristwatch alarm to go off every 10 minutes, just to catch me in case I do accidentally doze off. Of course, if I do fall asleep, I realize as soon as I wake that my best option is to wake someone else to take the watch.

What to wear

It’s hard for me to appreciate the beautiful starlit sky when I have wet feet. I prefer to stay warm and dry.

Rubber boots and foulies –My favorite piece of gear is a 1980s yellow Mustang survival suit I picked up in a thrift store. While higher-tech options are available, I love my survival suit because it’s like wearing a giant sleeping bag on deck. I have foulies (foul weather gear), too, which are great for more active sailing, but when I’m hunkered down in the cockpit all night, my chief concern is staying warm. The other great thing about the survival suit is that I stay warm even if it gets wet. I once took a wave down the back of my survival suit and, though wet, I was warm again in less than a minute.

Buy some bum padding – Deck cushions can get in the way while sailing, so we usually stow them. I sometimes wear a pair of padded cycling shorts under my foulies to provide some insulation from the hard, cold cockpit seats.

No cotton garments! – Or atleast don’t wear them on chilly nights. When the least bit damp, cotton can get cold and clammy. We choose wool, polyester, and other technical fabrics for layering as they don’t hold moisture against the skin.

Clip in – A tether and harness are musts for enjoyment and comfort while sailing at night. We much prefer the view of the ocean from the boat than the boat from the ocean. Plus, the off-watch rests easier knowing the on-watch is tethered safely to the boat.

Warding off the green

Perhaps the number-one thing we do to ensure our comfort while afloat is avoid getting seasick. Many remedies are available, including Gravol, Dramamine, Transderm-V patch, ginger, and acupressure wrist bands. We try any drug or remedy on dry land before taking it while sailing, just in case we experience a negative side effect. One seasickness medication on the market made my vision blurry. Once you’ve found something that works for you, start taking it at least 12 hours before setting sail so it has time to properly kick in. We are often helped by spending a couple of nights in a slightly rolly anchorage before heading out.

Bits and bytes –  Two pieces of technology are a boon for any sailor venturing out under the cover of darkness.

Autopilot – An autopilot helps minimize crew fatigue. Handsteering becomes far more challenging and tiring at night, when limited visibility can affect orientation. An autopilot allows for longer and more restful watches.

AIS – If you have it, AIS is a terrific additional source of information at night. It’s a great comfort to know the course and speed of the twinkly bright lights bearing down on us in the darkness. We can easily hail the vessel in question, by its name, if that’s listed on the AIS target, or by private hailing its MMSI number using the DSC-enabled VHF. Once in contact, we ask whether they can see our boat and whether they plan to alter course in the near future. We like to set our AIS alarm so we don’t miss any vessels that will approach within 2 nautical miles.

Passage planning

The decisions we make before leaving the dock undoubtedly have the greatest impact on the comfort of our night sail.

Choosing a weather window – Poor weather and sea conditions become considerably less fun in the dark, so we plan around adverse weather. We avoid night passages when the swell period (in seconds) and height (in feet) are close in number. For example, a 7-foot swell with a 12-second period will be a lot more comfortable than a 7-foot swell with a 7-second period.

Sail in your comfort zone – If you’re comfortable sailing in up to 20 knots of wind, limit overnight passages to wind conditions of 15 knots or less. Conditions can feel a lot bigger at night and so we do not push ourselves past our comfort limits, and we sleep better as a result.

Use the full moon – We’re much more comfortable on night passages when the moon is full or nearly full. All that light makes it easier to spot obstacles and we’re psychologically more at ease when we are able to see our surroundings.

Leave and arrive in daylight – The approaches to many ocean ports are littered with crab traps, long-lines,dead-heads, kelp, and other debris. We prefer to heave-to for a couple of hours rather than risk fouling our propeller attempting an entrance in the dead of night.

Passages of manageable length – If you’re new to sailing at night, it’s a good idea to slowly build up to longer and longer sails. As you start planning multi-night voyages, think about the best way to break the passages down. Many solo sailors we know choose to never sail more than one night at a time so they can pull in and have rest days after each night passage. Personally, we like trips that are three days or longer, because we find it takes that long to adjust our sleeping patterns. Experiment with different passage lengths until you find a style that leaves you feeling rested.

Strategies for sailing at night

Whether we feel safe and comfortable at night has a lot to do with how we set our sails. Proper planning makes the difference between restful slumber and a sleepless night for the whole crew.

Prepare before dark – We complete the necessary tasks —like setting the sails and organizing the cockpit — in daylight so the crew on night watch has fewer things to focus on.

Brighten up – To avoid things that go bump in the night, invest in some good lighting. We were sailing down the Mexican coast and noticed a large trawler tailing us. We tried to radio the trawler only to realize that it was our buddy-boater, Jim, who had cunningly invested in high-wattage lights that made his 35-foot sloop appear to be a much larger vessel. We’ve found red lights and headlamps help us to get around the boat without impairing our night vision.

Set sails for comfort – We don’t sleep well with a slamming mainsail on a rolling boat. We play with different sail plans and courses to make our boat as comfortable and quiet as possible. We use a boom preventer , for example, to reduce the motion and noise of the mainsail. When sailing dead downwind makes things very rolly, we’ll head up a bit for a smoother ride. Our VMG (velocity made good) might suffer, but that’s preferable to having a tired crew. When we’re dealing with light and variable wind at night, we find it well worth the extra fuel cost to run the engine, so the person below can get some sleep.

Slow down at night – We usually take in a reef before dark. We might lose some speed, but our boat is a lot more manageable if the wind picks up later — and we don’t have to put in that reef at night.

Schedule maneuvers – When possible, we plan our maneuvers, such as tacking and gybing, so we can do them before it gets dark. We schedule them for watch changes to minimize the number of times we need to wake someone mid-sleep for help on deck.

By adopting these strategies, we’ve begun to really enjoy sailing at night. In fact, we’re finding now that we even prefer it, because it means we don’t lose a day of shore time upon arrival in a new port. With the right preparation, you can make nights at sea not only pleasant, but also special and beautiful times. So make things comfortable for yourself, try some tips to see what works best for you, and then sit back and enjoy the stars.

Originally published in Good Old Boat magazine in March/April 2017. For more great how-tos and DIY subscribe to Good Old Boat magazine using this exclusive Waterborne promo code .

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

Monday 7th of December 2020

try Tradional Medicines Ginger Aid Tea. Make Thermos and keep it handy when some one starts to feel queazy have them sip a cup or two of warm Ginger Aid tea. Helps settle the stomach and keeps you warm a win win.

Sunday 3rd of June 2018

While I also do just about everything mentioned in the article, as a singlehander, there are no crew changes, so making sure hot drinks (I like decaf Irish Breakfast tea with a couple of cinnamon sticks thrown in) and light snacks are within reach of the cockpit are very important. I also added glow in the dark draft strips to my sails and I've added glow in the dark stickers to the stanchion bases. I love night sailing—it's almost a religious experience being out there, sailing in calm seas under a full moon and a sea of stars above. One word of warning though, if you're new to astronomy, don't be surprised if that North Star you've been following turns out to be the 9:40 flight from Chicago...just saying.

Friday 16th of June 2017

Good article.

The very best, THE VERY BEST, anti seasick remedy for me has been Motion Ease, sold at West Marine and Walmart. After many remedies were tried and were unsuccessful, Motion Ease was the first remedy that I found successful. We were in 38+knots of wind between Nassau and Eleuthra and the cook brought sandwich "fixins" into the cockpit. I was already seasick and could only manage a slice of bread and cheese wadded up in my fist. My wife remembered I had bought Motion Ease several years before but I had never tried it. She went below and brought up the tiny bottle. I rubbed one drop behind each ear and within 15 minutes I was eating a Dagwood sandwich! The remedy is applied to the skin area behind each ear and works even if you are already seasick. About $5 at Walmart, maybe more at West Marine.

Friday 30th of June 2017

Thanks for the recommendation Jim! I've never tried Motion Ease but will definitely give it a go now.

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The Nighttime Navigation Gear Checklist

Embarking on a nighttime sailing adventure can be exhilarating, but it also comes with unique challenges. Read on to discover the essential nighttime navigation gear checklist to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey under the stars.

Embarking on a nighttime sailing adventure can be an exhilarating experience, but it also comes with its own unique set of challenges. To ensure a safe and enjoyable journey, it’s essential to be well-prepared with the right gear and knowledge. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential nighttime navigation gear checklist, providing you with the tools and information you need to confidently set sail under the stars.

Table of Contents

Introduction, navigation lights, gps and chartplotter, flashlights and headlamps, personal locator beacon (plb), lifejackets and harnesses, additional nighttime sailing tips.

Sailing at night can be a magical experience, with the stars above and the phosphorescent glow of the water below. However, it also presents unique challenges, such as reduced visibility, disorientation, and the need for heightened situational awareness. To ensure a safe and enjoyable nighttime sailing experience, it’s crucial to be well-prepared with the right gear and knowledge.

In this guide, we’ll cover the essential nighttime navigation gear you’ll need to have on board, as well as some additional tips for a successful night sail. Let’s dive in!

Essential Nighttime Navigation Gear

Proper navigation lights are crucial for nighttime sailing, as they help you to see and be seen by other vessels. At a minimum, your boat should be equipped with the following lights:

• Bow lights : Red (port) and green (starboard) lights mounted on the bow of your boat, visible from at least one mile away.
• Stern light : A white light mounted on the stern of your boat, visible from at least two miles away.
• Masthead light : A white light mounted on the mast, visible from at least three miles away.

It’s essential to regularly check and maintain your navigation lights, ensuring they are functioning correctly and are visible from the required distances.

Radar is an invaluable tool for nighttime navigation, as it allows you to detect and track other vessels, landmasses, and potential hazards. A radar system can help you maintain situational awareness and avoid collisions in low-visibility conditions.

When selecting a radar system, consider factors such as range, power consumption, and ease of use. Additionally, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with your radar system’s operation and capabilities before setting sail at night.

A reliable GPS and chartplotter system are essential for nighttime navigation, providing you with accurate position information and helping you plot your course. Ensure your chartplotter is up-to-date with the latest charts and software updates, and familiarize yourself with its operation before setting sail.

Consider investing in a chartplotter with a night mode or dimmable display, as this can help preserve your night vision while still providing you with essential navigation information.

An Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a valuable addition to your nighttime navigation gear, as it allows you to receive real-time information about other vessels in your vicinity. This information can help you avoid collisions and maintain situational awareness, particularly in busy or congested waterways.

When selecting an AIS system, consider factors such as range, compatibility with your existing navigation equipment, and ease of use. As with any navigation gear, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with your AIS system’s operation and capabilities before setting sail at night.

A VHF radio is a crucial piece of safety equipment for any sailing adventure, allowing you to communicate with other vessels, marinas, and emergency services. Ensure your VHF radio is in good working order, and familiarize yourself with the proper procedures for making distress calls and communicating with other vessels.

Additionally, consider investing in a handheld VHF radio as a backup, in case your primary radio fails or loses power.

While electronic navigation tools are incredibly useful, it’s essential to have a reliable, non-electronic backup in case of equipment failure or power loss. A traditional magnetic compass is a must-have for any nighttime navigation gear checklist, providing you with essential directional information in any situation.

Ensure your compass is properly mounted and calibrated, and familiarize yourself with its operation and any potential sources of interference on your boat.

A good pair of binoculars can be invaluable for nighttime navigation, allowing you to spot navigation aids, other vessels, and potential hazards more easily. When selecting binoculars for nighttime use, consider factors such as magnification, field of view, and light-gathering capabilities.

Additionally, consider investing in a pair of image-stabilized binoculars, which can help reduce the effects of boat movement and provide a clearer, more stable image.

Having a variety of flashlights and headlamps on board is essential for nighttime sailing, providing you with illumination for tasks such as checking charts, adjusting sails, and performing repairs. Ensure you have a selection of both white and red lights, as red light helps preserve your night vision.

Consider investing in waterproof, durable flashlights and headlamps, and ensure you have spare batteries on hand.

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a small, portable device that can be activated in an emergency to send a distress signal and your location to search and rescue services. While a PLB is a valuable piece of safety equipment for any sailing adventure, it’s particularly important for nighttime sailing, when the risk of man-overboard incidents and other emergencies may be higher.

Ensure your PLB is registered and up-to-date, and familiarize yourself with its operation before setting sail.

Properly fitting lifejackets and harnesses are essential safety gear for any sailing adventure, but they’re particularly important for nighttime sailing when the risk of man-overboard incidents may be higher. Ensure all crew members have a properly fitting lifejacket with a built-in harness, and consider investing in lifejackets with additional features such as reflective tape, strobe lights, and whistle.

Additionally, ensure your boat is equipped with jacklines and tether points, allowing crew members to safely move around the boat while clipped in.

• Maintain a proper lookout : Ensure at least one crew member is always on watch, actively scanning the horizon for other vessels, navigation aids, and potential hazards.
• Preserve your night vision : Minimize the use of white light on board, and allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness before setting sail.
• Monitor the weather : Keep a close eye on the weather forecast and be prepared to adjust your plans if conditions deteriorate.
• Communicate with your crew : Ensure all crew members are aware of the nighttime sailing plan, and establish clear communication protocols for emergencies and routine tasks.

Nighttime sailing can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, but it’s essential to be well-prepared with the right gear and knowledge. By following this nighttime navigation gear checklist and implementing the additional tips provided, you’ll be well-equipped to confidently set sail under the stars and enjoy the unique beauty and challenges of sailing at night.

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When it comes to renting a boat and going on a sailing holiday, night sailing attracts many sailors. Indeed, there is nothing more mysterious than hearing one’s ship sailing in total darkness. Offshore racing skippers are usually spend nights at sea to win their regattas. However, in the case of pleasure sailing you will also have to sleep on a boat. If you have to reach a specific destination by a certain date, this can be a good solution to enjoy your daytime stopovers.

But be careful, sailing at night requires a certain amount of preparation. Indeed, it can be more complex because of the lack of visibility, which hinders the perception of obstacles and the evaluation of distances.

Preparing for night sailing

As with any departure, it is essential to prepare for the trip by looking at the weather and the itinerary ahead. Take the time to take a look at your boat, check the weather forecast and note the tide times. It is essential to think about your sailing itinerary before the start. Even if you are using a GPS, it is useful to identify the various danger zones on your route and the lights assigned to them.

Night navigation requires more preparation of the boat in order to simplify manoeuvring in the dark. You must prepare the boat for night sailing. You have to clear the deck of all unnecessary ropes and prepare the sail for any possible manoeuvres. If you wish to sleep on a sailboat, remember to adapt the sail area, it is not recommended to sail under a spinnaker at night when cruising.

Before using your boat at night, you should check that your traffic lights are in perfect working condition, it will allow other boats to spot you at night. In addition to your boat’s lighting, you must provide a flashlight and headlamps for your crew members.

The sailor in the dark

Sailing at night is a very intense experience for any sailor, as he has to be especially careful. All the senses are awake and decision making is less obvious than during the day.

On the one hand, visibility is significantly lower when sailing at night. Even if the sailor’s eye gets used to the dark, the adaptation time is about 20 minutes. Any change in light if you return to the cabin regularly, for example, will hinder the adaptation process. It is therefore advisable to reduce the number of trips back and forth in the boat as much as possible.

As far as the equipment is concerned, always bring warm clothing, as the nights can be very cold. For your comfort and consistency, it is essential to maintain good body heat. Sleeping at sea for the first time is an intense experience that must be carried out in the best comfort.

It is also important to respect sleeping times, as staying awake at all times can be more dangerous. Usually the most difficult period of sailing is between 2 and 5 am. One of the best tips for staying awake is to take small portions of food with you and to keep yourself hydrated constantly.

The organization of the night crew

When sailing at night, crew members take turns at the helm to alternate between rest and navigation. You must define roles between the different crew members, for the sailing shifts and the tasks of each one.

Shift refers to a period of time during which a crew member is on duty or at rest. It is a particular rhythm that all crew members must adapt. You must define the duration of the shift in advance for each crew member. The shift may be carried out alone or with other crew members by using bearing systems. When working a shift alone, the maximum length is 3 hours at night.

At night, on a boat all the manoeuvres become more complex and the sailor will be more quickly destabilized. If the skipper has to go out on the deck of the boat, it is essential that he secures himself to prevent any risk of man overboard. In addition to his compulsory lifejacket, the skipper must always be equipped with a harness.

A major risk when spending the night at sea is that a member of the crew may fall into the water. Therefore it’s essential to respect the basic rule that every crew member who is not in the cabin must wear a lifejacket. Also, to have a watertight torch attached to the jacket so if he falls into the water can be spotted . If you don’t respect this procedure, it’s very difficult to find a man in the water, the chances are less than 1%.

Another risk of night navigation is not to see an obstacle blocking the boat’s path. To do this, you must know the meaning of the danger lights but also the meaning of the lights of other boats to avoid any crash. Knowing the lights and markings is essential because at night at sea they are the only markings.

Making a night stopover on a boat is a unique experience that is achievable as long as you take all precautions before and during sailing. The crew will organize themselves to perform night shifts. Firstly, you will plan your itinerary according to the danger zones. Then, during your navigation you will have to trust your GPS map as well as the lights that will appear in front of you.

With all of these information, organizing a perfect sailing trip won’t be difficult for you!

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Boat navigation lights rules and requirements at night Requirements in Canada

• Boating Safety Equipment
• Types of navigation lights
• Boat Navigation Lights rules and requirements at night

Powerboats navigation lights at night

• Powerboats less than 12 meters (39,4") in length
• Powerboats of 12 meters (39,4") and over in length
• Powerboats at anchor

Properly lit sailboat at night

• Sailboats under 7 m (23’)
• Sailboats from 7 m (23’) to under 20 m (65’7”)
• Sailboats 20 m (65’7”) and over
• Sailboats operating under motor power
• Sailboats at anchor

Commercial boats navigation lights at night

• Navigation lights for a vessel engaged in fishing  

Navigation lights for a vessel engaged in trawling

Navigation lights for a power-driven vessel when towing.

• Navigation lights for a government vessel

Navigation lights for powerboats less than 12 meters (39,4") in length

A power driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length, and underway, may display, from sunset to sunrise:

All-round light (white) forward and,

Sidelights (red – green).

Navigation lights for powerboats of 12 meters (39,4") and over in length

A power driven vessel of 12 meters and over in length, and underway, may display, from sunset to sunrise:

Masthead light (white) forward,

Sternlight (white) and,

Navigation lights for powerboats at anchor

At anchor,  the operator of a pleasure craft shall display, from sunset to sunrise, in the fore part,  an all-round light .  A powerboat anchored at night must display  an all-round light .

What is a properly lit sailboat at night?

Navigation lights for sailboats under 7 m (23’).

and underway, may display, from sunset to sunrise:

Sidelights (red – green) and,

Sternlight (white).

• 1 lantern, combining the sidelights and stern light above.

Navigation lights for sailboats from 7 m (23’) to under 20 m (65’7”)

• Sternlight , and
• 1 lantern, combining the sidelights and stern light above

Optional - A sailing vessel may exhibit at or near the top of the mast, two all-round lights in a vertical line: the upper one red and the lower one green. These lights are shown along with the sidelights and sternlight.

Navigation lights for sailboats 20 m (65’7”) and over

Navigation lights for sailboats operating under motor power

Sailboats are considered powerboats when they have the engines on - even if the sails are up. 

Masthead light  (white) forward,

Sternlight  (white).

Navigation lights for sailboats at anchor

Navigation lights for kayak or canoe (human-powered vessels) at night

Navigation lights are also required for  human-powered vessels (canoe, kayak)  or for a sailing pleasure craft of less than 7 meters in length not under power. When underway,  the operator  shall, from sunset to sunrise, display, if practical, sidelights and a stern light, but if the operator cannot, he/she must have at hand , a   flashlight   or lighted lantern emitting a white light which must be lit in enough time to prevent a collision.

Navigation lights for a vessel engaged in fishing 

Sidelights ,

Sternlight and

All-around light in a vertical line, the upper being red over white light. When making way through the water.

A  vessel when engaged in trawling , which means dragging a dredge net or other fishing apparatus through the water, shall display:

Two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white. When making way through the water,

Sidelights and 

Sternlight.

Navigation lights for a government vessel (Police boat)

Any government vessel or any vessel that is owned or operated by a harbor, river, county or municipal police force may display a blue flashing light to identify itself as such, in the following cases

When it is providing assistance in any waters to any vessel or other craft;

When it is engaged in law enforcement duties in Canadian waters.

Power-driven vessel when towing shall show sidelights, a sternlight, and a towing light in a vertical line above the sternlight, and two masthead lights in a vertical line. When the length of the tow, measuring from the stern of the towing vessel to the after end of the tow exceeds 200 meters, three such lights in a vertical line shall be displayed.

Apart from the regular navigation lights, when a boat tows another vessel in distress or in need of assistance for any reason, shall take all possible measures to show the relation between the towed vessel and the vessel doing the towing. A vessel towing must try to shine a light on the towing cable to make it as visible as possible, so that other boats do not come into contact with the cable.

A vessel being tow shall display sidelights and a sternlight. If it is not possible, it must display one all-around white light at each of the fore and aft ends.  

Navigation lights for a power-driven vessel pushing another

A power-driven vessel, when pushing another , shall display the sidelights, a sternlight, and two superimposed masthead lights. 

The vessel being pushed, and not part of a composite unit, must display its sidelights at the bow. When a vessel is pushing another, if both are connected in a rigid, composite unit, they will be regarded as one unit, thus showing the appropriate lights.

Navigation lights Examples

Sailing vessel seen from starboard side.

Sailing vessel seen from the front

Power-driven vessel anchored

Power-driven vessel seen from starboard side

Power-driven vessel seen from port side

Power-driven vessel seen from the stern (back)

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