Night Racing Tips
By Larry Gomes, “Midnight Wind”
June 2000
When we first started racing our cruising cutter, “Midnight Wind” on long offshore races, we immediately realized that our instrumentation was totally inadequate for the job. We had a combined depth sounder/knotmeter that we had to keep switching back and forth. We had a wind direction indicator, but the wind speed display was so small, it could only be seen from 2 feet away.
In addition to our factory installed backlit compass, we removed the old instruments and installed a new Autohelm instrument package that included the following displays: an electronic compass display, wind direction, wind speed, close hauled apparent wind indicator, knotmeter, rudder indicator, depth sounder and a GPS repeater.
We mounted these instruments above the companionway hatch where they are clearly visible from anywhere in the cockpit. We have learned to depend on these instruments during the day, so we do not have to change our habits when sailing at night. We can simply turn on the instrument lights and continue sailing. Because each instrument is separate, the helmsman can scan across the displays to find the information he needs without switching displays.
Getting good feedback from your instruments is essential when sailing at night, when appearances can be deceiving. The instruments will allow you to detect wind shifts and help you to determine if you are sailing at the fastest possible speed for the current wind conditions.
The first few years we were racing at night, we had conventional running lights (port, starboard and stern). This drained our battery fairly quickly and necessitated the use of the engine every few hours to charge the batteries. To save power, we added a tricolor to the masthead and ran it back to a separate breaker. Now we only need 1 bulb to perform the work of 3 bulbs and we have the security of a spare set of running lights.
We also installed a hand-held search light that is essential for locating buoys at distances under ¼ mile. It can plug into your 12-volt electrical system or you can use the new cordless 500,000 candlepower rechargeable lights (they work great!).
By far, the most important thing you can do for night running is prepare for the trip in advance. Since you will be spending most of your time on watch, all your navigation research should be done in advance. We always prepare a work sheet for our night trips that look like this:
|
Way Point |
Description |
Latitude |
Longitude |
To Next Mark |
Depth Along Route |
Chart Page |
|
1 |
South of Pt. Judith R “2” Whistle Red 4 sec |
41° 19.3’ |
071 28.6’ |
245° mag 5.8 miles |
55’ 140’ 113’ |
6 |
|
2 |
North of Block I. G “1BI” Bell Green 4 sec |
41° 15.5’ |
071° 34.6’ |
209° mag 3.5 miles |
165’ 79’ 26’ |
5 |
|
3 |
New Harbor Entrance R “2” Bell Unlit |
41° 12.1’ |
071° 35.7’ |
160° mag between break water |
26’ 17’ 27’ 35’ |
30A |
Use this sheet to program your GPS or Loran and double check your entries by hand computing the distance/direction between each waypoint and comparing them to the “To Next Mark” column. You can easily find any entry errors this way.
There are two main factors that influence how far away you can see a lighted buoy: visibility and height off the water. On a clear night, from the deck of a sailboat, you can usually see buoy lights 1 to 2 miles away. From the bridge of a powerboat, they can be visible from 5 to 7 miles away. Lighthouses can be seen up to 25 miles away. A common error is to mistake a lighthouse for a lighted buoy. To avoid this problem, don’t expect to see your buoy light until you are 2 miles away from it.
Every boat should have a red (port) and/or green (starboard) running light when they are heading at you and a single white light when heading away. In addition, any large vessel under power must also have a white light facing forward, above their running lights.
Really large vessels (ships) will have two white lights, with the forward light lower than the aft light. Tugs pushing a barge will have two white lights, one above the other. Tugs pulling a barge will have three white lights, all on top of each other. (This is your cue to also find the lights on the barge so you don’t go between the tug and the barge). Boats that are fishing will just show a single white light.
Commercial vessels are the hardest to identify since they usually have lots of other bright deck lights that obscure their navigation lights. Watch carefully to see which direction the lights are moving. If any lights remain at the same relative bearing and get brighter, you could be on a collision course and you should change your course immediately.
· When passing any buoy, always identify it using your search light to be sure you are where you think you are. If your charts are old, buoy numbers may be different, but the color and location should be the same.
· Use your depth sounder to check your course against expected depths (see work sheet above).
· Check the tides and know how they will affect you along the route. Approach buoys and land with this information in mind.
· Check the astronomical tables in Eldridge and plan to use available moonlight to your advantage.
· For tugs: “Two lights up, tug hooked up”. “Three in a row, barge in tow”.
· “Same bearing, decreasing range – your course had better change.”
· Most objects seen at night are usually closer than they appear to be.
· Use the COG/SOG (Course over ground/Speed over ground) display on your GPS to determine how the tide is affecting you. By comparing COG/SOG to your actual heading and speed, you can make course adjustments to compensate for the effects of tide and current.
· If something does not look right, do not ignore your instinct. Use depth, lighthouses, the current position readout on your GPS to confirm your position.
You should try to make your nighttime sailing environment as similar as possible to you daytime sailing environment. Learn to set your sails based on instrument readings so you can keep the boat moving day or night. Prepare carefully for the race so all critical marks are identified and entered into your GPS. Review the charts so you are familiar with all lighthouses and hazards. With the right equipment and a few practice races, you can competitive day or night.