Night Sailing

If you've never done it, night sailing is an experience that you’ll never forget. The calmness (usually) of the water, the incredibly bright and starry skies on a clear night, and sometimes unexpected dolphin visitors if you’re in the right area makes night sailing an awesome experience. Quite often it’s the only option you have when you have to take advantage of tidal gates or get to your destination at a certain time. Here are a few tips from us on sailing throughout the night.

Experience is Nice

If you have a buddy or a connection with someone that has a bit more experience than you do, bring them along for the ride, especially if it’s your first time sailing at night. Plan things out in advance even for the simplest of trips, and chart out each waypoint in your GPS. Navigation at night is much more about trusting your compass and chart more than trusting your eyes.

Staying Awake

Probably the most difficult part of night sailing is staying awake throughout the night. Much like driving on a desolate highway at night, things can get a bit boring when you’re sleepy and it’s easy to accidentally drift off on a warm and comfortable night. Plan shifts out in advance with your crew, and make sure someone is at least attempting to sleep in the late afternoon if they have a tough late night shift. Coffee or tea in a thermos is always a good idea, and getting up and moving around periodically also helps combat sleepiness.

Safety

Lifejackets are always a must when on the cockpit and deck, and it’s a good idea to have ones equipped with a whistle and/or a flashing LED light. Make it a rule that anyone on deck and in the cockpit is clipped onto a jackstay especially when moving around the boat or if the weather is a bit rough. Also, keep a VHF radio handy and make sure that it is tuned to the right station, and listen in to weather forecasts if anything nasty might be coming in.

For sailing tips and advice, visit Salty Sailors, which is packed with excellent information on all things sailing related.