Boats At Night Without Lights

[jrc]

Hitting something because you didn't see it, is always a rule 5 violation.

But having one person be the helmsman and look-out is not always a rule 5 violation. Even on a sailboat, where part of the view is always blocked. A proper look-out must be responsible to look in every direction. A proper lookout does not require constant 360 degree sight lines. A proper lookout is a lookout that stops you from hitting anyone.

Do you really think that every single handed sailor is violating USCG rules, everytime he raises a sail?

Edit:...actually rereading your response, we are really saying the say thing no sense in running circles

[ApS]

Originally Posted by jrc

"...While Mr. Morris's opinion is interesting and contains some good general advice, it is far from law or common practice to have dedicated look-out with no other duties on private recreational vessels..."

IMHO, a dedicated look-out should become a common practice—particularly at night. A passenger can be scouting ahead without interference from instrument lighting—which ruins night-vision in very short order.

Originally Posted by jrc

"...Anybody who sails alone violates the letter and spirit of this excerpt, as no sailing boat has an all around view from the steering position...Is it your opinion that sailing alone is always a violation of Rule 5...?"

Thanks (in part) to a clear vinyl "sail window", my present sailboat gives me a 360° view, as did each of my four catamarans. (Five, if including a rental catamaran on Lake Winnipesaukee). The problem is, I don't have a 360° neck!

Originally Posted by jrc

"...If you get stuck out at night without proper lighting, due to equipment failure, loss of wind, whatever, with or without stupidity involved. You are now a danger to yourself and others, find away to be seen and get to the nearest shore..."

Sailboats, with headway-speed being their normal operation, are always a hazard as the strikee, rather than being the striker. Depending on circumstances, I can see an "ejected-boater" being a natural outcome of a collision with a sailboat—especially at night.

Originally Posted by jrc

Hitting something because you didn't see it, is always a rule 5 violation.

If you read Rule 5 again, it's the skipper who is generally responsible for "all available means":

“Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.”

One prevailing condition is darkness, so one needs to use depth-alarms and radar, if equipped with any of those aids.

(Ears, too, as the sailboat could have been issuing a warning signal ).

A passenger could be "deputized" as a crew member to assist in navigating through night traffic: given the above apparent hazard, I don't think they'd mind too much.

[VtSteve]

This thread has developed in amazing fashion. Fact is, Every boat on the lake at night is required to have whatever form of navigation lights required. Obviously, mishaps involving broken moorings and unmanned, drifting boats pose a hazard as well.

Many tragic accidents have happened to people adrift at night star gazing, groping, or just out partying. It's just flat out dangerous, regardless of how much anyone thinks they should be seen by a shimmering moon. This goes for powerboaters, sailboats and paddle boats. The Primary responsibility is to be seen. Every boater has a duty to keep a lookout for all potential obstacles. Nobody should ever put themselves, or their vessel, in the position of being that obstacle.