Rogoznica, Croatia. The boat, moored to the buoy, is gently swaying in the waves. The murmuring of the sea and the chirping of cicadas puts us to sleep. It’s lunchtime, and the whole crew is scattered on board like seals. We are exhausted and we can't do anything for the next few hours. We have experienced the first night cruise together. 67 nautical miles, 3 hours on sail and 0 men overboard.
This article will inform you of the following:
- How to pick the right route?
- What should the crew know and do?
- What are the main rules for sailing at night?
- What things should you avoid?
The night voyage will perfectly test the crew and the captain’s abilities. As a novice sailor, you get to the first bases - the first smooth sailing from the marina, the first catching a buoy, the first night at anchor. Perhaps the most memorable of these firsts is cruising at night. Sailing at night is somewhat different from sailing during the day, and you need to be prepared for it.
Pick the right route
Make sure your night route is as straight as possible, without significant “zigzagging” between the islands. Instead, go to the open sea and avoid the rugged coastline. This means that a night cruise between the Kornati islands is not a good idea. In our case, we chose the overnight route from the northern part of Dugi Otok to Rogoznica. We sailed around Dugi Otok from its outer, western side.
Before the start, we checked the occurrence of isolated dangers, promontories, and the presence of smaller islands on a standard nautical chart and in the application (Navionics). Fortunately, the weather forecast for each section of the route was ideal - a clear and bright night, no reported storms, a wind of 3-4 Bf, ideal for sailing. We also planned several alternatives for mooring in an unexpected change in weather or a problem with the boat.
However, there may be situations where you will have to go on a night cruise regardless of the geographical specifics of the route. Here’s an example: you need to get to your base port on time, but you’re too far away because you couldn’t leave the marina for a few days due to adverse conditions. Regardless of whether or not you plan a night voyage, it's useful if the crew is briefed on what to do.
A hint for the experienced sailors: there’s a popular challenge in Croatia - a night cruise to the most remote Croatian island of Palagruža from Trogir / Vis / Split.
What should the crew know and do?
The captain should be the most rested member of the crew. In our experience, this is only the case if there are more experienced members on board. We were more or less just overly motivated beginners. The captain slept with one eye open in the saloon to be immediately available in case of uncertainty.
Our crew consists of 6 members, so we split into three pairs. Each couple held a three-hour watch from 10 pm - 1 am, 1 am - 4 pm, and 4 am - 7 am. Keeping a patrol in pairs is especially important for security. If one member falls overboard, the other presses the MOB (man overboard) on the plotter and wakes up the rest of the crew. The three-hour watch passes faster, and the sails are easier to pull out in pairs.
Hint: 1 am - 4 am watch is unquestionably more demanding, so pick the toughest candidates during this time.
After dividing the guards, clean up on board. You won’t see much at night, and you don’t want to untangle knotted ropes in the dark. Prepare the ropes in advance so that everyone knows their purpose. Put the wet towels and swimsuit off the railing and tie the dinghy properly (you might want to deflate the pink inflatable pelican as well.
In the cockpit, prepare water, coffee, and more food than you might think. Night hunger will surprise you as much as a stronger feeling of coldness. The reason is fatigue and partly the monotonous voyage. Besides material equipment, prepare funny stories and topics for the night conversation :)
The main equipment of every watch is the harness with which you must fasten to the boat. Stay fastened even when you want to pee overboard :) In case of danger, we recommend having a horn on hand. The noise will wake up the entire crew. Ensure you have headlights, preferably with a red light, so that the eyes can get used to it more easily. Have a strong light in the cockpit and binoculars as well.
Each crew member must know the course, how to tie the harness, and what to do in the case of a man overboard. Last but not least, everyone must know how to monitor the surrounding vessels and evaluate the impending collisions.
The main rules for sailing at night
When it comes to the rules of night sailing, you must know the basic navigation lights of the boat, signal and cardinal signs.
At night, all sailing vessels over 7 meters (i.e. sailboats, motorboats, cruise ships or cargo ships, etc.) should be illuminated by a red light on the port side, a green light on the starboard side and a white mast or helm light. If you only see a red light, you know you are looking at the port side of the boat; if green, it is the starboard side. If these lights approach you - green on the left, red on the right, and possibly white on the top, the boat is heading your way. If you see the receding white light, you are watching the stern of the boat (similar to a car that is in front of you on the road).
Then there are other lighting rules for different types of vessels - fishing boats, tugs, moored vessels, vessels restricted in their ability to manoeuvre, etc. In case you forget about the navigation lights, remember that the more lights you see, the more you should avoid the boat :)
Isolated dangers are also illuminated. They flash white light twice successively. Cardinal signs such as the free passage on the east, south, west, and north also flash white light (3X - east, 6X - south, 9X - west, 12X - north).
Hint: To help you understand the rules more clearly, the Colreg quiz application is valuable. You can find different scenarios of vessel lighting there, and learn the essential rules very quickly.
What to avoid
As a captain, make sure the crew knows what they’re up to. As a crew, do not underestimate the preparation. Make sure that you don't wake up in dilapidated condition the next day. Regularly check the weather forecasts and watch the surroundings to see if the local storm is approaching.
In our case, the night voyage went smoothly. We also enjoyed sailing on the night surface in a gentle lean. We made the biggest and, at the same time, an understandable mistake for the first night voyage during the watch. The entire crew attended the first watch (10 pm - 1 am) because we were fascinated by the setting sun, new adventure, and observation of other boats.
In theory, we all knew what the lights meant, but in reality, all the vessels seemed dangerously close, and we saw more lights than at the Christmas market. The lights of coastal cities can be misleading (even ordinary traffic lights can be confusing for a while). We were tracking other ships with binoculars all the time. We consulted with applications (eg VesselFinder), which display information about the position, type and course of vessels equipped with AIS (identification system). The sunrise also lured the entire crew back on board. The engine’s sound, the whistling of the ropes on the mast and the sails and various new sounds can disrupt sleeping. No wonder we chose to take it easy the next day.
The night cruise is charming, and if you dare, don’t be afraid to go for it this season. However, you should take the next day off or just go for a short cruise.
If you need advice on choosing a boat and destination, the Boataround team is here for you.