Running At Night

[Boz]

...and figuring out what that big shadow is in front of me when its dark out.

Hopefully not the bow of a supertanker, huh ?

[jsmith89]

Hopefully not the bow of a supertanker, huh ?

Just remember the big green blobs on the radar are bad

[ExBailBonds]

Just wanted to clarify the spot isn't for running I use it for getting in the slip and figuring out what that big shadow is in front of me when its dark out.

You are one of the smart ones. i was coming in one night a few weeks ago and some yahoo had his spots on like driving lights coming out of the channel. i just stopped and waited for him to go by. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind but my wife was on board and i decided it was not worth it.

[ScarabChris]

I run at night very often and I never use the spot light. To me the spot light makes it worse. If you dim the lights on your console and electronics and wait a few mins you will be able to see surprisingly well.

I run at cruising speed in the ocean also. Out there its very easy to see especially if there is a full moon. I also use the radar to keep an eye out for things in the distance. The only time I use the spot light is if I am in unfamiliar waters and even then only to locate a marker or land mark.

[venture34]

I run at night very often and I never use the spot light. To me the spot light makes it worse. If you dim the lights on your console and electronics and wait a few mins you will be able to see surprisingly well.

I run at cruising speed in the ocean also. Out there its very easy to see especially if there is a full moon. I also use the radar to keep an eye out for things in the distance. The only time I use the spot light is if I am in unfamiliar waters and even then only to locate a marker or land mark.

SPOT ON!

Chris - whats the slowest you can plane at? I have a tough time at 18 knots on my boat which is the max I want to run at night offshore. Inshore I run a bit quicker at night....

To the OP : save the time and $$$ and get a cig lighter handheld that you can stow away. One less thing to maintain rather than remount what you have. Leave it there???? I run a handheld trying to verify things like markers or moored boats

[Joe2nyc]

You shouldn't run with the spotlight on. The spotlight will really mess up your night vision. I run slowly at night and use the spotlight to identify things I see on the water or on the radar. Many cruisers are loaded with stainless and they place their remote spotlights on a stantion or bow rail above the bow pulpit. If you mount your spotlight obove the bow pulpit, the light won't shine on the boat.

Patrick's got it right! Best place for it will be on the pulpit, but use it sparingly. Radar is you best friend at night.

[seayoulatertoo]

sounds like you got it all covered. I have it on top of the bridge and you get reflection off the bow more than the railings. Only used at night to spot things like reflectors off bouys. No point in using it like a head light you cant see far enough ahead of you at night at cruise. If your going to go fast at night and its your turn to hit something your going to hit it.

[ScarabChris]

SPOT ON!

Chris - whats the slowest you can plane at? I have a tough time at 18 knots on my boat which is the max I want to run at night offshore. Inshore I run a bit quicker at night....

To the OP : save the time and $$$ and get a cig lighter handheld that you can stow away. One less thing to maintain rather than remount what you have. Leave it there???? I run a handheld trying to verify things like markers or moored boats

I need at least 24 MPH to maintain plane and thats barely on plane. The slowest I can go and be on full plane is about 26-27 MPH. If its a calm night on the ocean I will run at a comfortable 30-32 MPH. I tend to run a little slower on the ICW at night because there is a bigger chance to hit some floating trash.

I also have the big cig lighter spot light. Its in a compartment and I haven't touched it for years.

[Sea N Double]

I second the handeld spot light on less thing to worry about, also dont ask me how but i had a friend that manage to tear his completely off the bow with the anchor rope ...

[tommyr904]

I have the same boat,the light needs to be mounted about halfway back or center of the cabin roof and to the right

but if i had to do over I would have one on the bow rail