In addition to your normal safety equipment, the key points to think about before attempting a night entry are to check that your navigation lights are working, keep a small head torch close to hand for seeing what you are doing on the boat and a red light for chart checks that won't ruin your night vision like having two separate torches so you don't blind yourself with the wrong switch. Lastly, get a decent handheld spotlight in case you need to illuminate something or someone afloat.
The next step is to plan your approach so that you and your crew have a clear idea of what should happen when so they can play a crucial role as lookouts. The boat we used did not have a radar, which can be a real aid at night, especially on a bigger boat, but it's perfectly possible to manage without. In fact, while a night entry can be daunting at first, personally find it far simpler, as each individual buoy is lit with its own distinctive colour and pattern, making it much easier to identify than during the daytime, when they all look much the same either red, green or cardinals.
Here in Poole we have a huge harbour but that presents its own challenges as once through the main harbour entrance there are three possible channels with so many lights that you need to know exactly what you are looking for and how to identify it. The area is covered by IALA A’, which means the buoyage is identifiable by three key features: the colour and combination of colours on the buoy itself; the shape of their topmark; and, for night passages, the colour and flashing sequence of the light.
Starboard-hand markers all flash green, porthand markers red and cardinal marks white but the colour, flashing sequence and timing are all marked on the chart beneath each buoy.
Bu hikaye Motor Boat & Yachting UK dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Motor Boat & Yachting UK dergisinin May 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
BUYING A USED...FAIRLINE PHANTOM 42
Fairline first introduced its Phantom range half a century ago with the Phantom 32.
THEN THERE WAS LIGHT
Four-season boater, Gilbert Park, hunts down the perfect marine spotlight
HOW TO MARK YOUR ANCHOR
Anchoring in a pretty bay is one of boating’s greatest joys but it can also be a cause of considerable angst: How much chain should I put out? What’s the seabed like? Will I get stuck? What if I drag? Many of these concerns can be solved by laying the correct amount of cable (called scope) for the depth and conditions.
RIVA GOES ELECTRIC
Riva made its name building beautiful mahogany sportboats powered by big petrol engines, but the new El-Iseo is powered by an electric motor.
TREASURE ISLAND
THE IMAGE THAT ROCKED OUR BOAT THIS MONTH
DELPHIA 10 SEDAN
If you're happy to trade speed for serenity, Delphia has something that's likely to appeal
PRESTIGE F4
Behind the wheel of a 50ft flybridge cruiser that dares to be different
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BOAT DECKING
In the first of o our new series of guides we discuss...
LOFOTEN OR BUST PART I
Swedish MBY reader Per Harrtoft fulfills a lifelong dream with a high-speed dash to the remote but beautiful Lofoten islands in the far north of Norway
WEST COUNTRY GOURMET CRUISE
The promise of a gastronomic tour of the South West coast persuades Gilbert Park's reluctant sailor wife to join him on a summer cruise with a difference