Boating is one of those sports where the contrast between day and night is acutely pronounced - but you don’t see ferries and commercial ships calling everything off when darkness falls. And yotties also seem to see night sailing as part and parcel of the everyday experience, so why shouldn’t all of us? Yes, it presents new challenges and requires confidence, planning and self-assurance, but boating at night can be an extremely rewarding experience. Just ask an advanced powerboating student about the best part of the course and every one of them will say the night exercise.

There are practical benefits to night boating too. The sea is often quieter without the wakes from other craft, and the onshore wind often dies away, allowing the sea to flatten off. So if you want to go out at night, what’s so different?

Well for starters, you can rarely see where you are, where you’re going or where you’ve been. On land, when you drive at night you use lights to see the road and for others to see you, but this does not work out on the water, because as soon as you use a light, you lose sight of everything that is not directly in the beam. You lose your peripheral vision and with it the ability to spot other craft or looming dangers. On land, all the traffic follows a prescribed route, so you can see where other traffic may come from, but on the water at night, another boat can come up on you from any direction.

Many people think it would be easier at night in an area with lots of shore lighting and lit navigation marks, but it is often far harder. The sheer number of lights makes it hard to spot the navigation ones you want against all those ashore. And spotting the usually quite small and dim lights of another craft against this backdrop can be tremendously tough. It demands concentration of a high order, on top of the ability to navigate your own craft safely.

1 Be equipped

For night boating, your boat needs to be equipped with all the safety gear for your boating area. Put in some food and drinks and plenty of warm clothing. In the UK during the winter months, a drysuit is a good option. Make sure also that your lifejackets have lights on them because they don’t tend to come as standard.

2 Mount the lights correctly

The navigation lights need to be mounted where they can actually be seen while planing. Many smaller powerboats have the lights so badly positioned that they are obstructed by the bow or the crew position. It is essential that other craft can see your lights, because often they will have no other evidence to use in judging your speed and aspect. Ideally, you need a big A-frame toward the stern, with the lights mounted high up. Be aware that many masthead lights illuminate the helm position, making it almost impossible to see behind you without losing your night vision.

For the full report pick up the December issue of Sports Boat and RIB magazine today - Subscribe here