Navigating after sunset

hardee":xth5m54e said:
Have recently seen an ad for a "handheld" FLIR device. $$$$$ I am sure, ($2500 roughly). Anyone here have any experience with FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) I believe. I had a chance to observe a demo at the Seattle Boat Show (SBS) and was very impressed. However, the price and installation requirements were, shall we say, extensive. Handheld seems to have some appeal, if the price is right.SleepyC
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FWIW, my take on the matter is that people run the ICW and offshore all night long but that there is enough debris in the water up here that one should not boat after dark unless the alternative is worse. Plus, I don't know if a FLIR unit would pick up deadheads, etc. They are hard enough to see in the daylight! That means, for me, a FLIR unit would fall in the same category as an EPIRB, but not mandatory. Only you can decide if it is worth the $2500.

Warren
 
Flir technology depends on temperature of the material. I suspect that the deadheads would not show up well. Also fog and rain can decrease the reliablity and range. Granted that there are come cheaper devices, they are different than "night vision". I would put the EPRIB as being an essential, the FLIR an interesting aid, but not essential. We have managed thousands of hours of night running without incident.
 
I recently read a post from Ken Williams who has an extremely well equipped Nordhavn 68 with a top of the line night vision system (it costs more than a new, well equipped CD22!). His conclusion was that it's a waste of money and not very useful.

I often go between Anacortes and Decatur at night. A couple sharp lookouts, radar, chartplotter, and familiarity make it fairly easy, although you have to be careful of floating debris. I don't think I'd want to be out at night in crowded or unfamiliar areas...
 
I first read this this thread 3yrs ago and changed my boating habits. I used to WOT the 16 at night in familair waters and a green channel marker jumped out in front of me and I narrowly missed it. Even in familiar waters it's hull speed. The kayak sport is growing and kayaks are out at nite too. It's tough to see a forest green old town loon kayak at nite and they're out there. On the Hudson at nite near Troy I have expeienced a "lighted channel marker" change from red to green- it was actually a traffic light reflection on a bend in the river. So hull speed it is.
 
I have a habit of getting out to the islands after dark on Friday nights in the summer, Just a matter of getting off work too late. So we have arrived in port after dark more than a few times. Slow is good if you have the time and I never do so I am forced to try and make good speed. I know the area very well, but has been noted we get a lot of debris here. Waiting a half a hour for the moon to rise will allow you to make better speed and spot the logs a little better. I find traveling in to the sun at dusk harder than driving at night. With the sun in your eyes you can’t see anything and the reflection will hide a fair size boat and make a kayak invisible. This is why I spend a lot of time in the day light in good weather using my radar. I know how to set it for maximum results at three miles (any farther in this area is useless) and at 1/16th of a mile. Sit in your boat at the dock and learn how to use it. Better yet sit at anchor and learn how to use it. Learn how to swiftly mark targets and track them, how to adjust your gain and power settings. Most important is to have the radar on BEFORE it gets dark. Have it set up and running before the sun sets. I have mine on all the time sun or shine.
This last year I installed a remote light on the bow rail and really like it when I get close to a breakwater or the docks. I still get some light leakage at the bottom of the spot light on to the rail and I have to fix this in the summer but the light has so many uses. I like it for picking my way thru an anchorage and finding a mooring buoy. Also good for spotting my crab pot at dusk. I also used it to judge whether I was dragging in the wind one night. We were anchored and stern tied in a small cove with a lot of other boats in a high wind. After dark I set the bow light on to a tree across the cove. If I got up in the night and turned on the light I could see the tree. If I did not then I was dragging. This night was our first with a new 25 feet of chain and we held great even though some other larger boats did drag. The light is also great to check on how close your neighbors are if they are dragging. I also like it for spot lighting wildlife at night on the shore. After having the light for half a season I can say that is more than worth the money for a verity of uses.
 
One of our intentions in buying the boat was to have a safe dry and warm when needed way to get back to the dock after dark or to pull the boat after dark.

Some things to consider if you are in a tidal area or near the mouth of a large river involve just how high the last few high tides have been and haw much rain has occurred recently. These two factors have a great effect on the amount of debris in the water (in Puget sound at least).

For a planned night trip I would first look at recent tides, and high rain events and then look at the tide on the evening I am planning to be out.
A full moon is always nice, if the sky is clear and calm conditions are always better for seeing things at night.
We also have a spot light mounted on the bow railing and we use this if we are running through a rip. This is a must with the water coming at you as objects come at you at a rate equal to your speed plus the current speed and seeing things 40 to 50 feet out is very nice. With or without a moon, the ripples in a rip area mask and replicate what objects look like and without a light the stress is a bit much.
A good chart plotter dimmed way down and red lights inside are all good ideas. Departing the Port of Olympia area where the good eateries are with guest docks means you need to track the channel and know where the markers are. The chart plotter and flood light are good for this.
 
It has been mentioned before, but there are utility tractor lights which have magnets on them. We made our own, using some magnets we had, and this "mounts" on the anchor flukes--which puts the light below the deck level (like docking lights)--and no flash back from the light. Northern tool current catalogue has one which is 55 watts #160-965 by Peterson Manufacutring $26. There are also some very bright mag mount, some with SS mounting plates, and some LED--so lots of solutions. But of course one has to be cautions about loosing the night vision. Despite having owned "search lights" I perfer the protables and there is one by Vector which is rechargable 12/110 v and has 3 brightness levels. It is light and small enough to be easily handled out the window of the C Dory, with the occasional "flash" on the subject.
 
From description and specs I would say that the vector we use is identical and made by the same company as the above light--but we got ours at Lowes. I have 3 of them--keep in the cars, house and boat.
 
thanks again. I ordered a light with magnetic base from Sears for $4.99 and will stop by Menards for a cordless handheld unit this week
 
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