Night Cruise, Advice Needed

[willk]

JW - Will do, thanks!

DHD - Wheelhouse, p'raps

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by willk

JW - Will do, thanks!

DHD - Wheelhouse, p'raps

Or a Dodger.

[red]

I would'nt go anywhere like that without a paper chart and a night/red light. It can get pretty rough out there and you only need a wire to come off your plotter and you are left blind. Have you got a compass with a light. "Fog lights" do'nt work at sea, you may be thinking about having to turn your fog lights on in the car for safety as on a motorway. If you get caught out in fog in the Thames Estuary navigate yourself out of the shipping channel and start sounding your horn - which you will need. If you are getting into cruising in the dark you should take precautions against the increased danger of fouling the sterngear, so take a good knife to cut discarded fishing gear and hooked up pot-enders. Consider packing a spare prop but make sure you have all the tools and have practised hanging over the stern changing it. If you cant do this in the daylight it is highly unlikely that you can do it in the dark.
Some of my most memorable trips have been in the dead of night, remember to up the precautions.

[Vandad]

Cheers guys!

I learnt so many things...things which I have not really thought about!

I am about to start navigating in the evening mainly between Kew Bridge-Tower Bridge, it is not too dark, but it is a good place to start.

Also, between Kew Bridge and Richmond Lock the river gets very dark, and that's where I am hoping to test/use my plotter/ sounder in the evening.

I have never been on the water in the evening but I must start before the summer as not boating in the dark has restricted our journeys a lot...