Running fast at night

[luckydave215]

I just had an argument on another boat forum (the hull truth, what a bunch of idiots) about running fast at night (I run slow at night - 10 knots or less), and the hazards of hitting semi submerged objects like logs, etc that are invisible on radar.
The guy arguing with me was from Florida. Several others form Florida chimed in on his side.
Question: Do all Florida boaters believe it's safe to haul a$$ at night near shore? (or far offshore for that matter)
Are Florida boaters just better swimmers than California boaters?

 

[jlightonjr]

I am a FL boater also a MI boater. This is my personal take on the matter... Running at night for me is SLOW 8-10 knots MAX.

 

[thoward]

They talk a lot of sheet. There are some places that people will run hard like just off Palm Beach. For swords (done at night)they only fish 7-15 miles out. We run 35 miles out in Ft Pierce and I keep it at 900rpm or about 8 knots at night. I would run faster if I had FLIR then again I would be a electronics ho if my wife would allow it

 

[garyd]

I run fast at night as well as lots of Florida boaters. I'm not sure we are better swimmers but we boat an awful lot.

On the west side there are crab pots but only so far out. There is also a major shipping channel well marked and used extensively. The water also starts to take on a very similar look LOL meansing everything stays in place crab pots bouys markers etc.

If ya don't go out into your favorite territory often going fast at night is not very smart. The first few night runs I usually take it easy on the way out but scat back NBD. Full moon helps. Making sure your boat is set up so it isn't blinding you also helps. Don't let your nav lights light up the boat at all. All instrument lights need to be just bright enough to see. And if ya do all that you will have some night vision.

Try this as an excersize. Find a safe familiar road or a long driveway turn your car lights off and your instrument panel lights way way down. Now slowly drive down the road. The first few times it seems wierd then it grows on you. It's kinda like flying at night for the first few times.

The stuff I've seen that in the water down here is nothing compared to Lake MIchigan. I saw a bowling ball yes they will float. A picknick table. and a normal looking front door off a house. Down here in Florida it's usually crab pots you have to avoid.

garyd

 

[captddis]

I run at displacement speed in the dark or in restricted visibility. I live a few hundred feet from the ICW, all night long I hear people flying at high speed. Every so often a Kamikaze speeder meets his end at a channel marker.

 

[Boss Lady]

just wait until find something large in the water, like a submerged shipping container. I go slow at night if I have to run, and try to stay within coastal distance so if we do have a major problem help is not hours away. Plus if you do hole the hull you may be able to ground her before she goes under. Just my strategy for stayin alive and saving the boat.

 

[Pascal]

THT? no wonder...

seriously, it depends on the conditions. i used to run on plane with my previous boat as long as conditions were good enough. by good enough i mean enough light reflected from the city or moon... perserving your night vision i absolutely critical though, electronics should be dimmed all the way down, no cockpit or arch lights, no spot light reflecting off the bow or rail, no cabin door opening near the helm, etc...

most boats run on plane around here, the scary thing is that most are lit up like christmas trees, blind as bats. a few months ago, a oncoming SR 35ish almost hit me in the channel to my marina. he was on plane, all cockpits, arch, electronics on full bright and i coudl tell he didn't see me by the look on his face as he passed by... yes he was that close and i had no where to go...

running fast at night is like driving 95 on an interstate.. it can be safe or very dangerous...

 

[luckydave215]

and try to stay within coastal distance so if we do have a major problem help is not hours away. Plus if you do hole the hull you may be able to ground her before she goes under.

The point I was trying to make with these "hull truth" fools is that port, or for that matter even shallow water may be hundreds of miles away off the coast of baja.
They don't get it.
But they sure are getting good a calling sailboaters names. It sounds like "boat racism" to me. Like having an engine or sails made a difference in your seafaring ability. Hell, most long distance sailors know MORE. They have to to get anywhere.

 

[Boss Lady]

I know that the serious SF guys really push the sanity checker to the limit most all the time. I have seen them run em on the pins all the way to the fishing grounds, and then wonder why the engines need rebuild at 900 hours. I was at Jarrett bays yard and saw them cutting out 4 foot sections of the hull where some idiot ran his 65 JB SF at 30+ knots into some 6 footers and delamed it. Florida has more than their fair share of new boaters with large boats, if one of them hits me and I survive, boat damage will be the least of their worries. Experience is harsh teacher.

 

[DRS]

I know that the serious SF guys really push the sanity checker to the limit most all the time. I have seen them run em on the pins all the way to the fishing grounds, and then wonder why the engines need rebuild at 900 hours. I was at Jarrett bays yard and saw them cutting out 4 foot sections of the hull where some idiot ran his 65 JB SF at 30+ knots into some 6 footers and delamed it. Florida has more than their fair share of new boaters with large boats, if one of them hits me and I survive, boat damage will be the least of their worries. Experience is harsh teacher.

Interesting, Boss can you give a bit more detail as to the 65' JB, maybe name and date ect... Thanks

 

[Trojan]

I don't run faster than hull speed at night. On the great lakes you can find anything floating. Its just nuts to run faster. Like said, fast night running is like running 100mph on the E-way. The go fast boys only know one speed. Sooner or later they, you are going to hit something. I just hope it's not me.

BILL

 

[Pascal]

i checked out THT a couple of years ago, not my kind of crowd... nasty attitude, tons of one liner replies, etc...

we have it VERY easy in so fl, here boating is so easy a caveman.. hmmm... new SR owner... can do it seriously... little tides, no current, no rocks (except the one on the OWW), well marked waters, good weather, plenty of light at night reflecting from the cities. when they run aground, it's on soft shoals with sea tow boats positioned every miles...

most of these guys woudln't survive a month in the PNW or new england.

 

[Boss Lady]

Interesting, Boss can you give a bit more detail as to the 65' JB, maybe name and date ect... Thanks

It was about 3 years ago, my wife and I were there looking and to find out about their Hurricane pull out service. I asked the guy at the dock house what happened to the boat with the big hole and he told me the owner ran it at almost full speed into some big ones. If memory serves correctly the boat had a light green hull.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I don't run faster than hull speed at night. On the great lakes you can find anything floating. Its just nuts to run faster. Like said, fast night running is like running 100mph on the E-way. The go fast boys only know one speed. Sooner or later they, you are going to hit something. I just hope it's not me.

BILL

Being mainly a Great Lakes boater, I have to agree with Bill. I would never run faster than hull speed at night. Anyone who does is not taking the potential risks seriously. All you have to do is look at what is out there during the day--bouys (charted and private), fish nets, crab pots, logs, debris, other boats (lighted or no lights), whales, who knows.

These are the same people who blindly trust their chartplotter and autopilots and then wonder later why they ran aground.

 

[garyd]

Funny As everyone knows I'd run 25 in a 25 bout anytime. However around here S.W. Florida going 25 in the intercoastal at night is really not an option. Running fast at night where all the crab pots are at night is also not an option. However off shore or in the shipping channel on all but the darkest night is really NO BIG DEAL as long as you sneak up on it and do it often.

In fact there have been a couple of times that I saw something at night that I may not have seen during the day. The human body is an amazing thing. Your night vision is quite good if excersized. It gets better with use and experience. It also gets bad if not used and also blinded by your own lights.

For example did you know that right at the back of your eye dead center is a blind spot at night. Try this out lay on you back look up at the stars. Pick a medium brighness star and look straight at it. With a little practice you can find your blind spot location and size. Now that you have found it you know where not to look if your trying to see something at night.

Most folks think they see something and then fixsate on it starring dead on it. Then when they hit it they say I swear occifer I never saw it. Well they can very well be correct.

At night you must scan in order to see the entire picture. Do not stare, Scan. This takes practice but with practice your night vision will improve greatly.

In fact in a full bright moon boating at night is just like boating during the day.

garyd

 

[jim rosenthal]

I run slow at night. I can't see far enough ahead to be comfortable running any quicker. We have a lot of stuff floating in the Bay at certain times of the year; largest thing I ever saw was a refrigerator, bobbing around in the shipping channel near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Not only that, there wasn't any beer in it....

 

[DRS]

Sorry for the derail folks, new here and have been enjoying the info.
But Boss I'm not sure your JB info is correct.

"I was at Jarrett bays yard and saw them cutting out 4 foot sections of the hull where some idiot ran his 65 JB SF at 30+ knots into some 6 footers and delamed it".

"I asked the guy at the dock house what happened to the boat with the big hole and he told me the owner ran it at almost full speed into some big ones. If memory serves correctly the boat had a light green hull".

Ok so a 65' JB delamed in 6' or big ones??? at 30 + knots??? To the best of my knowlege JB has never built a 65'.

All I'm pointing to is quality of info, lots of lurkers come here for info.

Again thanks for the knowlege.

 

[thoward]

I have run fast at night in little boats off the coast but running 30 miles offshore on plane is asking for disaster. During the day there is usually someone within radio contact. We were out the other night and there were only a couple of boats on the radar, 1 was a cruiseship and the other a tow barge. Although we have safety gear and a inflatable I would not like to have a worst case situation where you ended up in the water with the makos. Again this is like the deal with how fast you drive in the ICW. You have folks in the fast lane folks in the slower lane and dumbazzes in both lanes. Hopefully they remove themselves from the gene pool before the hurt someone else. Food for thought, if you hit a pallet and tear up the drive train 30 miles offshore do you think the $7000+ tow and repair was worth it.

 

[Boss Lady]

Sorry for the derail folks, new here and have been enjoying the info.
But Boss I'm not sure your JB info is correct.

"I was at Jarrett bays yard and saw them cutting out 4 foot sections of the hull where some idiot ran his 65 JB SF at 30+ knots into some 6 footers and delamed it".

"I asked the guy at the dock house what happened to the boat with the big hole and he told me the owner ran it at almost full speed into some big ones. If memory serves correctly the boat had a light green hull".

Ok so a 65' JB delamed in 6' or big ones??? at 30 + knots??? To the best of my knowlege JB has never built a 65'.

All I'm pointing to is quality of info, lots of lurkers come here for info.

Again thanks for the knowlege.

First of all what I posted was not a slam on anyones product.

Second I was making reference to serious sport fish guys pushing their equipment.

Third, I don't remember exactly what size the JB was, I didn't get out and measure . I am not very familiar with Jarrett Bays line up. So let's just say it looked like a 65' to me.

Fourth, I was simply visiting the yard on a Saturday and stopped by to find out about their Hurricane haul out service and saw a very nice looking boat with a 4' x 4' hole cut out up at the bow. I figured that they had hit something or been hit. So I asked the guy at the office what happened to the boat and that was "his" reply to me. I and anyone else would assume in that situation that he would give an accurate answer. I have no control over what a Jarret Bay employee says.

Fifth, At that time I didn't think that the questionable actions of an "owner" running a large boat into head seas at high speed and then causing damage to his boat reflected upon the quality of Jarret Bay boats, but reflected upon the good judgement or lack thereof by the owner. The point I was making in jest is that some SF guys really push the envelope IMHO.

I think that you have taken my comments and stretched them to mean something not intended.

 

[34Hatt]

Boss Lady I think that you have taken my comments and stretched them to mean something not intended.

It was clear to me what you meant. Now If you put the comment that it wouldn't happen in a Hatt that would have been different .