Commercial Vessels – Night time operations
Many things change out on the water when night falls. Navigating at night requires skill and concentration. Even experienced mariners can quickly find themselves in trouble if they let their guard down at night.
The following guidelines on night time operations are aimed at helping you become aware of the associated hazards.
Be Seen
Switch on and test your navigation lights even before departure. Be seen and ensure you have the right lights working.
Keep a lookout
- Always maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing.
- Use all available equipment and optimise the brilliancy of electronic displays, this will keep your night vision sharper.
- Maintain radio watch.
- Be aware that the use of any lights onboard may affect your night vision.
- Watch out for any hazards like unlit buoys, floating or partly submerged debris.
- Constantly monitor the movements of other boats in your vicinity, being especially careful to watch for vessels amongst background light scatter.
- Avoid using any lights that other vessel operators could confuse for navigation lights.
Be Alert
- Be aware that physical and mental fatigue accumulated during the day could reduce your level of alertness and vigilance.
- Remember alcohol and water do not mix – consumption of alcohol will also affect your judgement, reaction time, as well as your overall level of alertness. Under the Marine Safety Act 1998, commercial vessel operators must remain under the 0.02 alcohol limit.
Go slow
- You must maintain a safe speed at all times, a speed at which you can safely stop your vessel or avoid any hazards under the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
- The faster you go, the faster you approach hazards and the less time you have to identify and react to them. A collision at higher speeds will increase the impact on you, your passengers and your vessel.
Take care
- Be professional. Your conduct on the water will set a good example for the numerous recreational boat operators sharing the water with you.
- Remember, you are almost entirely reliant on lit navigation markers and the lights of other vessels to get around safely at night – distances become much harder to judge, and clues such as the colour of the water and the shape and proximity of landforms are no longer available to help you know your position or avoid running aground.
- At all times avoid situations that could lead to a passenger or crew member falling overboard.
- Know and follow your water traffic rules (Collision regulations).
- Avoid using bright flashy lights or staring into them. They could ruin your night vision and that of others on the water.
- Using good night navigation techniques can add significantly to your safety and to those around you.
So the next time you are on the water at night remember to be seen, keep a sharp lookout, maintain a safe speed and observe all the water traffic rules.
