Aussieweekender Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Night fishing can be really dangerous. I know you must wear a life jacket if you are on a boat under 4.8m and out at night but I would appreciate if you could all share your tips for navigating at night , lighting and any other tips you may have to make boating safer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman36 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) Night fishing can be really dangerous. I know you must wear a life jacket if you are on a boat under 4.8m and out at night but I would appreciate if you could all share your tips for navigating at night , lighting and any other tips you may have to make boating safer. Hi Aussieweekender, a few tips... 1. Make sure you know the waterway you are in. Things at night look very different to during the day. 2. Get a decent GPS. You shouldn't rely on it, but it's saved me a few times in thick fog, when it's pitch black, etc. At least I know roughly where I am in the middle of the channel and the depth I'm in. 3. Lighting.. Obviously the mandatory nav lights, but you also need to be able to see what you are doing to rig lines etc. I have fitted LED strip lights around the sides and back of the boat. Get one of those LED head lamps for your head. Very handy and they keep your hands free. 4. Travel at a reasonable speed and watch out for other boaters. I've been on the hawkesbury when it's been pitch black and come across house boats anchored in the middle of the channel with no lights on whatsoever. If I was travelling at normal day time speeds it would have been very nasty. 5. Take plenty of warm clothes, thermos of hot water, etc. Even at this time of year it gets really cold on the water at night. 6. Know the ramp. Some ramps aren't lit and it can be tricky retrieving your boat when it's pitch black. 7. Make sure your battery is in good order. No point anchoring for the night with the anchor light and LED's running all night, then when it's time to go in the morning the battery is dead. I carry one of those car jump start boxes, just in case of emergencies. That's all I can think of for now. Cheers Edited January 20, 2012 by insomniac92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Exactly what Insomniac92 said, also don't forget glow sticks haha. I'd also make sure I went to area and checked it out during the day if not familiar with area, personally I won't navigate any waters at night unless I know the area or have gone for a run around area during daylight hours and marked spots to watch out for, things look so different at night and distances also look different than during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdenk01 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Just one other thing I find usfull, sound the area you intend to fish during the day. Whether this is the same day or not. This will give you a better understanding of the area. cheers zed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunc333 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 sometimes when there is no moonlight i cover my gauge lights and i can see alot better into the night when moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman36 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Yeah good point dunc333. I also changed my white all round light to an LED type. I find it throws a lot less light into the boat as the other one was reflecting onto the windscreen too much which made it harder for me to see through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aussie007 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 do your reasearch before going out places like botany bay or port hacking u can see where your going by the houses along the water or in the bay its lit up by the shipping container place other places like apple tree bay in the hawkesbury are bloody scary at night especially when the fog rolls in and u cannot see markers properly also ATB only shows one marker for each bend so u can be driving a long only seeing a single green light or red light and it kind of throws u off a bit not being able to see u need to navigate on the correct side it gets hairy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Incredible Hull Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) insomniac92 point 2 I was lost in hawkesbury in thick fog once. Luckily had GPS on my mobile phone which guided me home, driving at almost idling speed. Couldn't see 1 metre in front of me. I also invested into a decent spot light. The brand is called Dorcy, it has 3 extra bright LEDs, so bright that if you shine it on your arm, it will warm you up. However I'm not entirely sure of the rules with using a spot light whilst driving. I figure safety first so I use it at night. If I do see other boats I do not shine the spot light towards them, it is extremely bright. Will easily shine 100m-150m. Another tip is, checking your white round light and navigation lights, not only the night before, but ON the same day before you leave. Oh Also, I never go to a place at night, unless I've been there 3 or 4 times during the day - like the other raiders have said Just remember there is no rush for anything mate... take your time and as you do each trip, it gets much easier and quicker. Edited January 21, 2012 by The Incredible Hull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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