yacht sailing at night

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Night sailing: top tips and expert advice to see you safely through until dawn

• Helen Fretter
• October 6, 2016

A Yachting World special report on how to prepare and enjoy sailing at night. Photos by Tor Johnson.

Sailing through the night brings its own rewards: a contemplative stillness, phosphorescent trails through a star-lit sea, the soul-warming sunrises. But it also raises challenges – if you cannot see gusts and squalls approaching, how quickly can you react? How well do you – and the rest of your crew – know your yacht’s layout in the dark?

We asked some experienced long-distance cruisers, many of whom have sailed extensively in the tropics – experiencing much longer hours of darkness than northern hemisphere sailors who only venture offshore in summer months – for their night sailing advice.

Sundowner readiness

Romantic though sailing into the sunset may be, heading into darkness requires careful preparation. ‘Bones’ Black, who owns and skippers Emily Morgan , a Bowman 57 charter cruiser, says: “We do a great deal of night sailing, be it from island to island in the Caribbean or transatlantic passages. When doing overnight island-hopping we plan to arrive at the next destination in daylight, especially if we have not been there before.

“We prep the boat, all sail covers off, halyards attached, engine checks and of course we recheck the weather – if we are in tidal waters we would double check the tides too. We also prepare the cockpit by putting a good torch, hand-bearing compass, binoculars, bottle of water and spare safety tether to hand.

“Then we sit and have a decent meal to relax before we set sail. We also prepare a meal for later as it’s common to feel a little queasy at the start of a passage if it’s a bit lumpy and the last thing you want is to go below to start cooking.”

Erik Lindgren, currently cruising his Baltic 56 in Fiji, says: “ Spirit V is by design a very fast boat. This means that we cover good distances without pushing and without using too much sail at night. Our night set-up includes bimini down, sprayhood up, one or two reefs in the main depending on the risk of squalls, lifejackets are worn and we are always clipped on, AIS transmitters in lifejackets and PLB in foulweather jackets.”

Paul Frew, who is sailing his Oyster 575 Juno around Europe with his wife Caroline, says: “We are very cautious offshore. We have a golden rule never to leave the cockpit at night, so we will delay a pole gybe until daylight even it means heading a few miles off course. If for any reason we do need to leave the cockpit the on-watch crew have to call me and we all clip on. “I have an offshore checklist that we always review before any night passages. I keep a high-powered 24V torch in the cockpit and an anti-collision flare in the companionway. Radar is always on at night and AIS alarms are checked before dark.”

Take extra precautions if heading out of the cockpit on to the foredeck when sailing at night.

Golden rules

Once underway every skipper applies the same golden rules, summed up by Will Downing, skipper of the Hanse 575 Ximera : “Lifejackets obligatory; lifelines attached even if you are sleeping in the cockpit; don’t go forward without someone else awake in the cockpit and clipped on.”

Erik Lindgren adds: “We never, ever leave the cockpit while on a single watch. Sail area is reduced during the night – if hit by a big squall – by furling the jib. The off-watch sleeps on the saloon sofa.”

John Dyer, who sailed his First 47.7 Exocet Strike on the World ARC, says: “While on night watches we always take a view on likely weather conditions and reef accordingly before it’s dark – always easier to shake reefs out than put them in. “We also use head torches and use the red LED to preserve night vision.”

Top tip: Night vision relies on rod cells in the eyes, which take 20-40 minutes to adapt to a change of light

Bones Black says it’s also important to brief new crew joining the yacht on what to do if they have concerns. “We tell our crew always to wake Anna as skipper or me as first mate at any time. I would rather get up and check something out, be it a strange noise or a light on the horizon in good time, rather than at the last minute when it could be a problem.”

Conversely, when all is going well, being considerate of your off-watch crew is important – tether hooks dragging on deck and rattling pans in the galley sound incredibly loud at night. If you need to run a generator, consider timing it so it so the noise is split over two watches.

Sailing at night can be a truly uplifting experience.

Watch patterns

Your choice of watch system depends on several factors – how many people there are on board, how mentally and physically draining the conditions are, and personal preferences – some people find it hard to sleep down below during the day, for instance, while others prefer a short night watch and a longer day off-watch.

Fact: NASA studied the sleep patterns of solo ocean racing sailors to see how extreme sleep deprivation affects decision making and performance.

Will Downing comments: “I am a firm believer in the four-hour sleep rule of REM. Most people sleep for four hours, then two hours, then one hour, with waking moments (or close to) in between. If there are only three people on board, a three-hours-on six-off watch system means you will definitely get that four hours of sleep. Two hours on and four off is not four hours of sleep. Once you’ve brushed your teeth, had a snack, gone to the heads and maybe read for a few minutes, you’re lucky if you end up with just three hours.

“Even better is a four-person shift pattern with two hours on and six off. It’s not long on duty, but long on the old shut-eye. I have always found that the crew are better humoured, easier going and just plain happier!”

Black agrees: “There are so many different watch systems you could run, but they depend on how many crew you have. If it’s just Anna and me we do three on and three off during the night, and four on four off during the day to catch up. If alone on watch we steer for about 20 minutes, looking around the horizon all the time, then have a look at the AIS and radar.

“If there are three people we do three on, six off and steer as much as we can to keep busy. When concentration starts to lapse the autopilot goes on for a while and a drink and a few nibbles help.

“If we have a full complement of six crew we run three on, six off with two crew on each watch, this means the crew on watch can steer for half an hour then swap.”

For an even more in-depth look at this topic and plenty of others, see our Bluewater Sailing Techniques feature and video on night watches and routines offshore

Handover period

Equally important is how you hand over between watches. Downing says it’s worth taking your time over the watch change. “When you finish a shift in the middle of the night and are yearning for your pillow and some well-earned rest, remember that the person coming on watch has only just recently woken up so take time to chat with them, offer them a hot drink, talk about the weather and the shipping.

“I always finish with asking: ‘Are you awake enough to do this?’ Remember that your life is now in their hands!”

For the person coming on deck Downing suggests: “Read the log. It’s nice to know they saw dolphins and a mermaid, but more important that they heard a rattle from the engine or that the temperature felt like it dropped several degrees very quickly.”

Preserve your night vision but keep on top of the logbook, radar and navigation

Getting through it: Creature comforts to get through the night

“As we normally have three or four crewmembers on long passages we adopt a mother watch. Desert Island Discs downloaded from the BBC is our favourite distraction!” Paul and Caroline Frew, Juno

“Listening to music helps pass the time – but I am always being told off by Anna for singing along while she is trying to sleep. We also have what we call the ‘excessive calories box’ stuffed full of sweets, breakfast bars, chocolate bars and anything else we can find. There is nothing like the sight of your watch mate appearing at 0300 with the box to raise morale.” Bones Black, Emily Morgan

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7 Tips for Night Sailing

By: Pat Reynolds Cruising Tips , Learn To Sail , Safety

Now that we’re into the summer months, lots of you might want to stretch your skill set and do a bit of night sailing. It’s a bit of a different animal so we’ve cobbled together seven things to keep in mind as you head off into the wild black yonder.

• Dress accordingly It may be obvious for some, but don’t forget the big ball of yellow heat will be replaced by a cold little white ball that will not help the warmth cause at all. Your ability to enjoy the pleasure that a gorgeous night on the water can provide is directly proportionate to you being dressed for the environment. Don layers, with a spray jacket on top and life should be good.
• Carry a decent searchlight Night boating involves becoming accustomed to the available light and acclimating to it. It’s actually one of the cool things to experience during a sail in the dark, so constantly shining a spotlight like you were hand-holding your car’s headlights is not where it’s at. That said, there are instances where having a high-powered light on board can make things considerably safer. Coming into a harbor, verifying a navigational aid or identifying something foreign in the water are all common situations that benefit from a good light.
• Stand a watch Of course someone should always be keeping an astute lookout whenever the boat is underway, but this is hyper-important during the restricted visibility that night sailing involves. If you’re lucky enough to have a bright full moon than things are a bit easier but short of that, it’s dark out there folks! Someone needs to keep a mandated watch. By the way, if that person is you, be prepared to have one of the most quality “alone-times” you’ve ever had. People are known to find the meanings of their lives on night watches. You might well return from your nice sail and promptly quit your job, dump that angry spouse and finally get in shape!
• Don’t push Many old salts attach a different attitude and mentality for night sails. During the day the fun might be to vigilantly trim and adjust, catch lifts, shift weight and monitor that knot-meter for that rewarding uptick – 3/10s of a knot – Yes! “ Herman are you secretly racing that little boy in the sabot? ” “ No, of course not. ” But Herman is racing that little boy in the sabot! Anyway, at night it’s good to downshift and run the boat at a lower percentage. Enjoy the serenity this time of day has to offer and understand that downsizing the operation a little will make for a safer and more fulfilling experience.
• Make sure Waypoints are Clear & Safe Most sailors rely on electronic aids to see them around the waterways and at night they become even more important. They can also, in certain situations, make things less safe. A few years ago, the famous Newport to Ensenada race reported their first deadly accident when a group of sailors ran into a small island off the coast of San Diego. After an investigation, it was determined that the sailors, in all likelihood, didn’t account for the land-mass (island) when they entered in their waypoints. They might have been sleeping or just not paying attention when their cruising boat tragically ran up on the rocks. This would never have happened during the day, but sailing at night brings with it these kinds of considerations.
• Know the Light Patterns Fortunately charts and boats are all set up for sailing at night so it’s absolutely essential that the skipper and at least some of the crew know what the language of lights is saying out there. Boats are equipped with lights situated in such a way that other boats can tell what’s going on and charts are filled with light-related information that will clue mariners in on where they are. It can be confusing to look into a harbor located outside of a city and try to understand what is going on. “ Why is that harbor entrance light switching from green to red like that? Oh, that’s Washington blvd… ” Know what to look for and how the lights behave and the confusion will be greatly reduced.
• Wear a PFD We understand that not everyone wears their pfd for whatever reason – it’s not comfortable, it’s filthy from lying on the floor for the past month, it sucks away at your already limited sex appeal – we get it. We don’t agree with the decision, but okay. For night boating, swallow your reasoning and put that thing on. Things can get slick on the boat at night and God forbid you end up in the drink, that little pea head of yours is very hard to see in the night. If you’re floating around for a while screaming “over here!” things are vastly better. Attach a battery powered personal beacon/light to it while you’re at it. Follow our advice and should you end up overboard you’ll be back in the boat in no time!

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Home » Blog » Sail » Sailing at night: tactics and tips

Sailing at night: tactics and tips

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: December 2, 2021

As an early-to-bed person, I find a night passage offers special and sublime opportunities for stargazing, precious alone time, and quiet contemplation. However, I’ve also found myself wet, cold, and not-so-quietly contemplating the lights of a ship bearing down on us. Does that tanker see us? Fortunately, after 3,000 nautical miles of trial and error while sailing from Canada to Mexico, my partner, Robin, and I have learned a few tricks that make night passages more comfortable and serene.

Feed the crew

Good hot food makes all the difference in keeping energy (and spirits) up on a night passage, especially when very little cooking is involved.

Minimize galley time – It takes three days for most sailors to get their sea legs, so we like to have no- to low-effort meals and snacks planned for those first days at sea. Less time spent in the galley also means we have more time for the boat, rest, and sleeping. To minimize galley time, we prepare all our food for the first 24 hours at sea ahead of time. One of our go-to evening meals is soup, made in advance and kept warm in a thermos on deck. After the first 24 hours, quick-to-make meals (canned soup, beans on toast, curry in a bag) are a good bet.

Splurge on fun treats – We stock a “sin bin” with trail mix, chips, and chocolate and also prepare some of our favorite nibbles (muffins, scones, cinnamon buns). Milk chocolate is good for a jolt of energy, but doesn’t keep us up past our watches.

Stay hydrated

Water is very important for keeping the mind alert on night watch. In fact, dehydration is often mistaken for fatigue.

Keep a water bottle on deck – One of our friends has a rule that anyone who yawns on the boat must take a drink of water. Every member of the crew should keep a water bottle on deck when on watch. As well as making water accessible, this is a good way to monitor intake.

Serve warm drinks – One of our favorite hot drinks is Chai tea, kept in a thermos in the cockpit. We make it by adding an inch of fresh ginger to three cups of water, bringing it to a boil, and then adding cardamom, honey, and black pepper to taste. The spices and honey give us a boost without the diuretic and stimulating effects of caffeine. Cider (the soft kind!), tea, and hot chocolate are great too.

Sleep, glorious sleep

Sleep can feel scarce when sailing overnight, but we take steps to manage it.

Sleep before leaving – First, we make sure we’re well rested before we leave. We never start a passage with a sleep deficit.

A workable watch schedule – Sailors use many different watch schedules and tailor them to the number of crew on board. To find out what works best for us, we started with shorter watches (of perhaps 1 to 2 hours) and increased the length over time. We usually sail with just the two of us (plus autopilot) and find 3-hour watches work well, but on many occasions we’ve gone to shorter watches because one of us was not able to stay alert for the full 3 hours. If you’re hand steering, definitely err on the side of shorter watches. And when you feel like you can’t keep your eyes open, it is always better to wake your partner than risk snoozing at the wheel.

Avoid alcohol and stimulants – One of the principal ways we improve the quantity and quality of our sleep on board is to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulating drugs. The half-life of caffeine is 4 to 6 hours in humans, so the chances are, someone who drinks a cup of tea at the beginning of a 3-hour watch will still be feeling the effects at the end of it. When this happens, it’s then tempting to use alcohol or sleeping pills to get to sleep. Alcohol has been proven to reduce the quality of sleep. The result is waking up feeling more tired and feeling the need for more coffee, and thus the vicious loop repeats.

Try light sleep aids – One sleep aid to consider using is the seasickness medication Gravol. Someone already taking Gravol for seasickness might consider timing the dose at one-half hour before the end of a night watch. This gives the Gravol time to kick in, aiding sleep at just the right time. By the time the off-watch is over, the Gravol has been partially processed and, you hope, the effect is less drowsiness and no seasickness. For those not taking Gravol, a cup of chamomile or valerian tea half an hour before the end of their watch will help sleep come more quickly.

Get comfy – We made sure we had a safe and comfortable sea berth by setting up a snug leecloth on a berth close to the boat’s center of gravity, where the the off-watch sleeper would feel the least motion (see “ Make your own Leecloth ,” January 2017). Earplugs and an eye mask help reduce stimuli to further aid sleep.

Staying awake

Staying awake on night watch can be difficult, but we engage in a number of activities to help us keep our eyes open.

Stay occupied – If we don’t keep ourselves lightly occupied on night watch, we find it difficult to stay awake, so we create watch routines that keep us focused and alert. Filling out our ship’s log is one such task. I’ve learned that one of the most effective things I can do to avoid dropping off is to keep my brain engaged in some light listening (podcasts, music, audiobooks) through a single earbud. This keeps me awake while I scan the horizon and listen for any changes in the boat or environment. If you’re in need of something to listen to, check out the salty audiobooks at Audioseastories.com , GoodOld Boat’s online store.

Keep moving – When I get overly drowsy, I stand up and dance in the cockpit. Though I might look ridiculous, it gets the blood moving and keeps me sharp a bit longer. If dancing is not your thing, stretching or jogging in place also works.

Set alarms – When I find I’m feeling a bit droopy-eyed, I set a wristwatch alarm to go off every 10 minutes, just to catch me in case I do accidentally doze off. Of course, if I do fall asleep, I realize as soon as I wake that my best option is to wake someone else to take the watch.

What to wear

It’s hard for me to appreciate the beautiful starlit sky when I have wet feet. I prefer to stay warm and dry.

Rubber boots and foulies –My favorite piece of gear is a 1980s yellow Mustang survival suit I picked up in a thrift store. While higher-tech options are available, I love my survival suit because it’s like wearing a giant sleeping bag on deck. I have foulies (foul weather gear), too, which are great for more active sailing, but when I’m hunkered down in the cockpit all night, my chief concern is staying warm. The other great thing about the survival suit is that I stay warm even if it gets wet. I once took a wave down the back of my survival suit and, though wet, I was warm again in less than a minute.

Buy some bum padding – Deck cushions can get in the way while sailing, so we usually stow them. I sometimes wear a pair of padded cycling shorts under my foulies to provide some insulation from the hard, cold cockpit seats.

No cotton garments! – Or atleast don’t wear them on chilly nights. When the least bit damp, cotton can get cold and clammy. We choose wool, polyester, and other technical fabrics for layering as they don’t hold moisture against the skin.

Clip in – A tether and harness are musts for enjoyment and comfort while sailing at night. We much prefer the view of the ocean from the boat than the boat from the ocean. Plus, the off-watch rests easier knowing the on-watch is tethered safely to the boat.

Warding off the green

Perhaps the number-one thing we do to ensure our comfort while afloat is avoid getting seasick. Many remedies are available, including Gravol, Dramamine, Transderm-V patch, ginger, and acupressure wrist bands. We try any drug or remedy on dry land before taking it while sailing, just in case we experience a negative side effect. One seasickness medication on the market made my vision blurry. Once you’ve found something that works for you, start taking it at least 12 hours before setting sail so it has time to properly kick in. We are often helped by spending a couple of nights in a slightly rolly anchorage before heading out.

Bits and bytes –  Two pieces of technology are a boon for any sailor venturing out under the cover of darkness.

Autopilot – An autopilot helps minimize crew fatigue. Handsteering becomes far more challenging and tiring at night, when limited visibility can affect orientation. An autopilot allows for longer and more restful watches.

AIS – If you have it, AIS is a terrific additional source of information at night. It’s a great comfort to know the course and speed of the twinkly bright lights bearing down on us in the darkness. We can easily hail the vessel in question, by its name, if that’s listed on the AIS target, or by private hailing its MMSI number using the DSC-enabled VHF. Once in contact, we ask whether they can see our boat and whether they plan to alter course in the near future. We like to set our AIS alarm so we don’t miss any vessels that will approach within 2 nautical miles.

Passage planning

The decisions we make before leaving the dock undoubtedly have the greatest impact on the comfort of our night sail.

Choosing a weather window – Poor weather and sea conditions become considerably less fun in the dark, so we plan around adverse weather. We avoid night passages when the swell period (in seconds) and height (in feet) are close in number. For example, a 7-foot swell with a 12-second period will be a lot more comfortable than a 7-foot swell with a 7-second period.

Sail in your comfort zone – If you’re comfortable sailing in up to 20 knots of wind, limit overnight passages to wind conditions of 15 knots or less. Conditions can feel a lot bigger at night and so we do not push ourselves past our comfort limits, and we sleep better as a result.

Use the full moon – We’re much more comfortable on night passages when the moon is full or nearly full. All that light makes it easier to spot obstacles and we’re psychologically more at ease when we are able to see our surroundings.

Leave and arrive in daylight – The approaches to many ocean ports are littered with crab traps, long-lines,dead-heads, kelp, and other debris. We prefer to heave-to for a couple of hours rather than risk fouling our propeller attempting an entrance in the dead of night.

Passages of manageable length – If you’re new to sailing at night, it’s a good idea to slowly build up to longer and longer sails. As you start planning multi-night voyages, think about the best way to break the passages down. Many solo sailors we know choose to never sail more than one night at a time so they can pull in and have rest days after each night passage. Personally, we like trips that are three days or longer, because we find it takes that long to adjust our sleeping patterns. Experiment with different passage lengths until you find a style that leaves you feeling rested.

Strategies for sailing at night

Whether we feel safe and comfortable at night has a lot to do with how we set our sails. Proper planning makes the difference between restful slumber and a sleepless night for the whole crew.

Prepare before dark – We complete the necessary tasks —like setting the sails and organizing the cockpit — in daylight so the crew on night watch has fewer things to focus on.

Brighten up – To avoid things that go bump in the night, invest in some good lighting. We were sailing down the Mexican coast and noticed a large trawler tailing us. We tried to radio the trawler only to realize that it was our buddy-boater, Jim, who had cunningly invested in high-wattage lights that made his 35-foot sloop appear to be a much larger vessel. We’ve found red lights and headlamps help us to get around the boat without impairing our night vision.

Set sails for comfort – We don’t sleep well with a slamming mainsail on a rolling boat. We play with different sail plans and courses to make our boat as comfortable and quiet as possible. We use a boom preventer , for example, to reduce the motion and noise of the mainsail. When sailing dead downwind makes things very rolly, we’ll head up a bit for a smoother ride. Our VMG (velocity made good) might suffer, but that’s preferable to having a tired crew. When we’re dealing with light and variable wind at night, we find it well worth the extra fuel cost to run the engine, so the person below can get some sleep.

Slow down at night – We usually take in a reef before dark. We might lose some speed, but our boat is a lot more manageable if the wind picks up later — and we don’t have to put in that reef at night.

Schedule maneuvers – When possible, we plan our maneuvers, such as tacking and gybing, so we can do them before it gets dark. We schedule them for watch changes to minimize the number of times we need to wake someone mid-sleep for help on deck.

By adopting these strategies, we’ve begun to really enjoy sailing at night. In fact, we’re finding now that we even prefer it, because it means we don’t lose a day of shore time upon arrival in a new port. With the right preparation, you can make nights at sea not only pleasant, but also special and beautiful times. So make things comfortable for yourself, try some tips to see what works best for you, and then sit back and enjoy the stars.

Originally published in Good Old Boat magazine in March/April 2017. For more great how-tos and DIY subscribe to Good Old Boat magazine using this exclusive Waterborne promo code .

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

Monday 7th of December 2020

try Tradional Medicines Ginger Aid Tea. Make Thermos and keep it handy when some one starts to feel queazy have them sip a cup or two of warm Ginger Aid tea. Helps settle the stomach and keeps you warm a win win.

Sunday 3rd of June 2018

While I also do just about everything mentioned in the article, as a singlehander, there are no crew changes, so making sure hot drinks (I like decaf Irish Breakfast tea with a couple of cinnamon sticks thrown in) and light snacks are within reach of the cockpit are very important. I also added glow in the dark draft strips to my sails and I've added glow in the dark stickers to the stanchion bases. I love night sailing—it's almost a religious experience being out there, sailing in calm seas under a full moon and a sea of stars above. One word of warning though, if you're new to astronomy, don't be surprised if that North Star you've been following turns out to be the 9:40 flight from Chicago...just saying.

Friday 16th of June 2017

Good article.

The very best, THE VERY BEST, anti seasick remedy for me has been Motion Ease, sold at West Marine and Walmart. After many remedies were tried and were unsuccessful, Motion Ease was the first remedy that I found successful. We were in 38+knots of wind between Nassau and Eleuthra and the cook brought sandwich "fixins" into the cockpit. I was already seasick and could only manage a slice of bread and cheese wadded up in my fist. My wife remembered I had bought Motion Ease several years before but I had never tried it. She went below and brought up the tiny bottle. I rubbed one drop behind each ear and within 15 minutes I was eating a Dagwood sandwich! The remedy is applied to the skin area behind each ear and works even if you are already seasick. About $5 at Walmart, maybe more at West Marine.

Friday 30th of June 2017

Thanks for the recommendation Jim! I've never tried Motion Ease but will definitely give it a go now.

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The Night Navigation Techniques

Navigating at night presents unique challenges for sailors, but mastering the essential techniques and tools can ensure safe and thrilling nocturnal sailing adventures.

Sailing at night can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience, but it also presents unique challenges and requires a different set of skills than daytime sailing. In this article, we’ll explore the essential techniques for successful night navigation, ensuring that you and your family can safely and confidently embark on your nocturnal sailing adventures.

Table of Contents

Understanding the importance of night sailing skills, preparing your boat for night sailing, night navigation tools and equipment, using the stars for navigation, understanding and identifying lights at night, night sailing safety tips.

Before we dive into the specific techniques and tools for night navigation, it’s essential to understand why these skills are so crucial for sailors. Night sailing can be a necessity for long passages, allowing you to cover more distance and make the most of favorable weather conditions. Additionally, sailing at night can provide a unique sense of freedom and connection to the natural world, as you glide through the water under a canopy of stars.

However, night sailing also presents unique challenges, such as reduced visibility, difficulty identifying landmarks and other vessels, and increased fatigue. By mastering the techniques and tools for night navigation, you’ll be better equipped to handle these challenges and ensure the safety of your family and your vessel.

Before setting sail at night, it’s essential to prepare your boat and ensure that all necessary equipment is in good working order. Here are some key steps to take before embarking on a night sailing adventure:

Check your navigation lights: Ensure that your boat’s navigation lights (red and green sidelights, white stern light, and white masthead light) are functioning correctly and are visible from the appropriate distances. These lights are crucial for signaling your position and course to other vessels.

Inspect your safety equipment: Double-check that all safety gear, such as lifejackets, harnesses, and tethers, is in good condition and easily accessible. It’s also a good idea to have a dedicated set of night-vision binoculars on board for increased visibility.

Prepare your cockpit: Organize your cockpit to minimize the need for movement and ensure that essential tools and equipment are within easy reach. Consider using red or amber lighting in the cockpit to preserve your night vision.

Plan your route: Before setting sail, plan your route and identify any potential hazards or navigational challenges. Familiarize yourself with the local tides, currents, and weather conditions, and ensure that you have up-to-date charts and navigational aids on board.

In addition to the standard navigational tools used during daytime sailing, there are several specialized tools and equipment that can greatly enhance your night navigation capabilities:

GPS/chartplotter: A GPS/chartplotter is an invaluable tool for night navigation, providing real-time information on your position, course, and speed. Many modern chartplotters also include AIS (Automatic Identification System) functionality, allowing you to track and identify nearby vessels.

Radar: Radar is an essential tool for night sailing, as it can detect other vessels, landmasses, and obstacles even in complete darkness. By regularly monitoring your radar screen, you can maintain situational awareness and avoid potential collisions.

Night-vision binoculars: Night-vision binoculars use infrared technology to amplify available light, allowing you to see objects and vessels in low-light conditions. These binoculars can be particularly useful for identifying navigational markers, buoys, and other vessels at night.

Red or amber lighting: As mentioned earlier, using red or amber lighting in your cockpit can help preserve your night vision, making it easier to see objects and vessels in the darkness. Many sailors also find that red or amber lighting reduces eye strain and fatigue during long night watches.

While modern navigational tools like GPS and radar have made celestial navigation less critical for sailors, the ability to navigate by the stars remains a valuable skill for night sailing. By learning the basic principles of celestial navigation, you can enhance your situational awareness and develop a deeper connection to the natural world.

Here are some key concepts and techniques for using the stars to navigate at night:

Learn the major constellations: Familiarize yourself with the major constellations visible in your sailing area, such as Ursa Major (the Big Dipper), Orion, and Cassiopeia. These constellations can serve as reference points for determining your position and course.

Identify the North Star (Polaris): The North Star is a crucial navigational aid, as it remains relatively fixed in the sky and indicates true north. By locating the North Star, you can determine your latitude and maintain a consistent course.

Use a sextant: A sextant is a traditional navigational instrument used to measure the angle between a celestial object (such as a star or the moon) and the horizon. By taking sextant readings and consulting nautical almanacs, you can determine your position with a high degree of accuracy.

One of the most challenging aspects of night sailing is interpreting the various lights and signals encountered on the water. By familiarizing yourself with the different types of lights and their meanings, you can more easily identify other vessels, navigational markers, and potential hazards.

Here are some key types of lights to be aware of during night sailing:

Navigation lights: As mentioned earlier, all vessels are required to display navigation lights (red and green sidelights, white stern light, and white masthead light) to signal their position and course. By observing the color and configuration of these lights, you can determine the direction and orientation of other vessels and avoid potential collisions.

Aids to navigation: Navigational aids, such as buoys and beacons, are often equipped with lights to make them visible at night. These lights can be red, green, white, or yellow and may be displayed in various patterns (flashing, occulting, or isophase) to indicate their purpose and location.

Morse code signals: Some navigational aids and vessels may use Morse code signals to communicate specific information, such as their identity or position. By learning the basic Morse code alphabet and common signal patterns, you can more easily interpret these signals and navigate safely at night.

Finally, here are some general safety tips to keep in mind when sailing at night:

Maintain a proper lookout: Always have at least one crew member on watch, scanning the horizon for other vessels, navigational aids, and potential hazards. Regularly check your radar and AIS to maintain situational awareness.

Use your senses: In addition to visual observations, use your hearing and sense of smell to detect potential hazards, such as nearby vessels or changes in weather conditions.

Communicate clearly: Ensure that all crew members are aware of the current navigational plan and any potential hazards. Use clear, concise language and standardized terminology to avoid confusion.

Stay well-rested: Fatigue can significantly impair your ability to navigate and make sound decisions. Establish a watch schedule that allows for adequate rest and recovery for all crew members.

Night sailing can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, but it requires a unique set of skills and techniques to ensure the safety of your family and your vessel. By mastering the art of night navigation, you’ll be better prepared to embrace the challenges and rewards of nocturnal sailing adventures. So, grab your charts, study the stars, and set sail under the moonlit sky – the world awaits!

• Sailing at Night: Embracing the Mystique of Night Sailing

Introduction

Setting the scene: the allure of sailing at night.

Sailing at night holds a unique charm—a mesmerizing experience that beckons both novice sailors and seasoned seafarers alike. The gentle rocking of the boat, the whisper of the wind, and the vast expanse of the night sky contribute to an atmosphere unlike any other.

The Uniqueness of Night Sailing

While daytime sailing has its own allure, night sailing offers a different perspective. The tranquility of the open sea under the moonlight, the stars painting a celestial canvas, and the feeling of solitude on the water create an experience that transcends the ordinary.

Safety Considerations for Night Sailing

Before delving into the enchantment of night sailing, it's crucial to address safety. Proper preparation, adherence to safety guidelines, and understanding the challenges of sailing in the dark are paramount to ensuring a secure and enjoyable journey.

Preparation for Night Sailing

Essential equipment and gear.

Night sailing demands meticulous preparation. Adequate lighting, navigation tools, and safety equipment are non-negotiable. Ensure all navigation lights are functioning correctly, and have backup lights on hand. Additionally, invest in quality life jackets , harnesses, and a reliable GPS system.

Understanding Sail Trim Charts

Sail trim charts are indispensable for optimizing your sailboat's performance. Familiarize yourself with these charts to achieve the perfect sail setting, accounting for wind direction and boat speed. This knowledge is especially crucial when sailing in the dark, where visibility is limited.

Tips for Sailing in the Dark

Sailing at night requires a different set of skills. Maintain a slower pace, stay vigilant for other vessels, and trust your instruments. Embrace the challenge with a sense of adventure, and always be prepared to adjust your course based on the conditions.

Navigating the Night Seas

Importance of navigation skills.

Navigation skills are your guiding star when sailing at night. Learn to read nautical charts, understand buoy markers, and practice dead reckoning. These skills are your lifeline in the dark.

Utilizing Technology for Night Navigation

Modern technology has made night navigation more accessible. GPS systems, radar, and chart plotters enhance your ability to navigate safely. However, it's essential to balance technology with traditional navigation skills.

Star Navigation Techniques

For the true romantics, star navigation adds a celestial dimension to night sailing. Learn to identify key constellations, use the North Star as a reference point, and embrace the ancient art of celestial navigation.

Yacht Night Essentials

Illumination on a yacht.

Proper illumination is key to a safe and enjoyable night on a yacht. Ensure all onboard lights are in working order, and consider ambient lighting for a cozy atmosphere without compromising visibility.

How to Create a Cozy Atmosphere on Board

Transforming your yacht into a haven of comfort involves more than just practical considerations. Soft lighting, comfortable seating, and a well-stocked galley contribute to a cozy ambiance that enhances the night sailing experience.

Safety Measures for Night Yachting

Safety on a yacht goes beyond equipment. Establish clear communication among the crew, designate roles, and conduct regular safety drills. Being prepared for emergencies ensures a secure night on the water.

For Your Eyes Only: Maximizing Visibility

Importance of good vision at night.

Clear vision is paramount when sailing in the dark. Prioritize eye health, and consider regular eye check-ups to ensure optimal vision for night sailing.

Tips for Enhancing Night Vision

Adaptation to low light conditions takes time. Minimize exposure to bright lights before sailing, use red lighting on board, and consider night vision aids for an extra edge.

Night Sailing Eyewear Recommendations

Invest in quality night sailing eyewear to protect your eyes from wind, salt, and glare. Polarized lenses can enhance visibility, reducing eye strain during extended night journeys.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our  Magazine.

Staying Overnight on a Sailboat

Unique experiences of staying on a sailboat.

Staying overnight on a sailboat offers a unique connection with the sea. The gentle rocking, the sound of water against the hull, and the uninterrupted view of the night sky create lasting memories.

Safety Precautions for Overnight Stays

Ensure your sailboat is equipped for overnight stays with comfortable sleeping arrangements. Follow safety protocols, secure loose items on deck, and be aware of potential changes in weather.

Creating Comfortable Sleeping Arrangements

Maximize comfort with quality bedding, proper ventilation, and securing belongings to prevent nighttime disturbances. A good night's sleep ensures you're ready to embrace the adventures of the next day.

Read more useful sailing tips:

Sail fishing tips, the thrill of sail fishing at night.

For fishing enthusiasts, night sailing opens up new opportunities. The thrill of sail fishing under the stars adds an extra layer of excitement to the overall experience.

Best Practices for Night Sail Fishing

Patience and strategy are crucial when sail fishing at night. Research local fish behavior, use appropriate lures, and be mindful of environmental considerations for sustainable fishing.

Sustainable Fishing Practices

Adopting sustainable fishing practices ensures the preservation of marine ecosystems. Release undersized or non-target species, minimize waste, and adhere to local fishing regulations.

Recap of the Joys and Challenges of Night Sailing

In conclusion, night sailing is a captivating endeavor that combines the thrill of adventure with the serenity of the open sea. The challenges it presents, from navigation in the dark to ensuring safety on board, only add to the richness of the experience.

Encouragement for Sailors to Try Night Sailing

For those yet to experience the magic of night sailing, the invitation is clear—set sail under the stars and embrace the mysteries that the night sea holds. The rewards are as vast as the ocean itself.

Final Thoughts on the Magic of Sailing Under the Stars

As the sails catch the moonlit breeze and the yacht glides through the water, there's an undeniable magic in sailing under the stars. It's a connection with nature, a dance with the cosmos, and an adventure that transcends the ordinary.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our  range of charter boats  and head to some of our favourite  sailing  destinations .

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Sailing at Night

Night Sailing Tips from an Experienced Delivery Captain

This article comes from our Micro-topic Podcast Series. Each week we invite a guest speaker to discuss one topic and one topic only.

This week we discuss Night Sailing Safety and Tips with Captain Ray McCormack who is a NauticEd American National Standards Instructor AND Delivery Captain. Ray’s specialty is delivering boats from Hawaii to the west coast of the USA and back. He also delivers up and down the west coast of North and South America as well as being a general captain for hire and sailng instructor anywhere in the world. Ray has a “world” of experience.

Below, listen to the Podcast, review a summary of keypoints, read a full summarized blog article, or view the whole transcript.

Listen to the Sailing at Night Podcast

Keypoints and safety tips for sailing at night.

Guest Captain Ray McCormack shares his extensive experience and tips for staying safe while sailing through the night.

Use Proper Lighting

When sailing at night, it’s important to preserve your night vision. Ray recommends using headlamps with red, blue or green light options. White lights will ruin your night vision and make it harder to see lights in the distance after you turn them off. The US Navy has found green lights are best for maintaining night vision.

Establish Watch Schedules

Having an appropriate watch schedule is critical for getting through the night safely. Ray typically uses 3-hour shifts on his long Hawaii deliveries. This allows a 4-person crew to each get 9 hours of rest. But watches are affected by factors like cold, physical exertion from driving the boat or trimming sails, etc. The schedule needs to be flexible.

Maintain a Diligent Watch

It’s important to keep a diligent watch, especially in high-traffic areas. Having two or three people on deck can help manage busy situations. Avoid things that make you drowsy on watch like alcohol. Starlink internet access makes it easy to stay awake and engaged and get work done during night watches.

Know Other Vessel Light Identifications

Understand how to read lights on other vessels. This can tell you the direction of travel and the type of vessel from afar.

Use Proper Equipment

Quality binoculars are essential for night sailing. While night vision goggles are an expensive option, 7×50 binoculars with a compass and light work well. An AIS transponder and radar reflectors help your boat be seen by other vessels.

Plan Your Route

Establish your route and plans for the night before it gets dark. Review weather briefings, scrub the route for any hazards, and make sure the crew is briefed.

Prepare Creature Comforts

Small details make a big difference on overnight sails. Boil water before dark and store it in an airpot for easy coffee, cocoa, oatmeal and soups through the night. Prepare gallon zip lock bags of snacks for each crew member to munch on during their shifts.

Safety First

Make sure the crew is briefed on what to do if challenges like traffic or weather changes arise during the night. Require life jackets, tethers and jack lines be used at night. Make a policy for crew to stay in the cockpit until others arrive to help. Always use extra caution moving around at night – keep “one hand for yourself, one hand for the boat.”

Avoid Unnecessary Risks

Entering unfamiliar harbors or crossing bars for the first time at night adds major risk. It’s often prudent to wait for daybreak, by either slowing down or anchoring outside the harbor if possible.

Savor the Experience

The spectacular sunrises and sunsets you witness on overnight passages will be some of your most treasured memories from the experience. Having a rotating shift schedule allows all crew members to enjoy the beauty of twilight from the water.

In summary , with proper planning, equipment and precautions, sailing through the night can be a safe and memorable experience. Seasoned captains like Ray McCormick have developed best practices that maximize safety and minimize risk during overnight passages.

Podcast Summary

Master Sailing at Night: Night Sailing Tips and Techniques from Captain Ray McCormack

Sailing through the night can be an exhilarating and rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own set of challenges and risks. To help you navigate the dark waters safely and confidently, we’ve enlisted the expertise of Captain Ray McCormack, a seasoned sailor with extensive experience in long-distance deliveries, particularly from the West Coast to Hawaii.

In this comprehensive guide, Captain McCormack shares his invaluable insights and techniques for mastering the art of night sailing. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a novice, these tips will help you prepare for and execute a safe and enjoyable overnight voyage.

Key Night Sailing Points:

• Use headlamps with red, green, or blue light to maintain night vision
• Establish an appropriate watch schedule and stick to it
• Keep a diligent watch, especially in high-traffic areas
• Identify other vessel’s lights
• Use binoculars and consider investing in night vision equipment
• Plan your route and discuss potential challenges with your crew before nightfall
• Prepare snacks and boil water for easy access to food and hot beverages during the night
• Use jacklines and tethers to ensure crew safety on deck

Maintaining Night Vision:

Captain McCormack emphasizes the importance of preserving your night vision. He recommends using headlamps with red, green, or blue light, as these colors help maintain your ability to see in the dark. Avoid using white light, as it can temporarily impair your night vision and make it difficult to see lights in the distance.

Establishing a Watch Schedule:

To ensure a safe and efficient passage through the night, it’s crucial to establish an appropriate watch schedule. Captain McCormack typically uses a 3-hour watch system, which allows each crew member to get adequate rest. However, the watch schedule may need to be adjusted based on factors such as weather conditions and crew fatigue.

Keeping a Diligent Watch:

Maintaining a vigilant watch is essential, particularly in high-traffic areas. Having multiple crew members on deck can help ensure that potential hazards are spotted and addressed quickly. To stay alert during your watch, Captain McCormack suggests consuming caffeine and snacks, as well as using tools like a watchmate timer to prevent falling asleep.

Know How to Identify Other Vessels:

Familiarize yourself with the lights exhibited by different types of vessels to determine their direction of travel and vessel type. – Keep a vessel identification chart readily available while on watch for quick reference.

Understanding the light patterns can help you identify if a vessel is anchored, underway, or engaged in specific activities like fishing or towing.

Common light configurations include:

• Masthead light (white) and sidelights (red and green) indicate a power-driven vessel underway.
• Sidelights without a masthead light suggest a sailing vessel.
• A single white light may indicate an anchored vessel or a vessel under 7 meters in length.
• Fishing vessels often display additional lights, such as green over white or red over white.

Navigation and Planning:

Before nightfall, it’s important to plan your route and discuss potential challenges with your crew. This includes reviewing the weather forecast, identifying any navigation marks or hazards along the way, and ensuring that your course is properly plotted on the chart. Captain McCormack also recommends “scrubbing the route,” which involves verifying that you’re on track and making any necessary adjustments.

Jacklines and Tethers:

One of the most critical aspects of night sailing safety is the use of jacklines and tethers. Jacklines are lengths of webbing or rope that run along the deck of the boat, providing attachment points for tethers. Tethers, which are typically made of webbing with a failing thread, connect the crew member’s life jacket to the jackline, preventing them from falling overboard.

• Jacklines should be installed along the length of the boat, allowing crew members to move safely from the cockpit to the bow and back
• Tethers should have two hooks, enabling the crew member to remain attached to the jackline at all times while moving about the boat
• Crew members should wear life jackets and tethers whenever they are on deck, especially at night
• Establish a policy that crew members should stay in the cockpit unless accompanied by another crew member when leaving to perform tasks on deck

Captain Ray McCormack emphasizes the importance of preparation, communication, and adherence to safety protocols when sailing at night. By establishing clear policies regarding life jackets, tethers, and jacklines, and ensuring that crew members understand their roles and responsibilities, you can significantly reduce the risks associated with night sailing.

One of the most critical aspects of night sailing is maintaining a proper watch schedule. Captain McCormack typically employs a 3-hour watch system, which allows crew members sufficient time to rest while ensuring continuous coverage. However, he also stresses the importance of flexibility, adapting the schedule as needed based on factors such as weather conditions and crew fatigue. To combat fatigue during night watches, Captain McCormack recommends keeping a supply of snacks and beverages readily available. Boiling water before nightfall ensures that crew members can easily prepare coffee, tea, or instant meals without disrupting their watch.

Engaging in light activity, such as reading or completing simple tasks, can also help maintain alertness.

In addition to personal safety measures, effective communication is crucial when sailing at night. Crew members should be familiar with the vessel’s navigation equipment, including radar and AIS transponders, and understand how to use them to identify and communicate with other vessels in the area.

By establishing clear intentions with other boats, such as agreeing on a crossing plan, crews can minimize the risk of collisions and ensure a safer passage. When entering unfamiliar harbors or crossing bars at night, Captain McCormack advises exercising caution and, if possible, waiting for daybreak. If conditions require proceeding, he recommends slowing down, running a ley line offshore, or anchoring outside the harbor until visibility improves.

Despite the challenges, night sailing also offers unique rewards, such as the opportunity to witness breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Captain McCormack encourages his crew members to take the time to appreciate these moments, as they often become the most memorable aspects of a long-distance voyage.

By following these night sailing techniques and prioritizing safety, communication, and preparedness, you can ensure a successful and enjoyable overnight passage. Remember to always stay vigilant, adapt to changing conditions, and work together as a crew to make the most of your night sailing experience.

Podcast Transcript

(NOTE: this is essentially the original transcript except the “you know’s” and “Um’s” and have been taken out and the language cleaned up to flow more evenly)

Grant Headifen : Alright, well, welcome everybody to the NauticEd micro-topic podcast series where each week we cover small topics in short 10-15 minute episodes allowing us to learn a lot of things very quickly. Today, I have Captain Ray McCormack on the phone with me. He’s in Vancouver, Washington and has done many yacht deliveries, with his favorite being from the West Coast to Hawaii, which takes several weeks. He’s certainly qualified to talk about night sailing. Ray, welcome to the show.

Ray McCormack : Thank you, Grant. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and passion about being on the water. Today’s topic is night sailing techniques, and I have a list of bullet points to cover.

Grant Headifen : Let’s dive right in and knock them out. I’ve looked over the list, and it looks fantastic. Go for it.

Ray McCormack : One of the first things I tell my crew on deliveries is to get a headlamp with both red and white light options. There are also alternative colors like blue and green that people use for maintaining night vision. Using these colors in the evening helps maintain your night vision, whereas using a white light can temporarily impair your ability to see lights in the distance when you turn it off.

Grant Headifen : So, these headlamps have little buttons that allow you to change colors, right?

Ray McCormack : That’s correct. My headlamp only has white and red options, but I know the US Navy has done studies and they’re using green now for night vision.

Grant Headifen : Interesting. What’s next on the list?

Ray McCormack : Establishing an appropriate watch schedule is critical for getting through the night. On our deliveries, we typically use 3 to 6-hour shifts, with 3 hours being the most common. With a crew of four and 3-hour shifts, everybody gets 9 hours of rest. Factors like getting cold or having to work hard driving the boat or trimming sails can affect the watch schedule, so it’s never set in stone.

I usually give each person a number – I’m number one, my first mate is two, and the other crew members are three and four. My watch might be from 8 to 11 pm, but that may slide depending on the situation. The next evening, I might take the 9 pm to midnight shift. After my watch, the next person would serve their 3 hours, and so on. In the daytime, we use a “freewatch” system where if you can stay up and let others nap, that’s what you should do.

Grant Headifen : I did a 3-day, 3-night trip in the Caribbean once, and I had a rotating schedule where I had the 9 pm to midnight watch the first night, then midnight to 3 am the second night, and 3 to 6 am the third night. It was nice to have a varying schedule and get to see both a sunrise and sunset. Is that what you’d call a structured rotating schedule?

Ray McCormack : Yes, a rotating watch schedule. After we’ve gotten out of the trade winds on my Hawaii deliveries, we’ll set up a rotating schedule like that for the evenings.

Grant Headifen : Alright, let’s move on to the next point.

Ray McCormack : Keeping a diligent watch is super important, particularly in high-traffic areas. Sometimes having two or three people on deck helps in those situations, and that can be structured into the watch schedule.

Grant Headifen : What about falling asleep on watch? Sometimes you can’t help it when you’re tired and it’s pretty boring up there. What can you do to prevent that?

Ray McCormack : Coffee and snacks can help. Caffeine and a little bit of sugar can keep you going.

Grant Headifen : I’ve heard about using an egg timer or “watch mate” that’s set for a short period, and if you don’t reset it, an alarm goes off. Have you used those?

Ray McCormack : I’m familiar with watch mates and know they’re used on some commercial boats, but I don’t use them on my deliveries. In the first couple of days, some crew might have trouble sleeping due to the excitement and the big waves and wind in the trade winds, but they usually start sleeping well off-watch pretty quickly. That’s the key to not falling asleep on watch.

Grant Headifen : Right, and things like alcohol are a bad idea if you’re trying to stay awake on watch.

Ray McCormack : Definitely. On the Hawaii deliveries, I might hide a couple of bottles of alcohol for a halfway party, but that’s dependent on the weather. We’ll only break them out if we’re expecting a fairly calm day.

Grant Headifen : One thing that really helps me is if the boat has Starlink. I can sit up top with my laptop and actually get some work done at 2 in the morning. Highly recommend Starlink for keeping your crew awake, even if just for that purpose.

Ray McCormack : The next bullet point is about having good binoculars. As a delivery captain, I always bring a pair of quality binoculars with me on every boat.

Grant Headifen : Do you use night vision binoculars? I know those can be quite expensive.

Ray McCormack : Right, they are expensive. If you have the resources to get them, that’s great, but I don’t carry night vision binoculars. Mine are typical 7×50 binoculars with a compass and a light.

Having an established route and plan for the evening before nightfall is a good idea. It gets the whole crew together to discuss the evening’s weather, verify the route, and make sure things like water have been boiled. That’s something you’ve mentioned a couple of times now – what’s the deal with boiling water?

Ray McCormack : On my deliveries, I typically set up an airpot, which is a pump pot for dispensing coffee and water. They’re glass-lined, and we’ll put the airpot in the sink or lash it to something. We boil water and fill it before the evening so people can have coffee, cocoa, hot soup, or oatmeal throughout the night.

Grant Headifen : Or even things like noodles, right?

Ray McCormack : Yep, exactly.

Grant Headifen : You also mentioned “scrubbing the route” earlier. What does that mean?

Ray McCormack : Scrubbing the route means verifying that we’re on track and looking ahead on the chart for any navigation marks, reefs, or other hazards. Sometimes a route will go right over a navigation mark, and you don’t want to run into those. You should typically be offshore of them.

On my deliveries, I’ll often put some green 2-inch painter’s tape on the bulkhead with a black marker, so when we have a course, we can mark down the autopilot heading. That way, if you turn the boat in the evening, you know what heading to go back to.

Grant Headifen : That’s smart. You mentioned to me once about a crew member who forgot to account for an overnight wind change. What happened there?

Ray McCormack : That was two years ago in November on a delivery from Hawaii to Vancouver. I had a discussion with the whole crew in the cockpit about an expected 180-degree wind shift overnight. We had the boat set up on apparent wind mode on the autopilot, but one of the crew members decided not to wake me when the wind shifted. The boat’s course over ground changed significantly.

I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and saw the sun rising on the wrong side of the boat, but I was so tired I didn’t really process it. The next morning, I realized we had only made 4 miles towards our destination.

Grant Headifen : [Laughs] Oh man, that’s rough. Okay, what’s the next bullet point?

Ray McCormack : We make sure everybody has a one-gallon zip bag with their name on it, filled with snacks like chips, granola bars, and candy. They take that up on watch so they have something to eat without having to go below.

Grant Headifen : Because a little food can help keep you awake, right? Not too much, but just munching a bit.

Ray McCormack : Exactly, a little sugar and caffeine can help.

Grant Headifen : What else do you have on the list?

Ray McCormack : It’s good to talk ahead of time about potential issues that could develop overnight, like traffic. That’s one reason we carry an AIS transponder and radar reflectors up on the rig, so we can be seen. I’m a big fan of communicating with other boats and establishing crossing intentions. We practice hailing other vessels on the VHF, switching to another channel, and agreeing on whether we’ll cross their bow or stern.

Grant Headifen : AIS is a super important tool for sailing at night. We’ll have to cover that in more depth in another episode, but teaching your crew how to use it properly is key.

Ray McCormack : Absolutely. The next bullet point is about using radar and AIS transponders for added safety at night. It’s critical to use those tools in addition to the chartplotter. It’s worth noting that if you have functional radar on board and get into a collision, the US Coast Guard will fine you because you’re required to use it.

Another policy I put in place, usually in the float plan and discussed with the crew ahead of time, is the use of life jackets, tethers, and jack lines, and the rule about staying in the cockpit until others come up from the cabin to help.

Grant Headifen : Can you explain jack lines and tethers a bit more?

Ray McCormack : A jack line is typically a piece of webbing that runs along the deck, either around the perimeter of the boat or from the cockpit to the mast or bow. The tether is a shorter piece of webbing with a snap hook on each end, one connecting to the jack line and the other to your life jacket. The tether usually has a quick-release shackle and an indicator flag that deploys if it’s put under load, letting you know it needs to be replaced.

Some tethers have a dual hook setup, with a short and a long tether, so you can move along the jack line and always stay clipped in by connecting the second hook before disconnecting the first.

Grant Headifen : That’s really important for staying safe, especially at night or in rough conditions. Okay, keep going.

Ray McCormack : The policy about staying in the cockpit is something I make clear to my crew. I usually sleep in the quarter berth, so they know they can pound on the deck with a winch handle or change the engine RPMs to wake me up if needed. I’ll generally be the one to go up on deck to address any issues, even overnight.

Grant Headifen : Because you’ve got the experience and you don’t want to send a green crew member up on deck in the middle of the night, especially in big waves.

Ray McCormack : Exactly. It’s all about being extra careful at night. We have a saying: “one hand for yourself, one hand for the boat.” Keep your weight low and crawl on deck if you need to. Be mindful when moving around the boat, and always use your headlamp to keep your hands free.

Grant Headifen : Better to crawl than to fall, for sure. What about going up and down the companionway?

Ray McCormack : Always face the ladder and use the handholds. Don’t go down facing away from the steps, because you’re likely to slip and fall, and that’s how people end up with cracked ribs. On a Hawaii delivery, that’s really bad news, especially if you’re a thousand miles from land.

Grant Headifen : Face the stairs, toes in, got it. What else?

Ray McCormack : Entering harbors and crossing bars for the first time at night is riskier than doing it in daylight. Sometimes it’s best to wait for daybreak, either by slowing down or anchoring out if you’re in a bay.

On the Columbia River bar, which is like my playground after hundreds of crossings, there’s nowhere to anchor, so we either slow down or do circles until the conditions improve. I rarely have to do circles, though. We usually just slow down.

Grant Headifen : So if you’re looking at your projected arrival time and it’s, say, 5 am, you might decide that’s too early and adjust your speed or sail plan to delay your arrival until daylight.

Ray McCormack : Right. Sometimes I’ll run an offshore ley line, calculating how long it’ll take if we sail out, jibe, and then sail back in. It adds a bit of extra distance but it’s safer and more comfortable.

Grant Headifen : Safety first, always. What’s the last item on your list?

Ray McCormack : Sunsets and sunrises. On my Hawaii deliveries, I tell people that the one thing they’ll always remember is the incredible sunsets and sunrises we get to see. They’re absolutely beautiful, and I have so many photos of them.

Grant Headifen : That’s one great thing about a rotating watch schedule – everybody gets a chance to see the sunset or sunrise from a different part of the night.

Ray McCormack : Definitely. Like I said, on the Hawaii trips we wait until we’re out of the trade winds to start the rotating schedule so we don’t add any extra complexity. As the wind starts to back and we ease the sails, it gets really nice out there.

Grant Headifen : Ray, thanks so much for all these tips on night sailing. They’re not just tips, but more like must-do’s for safety. Anything else to add before we wrap up?

Ray McCormack : No, I think that covers it. Thank you for the opportunity to share this information.

Grant Headifen : It’s been great having you. Thanks for joining me today, Ray. Happy sailing, and stay safe out there.

My vision for NauticEd is to provide the highest quality sailing and boating education available - and deliver competence wherever sailors live and go.

From time to time we invite a guest to write a post on a special topic. If you’d like to get published here contact us at [email protected]

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Day and night: Sailing around the clock. What's important when it's getting dark?

It's fresh, fortunately it's not raining and our BAVARIA C38 sails very nice and fast upwind. But it's pitch dark and the clock shows just before midnight. I am gently shaken out of my sleep: "Arise, arise, wake up, you're on watch." This is followed by a few minutes of self-conviction to get out of the warm bunk. I briefly ask myself why we are going to make the effort of sailing at night. But as soon as I step out to the helm, the answer is obvious: because it’s one of the most impressive moments when you experience the sea in the moonlight, under the magnificent starry sky and steering the boat through the night.

Besides that, you shouldn’t forget that as a skipper you have a particularly great responsibility for the crew and the boat, especially at night. There are therefore a few things to bear in mind.

Like a large factory working in shifts, on board 24 hours a day safety and miles are produced. You have to keep an eye out for other boats to avoid collisions, navigate with charts and plotters and always stay alert. Keep an eye on the weather and its development so that the yacht is always sailed or driven quickly and safely. Because of that you need a shift system on board that organises the crew. At sea, these shifts are called watches.

Some watch systems at a glance

The right watch system should be carefully considered and discussed with the crew before the trip. The optimum distribution depends on the size of the yacht, the crew size and their experience. The following watch systems are the most common.

Three-watch system: It originates from commercial shipping. Four hours on watch are followed by eight hours “off duty”. In this classic system, the first officer usually takes the first watch, the second officer the second and the third officer the third. The lower ranks usually have to take over the unloved “dog watch” between midnight and four o'clock in the morning. This is a watch system that can also work well on sailing boats. Provided that, in addition to the skipper, there are at least two watch leaders on board who are equally experienced.

Two-watch system: It is tailored to small commercial vessels that only have a captain and an officer. Six hours on watch are followed by six hours off watch. If the crew of a yacht is made up of owls and larks, i.e. people who tend to be night people (owls) and early risers (larks) but who get tired quickly in the evening, this system is perfect because it takes into account the biorhythms of the individual crew members.

On long-distance races, such as the ARC across the Atlantic, there are usually only two watches. Called port and starboard watch. The watch changes every four hours. The navigator and skipper are off watch and each watch has its own watch captain. But you can't expect to get much sleep on a regatta yacht, because it's not just about safety, but also about always sailing the yacht at the limit around the clock.

What sleep deprivation means for the body

It is necessary to get enough sleep on board, because just 24 hours of sleep deprivation causes symptoms in the body similar to a per mille of alcohol in the blood. Speech, vision, memory and perception decrease rapidly with every hour of sleep deprivation. On the other hand, the willingness to take risks and disorientation increase significantly. A dangerous factor on board and a strain on the body. Giving the body the necessary breaks and planning appropriate sleep phases is therefore not just a question of comfort - it is actually mandatory for the safety of the ship's command.

Rules for the crew

Clear rules should be laid down within the crew before setting the sails. For example, a lifejacket should be worn at night and additionally fastened to the yacht with a belt or ring. If the number of people allows it, two people should always be on board, rested and awake. It is also advisable to agree on a ban on alcohol.

Some crews even operate according to the following agreement: if someone from the crew realises that they are getting tired during the watch, they have the right to be relieved immediately by another crew member from the free watch, without discussion.

"Discipline on watch, yes, but not at any price. If a crew member on board gets tired during their watch, the person is requested to wake me up, so I can relieve them. I convey the awareness that this is fine for me. I always emphasise to my crew that I can be woken up at any time. And vice versa, if I get too tired, I let myself relieved before I run the risk of jeopardising the yacht by making misjudgements. That must be possible in a good crew without trouble," reports an Austrian skipper who has already crossed the Atlantic several times.

Our Checklist for night sailing

- Sleep as well as possible during the day

- Completely check the deck before dawn -> remove any tripping hazards

- Tension the ropes

- Close the sea valves

- Check life jackets and fit them with lights for safety

- Have a hot meal before the first watch

- Secure everything below deck, make bunks seaworthy

- Check instruments such as chart plotters, including settings

What you should have to hand

- Warm clothing, gloves if necessary

- Thermos flask with hot tea

- Searchlight

- Binoculars

- Lifejacket

Back on our BAVARIA C38 on its course through the night. I'm now sitting in the cockpit with a warm jacket and a hot cup of tea in my hand. With a short briefing from the relieved watch, who are now looking forward to their bunks, I was informed about the course and weather. Everything around the ship is breathtaking. Phosphorescent algae make the wake glow, the stars at sea shine a thousand times brighter than on land and it is the best time on board that you will never forget.

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Top tips for sailing at night

When most boats have moored up for the night clive loughlin ventures out into a different world.

There is something rather magical about sailing at night, and I love it.

In many ways very little changes – the chart plotter, depth sounder, log, AIS and radar still work just as they do in daytime, and yet somehow everything is different.

Although you can sail at night with your eyes glued to an electronic screen, it is much more fun (and safer) to supplement technology with traditional techniques, and I hope the following will help you brave the dark.

Not to be undertaken lightly

Probably the single most significant safety measure is to make sure that your eyes have adapted to night vision before you set off (see box).

Most saloon and cabin lights are far too bright to be left on at night, and yet it is important to be able to pop down below without stumbling around. I like to use a bicycle rear light, or other torch switched to red mode, and reflecting off the saloon coachroof to provide a dim bordello-like atmosphere.

Switch on compass and instrument backlights and dim chart plotter displays to their lowest setting. They may look too dim at first but they will soon seem brighter as your night vision kicks in.

  Dressing for the occasion

It gets cold at night so you must wrap up warm, and a woolly hat and gloves are essential.

Over the years I have spent a fortune on ‘sailing’ gloves and been disappointed. I now use industrial gloves designed for people working in refrigerated warehouses. These give me the dexterity I need, and are warm and very low cost.

A man overboard is really really bad news in daylight, but in the dark it is a literal nightmare. So always wear a lifejacket and clip on.

The eyes have it

The sensitivity of our eyes increases the longer they are in the dark and it typically takes 30-45 minutes for maximum sensitivity to be acquired, and the improvement is dramatic. Unfortunately it can be lost in a few seconds of exposure to bright lights.

Eyes have cones that are used for colour vision in daylight, and more sensitive rods that come into their own at night. The rods are not sensitive to red light and this means that if you switch to red illumination (or red ‘Steampunk’ goggles) your eyes can continue to adapt while you move around the boat.

Each eye adapts separately and pirates used to wear an eye patch so that one eye was always adapted to darkness. This enabled them to move easily between the bright Caribbean sunlight and the vestigial gloom below decks.

The bad news for those of pensionable age is that your eyes will only be about a third as sensitive to low light as in your youth. Binoculars will boost illumination by about fifty times and go a long way to redressing the balance; but it still pays to have your youngest crew on lookout.

Paper charts still reign supreme in a number of areas and one of these is the display of lights, and in particular the sectored lights that are so crucial for our safe arrival into harbour.

I simply cannot get on with having a red light at the chart table. The same goes for chart plotter ‘night modes’ where the colour palette is changed to something gothic. I much prefer a very dim white light so I can view charts as nature intended.

A cunning plan

A pilotage plan on a whiteboard in the cockpit is handy for the navigator and crew to refer to and saves countless trips to the chart table. I like to use a book light clipped to the whiteboard. A standard book light is far too bright, but can be made useable with a few layers of primary red nail varnish or a wrap or two of masking tape.

A pilotage plan wants to be the simplest you can come up with that will safely do the job; and with a few backup strategies in case the main one doesn’t work out for any reason.

Don’t assume that a navigation mark is lit, as most, including some cardinal marks, are not.

Yellow buoys (seasonal special marks) may not be there at all, but you are generally pretty safe to assume that port and starboard lateral marks, cardinals, sectored lights and lighthouses are all present and correct.

As with daytime pilotage, you cannot beat a forward or back transit for keeping you on track.

Around harbours most lit navigational buoys will have a visible range of 2-5nm, while main channel markers and important cardinals will have a 5-10nm range and lighthouses can be visible at 25nm.

Cautious sail plan

Moving around on deck should be avoided whenever possible and so it makes sense to only have out sails that are well within the conditions at the time.

In busy areas I also like to have quite a bit of the headsail rolled away as this improves visibility looking forward.

Light spotting

Towards shore the horizon will likely be a confusion of lights and it can be very difficult to spot the one you are after. One trick is to work out the bearing that the light is meant to be on and get the boat heading in that direction. Then the crew can restrict their searching to just 10 degrees either side of the bow, and this narrows the field considerably.

The biggest danger comes from deciding that a light is the one you are looking for simply because you want it to be. The green light you are actually looking for may be as yet too dim to be seen, but a bright alternative on ‘more or less’ the correct bearing must surely be it?

Judging distance can be very tricky as well. Is that a bright light a long way off or a dim one much closer?

Lights can also come up on you in a bit of a rush. On numerous occasions I have been heading for a mark for half-an-hour or so with it seemingly never getting any closer and then suddenly it is 50m off the bow and evasive action is called for. Ships are even worse.

Look behind you

My crew is often surprised by just how few lights are provided in anchorages and rivers. If there is nothing ahead to guide you then full use must be made of back bearings.

For example, the very popular anchorage in Newtown River on the Isle of Wight has no lights at all within, but it does have the smallest lit west cardinal known to man just a few cables out from the entrance.

Fishing pots have been in the news a lot recently with the Cruising Association campaigning for them to be made easier to spot. Whatever happens in the future it is likely that they will always be difficult to see at night, and the crew need to be on their guard and looking ahead on both sides of the hull, especially if under engine.

Silhouettes

Although shore lights can be a distraction for most nocturnal navigation, if you happen to be looking for an unlit buoy or mark (a popular task for Yachtmaster candidates), plan the approach so that the mark is between you and the lights ashore.

A good torch

For close-quarters maneuvering you simply cannot beat having a trusty crew on the foredeck armed with a powerful narrow-beamed torch. They need to be careful never to shine the torch on the deck or headsail, as this will blind everyone on board, but they can quickly earn their rum ration by scanning the torch around to highlight any obstacles that threaten the boat’s safe passage.

One of my first outings as an instructor included a night time pilotage up the river Beaulieu in January. This is a sparsely lit passage at the best of times, but on this occasion there was no Moon and the few navigation lights had been removed for winter maintenance. My fledgling career was saved by the rapid deployment of a ridiculously powerful torch that was able to pick out the red and green reflective marks on the piles in sufficient time before we ploughed into them.

I would be remiss if I did not caution against head torches. They are fine for the person wearing them but are a menace to everyone else.

Thanks to: Trusty crew Tracy, Vivien, Paul, Alexandre and Davide.

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Sailing at Night: Can You See in the Dark?

• By Teresa Carey
• Updated: October 16, 2014

The sun is just about to touch the horizon and you’ve spent the last hour setting up extra safety precautions for night sailing. You’ve connected a strobe light to your MOB ring. Every crew member on deck is wearing a harness and PFD with a light and whistle. And you’re showing the proper navigation lights to comply with the rules of the road. Every chart you’ll need this evening has been pulled from the locker, your course is plotted and lights you’ll see along the way have been listed. With your hand bearing compass and parallel rules, now you’re prepared to navigate — but under the dark cloak of night, how will you see?

At night, when visibility is compromised, sailors rely on all their senses to understand where they are and how the boat is moving. While we tune in our ears to listen for bells, breaking waves and horns, we sometimes forget that with an understanding of our vision and how it works at night, we can use techniques to help us adapt to the dark and see more than we thought possible.

Developing Night Vision When we step outside our door at night and gaze up at the sky, we first notice the brightest stars, but as our eyes adjust, we can see more of them. The typical person needs 12 to 40 minutes for their eyes to adapt and fully employ night vision. There are a few things you can do to decrease that time and maintain good vision throughout the night.

Preparing your eyes for night begins hours before the sun even touches the horizon. During the brightest part of the day, your eyes are overwhelmed with light. Start preparing early by wearing sunglasses and a sun hat all day. This will ease the transition into night and also protect your eyes from getting sunburned.

Exposure to light at night will interrupt your vision and require more time to readapt. Bright navigation instruments can be more than a nuisance for anyone serious about maintaining night vision. Be aware that frequent use of a chart plotter with a lit screen at night will impair your night vision, even on the dimmest setting. To best maintain night vision, first dim the lights on navigation instruments. Then turn off all the nonessential instruments. You can turn them on again in an urgent situation and they will already be programmed to a dim-light setting.

Your eyes adopt their night vision more quickly after exposure to red light instead of yellow or white. Use flashlights that have red bulbs in them. When you are using a spotlight to see shapes on the water, extend your arm outboard to prevent light shining on the boat or rig from reflecting back into your eyes.

Using Your Peripheral Vision Knowledge of ships’ light patterns is essential during night travel. Still, a lot remains unlit and hard to find and identify. Take this scenario as an example: Off the starboard quarter, you notice a dark form. But when you stop scanning and look back in its general direction, you can no longer see it. It’s as if it was there and disappeared, and your eyes are playing tricks on you. This is a common mistake resulting from being unfamiliar with scanning techniques that utilize the features of your eyes.

When light enters the eye it passes through the cornea to the retina. The retina has cone cells at the center, surrounded by rod cells. Rods function in low light because they are much more sensitive to light than cones. Because of the rods’ location, they are also used for peripheral vision. Therefore, oddly enough, your peripheral vision is better suited for finding forms on the horizon at night. Train yourself to mentally focus a few degrees on the periphery while still looking ahead. It seems odd not to look directly at what you want to see, but with practice this technique becomes second nature.

Scanning the Horizon at Night Without full understanding of the limitations of our eyes, scanning the horizon effectively can be impeded. Eyes have a difficult time focusing on objects when you’re in motion. Even though we often scan the horizon in a sweeping motion, it’s better to scan slower and stop at regular intervals along the way. Your eyes must move from point to point, stopping each time to focus.

Central vision is what we use to focus on reading, driving a car or seeing things directly in front of us. It only encompasses 3 to 15 degrees of the field of view, and is surrounded by the peripheral vision. For a thorough scan of the horizon, pause every 5 to 10 degrees so you don’t miss anything due to your narrow field of view.

One way to measure degrees is to use your body as a measuring tool. Raise your fist in front of you with an outstretched arm. The width of your fist is about 10 degrees. You can verify this by resting your vertical fist on the horizon and stacking one fist over another, hand over hand, counting each time. When you reach nine fists tall, theoretically it is 90 degrees, and you should be looking at a 90-degree angle from the horizon, or at your zenith.

Recognizing and Reducing Eye Fatigue Standing night watches is a tiring job, and fatigue will affect your ability to spot objects in the dark. Your eyes work best when looking straight ahead. While scanning, keep your eyes fixed ahead and rotate your head instead. This will reduce fatigue. It will also provide the clearest view. Even if you don’t notice it, your nose blocks some of your vision when you look to the sides by turning your eyes instead of your head.

Have you ever noticed colorful blobs that start to dance through your vision if you stare at one place long enough? This is a sign of tired eyes. Keep moving your eyes regularly through your scanning pattern. Your eyes are working much harder when they’re stationary for long periods. They also strain when they’re trying to see things that are far away. One way to rest your eyes as you systematically scan the horizon is to stop occasionally and focus on a close object in the boat.

When you’re standing watch at night, the things you’re looking for are small and hard to see. A dim blinking light, a dark spot in the sky or a gray form in the distance could inform you of shoals, approaching storms or even land. As prudent sailors, we do everything we can to ensure we are prepared for any situation. All too often, eye care, scanning techniques and maintaining night vision are subjects that get pushed to the bottom of our list and designated as low priority. However, because of the inherent challenges that nightfall brings, it becomes even more important to prepare properly. Understanding the abilities and limitations of your eyes at night, and developing techniques that will help maximize what you can see, could be the difference between avoiding a dangerous situation or sailing straight into it.

Quick Guide to Night Vision

• Wear sunglasses and sun hat during the day.
• Use red light bulbs in flashlights and cabin lights at night.
• Dim screens on navigation instruments and turn off unnecessary electronics.
• Allow up to 40 minutes for your eyes to adapt to night vision before setting sail in the dark.
• Practice making conscious use of your peripheral vision.
• Allow a moment for your eyes to focus by scanning slowly and stopping every 5 to 10 degrees along the way.
• While scanning, keep your eyes facing forward and rotate your head instead.
• Keep moving your eyes regularly through your scanning pattern.
• Stop scanning occasionally to rest your eyes by focusing on a close object in the boat.
• Practice using techniques for scanning and maintain night vision every time you go outside at night.

This article first appeared in the July 2014 issue of Cruising World. Teresa Carey and her husband, Ben Eriksen, offer sail-training expeditions aboard their Norseman 447. For more information or to read other articles by Teresa, visit her website .

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What is a Properly Lit Sailboat at Night? (A Guide to Safety Regulations)

Have you ever been out on the open water and seen a sailboat with its lights on at night? It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

But did you know that there are specific safety regulations in place for properly lit sailboats? In this guide, we’ll be looking at the importance of having a properly lit sailboat, what types of lights are needed, how to install them, and how to test for proper operation.

Let’s get started and learn how to stay safe on the waters!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

A properly lit sailboat at night is a boat that is equipped with the correct navigation lights, which are required by law.

These lights must be visible for two miles and should include a green light on the starboard side, a red light on the port side, and a white light aft.

Additionally, the boat must also have a white masthead light that is visible for three miles.

The masthead light should be mounted at least two meters above the hull.

What Are the Safety Regulations for Properly Lit Sailboats?

When it comes to sailing at night, safety is of the utmost importance.

Properly lit sailboats ensure that they are visible to other boats, which reduces the risk of collisions and other accidents.

In order to ensure that a sailboat is properly lit at night , there are certain safety regulations that must be followed.

First and foremost, the sailboat must have the correct lighting equipment installed and in good working order.

This includes running lights (red and green lights found at the bow and stern of the vessel), an anchor light (a white light mounted on the masthead or the bow of the vessel), a stern light (a white light placed at the stern of the vessel), and a masthead light (a white light placed at the highest point on the vessel).

The running lights, anchor light, and stern light must be visible for at least 3 miles in clear conditions.

This allows other boats on the water to easily spot the sailboat, even in the dark.

The masthead light must be visible for at least 2 miles in clear conditions.

This ensures that the sailboat is easily seen from all directions.

In addition to having the correct lighting equipment, sailboats must also be equipped with a white all-round light.

This light must be visible for at least 2 miles in clear conditions and must be mounted on the mast at least 9 meters (or 30 feet) above the waterline.

The all-round light is an important part of a sailboats lighting system as it allows other boats to easily spot the sailboat from any direction.

These are just a few of the safety regulations that must be followed when it comes to properly lit sailboats.

Following these regulations will help to ensure that a sailboat is visible to other vessels on the water and will help to reduce the risk of accidents and collisions.

It is important that all sailors understand and adhere to these regulations in order to remain safe on the water.

Types of Lights Needed for Proper Lighting

When it comes to lighting a sailboat at night, there are a few key components that must be in place in order to ensure the safety of the vessel and the crew.

The most important of these components is the correct type of lighting equipment.

This includes various running lights, anchor lights, masthead lights, and stern lights.

Running lights are the red and green lights that are mounted on the bow and stern of the vessel, and are used to show the direction of travel of the boat.

They must be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions, making it easier to spot the boat in the dark.

Anchor lights are white lights that are mounted on the masthead or the bow of the vessel, and are used to show that the boat is anchored.

They must also be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions.

The stern light is a white light placed at the stern of the vessel.

This is used to show the direction of travel of the boat and should also be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions.

Finally, the masthead light is a white light placed at the highest point on the vessel.

This light is used to help identify the boat to other vessels on the water, and must also be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions.

Having all of these lights in good working order is essential for the safety of the boat and the crew.

It is important to make sure that all lights are visible from a distance of 3 miles in clear conditions, as this will make it easier to identify the boat in the dark.

It is also important to make sure that all lights are regularly inspected and maintained in order to ensure that they are in good working order.

How to Install the Lights

Installing the lights for a properly lit sailboat at night is an essential part of staying safe while sailing.

It is important to ensure that all of the lights are in good working order and that they meet the safety regulations for visibility.

The first step is to select the right lights for your vessel.

There are two main types of lights running lights and anchor lights.

Running lights are the green and red lights found at the bow and stern of the vessel, while anchor lights are white lights mounted on the masthead or bow of the vessel.

Once the lights are selected, the next step is to install them.

Start by attaching the anchor light to the masthead or bow of the vessel.

The anchor light should be securely mounted and wired in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

Next, attach the stern light at the stern of the vessel.

This should also be securely mounted and wired in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

Finally, attach the running lights.

These should be mounted at the bow and stern of the vessel.

It is important to test the lights after installation to make sure they are working properly.

Make sure that the lights meet the visibility requirements of 3 miles in clear conditions, as this is the minimum distance that the lights must be visible from.

Once the lights are installed and tested, youre ready to set sail in the dark!

Importance of Properly Lit Sailboats

When it comes to sailing, safety is of the utmost importance.

This is why it is essential for all sailboats to be properly lit at night.

Having the correct lighting equipment installed and in good working order is a critical component to ensure visibility and the safety of everyone on the water.

Not only does having properly lit sailboats maintain the safety of the sailors on the boat, but it also helps to prevent collisions with other vessels.

It is much easier to spot a sailboat on the water at night when it has the correct lighting equipment, such as running lights, anchor lights, stern lights and masthead lights.

All of these lights should be visible for at least 3 miles in clear conditions, making it much easier to spot a sailboat on the water.

Additionally, having properly lit sailboats at night is also important for law enforcement and marine patrol officers.

It makes it easier for them to identify and inspect boats, ensuring that all safety regulations are being followed.

This helps to keep the waterways safe for all boaters.

For these reasons, it is important for all sailboats to be properly lit at night.

By having the right lighting equipment installed and in good working order, it can help to maintain the safety of everyone on the water, as well as help to prevent collisions with other vessels.

It also makes it easier for law enforcement and marine patrol officers to identify and inspect boats, helping to keep the waterways safe for all boaters.

Different Types of Lights and Their Functions

When it comes to lighting a sailboat at night, there are several different types of lights that must be installed and in good working order in order to ensure the safety of the vessel and its occupants.

The most common types of lights used on sailboats are running lights, anchor lights, stern lights, and masthead lights.

Running lights are the green and red lights found at the bow and stern of the vessel.

These lights are typically used to signal the direction of the boats movement, and must be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions.

The green light is typically placed on the port side (left side) of the boat, and the red light is placed on the starboard side (right side).

Anchor lights are white lights mounted on the masthead or bow of the vessel.

They are used to indicate that the boat is at anchor, and must also be visible for 3 miles in clear conditions.

Stern lights are white lights placed at the stern of the vessel.

These lights indicate the boats direction of travel, and must be visible for 2 miles in clear conditions.

The masthead light is a white light placed at the highest point on the vessel.

This light is typically used in conjunction with the stern light to indicate the direction of travel, and must be visible for 2 miles in clear conditions.

In addition to these lights, boats may also be fitted with a variety of other lights such as tricolor lights, sidelights, all-round lights, and deck lights.

These lights are typically used to indicate the presence of the vessel in low-visibility conditions, and must be visible for 2 miles in clear conditions.

It is important to ensure that all lights on a sailboat are in good working order and visible from a distance in order to make the vessel visible to other boats and comply with safety regulations.

A properly lit sailboat at night is one that has the correct lighting equipment installed and in good working order.

Benefits of Properly Lit Sailboats

Having a properly lit sailboat at night is essential for staying safe on the water.

With the right lighting equipment installed and in good working order, you can be easily seen by other vessels and prevent possible collisions.

Additionally, having the right lights on your sailboat can help other boaters determine your vessels size, direction, speed, and even your intentions on the water.

Having the right lights can also give you a sense of security while youre out at night.

Knowing that youre visible to other vessels reassures you that youll be able to be seen and spotted if you need assistance or if theres an emergency.

When youre out on the water at night, having a properly lit sailboat can also make navigation easier.

By having the correct lighting equipment installed, youll be able to easily spot buoys, markers, and other vessels, making it easier for you to stay on course and reach your destination in a timely manner.

Having the proper lights also helps to keep your sailboat in compliance with safety regulations.

If youre stopped by the coast guard or other law enforcement, having the right lights can help to avoid any potential fines or penalties.

Overall, having a properly lit sailboat at night is essential for staying safe on the water.

Not only does it make it easier for other vessels to spot you, but it can also help with navigation and make sure that youre in compliance with safety regulations.

Properly lit sailboats can also give you a sense of security and peace of mind, knowing that youre visible to other vessels in the area.

How to Test Lights for Proper Operation

Testing lights on a sailboat at night is an important part of ensuring that the craft is properly lit and visible to other vessels.

It is essential for safety, as well as compliance with regulations set by the United States Coast Guard.

Before each voyage, it is important to inspect all of the lights and make sure that they are in proper working order.

The first step to testing lights is to turn them on and check that they are functioning correctly.

It is important to make sure that all of the required lights are present and that they are bright enough to be seen in clear conditions for up to 3 miles away.

The running lights should be a green light at the bow and a red light at the stern, while the anchor light should be a white light mounted on the masthead or the bow of the vessel.

The stern light should be a white light placed at the stern, and the masthead light should be a white light placed at the highest point on the vessel.

Another important step in testing lights is to make sure that they are not obstructed in any way.

This includes checking for any wires, cables, or other objects that could block the lights from being visible.

This is especially important for the masthead light, as it needs to be accessible in order to be seen from a distance.

It is also important to check the wiring of the lights to make sure that they are securely connected and not corroded or damaged.

Finally, it is important to check the bulbs of the lights to make sure that they are all functioning correctly.

It is important to check the wattage of the bulbs to make sure that they are bright enough to meet the standards set by the United States Coast Guard.

It is also important to make sure that the bulbs are not cracked or damaged in any way, as this could affect their visibility.

Following the steps outlined above will help to ensure that all of the lights are in proper working order and can be seen from a distance in clear conditions.

This is important for safety, as well as compliance with regulations set by the United States Coast Guard.

Final Thoughts

Having the correct lights installed and in proper working order on your sailboat is essential for safety and visibility on the water at night.

Knowing what type of lights you need, how to install them, and how to test them for proper operation is key.

While it may seem daunting to install and maintain all these lights, the benefits of having a properly lit sailboat at night far outweigh the effort.

So take the time to review safety regulations, and make sure you have the right lights installed and operating correctly to ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Astrolabe Sailing

Sailing, yachts, adventure and sailing around the world, colregs, lights & sailing at night.

Despite learning all my lights and being a nerd with the Coastguard Boating Education flash cards, when you are at sea at night it is really hard to decipher navigation lights on other boats.

I think the main difficulty I have is knowing how close you are to the other boat. We don’t have radar on board, so only have our eyes to judge. Is it a huge ship far away or is it a small ship really close? Who knows! Either way, I have no idea how close we got to the fishing boat we passed on the way back from the Sounds in January.

Here is everything I need to refresh for the Ocean Yachtmaster course I am currently doing:

I can highly recommend this online course if you are wanting to brush up on your knowledge: https://sistershiptraining.com

COLREGS – are the international collision regulations at sea and they are designed to ensure that boats know who gives way to who.

These rules apply to everyone on the water – boats and even sea planes!

One of the most important rules in the COLREGs is that all vessels shall maintain a proper lookout at all times. This means that you need to use not just your eyes but your ears as well – and if you have other means such as AIS and Radar – then great use those as well. If boats don’t obey this rule then all the other rules are pretty much useless. You wouldn’t drive your car along the street without looking right?!

Another important rule is that boats need to operate at a safe speed so that you can take proper action to avoid a collision – this means you have to take in to account the visibility, traffic density, your vessels manoeuvrability and distance required to stop, the state of the weather and sea conditions, and the depth of the water.

So if you are keeping a good lookout and notice another boat heading in your direction, you need to next determine if a risk of collision exists. A good way of doing this is lining up the other boat with a fixture on your own vessel – like a stanchion for example. If the boat stays in line with that (the bearing remains the same) then there is a risk of a collision.

So the next step is to figure out what the other vessel is up to and then make a decision on who is going to give way to whom.

There are a few different ways of doing this – some will be obvious, and others require a bit more consideration. But you will need to take some action and it should be made in ample time and with consideration of good seamanship.

The give way boat can take action by slowing down, stopping or changing course and doing so in a manner that the other boat can see that you have done this and they can stand on.

So how do you identify what the other boat is up to and decide if you are going to give way or not? Lets start with some easy ones:

In Narrow Channels

Boats should keep to the right hand side of the channel – and pass port side to port side.

If you are a small vessel – yacht or powerboat, you should give away to all vessels who can only navigate in this channel.

So here in Lyttelton for example – we can sail all over the place, but the ships can only navigate down one strip of the harbour which is dredged. We must give way to them because they are “constrained by their draft”.

If you get in their way – they will give you five short blasts on their horn which basically means “Get out of my way!!!!”. ( Trust me this is not fun …)

People who are under way tend to give way to boats which are anchored.  (see this is all common sense people!!)

If you are at anchor – you must show an all round white light. Or during the day – a black ball suspended at the bow. If the vessel is over 50m, then they show two all round white lights – one at the front and one at the stern. If the vessel is over 100m in length then they must also show other lights to illuminate the decks.

Boats less than 7m and not going faster than 7 kts

If you are a fast manoeuvrable boat, and not restricted in the way  – then you should give way to smaller boats

At night they also only need to show an all round white light, or if you are in a dinghy you can use a torch. Basically just try not to run these slow little guys over, and likewise, if you are small and slow you might not want to be navigating through busy shipping lanes at night if people are unlikely to be able to see you.  (just sayin’!!)

Boats Navigating at Night – Port, Starboard & Stern Lights

These are shown when a vessel is under way (i.e. not at anchor) and help you to identify which direction a vessel is travelling. If you can see both the red and green at the same time, then it means they are heading straight for you!

If you can only see a white light then it could either be a vessel at anchor, a slow vessel travelling at less than 7kts or a vessel travelling away from you – its stern light.

Yachts or if you are from America – Sailing Boats

Yachts under 20m, when sailing must show a port, starboard and stern light and they can be combined in a tri-coloured mast head light.

If the yacht is motoring then it also needs to show a seperate stern light and a masthead white light.

If the motor is on – then you are considered to be a power driven vessel and those rules apply – see below.

Yachts  – when they are sailing, have right of way over power boats – including ships when you are out at sea. When yachts are on starboard tack, they have right of way over yachts on port tack. And leeward boats have right of way over the windward boat when they are both on the same tack. (I won’t go in to heaps of detail on this but its worth doing some more research on this if you are planning on sailing in the vicinity of any other yachts)

Power Boats

Powerboats over 12 metres in length must show the port and starboard lights, a stern light and a mast head light – which should be 1 metre higher than the sidelights.

If the powerboat is less than 12 metres then it can combine its stern and masthead light in to one all round white light.

Power boats give way to other boats approaching on their right hand side.

Note that in the picture above, say the white boat doesn’t look like it is going to give way and the stand on vessel decides to take action themselves – they should turn to starboard – if they went to port and the other guy decided to finally show that he was giving way then you could cause another crash.

Towing Light

If you are towing another vessel, you display a yellow light instead of a stern light. This means that you have right of way over most boats. When you are towing you a restricted in your ability to manoeuvre, but you still give way to anyone who is anchored, aground, and constrained by their draft.

Under Way & Making Way

Under way, means that a vessel is not anchored, docked or secured. Making way means that it is actually moving through the water/over the ground.

Vessels Not Under Command

These are vessels which are unable to manoeuvre and keep out of the way of anyone else. Perhaps they have lost all power to their engines or broken their rudder or something like that.

They show two in line all round red lights or two red balls during the day. If they are actually making way through the water then they must show port, starboard and stern lights too.

I remember this by thinking of two red stop lights – i.e “Stop stop these guys are not under command”

Now this is where it gets a bit more complicated…!

Vessels Over 50m in length

Must show two white mast head lights (facing forward) and one white stern light. The front light should be lower than the main masthead light. They also show port & starboard lights.

Vessels Aground

Obviously if a vessel is aground then it isn’t going to be able to give way to anyone else! These guys show two all round red lights over one white.

Vessels Restricted in their Ability to Manoeuvre

These vessels are restricted in their ability to move because of the nature of the work they are undertaking – so they might be dredging, towing, launching aircraft or something like that.

They show three lights all in line red, white red or a ball, diamond, ball during the day.

If they are fishing or dredging, and this might be a hazard to other ships, then they will display two green lights or two diamonds on the safe side, and two red lights or two red balls on the side with the obstruction.

Basically everyone except vessels not under command or aground, must give way.

Not sure how I remember this one but I seem to be able to!

Vessels Constrained by their Draught

These are big ships who are restricted to the channel, and can not deviate or they will run aground. They give way to vessels not under command and vessels restricted in their ability to maneuver, but everyone else gives way to them.

They show three all round red lights in a line or a cylinder during the day.

Pilot Vessel

Shows a white over red light.

I remember this one with the rhyme “White over red, the pilot is out of bed”

Vessel Fishing

A vessel fishing usually shows a red over white light or two triangles facing point to point (wine glass shape)

I remember this one with the rhyme “Red over white, fishing at night”

However they can also show a green over white light if they are trawling. If they have a single triangle out to one side, or a single all round white light, then this indicates that there is fishing gear extending out that side for 150m.

Vessels Towing

If the length of tow is less than 200m the towing vessel shows two all round white lights or a diamond shape and a yellow stern light. The vessel being towed shows their normal lights.

If the length of tow exceeds 200m, then they display three all round white lights.

Other Rules of the Road

In Harbours

Smaller boats should give way to any ships over 50m in length.

In Narrow Channels or meeting head on.

Vessels should stick to the starboard side of the channel, alter course to starboard and pass port to port.

When Overtaking

The overtaking vessel gives way to the stand on vessel being overtaken. The stand on vessel can pass either side, but should make their intentions clear. The stand on vessel should maintain their course, and avoid speeding up to race the passing vessel or swerving over in front of them to stop them from being able to overtake… 😉

You know you are the overtaking vessel if you can see the other vessel’s stern light. If you can’t see that then you are a crossing vessel and the ‘give way to your right’ rule applies.

If you are overtaking and want to let the other vessel know what you are doing – you sound two long blasts followed by two short blasts. This means I am going to overtake you on your port side.

The stand-on boat being overtaken and sound a reply with one long one short one long and one short and moves over to the right.

Sailing Vessels

Power boats should give way to yachts.

We have got heaps of crazy yacht rules, but basically those on port tack, give way to those on starboard, and windward boat gives way to the leward boat. Alternatively in a race whoever yells the loudest and has the biggest balls usually gets their own way.

Power Vessels Crossing

You must give way to a vessel on your starboard/right hand side. If the vessel to your left does not appear to be giving way to you, then you should turn to starboard, because if you turn to port (or towards them) and they finally figure out what they are doing and try to pass astern, then you could crash.

Honestly, you would not believe the number of people who have boats and have absolutely NO IDEA what any of these rules are. Arraggh!

Confused? Here is a bit of a summary. Anything listed above your kind of vessel you give way to – anything below gives way to you.

• Vessels Not Under Command. (So thats someone who has lost their engine or steering and can’t control where they are going. You’ll also want to give way to all vessels who are at anchor and aground…)
• Vessels Restricted in their Ability to Manoeuvre RAM (Towing someone, big ships in narrow channels, laying submarine cables, etc)
• Vessels Constrained by their Draft (big boats restricted to the shipping channel)
• Vessels engaged in fishing (no that does not include you if you’ve got your rod over the side – but big fishing boats with gear extended)
• Sailing Vessels – while actually sailing – give way to boats on starboard tack and boats on the same tack to leeward.
• Power Driven Vessels – anything motoring along gives way to anything approaching on their right hand side

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15 thoughts on “ COLREGS, Lights & Sailing at Night ”

The day signal to show you are on anchor is one we found not many knew – they’d ask us if we kept our lunch in the ball! 🙂

Like Liked by 1 person

Would be a handy place to keep it! Is it actually a ball or a flat circular shape? Did you hoist it up the genoa halyard or where?

Great post! Lot of lighting stuff i didn’t know!! Very informative. Thank you 🙂

I also heard stories of people calling “Starbard” and the response is “14 tonne!!!” (Or more) …… 😉

Very cool post, thank you for sharing. It is fun comparing these regs to the regs here in the US. For the most part they are the same however here each State has slightly different rules regarding small boats.

Good to know!

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Constrained by draught over RAM.

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My understanding of colregs was that no vessel ever has “right of way” vessels are either “stand on” or give way. The stand on vessel does not have a right of way but an obligation to hold course and speed to enable the give way vessel to manoeuvre that craft to avoid collision.

Further should the stand on vessel become concerned about collision they are obliged to take avoiding clear manoeuvres at an appropriate time or not a last second manoeuvring risk laden turn off speed change.

Long story short “I had right of way” won’t wash in maritime court.

Yes good point. Everyone has a responsibility to avoid a collision 🙂

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Boat Navigation Lights Rules: Illustrated Beginners Guide

When navigating at night, the lights on other boats are your first clue about the moving dangers around you. And your navigation lights are your first line of safety in avoiding collisions in the dark, and they tell others vessels what you are and what you are doing. The rules sound complex, but with a little understanding you can get the basics for any situation.

So what are the basic navigation light rules? For most small vessels, motoring requires red and green (port and starboard) lights, and a white light visible in all directions around the boat. This is almost always a stern light and a masthead light on sailboats. Boats under sail require port and starboard lights, and a white stern light. Sailboats below sixty-five feet may show a tricolor light at the masthead instead of side and stern lights when sailing.

That's it, in a nutshell. There's a little more to it, as the rules change with different sizes and there are some specifics about angles of display for the colors. Identifying other ships at sea requires more study, but the basics are the same. And it's not much trouble to make sure you've always got the proper lights on your vessel.

On this page:

What are the official colregs rules for your sailboat, what about the uscg (united states coast guard) rules, lighting at anchor, identifying the boats around you.

The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea , abbreviated "COLREGS" is very specific about the lights required, their shapes and sizes, and the distance they must be visible. For the smaller boat, the following definitions apply.

• Masthead Light - a white light placed centerline on the boat showing an arc of 225 degrees with 112.5 degrees either side of the front of the vessel.
• Sidelights - A red light on the port side and a green light on the starboard. They must show an arc of 112.5 degrees from centerline of the bow.
• Stern light - A white light on the stern of the boat showing an unbroken arc of 135 degrees from centerline of the vessel.
• All-round light - A light showing in an unbroken arc of 360 degrees.

The good news is you need not measure these angles. Any properly installed USCG or COLREGS approved light which will cover the correct arcs. If you have to replace the original light from your boat, make sure it's with an approved replacement.

Lights When Sailing

The specific rules for a sailboat under sail are in COLREGS Rule 25 and vary slightly with the size of the boat. A sailboat powering is considered a power boat and falls under in Rule 23.

• Under 23 feet (7 meters) - side lights and a stern light, possible. If these lights can not be displayed a light must be kept at hand to help avoid a collision. This can be a bright flashlight.
• Over 23 feet - Side lights visible to one nautical mile and stern light visible for two.
• Vessels under 65 feet may combine both sidelights into a single lantern on the bow.
• May show a tricolor light on the masthead instead of sidelights and a stern light. It's one or the other though, do not show these lights at the same time .
• Masthead light must be visible for three nautical miles, all other lights must have a two nautical mile visibility.
• Side lights must be separated.
• May not show a masthead tricolor light.
• Masthead light must have five nautical mile visibility, all other lights must be visible for two nautical miles.
• Optional masthead lights - any vessel under sail may display a red light over a green light at the masthead with sidelights and stern light. The red over green may NOT be displayed with a masthead tricolor light. It's one set or the other.

Lights When Motoring

For all navigational purposes a sailboat under power is considered a power boat. This includes motor sailing - if the engine is on and providing propulsion you are on a power boat, even if the sails are up . This applies to navigation lighting, sound signals in fog and limited visibility, and rights of way.

Sailboats under 50 meters under power need to show:

• A masthead light
• Stern light

A power-driven vessel under 23 feet (7 meters) that does not exceed seven knots of speed may display an all around white light, though sidelights should be used if available.

The USCG has published its own "Rules of the Road" that are based on the COLREGS. In addition, it has rules for the "Inland Waterways" for rivers, inland lakes and the Great Lakes.

The good news is this has no impact on what you have to do with your own boat.

They mostly relate to lighting changes on towed vessels like barges and tugs. For example, a vessel towing or pushing another vessel in the ocean under COLREGS shows two masthead lights, sidelights and a stern light, whereas in Inland Waterways the towing or pushing vessel displays two yellow towing lights instead of a white stern light.

If you sail on lakes, rivers or the Great Lakes where towed commercial traffic is common you should learn the inland lights, but coastal or ocean sailors will never see these.

When you anchor outside a designated mooring field, you should display an all around white light at the masthead or as high in the boat as practical.

If your boat is large and has a very tall mast, you may wish to display another light closer to the waterline. Boats approaching in the dark may not see a light on a mast sixty or seventy feet in the air when they are close to your boat.

We use a simple garden path light on our stern when we anchor, left in a rod holder or flag socket. It comes on automatically at dusk and is a cheap and easy way to be more visible. There is no specific rule stating you can not display more lights than required, or the nature of any lights beyond the required all around light.

The COLREGS also specify that a round black "daymark" should be displayed in the rigging of any vessel at anchor. Very few small vessels observe this, however it is the correct display for a vessel in an anchorage.

If you tie to a mooring in a marked mooring area you are not required to display anchor lights, but there is no harm in doing so.

The other important reason to know your lights is to figure out what's going on around you at night. The water may be ablaze with white, red, green and other lights at night and they are your first key to avoiding collisions and problems.

All combinations of lights for fishing boats, commercial vessels, and so on are outside this post‘s scope. The odds are small you will encounter a submarine, seaplane or hovercraft at night, but there are regulations regarding specific lighting for each of those vessels!

There are a few fundamentals to help you figure out what that is you see on the horizon, which way it is going, and whether it is a danger to you.

Port Wine is Red

The fundamental rule is that red sidelights will ALWAYS be on the port side of a vessel, and green lights will always be on starboard. However, some vessels can use all around red and green lights for other purposes, though those will be higher than sidelights.

The light‘s on a ship is not important, some large tankers and freighters will have their sidelights far aft and put them on the superstructure for better visibility. It is not safe to assume that sidelights you can see are on the bow of large vessels .

When you can see the color, you know which way the bow is pointing. If it's red, it's pointing more or less to the left and will travel in that direction. A green light shows it is heading more or less to your right.

If you can see the red and green lights at the same time, you are looking directly at the bow of the vessel. When you are far away, this isn‘t as alarming as if you are close crossing. Seeing red and green lights together on a vessel is something you never want to see for long.

Be aware of red and green lights used in combination with other red, green and white lights. These may not be running lights and could have other significance.

Tankers, Freighters and Large Ships

Tankers, freighters and large ships will have side lights, a stern light and a masthead light. In addition, on vessels over 50 meters there will be a second masthead light further aft and higher than the forward light. The masthead light positions are a better tipoff to the bow direction and how far from the bow the sidelights might be. Remember - on a large vessel the sidelights may not be at the bow or even close to it.

USCG Inland Rules allow for a second all-around white light on large vessels on the Great Lakes instead of a second masthead light.

Fishing Boats

Fishing boats engaged in fishing will have more complex light displays. When they aren't fishing, they will show lights like any power vessel, but Rule 26 spells out light combinations that vary by the fishing activity being done. In general:

• Boats which are Trawling but not making headway will display a green all-around light over a white all-around light , and a masthead light aft of these lights. Boats making headway while trawling will show these lights, plus sidelights and a stern light.
• A vessel fishing other than trawling will show a red all-around light over a white all-around light . When making way they will also show sidelights and a stern light.
• If a vessel has gear more than 150 meters away from the boat, it will show a second all around light in the direction of the gear. The best rule is to give fishing boats as wide a berth as you can at night. They're easy to pick out if you check the top light configurations but their course may be difficult to predict.

Towing and Pushing

Towed vessels can be the most dangerous to cross, but they have the most lights to tell you what is happening. Refer to COLREGS or the USCG Rules of the Road Rule 24 for all combinations You can pick a tow/push vessel out with the following lights:

• Two or three masthead lights in a vertical line. Three masthead lights shows a tow over 200 meters. Additional masthead lights may show for larger tow vessels.
• A towing light (yellow light with the same characteristics as a stern light) directly above the stern light.
• The will also have side lights and a stern light.
• The towed vessel will show sidelights and a stern light. Lighting may vary under USCG inland rules, where towing lights may replace stern lights. Learn these differences if this is your regular cruising ground. If you think there is a tow ahead of you, always go well behind the aft most set of lights. Never go between a tow and avoid crossing ahead if possible as it may restrict their maneuverability.

Special Situations

There are several rare situations you may encounter. As a general rule, if there are a lot of lights and you don't understand them look for the sidelights on a moving vessel. If you can find them and figure out the direction it is moving, it makes the vessel easier to avoid. Stay well clear of lights you do not understand if you can avoid them without risk.

Most of these signals are used by larger, commercial vessels and you will not need them.

They use these light combinations with other light combinations. For example a towing vessel may also be restricted in maneuverability, and a vessel constrained by draft will show running lights if moving.

• Not Under Command - two all around red lights in a single line
• Restricted in Ability to Maneuver - red, white then red in a single line
• Constrained by draft - three all around red lights

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How do solo sailors sleep at sea? Experts share their tips and advice

• February 27, 2024

When Andy Pag was planning a 450-mile solo passage, sleep was the biggest source of worry. Here’s how he created an effective solo sleep routine

When I was planning my first solo offshore sail on my Lagoon 410 Cushla , from Grenada to Bonaire, my biggest concern was not the risk of pirates off the coast of Trinidad, or the night-time squalls that might sneak up unseen in the trade winds. Even the risk of falling overboard and watching the boat sail away as I drifted alone in the current wasn’t giving me restless nights. The concern I was losing sleep over was sleep, and how I could ensure I’d get enough sleep when stewarding the boat on the four-night passage.

I know I don’t function well when suffering from a lack of sleep. I get irritable and make bad decisions. More specifically, I struggle to distil the relevant factors from everything going on around me when making vital decisions. My forward-planning goes out of the window and my actions become reactions to the most obvious and immediate factors. It’s not a good mental state to be in when the wrong decision can be costly, cause injury and sometimes be fatal.

Coincidentally, the Grenada Hash, an orienteering event held weekly around the island, was useful training. During the first weeks of participating on the run, I found the combination of being physically tired and having to make navigation decisions very frustrating, but over time I developed the skill of dedicating bodily energy and time to thinking and decision-making. Practising that mental shift was very useful when tired at sea.

Professional sailors, like 2018-19 Golden Globe Race winner Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, know that prioritising sleep is essential when making vital decisions. Photo: Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR

Short naps when solo sailing

I do find it easy and beneficial to nap, and on the advice of a friend I downloaded an app called Interval Timer onto the boat’s tablet. It sounds regular alarms throughout the day. I set this to go off every 15, 30 or 45 minutes, depending on the circumstances, but importantly I let it run day and night so whenever I felt I could sleep I would just lie down, knowing I’d be woken within the given timeframe.

With clear skies, no traffic and far from land I set it to a longer interval, and shortened it when circumstances changed.

I tried to make life easier for myself and simplify processes I’d need to do when I knew I’d be tired by making checklists on post-it notes stuck around the boat.

Keep your energy levels up with decent meals, hot drinks and plentiful snacks. Photo: Yachting Monthly

Fuel yourself properly

Food and water are important ingredients for getting good sleep. My sleep is light and fitful on an empty stomach, and my decision making is also affected when I’m hungry or dehydrated. I made sure I had easy access to water with bottles dotted around the boat in easy reach. I didn’t drink coffee, and instead of brewing a cup of tea whenever I felt sleepy, I’d just take a nap.

I created a big snack basket that lived in the companionway containing mixed nuts, biscuits and fruit, and I kept chocolate in the fridge to give me an energy hit whenever I felt foggy or lethargic. I also made a habit of cooking meals in advance that would just need reheating or could be eaten cold from the fridge.

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Clutter-free sleep zone

Having a comfy place to sleep also helped. I find it tempting to share the bed with whatever clutter I can’t be bothered to put away, but I put a mattress in the cockpit and kept it clear of mess to remove distractions from sleep. Away from an internet signal it was easy to resist the temptation for screen time when lying down.

An eye mask also helped prolong sleep at dawn, and made it easier to doze off in the middle of the day. I developed a Pavlovian response to the snugness of the mask which helped trigger a deep sleep whenever I grabbed it and put it on.

Reduce backlighting on your instruments, and turn off any that you don’t need. Photo: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Power is instrumental

As well as keeping your own batteries charged, the boat batteries also need to have reliable charge. As the power drains, the autopilot can become unreliable, disconnecting at low voltage. Cushla, our 1998 Lagoon 410, has 1kW of solar panels and although we can, we’ve never needed to charge the house batteries from the engines or shore power. But overnight passages are the toughest test of the system.

The sails can create shading on the panels for several hours of the day, and running the instruments 24/7 is a significant drain, especially the radar which can draw three or four amps when operating, and even draws a couple of amps when in standby mode.

Make yourself sort problems straight away, rather than leaving them for later when they can compound. Photo: Andy Pag

The boat has an AIS transponder, and offshore I felt pretty confident that other traffic would also be transmitting an AIS signal to fire my proximity alarm. Radar is useful for spotting rain squalls at night or when low cloud masks approaching rain.

I made the mistake of not learning how to set the proximity alarm on my Raymarine C80 chart plotter in advance, and when I came to do it for the first time, I found it frustratingly unintuitive. Lesson learned; become familiar and practiced with the menu functions you will need before setting off.

Don’t put things off

If anything was niggling on my mind it would stop me falling asleep so I’d make sure to deal with anything that could cause me anxiety; tidying the lines, checking the course heading, and a final, slow 360° sweep for traffic or weather. Picking a weather window where squalls would be less likely and using a modest sail plan that was easy to manage also reduced my anxieties.

I felt exhausted as I finally pulled in to the moorings of Bonaire, but not as tired as I thought I would be. The satisfaction of self-reliance, completing 440 miles solo, and the connection with the sea I experienced alone offshore are all highlights of my time as a solo skipper, and the sail will remain a formative experience.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s solo sailor sleep advice

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede holds the record for the fastest westward circumnavigation, sailing it solo, faster than any crewed boat. He is 77.

‘I always try to sleep enough. I sleep for 90mins and wake to check everything’s ok, and if there’s a job to do, I do it. Or I go back to sleep. ‘In 1991 researchers measured my sleep cycle with 16 electrodes over two days. People looked at me funny going around town with wires on my head.

‘But that’s how they came up with the 90-minute figure. I do it even when I have crew. It really works for me.

‘I can wake immediately and be able to do anything in two seconds. It’s a characteristic of mine, but it’s developed over time sailing alone. It wasn’t like that in the beginning when I started my first solo navigation. Now I can sleep at any time. In three to five minutes I’m sleeping, even at three in the afternoon. I just close my eyes, empty my head and that’s it.

‘In long races like the Golden Globe Race it’s good to have a good rest, and good sleep. Always be sure your mind is ok. The main problem on the GGR, was when the wind shifts, the boat changes heading.

‘If you’re cruising offshore, today with a good AIS alarm and a windspeed alarm, you can sleep a long time. Four hours is no problem. But if you’re close to shore, you have to be awake because of fishermen and sailing boats without AIS.

‘It’s important to stay optimistic. If you’re afraid of something you cannot sleep. It’s better to be in good shape at the end of the storm or low pressure, so it’s important to have a good rest before, and not to be tired when the wind is strong. I try to sleep at the start of storm, and to be in good shape when it is in the final phase.’

Laura Dekker

Laura Dekker’s solo sailor sleep advice

Laura Dekker sailed around the world solo aged just 14. She now teaches young people ocean sailing and personal development.

‘I am always very conscious of every action I take on board; every sound, every movement – anything strange. I try not to jump to conclusions before checking out all the factors.

‘If I am very sleep deprived my brain sort of fogs up and things go through my mind much slower then normal. But I do take heed to still go through the whole process before making a decision and not just jump ahead because it’s taking too long.

‘I sleep when I can, no matter what time of the day or how long it may be, including lots of 10-minute naps. I will always put rest and sleep ahead of anything “fun” I may have had in mind, so it goes ahead of reading or playing music, for example.

‘Never think “Oh I will sleep later,” if you can sleep now. Things change very quickly at sea and there’s a chance you may not be able to sleep for a long time.

‘Set multiple alarms for which you have to get out of bed to turn off. It’s just too easy to sleep through or fall asleep again.

‘There’s often only a need to check around quickly in between naps, so sleep for 30 mins, wake up, check the horizon, course and sails. At night, shine a torch around your rigging – this takes about 10 minutes, then sleep another 30 minutes.

‘The longest I ever slept in one stretch is one hour, that is with clear visibility on open sea. Big ships travel between 15-20 knots. Visibility at sea when it’s good is no more then 10 miles, so in theory, in 30 minutes you can go from not seeing it to being run over. Better to wake up more often and check quickly then go back to sleep. Close to shore this problem gets worse as there are often little boats with minimal lights that can only be seen from a mile.’

Understanding sleep cycles helps when planning how long to sleep for. Photo: Andy Pag

What the scientists say

When you’re asleep you cycle through four stages of sleep. Three non-REM phases (N1, N2 and N3) and REM sleep. The first one, N1 is nodding off, the second is preparing you for deep sleep, and N3 is where the brain, bones and muscles fully relax and do their healing and get reset for the next period of wakefulness.

In N3 you are hardest to wake and can even sleep through loud noises or the boat jolting. If you are woken from N3, you may feel foggy for up to half an hour. REM sleep is a lighter stage of sleep but it’s when you dream. Your body immobilises itself so you don’t physically act out those dreams.

During an uninterrupted night’s sleep most people cycle through the four stages every 90-110 mins.

Research published in 2007 showed being sleep-deprived leads to riskier decision making and a more blasé attitude to things going wrong.

What the law says about solo sailing

Colregs Rule 5 states: ‘Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.’

So ask yourself, if something went wrong, and you were asleep or sleep-deprived, could you justify your actions as appropriate for the circumstances?

If you enjoyed this….

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The best pictures of superyachts at night

Related articles, superyacht directory.

BOAT rounds up the best photos of superyachts illuminated at night, including Nobiskrug's Sailing Yacht A , Lürssen's 111 metre Lady Gulya and AK Yachts' Victorious . 

Motor Yacht A 

Delivered in 2008 by Blohm & Voss and penned by legendary designer Philippe Starck , the 119 metre Motor Yacht A is one of the most famous superyachts in the world. Featuring naval architecture by Martin Francis, Motor yacht A accommodates a total of 14 guests and 35 crew inside a 5959GT interior. Here, the green underwater light display illuminates the iconic steel hull from beneath. 

Perfect Lady

The first 33m Mangusta Gransport 33 superyacht, Perfect Lady , was delivered in 2020 and made its official debut at the 2020 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Designed by Alberto Mancini , the superyacht features accommodation for a total of 12 guests and five crew and can reach speeds of up to 25 knots. Here, Perfect Lady's stern and twin staircases framing the tender garage are illuminated, alongside the yacht's glowing nameplate.

Taking the title as the world's largest sailing catamaran, the 44 metre Hemisphere was built by Pendennis and first delivered in 2011. Designed by Lauriot Prevost , the yacht can accommodate a total of 10 guests and eight crew inside a 499GT interior. Hemisphere also boasts an illuminated flybridge and underwater lighting.

First launched by German yard Lürssen as Tis , the 110 metre Lady Gulya is designed inside and out by London-based studio Winch Design. The massive 4699GT interior accommodates a total of 18 guests in nine staterooms. Here Lady Gulya is pictured off the coast of Juan-les-Pins France, with exterior lighting casting a golden hue on its superstructure. 

Northern Sun

The 50m Narasaki superyacht Northern Sun was first launched in 1976 and accommodates a total of 12 guests in six staterooms. the popular charter yacht, which is currently listed for charter with Ocean Independence, carries with it the owner's own artwork collection, which includes nautical antiquities and rugs from around the world, as well as a bursting inventory of water toys. Here, the glowing lights of Northern Sun's interior make sure the superyacht stands out against the darkening horizon.  

Launched at AK Yachts in April 2021, the 85 metre Victorious first started life fourteen years ago in Northern Chile as a 77 metre explorer. Now featuring exterior design by Michael Leach Design and interiors by H2 Yacht Design , Victorious features an upper deck complete with a sky lounge, cocktail lounge, observation saloon and dining room, a helipad at the bow and a Jacuzzi on the aft deck. In order to ease the landing of helicopters at night, eight green dots appear on the helipad while impressive underwater lighting leaps out of the steel hull. 

Sailing Yacht A

One of the most famous superyachts in the world, the 142.81 metre Sailing Yacht A has been turning heads since it was delivered in 2017. Featuring a boundary-pushing design characteristic of designer Philippe Starck , the sail-assisted motor yacht has a top speed of 21 knots and has a massive 12700GT interior. Here, the instantly recognisable hull is illuminated by purple lighting from beneath the waterline. 

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Lisboa by Night Private Sailing Tour

For an unforgettable evening in Portugal’s vibrant capital, the Lisboa by Night Private Sailing Tour offers a unique perspective of Lisbon’s renowned landmarks and landmarks. Gliding along the serene Tagus River, guests can witness the city’s illuminated monuments and skyline come alive under the night sky. With a knowledgeable crew, comfortable accommodations, and stunning views , this enchanting excursion promises to leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned explorer, the Lisboa by Night experience is sure to captivate your senses and leave you eager to uncover more of this captivating city .

• A private, two-hour sailing adventure along the Tagus River showcasing Lisbon’s illuminated landmarks and monuments at night.
• Offers scenic views of the Christ the King statue, 25 de Abril Bridge, MAAT museum, and historic Belém district.
• Includes complimentary soft drinks or beer, and multilingual crew to provide historical insights.
• Wheelchair accessible and suitable for romantic outings or unique city exploration.
• Flexible booking options with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.

More tours and experiences nearby.

• Lisbon City Center Tour – The Unmissable Lisbon
• Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Day Trip From Lisbon
• Best of Lisbon Small-Group Guided Walking Tour
• True 4Hour/Half Day Tuk Tuk Tour of Lisbon – Local Overview

Tour Overview

The Lisboa by Night Sailing Tour offers a private, two-hour sailing adventure along the Tagus River, showcasing Lisbon’s illuminated landmarks and monuments at night.

Priced from $322.10 per group (up to 8 participants), the tour is wheelchair accessible and features complimentary soft drinks or beer.

Sailing beneath iconic bridges and past sites like the Christ the King statue, the MAAT museum, and Praça do Comércio, guests can capture stunning views and learn about the city’s history from the knowledgeable crew.

With free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and the option to reserve now and pay later, this nighttime sailing experience provides a unique and memorable way to explore Lisbon.

Itinerary Highlights

Starting from the Doca de Santo Amaro in Lisbon, this tour provides a scenic sailing along the Tagus River, allowing guests to witness the city’s illuminated landmarks and monuments.

The journey offers a unique perspective of Lisbon’s iconic sights, including:

The majestic Christ the King statue standing tall on the riverbank.

The stunning 25 de Abril Bridge, a suspension bridge that connects the north and south banks of the river.

The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), a modern architectural gem on the waterfront.

The historic Belém district, home to the Jerónimos Monastery and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument.

As the boat glides along the water, guests can capture stunning views and enjoy the city’s skyline illuminated at night.

Experience Description

Embarking on this magical sailing adventure , guests will be treated to a mesmerizing showcase of Lisbon’s illuminated treasures .

Sailing beneath iconic bridges and along the serene Tagus River, they’ll witness the city’s skyline come alive at night, creating lasting memories.

The knowledgeable crew provides historical insights and stories throughout the journey, immersing guests in the rich culture and heritage of Portugal’s capital.

From capturing stunning views of landmarks and monuments to basking in the beauty of the sunset, this private sailing tour offers an unparalleled experience.

Whether it’s a romantic date night or a unique way to explore the city, this Lisboa by Night tour promises an unforgettable evening on the water.

Onboard Amenities

Onboard, guests can expect a range of complimentary amenities, including all taxes and fees, insurance, and a multilingual crew fluent in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish.

Plus, the boat features onboard toilets and wifi, as well as cozy blankets to keep passengers comfortable during the sailing tour.

Passengers can also enjoy:

One complimentary soft drink or beer per participant.

Additional snacks and drinks available for purchase.

The ability to capture stunning views of Lisbon’s illuminated landmarks and monuments.

Insightful historical commentary from the knowledgeable crew throughout the journey.

These onboard amenities ensure that guests can fully enjoy the magical sailing experience and create lasting memories of Lisbon by night.

Accessibility and Language

The Lisboa by Night Sailing Tour is wheelchair accessible , accommodating guests with mobility needs.

The experience is offered in both English and Portuguese, ensuring a seamless and inclusive tour for international visitors.

Participants can easily board the boat and move around on the deck, with the crew on hand to provide any necessary assistance.

The multilingual crew is knowledgeable and passionate, sharing historical insights and stories in multiple languages throughout the journey.

Whether you’re an English or Portuguese speaker, you’ll be able to fully learn about the sights and sounds of Lisbon’s stunning nighttime skyline during this unique sailing adventure .

Reservation and Cancellation

Flexible booking options and a liberal cancellation policy make reserving the Lisboa by Night Sailing Tour a hassle-free experience. Customers can secure their spot without upfront payment and have the freedom to cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund should their plans change.

This risk-free reservation system allows guests to plan their Lisbon nighttime adventure with confidence, knowing they can adjust their itinerary as needed.

The tour offers the following convenient booking features:

Reserve now and pay later, with no upfront payment required.

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Flexible scheduling based on availability.

Easy online booking process.

Meeting Point and Departure

Guests rendezvous at the pontoon access door 3 within Doca de Santo Amaro to embark on their Lisboa by Night Sailing Tour .

This convenient meeting point allows easy access to the boat, ensuring a seamless start to the enchanting evening adventure. The crew will be on-site to greet participants and guide them onto the vessel, which is wheelchair accessible .

Once aboard, the journey along the Tagus River begins, showcasing Lisbon’s iconic landmarks illuminated under the night sky. Guests can sit back, relax, and enjoy the city’s captivating atmosphere as the boat effortlessly glides across the calm waters, offering unparalleled views of the illuminated skyline .

Important Considerations

While the Lisboa by Night Sailing Tour offers a captivating experience, certain considerations apply. Accessibility is limited, as the tour may not suit individuals with mobility impairments. On top of that, itineraries are subject to change, so guests should confirm availability and starting times prior to their desired tour date.

Despite these minor caveats, the enchanting sailing adventure along the Tagus River promises an unforgettable glimpse of Lisbon’s iconic landmarks illuminated under the night sky.

To make the most of your experience:

Arrive at the designated meeting point, the Pontoon access door 3 at Doca de Santo Amaro, to ensure a smooth start to your tour.

Dress appropriately for the weather, as the sailing may be affected by environmental conditions.

Bring a camera to capture the stunning views and create lasting memories.

Enjoy the complimentary soft drink or beer provided, and consider purchasing additional snacks or beverages during the tour.

Here's a few more nearby tours and experiences we think you'll like.

• Fatima, Nazare and Obidos Small-Group Day Trip From Lisbon
• Lisbon Small-Group Portuguese Food and Wine Tour
• Lisbon: Half Day Sightseeing Tour on a Private Electric Tuk Tuk
• Alfama Tour in Lisbon Old Town
• Undiscovered Lisbon Food & Wine Tour With Eating Europe
• 2 Hour Lisbon Sunset and Wine Sailing Tour

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i bring my own food and drinks on the tour.

Passengers are typically allowed to bring their own food and drinks on tours, unless explicitly stated otherwise. However, the tour operator may offer complimentary refreshments or have additional food and drink items available for purchase onboard.

How Stable Is the Boat, and Is It Suitable for Seasick-Prone Individuals?

The boat’s stability depends on its size and design, but generally, larger boats with a lower center of gravity are more stable. Those prone to seasickness may feel more comfortable on a more stable vessel, though motion sickness can still occur.

Are There Any Age Restrictions or Requirements for the Tour?

The tour generally doesn’t have age restrictions, but it may not be suitable for very young children or elderly passengers. Participants should be able to board the boat and move around comfortably during the sailing experience.

Can I Request a Specific Departure Time or Customize the Itinerary?

Yes, customers can typically request a specific departure time for private tours. They may also be able to customize the itinerary to some degree, depending on the tour operator’s policies and availability.

What Is the Policy for Bringing Personal Items Like Cameras or Phones?

Passengers are generally allowed to bring personal items like cameras and phones on board. However, the operator may have restrictions or recommendations to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all passengers during the tour.

Not for you? Here's more of our most recent tour reviews happening neaby

• Lisbon: Cascais, Cabo Da Roca Private Tour
• Lisbon Group Boat Tour
• Sintra and Cabo Da Roca Half Day Private Tour From Lisbon
• Transfer to Cascais From Lisbon
• Lisbon:Private Guided BELEM and CITY Tour by TUK-TUK
• Walking Tour: Lisbon in the Shadows of World War II
• Lisbon Luxury Private Tour 4h
• From Lisbon: Sintra, Pena Palace, and Cabo Da Roca Hike Trip
• From Lisbon: Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré and Óbidos Day Tour
• Half Day in Lisbon With Boat Trip & Oceanarium Private Tour
• Private Lisbon:Sintra>Pena Palace>Quinta Regaleira>Cascais
• Lisbon: Small-Group Van Tour With Alfama and Belem
• Sintra Palaces and Villages: Private Tour From Lisbon
• From Lisbon: Comporta and Setúbal Trip With Horseback Riding
• 4 Hour Tuk Tuk Tour From the Tragedy of 1755

The Lisboa by Night Private Sailing Tour is an enchanting way to experience Lisbon’s illuminated landmarks and monuments.

Guests will enjoy stunning views of the city’s iconic sights, including the Christ the King statue and the 25 de Abril Bridge, while sailing along the Tagus River.

With onboard amenities, multilingual crew, and wheelchair accessibility, this magical evening tour promises unforgettable memories against the breathtaking backdrop of Lisbon’s nighttime skyline.

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Ilma, the newest superyacht from the ritz-carlton yacht collection, makes its debut, leading the ultra-luxury yachting experience with innovative dining, expansive suites, and unparalleled onboard offerings.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's latest yacht presents an exceptional guest experience—from spacious suites with private ocean view terraces, world-class dining curated by MICHELIN-starred restaurant chefs, a sweeping pool deck offering spectacular views at sea, new itineraries, among the highest guest-to-staff ratio, and much more, building on the company's commitment to bespoke journeys

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. , Sept. 3 , 2024  /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection  proudly introduces Ilma, its second newbuild luxury superyacht, to its distinguished fleet. The yacht embarked on its maiden voyage, a 7-night journey from Monte Carlo to Rome , on September 2 . As the first and only luxury hospitality company at sea, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection advances its position at the forefront of the industry with a second yacht now sailing, illustrating a future-focused vision that keeps pushing the boundaries of luxury travel at sea.

"It is with immense pride and excitement that we welcome Ilma to our growing fleet," said Jim Murren , Executive Chairman and CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection . "Since Evrima 's debut, we have been steadfast in our pursuit of excellence at sea. The addition of Ilma signifies a continuation of our mission to deliver legendary service and unparalleled enjoyment to our guests."

Ilma measures 790 feet, offering 224 airy and intuitive suites, all with private terraces providing direct access to the sea. Stopping at signature and intimate ports of call, Ilma takes guests on enchanting itineraries to coveted destinations. Ilma's inaugural season in the Mediterranean includes ports of call visiting the blue waters of Santorini , the iconic yachting playgrounds of Porto Cervo , and the historic sites of Valletta , before departing for the Caribbean , where experiences in the natural wonders of Virgin Gorda , the vibrant harbor of Gustavia , and the pristine beauty of St. John await. Ilma will additionally sail the North and Baltic Seas of Northern Europe —a first for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection—during the 2025 summer season offering immersive itineraries in dynamic and culturally rich destinations like Amsterdam , Stockholm , and Reykjavík.

"The launch of Ilma exemplifies the unwavering dedication of The Ritz-Carlton to setting new benchmarks in luxury travel, with the company's commitment to thoughtful and transformative travel experiences guiding its mission," said Jenni Benzaquen , Senior Vice President of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis , and Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts . " Ilma brings the exceptional luxury accommodations and personalized service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is renowned to the sea, further redefining the standards in the luxury industry."

The purposefully designed yacht accommodates up to 448 guests and offers among the highest space-to-guest and guest-to-staff ratios at sea. Its sophisticated interiors are thoughtfully curated to enhance every aspect of the guest experience, showcasing expert craftsmanship and polished finishes by renowned London-based architectural and design firm AD Associates and award-winning lighting designer DPA. The exteriors reflect the vision of Helsinki -based design studio, Aivan.

A defining characteristic of Ilma is its seamless transition between interior and exterior spaces, inviting guests to intimately connect directly to the sea and destinations sailed. Ilma, named after the Maltese word for "water," draws subtle design inspiration from Maltese mythology, coastline, history, and native fauna. The design narrative incorporates fresh, neutral tones juxtaposed by light and dark finishes, enhancing visual richness, while the adorned exterior nods to the sleek design of private yachts.

Ilma invites guests to discover five dining venues, a refreshed in-suite dining program, sevens bars, and a signature wine vault. Highlights include two dining venues conceptualized by MICHELIN-starred restaurant chefs Fabio Trabocchi and Michael Mina . Seta su Ilma by Chef Fabio Trabocchi is a modern Italian fine-dining restaurant reflecting his Italian heritage and culinary expertise. Seta su Ilma, named after the Italian word for "silk," offers seasonal tasting menus with contemporary interpretations of Italian cuisine, nodding to regional flavors and impeccably paired with fine wines, where Italian whites and reds form the core of the wine list.

The Beach House , designed by the Toronto -based luxury design firm Chapi Chapo Design, offers 180-degree views of the sea that seamlessly integrate with the coast, creating a daytime to nighttime experience where guests can relax and unwind. The beach club-inspired venue draws from Peruvian and Pan-Latin cuisine, blending globally influenced flavors in a relaxed yet upscale atmosphere. The menu, developed in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina , is inspired by the bold, fire-born flavors of South and Central America while highlighting ingredients from the Caribbean .

Additional world-class dining venues include Memorī , which brings a modern spin to authentic Pan-Asian cuisines in a sleek environment; Mistral , which presents Mediterranean fare located steps from the main pool on Deck 10; and Tides , which offers seasonal menus inspired by the diverse regional flavors and techniques of the destinations that Ilma explores, evolving throughout the voyage. Nestled behind Tides and Seta su Ilma, Dining Privée provides an intimate and elegant enclave for celebratory dinners and other special events. At the heart of Ilma sits The Living Room , a welcoming space where guests can greet the day with freshly roasted coffee and baked pastries at the espresso counter each morning. As the day progresses, The Living Room Bar serves specialty cocktails, fine wines, and Champagne accompanied by live music. In-Suite Dining menus encompass breakfast, all day, and evening selections featuring a variety of classics from the different onboard restaurants.

A signature space across The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fleet, Ilma debuts an extensive Marina and Marina Terrace , featuring large glass windows that draw in natural light, side doors that open and float above the water, and a hydraulic platform that connects guests directly with the sea when the yacht is at anchor. Deck 10 presents a dynamic open-air space for live entertainment and sunbathing, complete with the main pool, pool bar, and an outdoor LED screen. Additional experiences on board include The Ritz-Carlton Spa , a rejuvenating oasis with revitalizing treatments from  ESPA , 111SKIN , and Pisterzi . The expanded spa boasts 11 rooms, with five equipped to offer outdoor treatment options, and three distinct fitness spaces: a Movement Studio, Cycle Studio, and Fitness Studio with weights and cardio machines.

Ilma 's debut represents a remarkable new chapter for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, further elevating the standards of luxury cruising with its innovative design, outstanding amenities, and the personalized service for which The Ritz-Carlton is renowned. Reservations for Ilma are now open. For more information, please visit ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com . For reservations, contact a Reservations Services Agent at (833) 999-7292 (U.S. & Canada ) or contact your travel professional.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION

Designed to combine the luxury lifestyle of The Ritz-Carlton® with the casual freedom of a yachting vacation, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offers bespoke voyages in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe , Caribbean , and Central America . Calling on unique and distinguished destinations, voyages typically span five to ten nights with an all-inclusive onboard journey and curated excursions ashore.

Its inaugural yacht, Evrima , embarked on its maiden voyage in October 2022 . Measuring 624 feet in length, Evrima features 149 airy suites across various categories, each with a private terrace, creating a relaxed and intimate ambiance for up to 298 guests. Continuing the fleet's expansion, two new superyachts boasting among the highest space ratios per guest at sea, Ilma and Luminara , are slated to set sail in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Spanning 790 feet, Ilma will offer 224 spacious, light-filled suites of varying categories, accommodating up to 448 guests. Slated to make its 2025 debut, Luminara will join Ilma and Evrima on voyages to secluded harbors and iconic cities. Reflective of The Ritz-Carlton on land, each yacht offers personalized service, elevated dining experiences, and exclusive amenities.

Private charter options are also available, allowing guests to craft a truly tailored journey. For more information, visit ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com .

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, LLC

Delivering the Gold Standard in service in coveted destinations around the world, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC currently operates more than 120 hotels in over 35 countries and territories. From iconic urban destinations to stretches of paradise in untouched corners of the earth, The Ritz-Carlton offers the opportunity for true discovery and transformative escapes that stay with guests long after they depart. Committed to thoughtful innovation, The Ritz-Carlton encompasses two groundbreaking brand extensions, Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Ritz-Carlton Reserve is a collection of rare estates set apart from the world, where personalized care and cultural immersion are paramount. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection translates the brand's legendary service and hospitality for sea, reimagining the ultra-luxury cruising category. For more information or reservations, visit the company website at www.ritzcarlton.com , for the latest company updates, visit news.marriott.com  and to join the live conversation, use #RCMemories and follow along on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR). The Ritz-Carlton is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments  and unparalleled benefits including complimentary nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com . The Ritz-Carlton is committed to supporting the destinations where it operates through Community Footprints, the company's social and environmental responsibility program.

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.

Ritz-Carlton’s Ilma Sets Sail on Maiden Cruise

• September 5, 2024

The Ilma officially kicked off its maiden season for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection earlier this week.

After being delivered by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in mid-July , the 456-guest vessel received its first paying guests on Sep. 2, 2024.

On that day, the Ilma departed from Monaco for a seven-night cruise to France and Italy that is set to end in Rome.

The open-jaw itinerary features visits to Cannes, Saint Tropez, Livorno, Bastia and Porto Cervo, as well as Monte Carlo and Civitavecchia.

During its maiden season, the LNG-powered ship then offers a series of seven- to 12-night cruises to the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and the Aegean.

Extending through late October, the program also features departures from Piraeus, Barcelona and Civitavecchia.

In November, the Ilma arrives in the Caribbean for a winter cruise season that features sailings from San Juan, Fort Lauderdale, and Bridgetown.

For its first cruise in the region, the ship offers a six-night itinerary departing from Puerto Rico that includes ports of call in St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Antigua and the British Virgin Islands.

Before receiving its first guests earlier this week, the Ilma operated training voyages across the Mediterranean .

With over 350 crew members onboard, the 37,000-ton vessel underwent a series of preparations during the period while visiting ports in France, Portugal, Malta and more.

Debuting a new design, the Ilma became the largest ship in the fleet for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, which also includes the 298-guest Evrima.

Currently under construction for the brand at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique Shipyard, the Luminara is also set to join the company’s fleet.

A sister to the Ilma, the vessel is scheduled to enter service in July 2025 ahead of an inaugural season in Europe.

The Luminara then marks Ritz-Carlton’s debut in Asia , offering ten new itineraries in the region between December 2025 and May 2026.

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