Cruising at night is not for the faint hearted, but it is great for those with an adventurous spirit. To get the most out of powerboating at night, it is important to be prepared.


NIGHT CRU


Start by asking yourself some questions to help formulate a plan: · What type of boat are we planning to use?


· Who is the skipper and who are the crew?


· What is their level of experience at running in these conditions?


· How long do we intend being out for? Will we need extra food or drink?


· Are there any tidal restrictions we have to take into account?


· Where are we going? What is the area like, are there


34 FORE & AFT MARCH 2017


numerous hazards to be aware of such as commercial shipping, underwater obstructions, etc?


· Who knows where we are or when we’ll be back?


Make sure the boat is appropriately kitted for the area you will be in, the likely duration you will be afloat (remember that fuel is not always available 24/7) and that the boat will have the required navigation lights in proper working order. Checking that everything works early on allows time to get hold


of any replacement parts or to fix a loose wire connection.


How experienced is your crew? Driving a powerboat in the dark for the first time can be very intimidating, doing so with little experience of driving a compass course or following the electronic navigation aids can take even a confident day time helm a bit of time to get used to. Expect the first night run with


an inexperienced crew to be slow and a bit start-stop as they adjust to interpreting nav marks


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