I have changed out navi and anchor lights to leds. Our docking lights are the old style plastic ones and I changed those bulbs to Silverstar Ultras. The stainless led docking lights while looking cool, their output is poor.They are not like a Porsche or Audi with led headlights ($2500.00 option).
Cwag
Do you know the bulb number of either the Nav lights (red / green up front) and / or the SS dockling lights. Would like to swtich to better LED bulbs but the boat will be in storage for another month or so.
ADAM
Mandatory
GPS chartpotter / compass / spotlight as all have mentioned. Along with VHF with weather (can be hand held or fixed but realize if your on a big lake, handheld may not reach out very far). Blankets, food, and water incase you need to stay out for the night unexpectedly. You don't need to stock up for 30 days, but a few extra bottles and some blankets int he console storage is great
Don 't ever say, we're going for a quick cruise, I'll fill up the fuel tank on the way back. I don't ever leave the dock without atleast 1/2 tank of gas. Reasons are this: Boat fuel gauges suck, very inaccurate and if something happens, running out of fuel isn't going to be haunting me if I get lost etc.
Secondary
Paper chart (water proof of course), log book with notes of surroundings (see below for more info). Red map light to read chart and other things without blowing your night vision with a bright white light
We do a lot of "dark time boating". Not always at night but early morning (fishing or duck hunting) and it all about practice, knowling your surroundings, and where you are in relation to shore "tell tales" Look for "markers" on shore. Examples, does your marina have range lights to help you line up to the channel entrance? Is there a water tower, wind turbines, or a Cell phone tower beacon that stand outs above the rest of the shoreline to see its red blinking light?
Is there a light pattern on the shoreline that stands out at night? Pin point those areas in day time and mark that down on a chart (log book). For example, there is a incadescent light on a pole that sets above all other lights on the shoreline near our canal and its a differnt color then any other light around. Once I see that, I know approx 1/8 mile to the east is our canal entrance (and I double check that to my GPS chartplotter). My chartplotter has every bouy, marina, reef, shallow water, and anything that is a PERMANENT fixture on the water we boat in.
We are on Saginaw Bay / Lake Huron, so its pretty big water. If you don't have a GPS and chart plotter. Get one. At least get a chart of the lake / bay you plan on spending time in.
Practice without electroinics if you have them. Have a back up plan if they go out. To make sure my wife can understand everything, we run drills. Yes, I know this sounds stupid, but hey. I am a diabetic and if something happened and I went down, she's gotta get in if we are by ourselves.
Electronic navigation. Daylight. Use both electronics and vision
Electronic navigation. Fog / Night. In the daytime, put a jacket over her head and the console, With me watdhing up front and able to interrupt her if needed, she needs to get to canal entrance without being able to use her eyes or senses. Once within spot light range of markers, she has completed this task
Electronics out. Charts, notes in log book on navigation / shore markers. I will say something if needed, but unless its all going wrong, I keep my mouth shut. This works for both daytime and night time scenerios.
Good luck and hopefully you will get better and more comfortable the more you do it and you can enjoy it more wihtout the worry in the back of the head, how will we get home from here
Hope this helps
Todd
