But don’t rely on lights
Small lights do not stand out that well at any distance and a speeding powerboat is on top of them quickly. If there are other background lights (on shore or water), small lights can easily be lost in the crowd and overlooked. And, it’s hard to tell in the dark if it’s a small light 100 yards away or a big light a mile away. Your best defense is to avoid the traffic areas and be very aware of what’s going on around you to quickly avoid the powerboats. Make it your business to avert intersecting courses. Leaving it up to the powerboats is asking for trouble.
Bicycle refelctors
could be picked up pretty cheaply and leaving them at the launch site could be effective - provided you know where to look for them when you return. One advantage would be that they are passive and the batteries never die. This would mean you’d want a waterproof light source on your boat (flashlight/headlamp) for illuminating same when you are searching for the return trip.
An odd idea might be to make a buoy with refelctor(s) (glow stick or weak light) that you could anchor on the water off your launch site (out of way of traffic, but off shore far enough that it would be visible despite the clutter inshore. You could retrieve the buoy on your return. In a really unfamiliar area, this might work reasonably well.
Rick
Keep in mind that a red light on your
stern, tells a power boat that you are facing them.
Should be red and green on the bow and white on the stern.
Jack L
Dress for it,
bring skeeter repellent, and use a waterproof non-blinking red bike light for a flashlight.
Sometimes it’s colder out on the water than it is on the shore, especially if you get wet.
The mosquitoes that you don’t see when paddling in the daytime – if there are any – will all want to meet you when you paddle at night.
A non-flashing red light can work as a flashlight without spoiling your night vision. (It takes 5 or 10 minutes without any white light to get your real night vision. If you are in a group there’s almost always someone who just won’t turn off their regular flashlight or headlight, so try and avoid that person.)
I love night flights
Whether you’re on salt or fresh water, one of your best landmarks - that has not yet been mentioned - is the skyline. You can note the the taller trees, any gaps, any odd shapes, and they will be one of the few things you can use to identify your launch point in darkness. As you go, note the other skyline landmarks, as they will help you get back to your launch point and also reduce the risk of getting confused on your way back.
In less dark environs, you have lights, which can be spectacularly useful, especially if you are familiar with the local layout.
As someone mentioned above, the Coast Guard has specific requirements for lights, and deviations can mislead the boats around you. This is especially important if you are around working vessels.
Have fun and be safe.
Back in the day of heavy Drake and Hex
– Last Updated: May-06-14 3:34 PM EST –
hatches(60s-early 70s) and a flyrod/trout addiction...a pond and a bog I had set in the brain and I used to come out after dark a few times. A few times were in a somewhat tippy 12_footer(canoe) so I had to use a light and be watchful. Fast-forward to early 80s...while living in western suburb of Boston, near the pristine Charles River I, @~5am, happened to meet up with a member of the Charles' bouncers(BIG snapping turtle) crossing, what turns into, Storrow Dr. Had jaws that could take a hand off whole. Until then I would've paddled the Charles @night with anyone, but when a young female employee of Kendall Sq proposed a "Charles River Candle Light Paddle" ~1998' I agreed only to participating as part of a rescue squad...with a slight grimace, along with a question for her knowing that when in a canoe you're in the real world...;-)
SteveD