As boating has become more popular, lakes, rivers, and seas have seen an increase in the number of boaters. With this increase comes an increase in the potential for accidents.
Knowing what to do when you encounter another boat is important. How you respond can prevent a minor accident from becoming a major one.
This article will discuss what you should do when you encounter another boat at night. We will discuss how to identify other boats and how to avoid collisions. Let’s get started!
When it gets dark, it can be difficult to tell one boat from another. Although most boats carry navigation lights, these may not always be visible. In this article, we will discuss what each of the most common lights mean and how to respond to them.
Stop and turn around
If there is a light directly ahead of you, then there is a boat either directly in front of you or coming towards you.
If you continue forward, you will hit the other boat. If you continue in the same direction, you will hit the other boat.
So, the best thing to do is stop and turn around. When you do this, if there is no other boat behind you then you know that there is no danger.
If there is a light behind you, then turn until you can see the light and keep going in that direction. You have checked for hazards and prevented a possible crash!
This seems simple but can be hard in the heat of the moment. Keep calm and do what is best for you and your crew.
Go straight ahead
This is the safest thing you can do. If you pass the light, you may hit a buoy or something else. By passing the light, you are also putting yourself in front of another boat.
If you turn, then you have changed your course and may end up hitting something else. Boats are big and take up a lot of space, so turning is not a good option.
By going straight ahead, you have avoided hitting anything and put yourself back on course. You have also alerted anyone else that there may be a boat in the area so they can avoid it.
You should always report any incidents to authorities after an incident has occurred. Doing so helps them recognize any patterns and solve the problem.
Turn to the left
If you see a light directly ahead, at night, on the water, your first thought should not be to go directly towards it. Instead, you should turn away from it and circle back around.
This is called crossing the bar and is an important boating safety rule. It is also a way to avoid a collision with what could be a ghost boat.
According to the Inland Marine & Fisheries Society, if you see a light directly ahead, at night, on the water, your first thought should not be to go directly towards it. Instead, you should turn away from it and circle back around.
This is called crossing the bar and is an important boating safety rule. It is also a way to avoid a collision with what could be a ghost boat.
Turn to the right
If you see a light directly ahead, the best thing to do is turn away from it. If you are boating at night and see a light directly ahead, assume it is the shoreline or a boat and turn away from it.
If you are unable to turn away from the light, then stop your boat and call for help. If someone comes to your aid, then thank God!
If you are in a small vessel with only one person aboard, try to keep calm and go in another direction. If someone comes to your aid, then thank God!
If no one comes to your aid and you must continue on, do so carefully with caution. If possible, wake someone up on your boat to help watch out for obstacles. If no one wakes up, then remember what safety tips there are for one person sailing in a small vessel.
Stop and call the coast guard
If you see a light ahead, call the coast guard and report it. It could save someone’s life. If you are in a position to do so, stop and assist whoever is in the water.
The problem with most calls to the coast guard is that they come from land-based locations. When a boat has a problem, it’s often due to a problem with the boat itself rather than someone falling overboard.
When a boat has a problem related to someone falling overboard, it’s often because they were not wearing a life jacket. The coast guard recommends every person on a boat wear one for safety reasons.
They also recommend all boats have safety measures such as emergency beacons and communication devices so that people can alert the coast guard of issues.
Slow down and go straight ahead
If you are the boat approaching a stopped or slow-moving boat or object, you should pass it on the port (left) side. If you are passing a moving vessel, you should pass it on the starboard (right) side.
If a boat is stopped and/or moored, you may pass on either side. You should check if they are anchored or moored before passing.
If you are approaching a vessel/boat that is not lighted, do not attempt to pass them. Slow down and go straight ahead until you make contact, then stop.
If you cannot determine if the boat is stopped or moving, proceed with caution and assume they are moving. If they turn out to be stopped, then you can return to your original course and speed.
Turn to the left or right
If you see a boat directly ahead, the best thing to do is turn left or right. This way, you will avoid a collision, and not put your passengers in distress.
If you are in a boat and see a boat on the water, but cannot see the lights, it could be due to several reasons.
The light(s) may be damaged or off due to weather conditions such as heavy rain or a storm. You may also encounter this while boating at night when bats are emerging to feed.
Other factors that can cause this are poor visibility due to smoke or fog, or another vessel turning off their lights. Either way, this is very dangerous for both parties involved.
Sound your horn
Boaters should always sound the horn before crossing in front of or approaching another boat. If a boater does not hear your horn, they may assume they have clear passage.
If a boater is approaching you, they will either stop or pull toward your boat. If they do not, you will get a sense of how close they are getting. This gives you time to take action before it is too late.
Should you hear a horn coming from another direction, you will know to look around to see what vessel sounded the horn. This could save your life and the life of others!
Heed the “Rules of the Road” when sounding your own boat horn. The “Rules” govern how long you can sound the horn for different situations. Currently, the “Timeout” for a warning signal is one minute.
