No Moon, Pitch Darkness, Dead Flashlight, LOST

[Afun]

Yes it happened to me. The night just creeped in and I lost my way. I followed the wrong way point on my GPS....then got back on track, but could not see anything. I mean I could not see 10 feet forward thats how dark it was. Learned a lot tonight. I also figured I really don't like night time boating. I think it's terrible.

Karma also worked for me. I towed some guy that ran out of gas back to a marina for the first time today. Then I had a group of guys show me the way back to my area. Let's just say it was hard for them too. Thats how dark it was....incredibly dark.

[Malibudude]

Been there done that by myself. After dropping guests off at the dock, it suddenly sank in that I won't make it back before it's dark.....REAL dark. IIRC it took 40 mins to get back to the houseboat, no cb or cell service. Knowing the lake as well as I did I used the depth finder to help guide me through the channel....Not excited about ever doing that again.

[MotoGPTy]

Mandatory to have one of these if you don't already. Just in case you get stuck out after dark again. They are cheap and make running at night doable. Regular flashlights won't cut it. If possible, hold the light so you aren't catching the bow of the boat and causing glare too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EVIIZC2

Edited August 9, 2015 by MotoGPTy

[GreenMan]

Yikes. Thats afun, like asymmetry or apolitical...

[isellacuras]

Mandatory to have one of these if you don't already. Just in case you get stuck out after dark again. They are cheap and make running at night doable. Regular flashlights won't cut it. If possible, hold the light so you aren't catching the bow of the boat and causing glare too.

http://www.amazon.com/Brinkmann-800-1630-0-Blue-Glare-Free-Spotlight/dp/B001449PB6

+1. I rarely boat at night but keep one on board just in case. I have also been caught out in pith darkness. Even with a powerful spot light it's still not easy to navigate. Will just help to keep you from running aground. Edited August 9, 2015 by isellacuras

[Chattwake]

I can't believe everyone doesn't carry a q beam on their boats. I have to have one to spot those chanel markers!

[REW]

Glad you slowed down and got home safe.

There was a boat crash on Mountain Island Lake on July 4, 1:00AM (ok July 5) the boat hit some rocks that are well known and not underwater. Killed two of the four on board and shortened the boat by 2 feet. The guy lived in my neighborhood.

Take it easy if you get caught out in poor visibility no matter the cause.

[DAI]

Glad to hear you made back safely.

[Afun]

Mandatory to have one of these if you don't already. Just in case you get stuck out after dark again. They are cheap and make running at night doable. Regular flashlights won't cut it. If possible, hold the light so you aren't catching the bow of the boat and causing glare too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EVIIZC2

The guys that helped had something like this...still terribly difficult to see but we got back at a snails pace.

I was down to a quarter tank or less

Edited August 9, 2015 by Afun

[DAI]

Was this on Norris?

[DUKENO1]

Glad you slowed down and got home safe.

There was a boat crash on Mountain Island Lake on July 4, 1:00AM (ok July 5) the boat hit some rocks that are well known and not underwater. Killed two of the four on board and shortened the boat by 2 feet. The guy lived in my neighborhood.

Take it easy if you get caught out in poor visibility no matter the cause.

Hey Randy,

was that rock the one in the Latta park cove? I was trying to figure out where that happened and that was

the only big rock that I could think of on Mt. Island. Sorry haven't been able to get up with you this summer...haven't had too many weekday opportunities so far.

Glad you made it back safely Afun! I went out with some friends of a friend several years back...didn't know them at all.....on a pontoon to a lake party on Lake Norman which is a large lake here. The pontoon owner was a buffoon and got completely smashed at the party. When it was time to go he and I almost duked it out because he insisted on driving us back and I was having none of that. By this time it was way past midnite and pitch black, no moon. We finally got on the way with his gf driving and bufoon navigating.

What would normally be about 20 minute ride took about 3 hours, no joke. I had no idea where we were and the drunk idiot couldn't see past the end of his nose. We made it but that was a looong night and I vowed to never put myself in to one of those situations again. It is amazing how dark it can be out there on the water.

[Afun]

Yeah, on Norris. About 52 square miles big. Lots of turns which sometimes are hard to see until you actually make it to the turn.

I didn't mark a new waypoint and followed an old line...first mistake. Got off path, then got back on track, but could not see forward. Lucky we had good weather.

I've got some feedback on Facebook about a friend that this happened to on the Atlantic. Did not mark a new waypoint, got dark, decided to anchor all night and wait to sunset. Open fisherman....what happens if the weather rolls in?

[DAI]

My wife and I are planning on a trip to TN next spring (Rock & Roll marathon in Nashville) and was planning on doing the drive over and checking out Norris and a few homes. I was thinking on hitting you up for advice on where to stay and best low key locations on the lake, but I guess not for advice on the night time cruise

[JoeA]

Afun

Glad to hear you and the boat are ok. Need one of those spotlights and if you really want to be accurate you can get a GPS app from Humminbird that marks the lake very well. This is what some fisherman use. Or if you buy a Nautique it will show your tracks so you can follow them back.

[Afun]

My wife and I are planning on a trip to TN next spring (Rock & Roll marathon in Nashville) and was planning on doing the drive over and checking out Norris and a few homes. I was thinking on hitting you up for advice on where to stay and best low key locations on the lake, but I guess not for advice on the night time cruise

Hit me up via PM with specifics to see if I could point you in the right direction....that's 300 hours behind the helm....I think I still qualify for a mishap

[MotoGPTy]

Agreed Joe. I couldn't find the Humminbird app that works without having their depth finder/plotter. Maybe something like this?

http://www.navionics.com/en/mobile-apps

[Afun]

Afun

Glad to hear you and the boat are ok. Need one of those spotlights and if you really want to be accurate you can get a GPS app from Humminbird that marks the lake very well. This is what some fisherman use. Or if you buy a Nautique it will show your tracks so you can follow them back.

Joe it was dark. It was dark like I've never seen before...couldn't see any turns at all....the guys had spotlights and their boat had huge headlights...still incredibly difficult!! These boats should come with more light just for safety reasons

[tn_rider]

I bost just as much at night as I do during the daytime. Made the trip home from the local bar on the water I bet 1000 times at night. That being said id be nervous on a body of water I didn't know.

[AJWest]

Fortunately even though the lake I use is almost 25 miles long I can navigate in the dark like it was daylight. There are enough lights I can reference on the shore. Also, have to take into consideration my lake doesn't have stumpy areas, sandbars, or the need for channel markers. I also keep a 12v Spotlight for "what if" moments. Glad everything turned out okay for you. Most people don't like running at night, my friends and I will have 4-5 boats out until midnight often then run back about 10-12 miles to the ramp

[Afun]

Compared to the other lakes I have navigated...Norris lake is a beast. Quite complex compared to the others. Complex for me but maybe not the others. I mean theirs a lot more to Norris than the main channel....if you know what I mean. In the dark it becomes a labyrinth. I spoke to a few boaters boaters who understood the dilemma that night. Just way too dark even for the ones that know how to get around.

[Pnwrider]

If you were properly prepared I imagine you would have had a different experience. I can handle darkness, its the darkness combined with fog that I don't like. I've been out when I could barely see past my bow (on a 16' jet sled).

[Afun]

If you were properly prepared I imagine you would have had a different experience. I can handle darkness, its the darkness combined with fog that I don't like. I've been out when I could barely see past my bow (on a 16' jet sled).

Maybe....Still not ideal and still would have hated it. I'm a bit mad at myself for not stopping the voyage in the dark sooner. I eventually let down my guard, dropped the testerone levels....pulled over and asked for help.

[tn_rider]

Wish I still had my 23 LSV. I'd say come down for a weekend and I'd take you out with me to a local hangout. The navigation home is relaxed. Run 22mph the whole way every time. No spotlight. Nobody ever gets an uneasy feeling. A lot of people that come with me back to the house always give that "I don't understand how you know where you're going lol. There are markers on a point on one of the bays that flash because the point sticks out and the channel turns. I always use that as a reference point. 90% of the hours on my boat were spent out at night in idle.

[REW]

Hey Randy,

was that rock the one in the Latta park cove? I was trying to figure out where that happened and that was

the only big rock that I could think of on Mt. Island. Sorry haven't been able to get up with you this summer...haven't had too many weekday opportunities so far.

Glad you made it back safely Afun! I went out with some friends of a friend several years back...didn't know them at all.....on a pontoon to a lake party on Lake Norman which is a large lake here. The pontoon owner was a buffoon and got completely smashed at the party. When it was time to go he and I almost duked it out because he insisted on driving us back and I was having none of that. By this time it was way past midnite and pitch black, no moon. We finally got on the way with his gf driving and bufoon navigating.

What would normally be about 20 minute ride took about 3 hours, no joke. I had no idea where we were and the drunk idiot couldn't see past the end of his nose. We made it but that was a looong night and I vowed to never put myself in to one of those situations again. It is amazing how dark it can be out there on the water.

Yea that's the one. Three people have died there this year.

[TallRedRider]

One teaching point in all of this is that your boat gets more miles to the gallon when idling. So if you are running low on fuel, you are more likely to make it home at idle speed than at a higher speed. True story.