The idea of boating after dark may have caused some contention in another thread, so I thought I'd put it out here separately for discussion.
Personally I don't think it can be seen as anything but risky behavior, but that said:
Some of my fondest memories over decades of boating involve skimming in my 'mate over a glass-smooth lake on a cloudless summer night under a full moon so bright it was like boating under a searchlight.
My family & friends had a favorite camping/boating tradition known as the 'Midnight Swim'. After the kids were asleep, the willing adults would boat out into the lake for, yup, a Midnight Swim. No problem on nights with a bright moon; on dark nights we'd creep out barely over idle-speed, anchor under full nav-lights and swim, then idle back towards the lantern we'd left on shore. Lucky, probably, but we never had any problems worse than the occasional missing clothing that disappeared in the dark.
Of course, this was on a lake with no commercial traffic; no late-night barges or ocean liners, just us and the loons (sic).
Any thoughts, comments, experiences (good or bad)? WITHOUT getting personal, please.
Personally I don't think it can be seen as anything but risky behavior, but that said:
Some of my fondest memories over decades of boating involve skimming in my 'mate over a glass-smooth lake on a cloudless summer night under a full moon so bright it was like boating under a searchlight.
My family & friends had a favorite camping/boating tradition known as the 'Midnight Swim'. After the kids were asleep, the willing adults would boat out into the lake for, yup, a Midnight Swim. No problem on nights with a bright moon; on dark nights we'd creep out barely over idle-speed, anchor under full nav-lights and swim, then idle back towards the lantern we'd left on shore. Lucky, probably, but we never had any problems worse than the occasional missing clothing that disappeared in the dark.
Of course, this was on a lake with no commercial traffic; no late-night barges or ocean liners, just us and the loons (sic).
Any thoughts, comments, experiences (good or bad)? WITHOUT getting personal, please.