Night navigation is far more difficult than day navigation. Every year more and more vessels are on the waters around fireworks displays, at night, enjoying the sites and sounds.

The hard part is getting back to the slip.

Have you practiced night navigation? Do you understand the nav-aids? Are you familiar with charts to help you recognize buoys, dolphins, nuns, and cans? Are you up on the rules of the road?

Most importantly is the vessel operator going to remain sober and aware along with a competent lookout?

Having fun is a good thing but you should have the skills and competence in night navigation to make the trip a safe one.

I'd be interested in your personal experiences watching fireworks displays from the water. What's it like out there?

It's a great experience as long as you are upwind of the smoke and ashes. Never a good thing to have hot ashes falling into your boat.


Biggest "problem" is before the event. You anchor off in a spot that you think is far enough away, and then authorities push you back. Ok, no big deal, you pull anchor, motor around, get settled... and then they come around again and tell you to move again, even tho you are where you were supposed to be according to them.

It would be nice if they clearly defined the "you no park here" area before you get settled for a nice evening.

Being too close is not great either, you get a neck ache from looking straight up. Better to anchor off a distance. The view is better.

Night navigation is far more difficult than day navigation. Every year more and more vessels are on the waters around fireworks displays, at night, enjoying the sites and sounds.

The hard part is getting back to the slip.

Have you practiced night navigation? Do you understand the nav-aids? Are you familiar with charts to help you recognize buoys, dolphins, nuns, and cans? Are you up on the rules of the road?

Most importantly is the vessel operator going to remain sober and aware along with a competent lookout?

Having fun is a good thing but you should have the skills and competence in night navigation to make the trip a safe one.

I'd be interested in your personal experiences watching fireworks displays from the water. What's it like out there?

Good questions.

Onboard GPS will certainly help, along with sobriety, awareness, and just knowing how to drive a water vessel.

That is all.

Ar.

Getting back to your slip will be fine as long as you take your time, watch out for other boats (you know the GO FAST DUMMIES) and the stuiped ones without lights. I've lived on the water for many years and when I see a GO FAST BOAT (and you know who you are) cut between a bouy and the shore at high speeds, well that's just stupid. As long as drinking, then keep it Non-alcoholic. Not even one when you are in control. Think about it..

Night navigation is far more difficult than day navigation. Every year more and more vessels are on the waters around fireworks displays, at night, enjoying the sites and sounds.

The hard part is getting back to the slip.

Have you practiced night navigation? Do you understand the nav-aids? Are you familiar with charts to help you recognize buoys, dolphins, nuns, and cans? Are you up on the rules of the road?

Most importantly is the vessel operator going to remain sober and aware along with a competent lookout?

Having fun is a good thing but you should have the skills and competence in night navigation to make the trip a safe one.

I'd be interested in your personal experiences watching fireworks displays from the water. What's it like out there?

I guess I can make it back or I'd still be out there. Mostly from fishing though. Can only speak about the Solomons Fire works. Best to stay well away from the crowd. Other than that is it nice if the weather cooperates. Beats getting out of the parking lot to go home.

I guess I can make it back or I'd still be out there. Mostly from fishing though. Can only speak about the Solomons Fire works. Best to stay well away from the crowd. Other than that is it nice if the weather cooperates. Beats getting out of the parking lot to go home.

I've done the Solomons fireworks a few times. We motor out of Town creek (just barely) and anchor along the St. Mary's shoreline, well out of everybody else's way. There's normally a huge crowd out there, and I'll guarantee that a fair number of them are not used to boating in the dark, don't know rules of the road, overloaded their boats with too many passengers, and they are drinking. I want no part of that, and I'm content to hang back and let others fight for space close to the island. It's still a great view from the other side of the river.

When the show's over, we continue to sit for a few more minutes. There's always plenty of people that want to win the race to pull anchor and blast down the river. We let them clear out, then head home.

It's an awesome way to watch the fireworks. Much more fun than on land.

I will add some advice to the OP - double check your equipment. I felt like a dummy one year as we returned to the dock and the battery powering the nav lights died and left us dark. I thought it was charged enough, but didn't double check it. We hoisted a lantern and turned on some flashlights to reduce the chance of getting run over, but that's not the way I wanted to do things.

Getting back to your slip will be fine as long as you take your time, watch out for other boats (you know the GO FAST DUMMIES) and the stuiped ones without lights. I've lived on the water for many years and when I see a GO FAST BOAT (and you know who you are) cut between a bouy and the shore at high speeds, well that's just stupid. As long as drinking, then keep it Non-alcoholic. Not even one when you are in control. Think about it..Would someone decipher this post into English for me?

Go fast boater here. :howdy: Sounds like you're a bit jealous there skippy. I'll pit my skills against you any day. Name it. Only a moron would lump everyone into one category.

And unlike yourself, I can spell "stupid" and "buoy".

I've done the Solomons fireworks a few times. We motor out of Town creek (just barely) and anchor along the St. Mary's shoreline, well out of everybody else's way. There's normally a huge crowd out there, and I'll guarantee that a fair number of them are not used to boating in the dark, don't know rules of the road, overloaded their boats with too many passengers, and they are drinking. I want no part of that, and I'm content to hang back and let others fight for space close to the island. It's still a great view from the other side of the river.

When the show's over, we continue to sit for a few more minutes. There's always plenty of people that want to win the race to pull anchor and blast down the river. We let them clear out, then head home.

It's an awesome way to watch the fireworks. Much more fun than on land.

I will add some advice to the OP - double check your equipment. I felt like a dummy one year as we returned to the dock and the battery powering the nav lights died and left us dark. I thought it was charged enough, but didn't double check it. We hoisted a lantern and turned on some flashlights to reduce the chance of getting run over, but that's not the way I wanted to do things.


Yep Town creek is where I was docked for several years. Pull in the creek, make the turn heading upcreek and it was the first dock on the left.

Yep Town creek is where I was docked for several years. Pull in the creek, make the turn heading upcreek and it was the first dock on the left.

I love it in there, it's quiet and very well sheltered from the weather. Our boat has been there for Isabel and Irene with no problem. I'm on the other side of the creek, just under the bridge.

I love it in there, it's quiet and very well sheltered from the weather. Our boat has been there for Isabel and Irene with no problem. I'm on the other side of the creek, just under the bridge.

I'll have to dig up that picture of my boat at the submerged dock. I think it was during Isabel.

Its also possible that boundaries changed based on prevailing conditions. Most of the time this isn't an issue. I have been on an Auxiliary boat as a crew member for the races in Pax River before and those boundaries seemed to work out. I can see how a boundary for fireworks might move suddenly before showtime.

Here in Garrett County there are usually hundreds of lake boats going to part of lake below WISP ski area to watch. Deep Creek Lake is largest in MD! My worst case accident scenario is: Fireworks are over, & boats start to leave area for home docks from large cove. The boats follow in a parade out of cove. Someone falls overboard from one of the boats. In the darkness & desire to get home quick, no one (except that one boat) knows someone is in water. The following boats continue out & cut up the person in water into fish chum! Warning signs such as flashing lights & hollers & screaming are not likely to stop more that just the following boat!
It needs DNR & local planning to help prevent and/or rescue any such event.

:confused:Here in Garrett County there are usually hundreds of lake boats going to part of lake below WISP ski area to watch. Deep Creek Lake is largest in MD! My worst case accident scenario is: Fireworks are over, & boats start to leave area for home docks from large cove. The boats follow in a parade out of cove. Someone falls overboard from one of the boats. In the darkness & desire to get home quick, no one (except that one boat) knows someone is in water. The following boats continue out & cut up the person in water into fish chum! Warning signs such as flashing lights & hollers & screaming are not likely to stop more that just the following boat!
It needs DNR & local planning to help prevent and/or rescue any such event.

:confused:

Go fast boater here. :howdy: Sounds like you're a bit jealous there skippy. I'll pit my skills against you any day. Name it. Only a moron would lump everyone into one category.

And unlike yourself, I can spell "stupid" and "buoy".

Former 10 year go fast here. By far, jet skis are the biggest hazard on any waterway I've ever been. In terms of damage to shoreline, semi displacements do it. Go fasts don't do much besides make noise.

Here in Garrett County there are usually hundreds of lake boats going to part of lake below WISP ski area to watch. Deep Creek Lake is largest in MD! My worst case accident scenario is: Fireworks are over, & boats start to leave area for home docks from large cove. The boats follow in a parade out of cove. Someone falls overboard from one of the boats. In the darkness & desire to get home quick, no one (except that one boat) knows someone is in water. The following boats continue out & cut up the person in water into fish chum! Warning signs such as flashing lights & hollers & screaming are not likely to stop more that just the following boat!
It needs DNR & local planning to help prevent and/or rescue any such event.

this actually happened here in Solomons.... July 3rd, 1987... back when solomons held the fireworks display on the 3rd. the boat hit a buoy, after the fireworks were over...18yr old friend fell overboard. although someone in the boat saw him go over, his body was not recovered until the next morning - too much boat traffic at the time of the accident and no one could find him in the dark. he'd just graduated high school a month prior. unfortunately, alcohol was definitely a difference maker.