Watching Fireworks from Vessels

[FSo-CS]

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?

[GWguy]

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.

[b23hqb]

Originally Posted by FSo-CS

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.

[Monterey]

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..

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by FSo-CS

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.

[bohman]

Originally Posted by desertrat

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.

[Baja28 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Monterey

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. 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".

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by bohman

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.

[bohman]

Originally Posted by desertrat

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.

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by bohman

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.