Boating at night

[eks]

Safety should be frist always. Nothing is worth someone getting hurt

[Timmy!]

We've wakesurfed a few times after dark only when we were the only boat out there and the ranger had gone in. The transom light and surfing are very hard to resist when the water is perfect and the moon is nice and bright. It's against the law here and I can totally see why, If your skier goes down, other boats can't see them. The times we have done it, it has been a clear sky with noone else on the lake and only a few minutes after sundown.

[chadster2]

It's not a simple thing to keep tract of your people in the water and other boats and other people in the water. I'll only do it if everybody in the water has a light (glow stick). It's no fun triing to keep track of people (plural) in the water. Sooooo coooool if it can be kept safe. I'm not sure it can be, but I haven't given up yet. I do think plural is reckles for sure. Keeping all white light off the boat is a must. Limited drinking is tooo much drinking for the danger.And I'd hate to see the lawsuit if a newbe got hurt. does insurance cover you while your breaking the law?

[chpthril]

It's not a simple thing to keep tract of your people in the water and other boats and other people in the water. I'll only do it if everybody in the water has a light (glow stick). It's no fun triing to keep track of people (plural) in the water. Sooooo coooool if it can be kept safe. I'm not sure it can be, but I haven't given up yet. I do think plural is reckles for sure. Keeping all white light off the boat is a must. Limited drinking is tooo much drinking for the danger.And I'd hate to see the lawsuit if a newbe got hurt. does insurance cover you while your breaking the law?

They don't have to, but typically cover the liability side.

[tessa]

That is going on at Lake Mead as well. Its just not leagal. In 20 years I have never seen a ranger on Mead at night.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are too far away from here to drive to so we settle for Bullshoals Lake in Arkansas and Tablerock Lake in Missouri. Both are fairly large resevoir lakes and are beautiful for watersports.

After sunset like Powell & Mead and others no skiing tubing wakeboarding or wakesurfing after sunset or before sunrise.

Since these are also fishing lakes they do allow 35mph or so at night. While coming back from a far end skiing cove we have been stopped 4 times in 13 years to warn us about watching our speed and then a damn safety check.

On those same lakes I have seen 2 accidents where those zippy little bass boats crashed into each other at speed. No one was killed but injuries occured.

Last but not least the lake I use by my parent house on Lake Syracuse in Indiana had a young girl get killed when she fell skiing in marginal light and a damn jetski ran her over.

My bottom line is running at speed with no marginal light from the moon or marginal light in the morning with fog burning off the lake is just looking for trouble rangers or not.

[Lunchbox]

Last but not least the lake I use by my parent house on Lake Syracuse in Indiana had a young girl get killed when she fell skiing in marginal light and a damn jetski ran her over.

PWC's add a whole other layer of complexity to this debate... That's a shame that a day of fun turned into a day of tragedy...

[chpthril]

I think night time on the water is the best

[chadster2]

I think night time on the water is the best

yep! The mid night run is at least 1/4 of my runs. not for speed just for being out in the best boat with the everything running smooth. even if it's fully dress up from dinner. I want to do dinner in jacksonville some night and see the city from the water with the bridges lit up. better than a sunday drive any time. I did hit a log up river from nashville during the day once. it would have been a much bigger mess at night. eather way I still would have hit it. I gess the deal is, every thing is X10 at night. risk thrills and the fines. if more people started doing it, it couldn't be done safe.

[chadster2]

down south we have a night that everybody puts Christmas lights on their house boat and does a parade. does that go on any where else.

[ragboy]

down south we have a night that everybody puts Christmas lights on their house boat and does a parade. does that go on any where else.

Similar, on July 4th on Lake Oroville, there is an outstanding fireworks show. The fireworks are actually shot off by the dam from a barge. The view from your boat is amazing, and there are a lot of people, but plenty of room, its a huge lake, and that is the biggest basin by the dam. They shoot off the fireworks just before 10pm. Our tradition, is we get on the lake on july 3rd, like 10pm at night, and navigate to our favorite cove. We board the glass til around 9ish, then pick up mom and any friends that are coming along for the day. We surf, and maybe tube, the only day we bring out the tube the last couple years, and then just find a place to swim and play all day. Head down to the dam at dusk, usually boarding some glass on the way. Find a good place to float, and roll out some sort of dinner. After the fireworks, there is a long line of boats, heading north to lime saddle marina. Everyone is courteous, and stays together. Its almost always all locals, because the tourists usually go through the south marina. Even all those boats, at midnight, I have never had any problems at the ramp. Get home by about 1am.

Its my favorite tradition of the year, other than christmas. I love driving back at night, with a huge line of boats. Everyone goes about 20mph or so.

[chpthril]

down south we have a night that everybody puts Christmas lights on their house boat and does a parade. does that go on any where else.

We have one on our local lake but was cancelled this Dec due to low water We bought a bunch of lights and stuff to dress up the Tige oh, well, maybe next year.

[Dan and Christy]

down south we have a night that everybody puts Christmas lights on their house boat and does a parade. does that go on any where else.

We had the "Parade of Lights" every year growing up on Powell. Everyone would decorate a houseboat and then drive a couple mile loop towards the dam. Anyone not on a boat would be on the beach/road/lookout points watching. It was really fun. I don't know if they do it anymore though.

[eks]

I've being there at powell on the 4th of july and rode over to the damn at night to see the fire works. It was cool to see all the boats on the water and all the light.

[tessa]

I get the watch point regularly. I love the morons who feel that sundown is that time of the evening where if you are close to shore, you can't see the sun over the trees. Jason B, I've heard stories that on some of the lakes up in WI there are only limited hours when you can ski/board/tube. Do you know about that?

I know Lake Geneva because it is so crowded has those types of laws and a mandatory maximum speed limit because of all the safety issues. There are some weekends in So Wisconsin that I swear you not floating on water but on used cases of Bud.

[jacques2727]

OK, so we might have got a little carried away on this one. But with glass, and not another boat in sight, how can you say no.