On Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:19:28 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

Sounds like a good time to have light gathering binocs.
I think Wayne can make a reco on that.

Good 7 x 50 binoculars are hard to beat when you really need to "see"
something at night. Our radar and chart plotter(s) are the primary
lines of defense however. First Loran-C, and now GPS and
chartplotters, have made navigation so easy that it's hard to believe
we ever blundered around with out it. When we first started cruising
back in the 70s it was not unusual to sail all day without a reliable
confirmation of the DR plot. At least once or twice a season a small
boat would emerge out of the haze, out of sight of land, pull along
side and ask for directions to somewhere. Typically they wouldn't
even have a compass or chart on board.