otnmbrd wrote:

Getting disoriented from lights can happen even to those of us who do a
lot of night "sailing".
Sometimes it's from a clear night where you can see lights you normally
don't see, or just a slightly new angle of approach to a familiar landfall.
Good reason to use more than one method of navigation, whenever possible.

Last winter we went offshore more than usual, so I usually found
myself standing the watch in the wee hours in the morning as Bob can't
sleep early in the night and I can.

We were going south off Georgia and I was keeping a lookout for ships
on the horizon. I dodged some freighters, saw some more dolphins and
saw a meteor. We were hearing radio traffic from Charleston, and
Savannah both. That gives me some warning when the big ships say they
are going out the channel.

The stars are very bright except on the west near shore where I can
see the glow in the sky from the various cities we pass - first
Charleston and then I guess Beaufort (dimmer) and then Savannah.

There are big rollers coming from the east, but the surface of the
water is pretty smooth There's also some kind of strobe thing east of
us.

Later on, after we got past Savannah I kept seeing these lights to
the east of us, and they seemed to be on a collision course or at
least they were stationary in relation to our boat and I didn't think
there were any ATON out there.. They were white.

Eventually, when some of the lights got higher above the horizon, I
figured out that it was the stars rising.

Then the following spring, we were going north from Charleston to the
Cape Fear River and I saw a bright light in the western sky. A ship?
Where would a ship be coming from? It's all marshland over there.

No - it's too big and too high up for a ship - plus I can't see any
red or green lights.

A lighthouse? Can't find any lighthouses on the charts over on that
shore, and again it's too high up.

There's no moon tonight, and I know stars don't rise in the west, so
it can't be a star this time and it's too bright.

A plane taking off? But it doesn't seem to get higher. Eventually the
light goes away, so I guessed it was a plane that landed. After a bit
I saw another one.

There is not much traffic on the radio except the CG - I hear from
stations all the way from Mayport to Cape Hatteras. Did hear an Army
ship saying that it has hazardous cargo.

Later in the night, I heard the CG asking people if they'd seen
flares. Then the light dawned.

Those lights I saw were FLARES!!!


grandma Rosalie

Later on, after we got past Savannah I kept seeing these lights to
the east of us, and they seemed to be on a collision course or at
least they were stationary in relation to our boat and I didn't think
there were any ATON out there.. They were white.

Eventually, when some of the lights got higher above the horizon, I
figured out that it was the stars rising.

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one that has had that happen. For
me I saw a white light astern coming over the horizon. No problem. A little
bit later I saw a lower white light that appeared to be a ship coming
straight at us. I change course about 30 degrees and kept watching it as it
go brighter. The lights were still coming straight on so I changed course 60
degrees in the opposite direction. I got thinking about this situation and
was about to wake the off watch, but I wanted to make one more check and
there was the moon coming up. I had been looking at a star straight up over
the tip of the moon. It took me a while before I ever admitted that I was
being run down by the moon. Funny story now, but not on the late watch after
ten days of looking at nothing but an occasional ship and lots of ocean.

Leanne

In article , says...
I am glad to hear that I am not the only one that has had that happen. For
me I saw a white light astern coming over the horizon. No problem. A little
bit later I saw a lower white lig


Ok, now you've done it. War story time from an old bosun's mate..

I forget which particular ocean it was in, Med, Caribbean, North
Atlantic, South Atlantic, Aegean, take your pick.

In any case, I was standing watch on the right wing of the bridge one
night when the left wing lookout reported a, well, for want of a better
description, UFO off the port bow. The OD checked with CIC and they had
nothing on radar, he asked me if I saw it, which I didn't. He went out
on the wing, nothing, checked with CIC again, still nothing. I think he
was a little worried because we had been playing chicken with a couple
of Russian "trawlers" for most of the day.

I did see something out over the port bow but held my piece and let the
dance go on for about fifteen minutes before I let the OD off the hook
by telling him I strongly suspected the UFO reported was the full moon
that had come up over the horizon. It was.


--
MikeG
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net

One moonless night I was sailing up the bay , looking for the red
light to make the turn towards Fairlee Creek. I spotted it, headed
towards it but when I looked again it was a green light. Went below,
checked the charts. Back up top , found the red light again. Next
thing I know it turned YELLOW. Finally realized it was a traffic
light on shore, a few miles before my buoy.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
otnmbrd wrote:

Getting disoriented from lights can happen even to those of us who
do a
lot of night "sailing".
Sometimes it's from a clear night where you can see lights you
normally
don't see, or just a slightly new angle of approach to a familiar
landfall.
Good reason to use more than one method of navigation, whenever
possible.

Last winter we went offshore more than usual, so I usually found
myself standing the watch in the wee hours in the morning as Bob
can't
sleep early in the night and I can.

We were going south off Georgia and I was keeping a lookout for
ships
on the horizon. I dodged some freighters, saw some more dolphins
and
saw a meteor. We were hearing radio traffic from Charleston, and
Savannah both. That gives me some warning when the big ships say
they
are going out the channel.

The stars are very bright except on the west near shore where I can
see the glow in the sky from the various cities we pass - first
Charleston and then I guess Beaufort (dimmer) and then Savannah.

There are big rollers coming from the east, but the surface of the
water is pretty smooth There's also some kind of strobe thing east
of
us.

Later on, after we got past Savannah I kept seeing these lights to
the east of us, and they seemed to be on a collision course or at
least they were stationary in relation to our boat and I didn't
think
there were any ATON out there.. They were white.

Eventually, when some of the lights got higher above the horizon, I
figured out that it was the stars rising.

Then the following spring, we were going north from Charleston to
the
Cape Fear River and I saw a bright light in the western sky. A ship?
Where would a ship be coming from? It's all marshland over there.

No - it's too big and too high up for a ship - plus I can't see any
red or green lights.

A lighthouse? Can't find any lighthouses on the charts over on that
shore, and again it's too high up.

There's no moon tonight, and I know stars don't rise in the west, so
it can't be a star this time and it's too bright.

A plane taking off? But it doesn't seem to get higher. Eventually
the
light goes away, so I guessed it was a plane that landed. After a
bit
I saw another one.

There is not much traffic on the radio except the CG - I hear from
stations all the way from Mayport to Cape Hatteras. Did hear an Army
ship saying that it has hazardous cargo.

Later in the night, I heard the CG asking people if they'd seen
flares. Then the light dawned.

Those lights I saw were FLARES!!!


grandma Rosalie