On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:49:58 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

True. I've been out on the lake at night or at least past sunset, and
I even shut my instrument lights off so they're not glaring bak at me.
Ocassionally I flip them on to check the tach, oil pressure and water
temp, but that's at a quick glance then back off they go. Oh yeah, I'm
occasionally lurking around with a hand held 3 mil. candle power light
too.

If anchored you should be displaying an all around (360 degreee) white
light, otherwise your running lights should be on. Lots of people
run small boats at night with no lights at all but it's almost totally
their fault if hit.

Given the amount of damage and the ejection of occupants, it is easy
to make the case that the Bayliner was traveling at an unsafe speed in
the Miami incident. Very few boats that size have radar but it
really is very helpful at night. Every year boaters get killed or
seriously injured from running into things in the dark.