There is a more than a wee bit of ambiguity on what "boat safety" means in the context of how it is being used in this thread. In the implied meaning, I believe the false conclusion was that it means night time navigation. Okay, yup, not useful for that. Though I might say that in an anchorage, at very close range of a couple hundred feet, I think you could easily pick out floating logs, moorage buoys and other items, so maybe not entirely a loss there either.
For other "boat safety" items, it is extremely useful. Statistically the most dangerous item on your boat capable of causing fires is your electrical. This is the kind of device that has tremendous potential for spotting safety related issues in this regard and in my experience they are both common in existence and even more common in being overlooked or ignored as electricity in most boaters minds is more of an invisible unfathomable concept.
In fact, the more I start using these sub $200 infra red devices, the more I realize I wished I had spent a couple thousand on an equivalent device even just a few years ago.
Hardly just a novelty toy and I'm at a loss that anyone can't immediately realize it. It did not cross my mind when I made light of sneaking up on the errant raccoon that the value these things was not immediately apparent.
