That cigarette at a mile example is in true darkness. Near shore, it's rarely truly dark. When there are a bunch of other light sources around, it becomes dramatically harder to see something small like a nav light. The bigger and brighter it is, the more easily it will be seen among the other light spots and general background light
I used to hang out with alcoholic hospital administrators from Vancouver General Hospital back in the 70's. A friend of mine bought a Taiwanese built sailboat, heavy displacement 37 feet. When it came to going out in just about anything, we were undaunted. He kept his boat at Pt. Roberts as there was a Canadian rule that if you brought back a boat older than two years, you didn't have to pay duty on it. Many boats at that time in Pt. Roberts were Canadian, waiting out the required time before being brought in country.
We would leave work at 4:30, drive to Pt. Roberts, climb aboard in late October, November, December, January through to the end of march. Due to sunset times in the fall, winter and spring, we were leaving in the dark and arriving at Friday or Roche Harbor in the dark.
At one point, I realized I had done more sailing in the dark under some heavy weather across the Strait of Georgia than in the light. This encouraged me to sail with leased boats from friends I used and eventually my own sailboat in the dark.
I never had any problems making out running lights. A few times I would have cheerfully exploded at barge towers whose barge was either absent a light, the battery have long ago died. Or a stern light on the barge so dim even a sniper couldn't make it out.
The only other time I had a problem was at night in the summer. I had taken out a Tanzer 26 sailboat solo just to putter around under power to see the night lights from Vancouver and North Vancouver. As I was mucking about this very bright blinding, kind of orange light, begins to close on me at a very high rate of speed. I get in a dither for about 30 seconds as the light doesn't make sense and it is a light moving faster than anything I had seen moving in Vancouver Harbour.
Now Vancouver Harbour is very busy, even in the evening. Aircraft are taking off and landing, the Seabuses are running. Freighters and container ships are at anchor and moving about usually under tug power. There are charter boat tours, dinner cruises, pleasure cruisers, etc. And I was used to all this which was why this light had me is a dizzy because I didn't know what it meant, and whether I was in the landing area of an aircraft since it was moving so fast.
Turned out to be an idiot cigarette boat owner who had more boat than brains. He obviously didn't appreciate lights mean something on crafts at night. Had no idea this bright spot light mount right on the bow was blinding and was moving far to fast than the area, situation and traffic warranted. As he moved on, I only wished him the worst of luck.
