First of all, welcome.
There's been quite a bit of discussion above about offshore passages (which I love, so nothing against them), but I'm wondering if you are asking about being "inshore" and maybe just running out of daylight.
Are you planning to get an offshore capable powerboat? If so, let us know. If not, then my thought is let's back up slightly.
Coastal or inshore cruising is all about planning. You spend time first thinking on a high level and working backwards (eg are there seasons I don't want to be in this area, is the river in flood at this time of year, etc.).
Once you have got past that and you are into your day to day boating, the planning doesn't stop. It's every day. What is the weather? What is happening with aids to navigation? How about locks or bridges? What about tides/currents/wind? Where are a few places I could stop for the night and when do I need to get underway taking all of the above in consideration? (Coastal/inshore actually takes more planning in a way.)
Based on all of the above, it's not like you're going to head out in the morning and then all of a sudden "Gee, what do you know, it's getting dark and here I am, and gosh it's too deep to anchor, what a surprise." You've already known all day (and you continue to plan/assess as you go), what your options are, your first choice plan, your second choice plan, and maybe a couple of boltholes just in case. Because when underway (especially solo) you are constantly checking everything: Charts, weather, out the window, gauges, other traffic, daylight, wind, progress, tides, etc.
In the morning, even though you checked it all the night before, you double check the weather, have a look at your plans, get some food and beverage ready, and think about the sequence of how you are going to pull anchor or get away from the dock.
So, in summary, although it's not like you would never find yourself figuring something out in the dark (you could have a long wait for a lock and it gets dark, etc.), it's not something that is just going to "happen" randomly.
If you do plan to go offshore, then that's a different animal, starting with the boat you choose and outfit. Maybe you could let us know if that is your plan. In some ways, that changes everything (it's still boating, but requires "more" boat, and some different thoughts).
I expect to be a solo skipper alone on my boat. If the water I find myself in is too deep to drop anchor, and I'm tired and need sleep, how do I keep from drifting aimlessly for 8 hours.
There's been quite a bit of discussion above about offshore passages (which I love, so nothing against them), but I'm wondering if you are asking about being "inshore" and maybe just running out of daylight.
Are you planning to get an offshore capable powerboat? If so, let us know. If not, then my thought is let's back up slightly.
Coastal or inshore cruising is all about planning. You spend time first thinking on a high level and working backwards (eg are there seasons I don't want to be in this area, is the river in flood at this time of year, etc.).
Once you have got past that and you are into your day to day boating, the planning doesn't stop. It's every day. What is the weather? What is happening with aids to navigation? How about locks or bridges? What about tides/currents/wind? Where are a few places I could stop for the night and when do I need to get underway taking all of the above in consideration? (Coastal/inshore actually takes more planning in a way.)
Based on all of the above, it's not like you're going to head out in the morning and then all of a sudden "Gee, what do you know, it's getting dark and here I am, and gosh it's too deep to anchor, what a surprise." You've already known all day (and you continue to plan/assess as you go), what your options are, your first choice plan, your second choice plan, and maybe a couple of boltholes just in case. Because when underway (especially solo) you are constantly checking everything: Charts, weather, out the window, gauges, other traffic, daylight, wind, progress, tides, etc.
In the morning, even though you checked it all the night before, you double check the weather, have a look at your plans, get some food and beverage ready, and think about the sequence of how you are going to pull anchor or get away from the dock.
So, in summary, although it's not like you would never find yourself figuring something out in the dark (you could have a long wait for a lock and it gets dark, etc.), it's not something that is just going to "happen" randomly.
If you do plan to go offshore, then that's a different animal, starting with the boat you choose and outfit. Maybe you could let us know if that is your plan. In some ways, that changes everything (it's still boating, but requires "more" boat, and some different thoughts).
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