[Capt. Debbie]

Having had to run back from Harbor tows are nigh into Sandy Hook you tolerate it as a necessary evil. Notice I never said used to it?

One thing to do if fishing is find a visual reference. It's so easy to get disoriented. I use the VZ. And the light up tower behind AHMM.

Pay close attention to your plotter. Most buoys are NOT lit. Collisions with steel buoys are catastrophic at even 10-15 knots. It's well above the waterline but personal injury is extreme. When near them verify where they are and have been passed if moving.

As Gerry pointed out, dial down your backlight on the instruments.

If anchored or stopped, the more lights on the better. The nav lights are to show you're there. And they are puny compared to spreader lights.

But running a boat at night is stressful . Is and will always be. Done dozens of 15 mile trips to and from NYC, from Raritan River to SH at night. They are NEVER relaxing.