Night Sailing
Course list at the bottom of the page
At Copenhagen Sailing School we have night sailing courses throughout the summer. The course is aimed at those of you who already have a complete sailing certificate and would like to try your hand at navigating and sailing at night.
On this course, the students themselves help to plan the sailing and generally use everything they learned from the proficiency course.
The course starts (depending on the season) 1.5 hours before sunset where we prepare the sails. We sail out just before it gets dark and continue all night until the sun rises again.
Ready to sail
Night sailing is a new chapter for many and it is therefore important that we prepare the boat for the night's activities before sunset. Night watches must be planned, the engine checked, loose objects stowed out of the way, safety equipment, lights and lanterns must be checked and made easily accessible and of course we also check the weather.
Dressed for the dark
From sunset to sunrise, it can get cold at sea, even in summer. Your clothing is therefore important to make night sailing a comfortable experience. The best way to stay warm is with several layers covered with something wind and waterproof, so you can easily regulate how much you wear.
Safety at night
The most important safety equipment is your life jacket. Regardless of whether it is light or dark, we always wear a life jacket when we are on the water. If necessary, attach a small waterproof flashlight to the vest in case a man overboard situation should arise in the dark. For the same reason, it is also important to have lifelines attached to the crew and ship, especially for the person on watch. The key to safety at night lies in visibility.
Light
It takes a while (about 20 minutes) for our natural night vision to kick in – and that’s where the magic begins. While you should have a good spot light available, you should keep it turned off so that the light doesn’t prevent your eyes from adjusting to the dark. That said, there are situations where a bright, on-board light makes nighttime sailing much safer. For example, when entering a harbor, navigating, or identifying an unknown object in the water.
There are established standards for light displays suitable for navigation at night, these work for both vessels and various navigation aids, here we will use the ship's chart plotter and other instruments. We will sail relatively close to ship routes so that we can identify the different types of vessels and their activity, and analyze the different lighthouses we pass.
Night watch
Due to the reduced visibility at night, it is incredibly important to keep a proper or heightened lookout. This is easiest during a full moon, but without a full moon everything is dark out there! In that case, there are various factors that dictate our night watch plan.
Navigation
Our chartplotter shows us where we are all the time and that is of course a huge safety feature, but before we can use it we need to make sure our coordinates are clear when we set our course for the night.
Once you have mastered the basic areas and procedures on your boat, you will be ready to enjoy the special experiences that night sailing can provide.
Prices
The course costs 2990,- DKK.
Waiting list
The link “Waiting List” is displayed next to all classes that are registered. The waiting list works like all other registrations on a “first come, first served” basis. If you choose to be registered, the time and date of your registration will be recorded. In the event of a cancellation, the first person registered will be offered a place on the class in question. Registration on the waiting list only applies to the individual class for which you are registered.
If you want to be put on the waiting list for the team in question, you must note the team number, click on the “Waiting List” link and fill in the fields on the Waiting List page.
Course list
Saturday 9:00 PM – Sunday 5:00 AM
| Holdnr | Hold | Pladser | Tilmeld |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2080 | Natsejlads 10.05.2025 kl 21.00 | Fullsubscribed | Tilmeld |
| 2082 | Night Sailing 09.08.2025 at 21.00 | 1 Seats available | Tilmeld |
| 2084 | Natsejlads 16.08.2025 kl 21.00 | 4 Seats available | Tilmeld |
