MOON PHASES - AN EMBARRASSING FACT OF MY CRUISING LIFE

I sailed 9000 miles from Puerto Penasco, Mexico across the Pacific all the way to New Zealand.

Puerto Penaso to Cabo San Lucas - 7 days. Cabo San Lucas to Marquesas Islands - 24 days. Marquesas to Tuamotus - 5 days. Tuamotus to Tahiti - 4 days. Bora Bora to American Samoa - 9 days. Samoa to Tonga - 5 days. Tonga to New Zealand - 11 days. The major passages to New Zealand totaled around 65 days and nights at sea. So why was this offshore voyage an embarrassing fact of my cruising life? During those 65 nights at sea, I never once paid attention to the phase of the moon, when it would rise, and when it would set. I distinctly remember sailing through the night wondering when and if the moon would rise that night.

I don't like sailing at night when there is no visible moon in the sky. The night is extremely black, and I can’t see the ocean, the waves or the clouds. The only way I know there are clouds is when I can't see stars in a quadrant of the sky, and I know that the stars have been blotted out by clouds.

When there is no visible moon, there is an excellent view of the Milky Way. As much as I like looking at the Milky Way, I would rather have the moon lighting up my path across the ocean.

If I had paid attention to the phase of the moon, I would have known when and how long the moon would be up at night.

The moon phases correlate with moonrise/set and sunrise/set times. The moon goes through different phases based on its position relative to the Earth and the Sun. The main phases are new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter.

Each phase affects when the moon is visible in the sky.

With the New Moon, the moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so it rises and sets with the sun (approximately around sunrise and sunset). The new moon is invisible because when you look at the moon, you are looking into the sun. With the First Quarter Moon, the moon is 90 degrees ahead of the sun, rising around noon and setting around midnight.

With the Full Moon, the moon is opposite the sun, rising at sunset and setting at sunrise.

The Last Quarter Moon, the moon is 90 degrees behind the sun, rising around midnight and setting around noon.

If I had simply looked up in the night sky and noted whether the moon was waxing or waning, I would have known whether and when the moon would be visible at night.

The moon's position relative to the Earth and the sun determines when it rises and sets.

The moon's phases repeat every 29.531 days, which is known as a synodic month.

The moon rises 30 to 70 minutes later each day because it moves 13 degrees each day.

On my next ocean passage, I will pay attention to the phase of the moon so I will know whether the moon will be visible at night.

New Moon - This phase occurs when the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight. It is invisible to the naked eye. The Sun's glow hides the Moon. The New Moon transits about the same time as the Sun - rising and setting with the Sun.

Waxing Crescent - The visible Moon is partly but less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight, and the illuminated part is increasing. The Waxing Crescent Moon transits less than 6 hours after the Sun. It rises in the east after sunrise and before noon. In the northern hemisphere, it's seen in the southern sky after 12 noon and in the western night sky just after sunset appearing higher in the sky with each successive evening. It sets before midnight. In the southern hemisphere the timing is the same, but the moon is in the northern sky.

First Quarter - One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight, and the illuminated part is increasing. The Moon is ninety degrees from the Sun. The First Quarter Moon transits 6 hours after the Sun. It rises in the east at about noon and sets in the west 6 hours after the Sun around midnight. Right half of the moon illuminated in the northern hemisphere, and the left half of the moon is illuminated in the southern hemisphere.

Waxing Gibbous - The Moon is more than one-half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight, and the illuminated part is increasing. It rises in the east after 12 noon and before sunset. It is seen after sunset and before midnight and sets after midnight and before sunrise.

Full Moon - The visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The Full Moon the Sun and Moon are in opposition. The Full Moon transits 12 hours after the Sun. It rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, and the moon sets in the west at sunrise.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon is partly but more than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight, and the illuminated part is decreasing. The Waning Gibbous Moon transits more than 12 and less than 18 hours after the Sun. With each successive night after the Full Moon, the waning Moon rises in the east about 48 minutes later until it is rising in the early morning hours. It appears before sunrise and sets in the afternoon.

Last Quarter - This phase occurs when one-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight, and the illuminated part is decreasing. The Moon is ninety degrees from the Sun. The Last Quarter Moon transits 6 hours before the Sun. This Moon rises in the east in the early morning hours, and sets in the west 6 hours before the Sun. Left half of moon is illuminated in the northern hemisphere. The right half of the moon is illuminated in the southern hemisphere.

Waning Crescent - The Moon is less than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight and the illuminated part is decreasing. The Waning Crescent transits less than 6 hours before the Sun. It rises less than 6 hours before the Sun, and sets less than 6 hours before the Sun.

Captain Dave - Real Ocean Cruiser