Specific concerns about night bow decks:
Heave rate rather than heave amplitude means, as suggested above, the deck can be moving a _lot_. I haven't had a 10m heave but I've had 8m. Although this was day time, the vessel, being a category 1 was within night limits with an IIRC, 0.7m/s heave rate. If you do not have the opportunity to position out of wind you may be doing a lateral landing with possibly no horizon to a boat that is moving 20-30 feet up and down with, I would suggest, a good chance of losing your visual cues if the vessel dips down as you move over the deck.
The landing I mention above was by the other LHS pilot, so we may have been slightly out of wind. However, from my seat, at one point I could see the tip of the boat, the next I could see nothing. Not a good position to be in when you have signed for the aircraft. And there are a large numbers of new pilots on the NS this winter. I know they do a lot more training nowadays but I wouldn't be surprised if they get through all that with a minimal number of unstable decks and even fewer bow ones.
The final issue I would raise is power margin. How many times are there large loads onto or off of boats? Most times I can recall being on and off a bow deck you have been at or above safety pitch.
As to the observation about us bleating about things that make us feel uncomfortable, I am sure we can differentiate those times when we feel out of our comfort zone because we are working hard and those where we feel that we are exposed to potentially hazardous events, disorientation, power failure, striking the stinger on the deck, etc.
Last edited by Ray Joe Czech; 28th Sep 2013 at 10:18.