The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. They're big and bright in the other 49 states, too, especially when seen from the deck of a boat on a warm night, just before you tuck yourself in to catch 40 winks. Even if you're not a stargazer, there's something special about occasionally spending the night on board your boat. It doesn't matter if you're on a 60-foot yacht or a 20-foot runabout ' the way the water gently rocks you to sleep, the way the water laps quietly against the hull, and the way the air is cleaner and clearer than on land all work together to make a night on board about as good as it gets. If you're of a certain youthful age, all you need when sleeping on board is a place to lay your weary head. But most boaters like a few more creature comforts, and a wee bit of preparation makes spending the night on the water even better.

Actually, a little prep work makes a night on the water better, even for the hardcore types who revel in sleeping on the deck without a mattress, pillow or blanket. OK, nothing makes anything better for those guys, but for the other 99.9 percent of boaters, it's a good first step to check out your boat before you leave and make sure you'll have at least the essentials ' again, the mattress, pillow and blanket ' on board.

Cuddies and cruisers obviously have built-in bedding, but if your boat's lacking in cushion, an air mattress is a good investment. When deflated, it's easily stored, and it also can come in handy for terrestrial camping trips or unexpected houseguests. You can get Coleman's queen-sized, double-thick Quickbed and a 120-volt inflator (www.coleman.com) for $70, a very reasonable investment. Just remember to also invest in a mattress pad of some sort. The air in the mattress can get very cool at night, so you'll need a layer of insulation between your body and the mattress itself.

You'll also need at least a couple more blankets than you would probably think. Even during a Louisiana summer, the air gets a lot cooler at night when you're surrounded by water than when you're on land. The smart play is to bring several light blankets so you can layer for maximum comfort, adding or subtracting blankets as necessary.

Also, if you're going to be sleeping in an enclosed berth, make sure you have a CO2 detector installed, that it works, and that it has fresh batteries, all before you leave for the water. CO2 is arguably the greatest danger you'll face when spending the night, but it is something you can easily monitor by simply making sure your berth has good ventilation (add an extra blanket so you can leave a window or door open) as well as a working CO2 detector. Besides, if you have a cuddy cabin or a cruiser, that CO2 detector is a good thing to have whenever you're out and there's a chance someone may be spending time below decks.

Before you leave, you should also file a float plan with someone that specifies where you're going and how long you'll be gone. This is especially important when you're spending the night somewhere. When you reach your destination, call your onshore contact to say you've arrived safely, and call again in the morning before you head for home. It's just smart boating.

If this is going to be a family outing, you might want to make sure there are some entertainment options on board to fend off boredom. (Actually, you might want to do this even if it's not going to be a family outing.) A satellite radio receiver such as the Delphi Sky-Fi boom box for XM Radio (www.xmradio.com) lets you listen to music (60 commercial-free channels) anywhere in the lower 48 without having to schlep along CDs.

A portable DVD player is also a good idea, but those aren't cheap. If you have a notebook computer with a built-in DVD player ' and most new models have DVD players ' then bring that instead of buying a new toy. In BW tests, Apple's 17-inch PowerBook (www.apple.com) had a better picture than a 17-inch television and could be used to log onto the Internet when connected to a Motorola T721 GSM cell phone (www.motorola.com).

Since it's an overnight trip, you might as well bring Rover and Rex along, right? Dogs love the water, plus you'll avoid the boarding kennel fee if they come. Kids and dogs should wear their PFDs at all times when on board; it's a good idea to leave them on the dogs even during the night in case they decide to take a midnight swim without telling you. This can, and should be, avoided by either using a tie-out that won't let the dogs go overboard or keeping them with you in the berth with the door closed.

Keeping an eye on the weather is a priority when overnighting on board. If there's any chance the skies will turn sour, call the whole thing off, and spend the night safely in your own bed. A weather radio is de rigueur. You can also use your computer and cell phone to connect to the Internet and
be able to keep tabs on the weather.

It's a good idea to find a place to settle and get situated well before the sun sets. You'll generally have one of three options when it comes to securing your boat for the night: mooring, docking or anchoring. Of these three, tying your boat to a mooring buoy is probably the easiest since all you have to do is follow the lead of other boats in the area and tie off accordingly. You'll normally use a bowline to secure your boat to the mooring buoy, but there may be instances where you'll tie off at the transom. One important note ' never tie up to a mooring buoy without permission, unless it's an emergency, because most mooring buoys are owned by somebody. Call the harbormaster, and make sure you follow the correct procedures. If you can't raise the harbormaster, ask a boater who's already tied up to be sure that you are doing things right.

Docking for the night is the next-easiest option. Again, never tie up to a dock for the night without permission. Call the harbormaster, and follow the rules. If you're in a tidal area, you'll need to set spring lines. For an excellent explanation of how you can correctly set dock lines, go online and look at www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/boating.

Anchoring is the most difficult way to secure your boat for the night, but like anything, anchoring gets easier with practice. There are three extremely important points to remember when anchoring your boat: Leave enough room between your boat and any obstacles, so you won't hit anything if the boat swings during the night (a very common occurrence); know the tides and anchor in deep-enough water to avoid grounding if the tide goes out during the night; and set the anchor securely enough to keep the boat from drifting. Once you've secured the boat for the night, all that's left for you to do is to kick back, relax, and enjoy those big and bright stars in the sky.