Singlehanding - Sleeping - Good Idea ?

[Seeratlas]

Kan, the diff is that this one stores the previous sweep in memory, then compares the new one. Lots better than the preset density types and if the sea state deteriorates, its wakes you up to take a look at that also.
In some ways, better than a set of sleepy eyes..

One other thing I've had on board that is nice is a set of night vision goggles or the less expensive cam corder looking version. For really bad visibility conditions, it rocks the house. Very inexpensive also.

seer

Originally Posted by Kanani

Most radars have a "Sleep" mode now.

They go on at a set interval and make a few sweeps. If they pick up anything "Heavier" than the preset density, the alarm will sound and it will stay live. If it see's nothing, it will go back to sleep.

I set mine at 10 minutes and a 6 mile radius. It goes off several times a day/night and 90% of the time it's a false alarm. The rougher the seas. the more false alarms. Breaking seas will set off the alarm unless the sensitivity is set way low.

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by Seeratlas

Kan, the diff is that this one stores the previous sweep in memory, then compares the new one. Lots better than the preset density types and if the sea state deteriorates, its wakes you up to take a look at that also.
In some ways, better than a set of sleepy eyes..

One other thing I've had on board that is nice is a set of night vision goggles or the less expensive cam corder looking version. For really bad visibility conditions, it rocks the house. Very inexpensive also.

seer

In an open seaway, I don't see the advantage of storing "an image". Every image will be different even if there is nothing out there, especially on a sailboat where the horizon is constantly changing. Maybe I'm missing something.

The "Sleep mode" radar are far superior to human eyes (or dependability). As you mentioned. It only sleeps for set amounts of time and sees far better/farther than any human. We set ours and go to bed (if we are 100+ miles from any land). We still get disturbed if the sea is rough but I feel that our sleep is much better quality sleep because I don't feel like I have to be "prepared" to wake up any second. In fact, I would seldom leave my bunk to check the horizon because I could see the radar screen from my bunk. Even If I see a ship on the screen, I can track it while laying in bed. Normally, it would be heading in some un-threatening direction.

It will also pick up squalls before they hit you "un-announced". You can track the squall to see if it's going to be a problem or not. To ME......this is essential for crossing the ITCZ. The squalls will keep you taking down sails and hoisting them back up every hour, if you can't track them. If you can track them, a slight course change may do the trick.

[spencer53]

Read the first few posts then hopped to the end to put in "radar guard alarm" but see that has already been discussed. I was wondering why I didn't see it mentioned sooner.

[luckyjack77]

i want to buy a wind vane self steering gear and would appreciate any help in my decision. my vessel is 39 feet and full keel. about 18000 pounds.

[svbeausoleil]

Dear Lucky Jack,
I love wind vanes. They are much better than automatic pilots, given wind. I circumnavigated once with a Navik on a 24 footer and once with a hydrovane on a 41 footer. Both were great. The hydrovane didn't oversteer as much but that might be because of the boat. Read about these at:

education.of.a.falcon - Â*Â* Â*Â* The Education of a Falcon

The first bit is totally free.

I like the hydrovane better as it can be used as an aux. rudder, they tailor each one to fit your boat, and it is extremely robust.
Hope this helps,
good luck, Your boat doesn't have to be perfect to leave.

Capt. Mike

[Rez]

I'm sorry I hit you dan! Honest.

[Rez]

I've tried two on two off watches and they didn't fit, got exhausted. But three on and three off, or four on and four off are fine. It took me awhile to adjust to 3 on/off. But when I did I felt quite normal (we do not want to overblow the positive aspects of me feeling normal). I've known people who were very comfortalbe with 20 minutes sleep then up, for days at a time.

I suspect we all have different adjustabilities in our inner clocks. Or, some of us are just sack hounds. Like me!

[seagypsywoman]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I have been mulling this one over - It seems that if you are within 12-18 hours of the coast you should be on deck and alert. This is where the traffic is. If you are coastal hopping I think planning for evening anchorages is prudent if possible.

If you are >18 hours off shore, avoid shipping lanes and get all the alarms and perhaps a radar with alarm.

I met a single hander a few months back that had a collision with a fishing boat. I understand the need to single hand but by definition you are violating the regs regarding lookouts.

I'd be a little peeved if I was hit by someone asleep at the wheel.

If you were hit by someone asleep at the wheel, means you were asleep too at the same time - it takes two people asleep to have a collision.

[seagypsywoman]

Originally Posted by GordMay

There may be more safety in visibility than in position.

We used to transit Cat/Gunn Cay to Nassau, Bahamas. Often we’d overnight on the Banks, nearby the Russel Beacon (about 60nm East of Cat, & 25 nm West of Chubb).
Typically, we might anchor “all alone” about 1 nm north of the Beacon, at around 4:00 PM, and be asleep by 8:00 PM.
By the time I awoke at 4:00 AM, there might be as many as a dozen boats anchored about us. I suspect they presumed that we new something “special”.
We didn’t - we were just trying to stay off the “magenta line” between Chubb Cay & Cat Cay.
I suspect our safety was more due to the proximate constellation of multiple anchor lights, than to our position “off” the usual route.

This reminded me of one time sailing down the coast between Neah Bay and San Francisco and heaving to in the middle of a fishing fleet on a bank. Our logic was that we wouldn't get run down by a big ship since it would avoid the fishing boats and the fishing boats were moving slowly and would see us since they were awake working.

[KBT]

I don,t think I would be sleeping only 10mls from land, you were very lucky! Bill.

[imagine2frolic]

In 93 I left S.F. Bay single-handed. The first night was feezing cold. Going below made me sick. The cold kept me from sleeping as I layed on the feezing cockpit floor. By the time the sun came up I was tired enough to start napping with the cooking alarm on.

The first night set my pattern, and I would take very short naps at night. During the day I would take longer naps. I would sail one to 4 days at a time, and never really felt drained with this timing.

Returning to S.F. my autopilot went dead after leaving Cabo. I handsteered for 36 hours, and somewhere in the middle I hove to to sleep for a couple of hours. By the time I got to Magdellena Bay. My compass had turned into a floating foot, and I kept hallucinating breakers. Finally I was wakened by a crashing sound. I woke up to see I was close to the cliff, and headed straight for the breakers.

My first thought was I came in this way I have to get out this way. I did a 180, and tied off the tiller to look at the chart. I got around the breakers, and inside the bay. The stars started to look like Escher paintings. I motored up into the bay 5 miles, and got the anchor set. I slept the sleep of the dead for 12 hours.

Now that I sail with my wife. We have a very loose schedule at night. She is a night person, so I go to sleep around 8, or 9pm. She likes to do the night watch until about 2, or 3am. Then it's my shot, and when the sun comes up Iam re-energized. I let her sleep as long as she wants, and then we nap during the day with us alternating watch during the day as needed.

[KBT]

Originally Posted by luckyjack77

i want to buy a wind vane self steering gear and would appreciate any help in my decision. my vessel is 39 feet and full keel. about 18000 pounds.

My first Hydrovane was on a 20t steel Roberts, the second is on a 32ft Nicholson, if there is the merest breath of wind it works on any point, amazing bit of kit. Bill.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by seagypsywoman

If you were hit by someone asleep at the wheel, means you were asleep too at the same time - it takes two people asleep to have a collision.

I understand the sentiment and the regs are clear that we should ultimately avoid each other but your response seems to indicate that it is OK for one person to be asleep becuase the other person should not be asleep.

If you follow that logic then everyone can be asleep.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by seagypsywoman

If you were hit by someone asleep at the wheel, means you were asleep too at the same time - it takes two people asleep to have a collision.

I have a different take on this response than Dan did...

I think she means that if you are responsible and take care of making sure your vessel has a proper watch, and *you* are not asleep, you will have little worry of collision.

A little personal responsibility goes a long way, because she's right... it takes two people not paying attention to have a collision. If you always pay attention, you'll always be safe, regardless of what other idiot out there isn't paying attention.

[Ex-Calif]

I probably had my tongue a little in my cheek. There will always be single handers and it's a fact of sailing. I should and will always keep a look out so the single handers can do their thing ;-)

However if I am on the hook, maybe below decks with mechanical trouble or for some reason get restricted in my ability to avoid someone ( i.e. pinched on a shore) I still will be teed off if the other guy is sleeping and hits me.

I guess my only point was that within a day of the channel, port or shore the skipper oughtta plan to be awake.