Anxiety from Offshore Cruising

[jalmberg]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I have a fair number of offshore miles and still have anxiety before taking off on a long passage. We settled in nicely after a day or two.
Best thing you can do is crew on some offshore passages with an experienced skipper. It's mostly mundane out there, occasionally interrupted with moments of shear terror.

As is so often the case, the first answer is the best.



Definitely crew with someone more experience. You will learn a lot, and in particular, you will learn that you do not have to be super-sailor (or superman) to sail offshore. The two requirements are 1) a sound boat, and 2) the nerve to get out there.


'Sheer terror' is a bit of a cliche. I would rather say that your nerve will be tested, eventually. Again, its a lot easier to face this when crewing on someone else's boat.



The goal is for you to eventually say to yourself "Heck, I'm a better sailor than this bozo. If HE can do it, I sure can!"



That's when you know you are ready.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Mr B

[...]
They knew I was a novice sailor and learning, With the intention of sailing my boat to Australia,
I kept them in fits of laughter, But they didnt give me any bum steers,
[...]

Do you remember asking the classic question "What do you do at night? Anchor?" ?

Good story, thanks for sharing, Brian!

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

I remember the skippers meeting just before the start of one of the ARC crossings to Antigua when someone asked all those who have some fear or anxiety to raise their hand. Everyone did.

I guess that was one of the main reasons why they signed up in he first place?

Originally Posted by Lance Reynolds

[...]appropriately constructed MULTI HULL , in contrast to the most definately will sink half boats that foolishly attach a ton of can you believe it lead ! ?[...]

Too funny, Lance!

Originally Posted by MartinR

Does every thread on this forum end up with a multihull/sailboat post?

Absolutely! That or politics...


Finally this quote takes the cake, in my book:

Originally Posted by oceanshoretiga

I always joke that I don't fear the ocean because I lack imagination.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by hzcruiser

Do you remember asking the classic question "What do you do at night? Anchor?" ?

Good story, thanks for sharing, Brian!






I guess that was one of the main reasons why they signed up in he first place?





Too funny, Lance!





Absolutely! That or politics...


Finally this quote takes the cake, in my book:

In Fiji, I was on a swing mooring on Mololo, and the Marina at Denarue,
I slept well,

It wasnt untill I got to Vanuatu and tried the anchors for the first time that I realised I had problems with the anchors,
They both dragged, It was the start of my sleepless nights,
A Danforth and the Useless Chinese Claw,

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by wizoc

The more you learn the anxiety increases. But once you are off it tends to decrease.

As a fellow newbie, saving for my first boat, this post is spot on! All of the research that I'm doing makes me realize how much I DON'T know! It is a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

When I took my ASA 101/103 classes, I left feeling that I hadn't really learned anything! The sailing part is fairly easy... I feel that the hardest part of sailing is all in the periphery... decision making, crisis management, McGyverish repairs at sea, etc.

I used to do a lot of 4 wheeling in the Arizona desert, with topo's, back before GPS and cell phones. I have been in some pretty hairy situations in the middle of nowhere, but never panicked, and we always managed to get the truck home.

Hopefully those instincts will keep me alive at sea as well.

[Kenomac]

There’re less things to run into when sailing away from land. Not nearly as stressful as near the shore, but you need to be totally self-reliant.

[Suijin]

Whenever I leave the Chesapeake at the start of a long passage I breathe a huge sigh of relief. No more shallows and shoals, no more container ships barreling down the channel at 15 knots, no more fish traps, crab pots, 40’ floating logs, no more fluky winds or 4’ chop, no more “Radio check please” or seemingly endless pleas to the CG for help, no more being waked...

Any anxiety I have about being offshore (and it has little to do with whether land is in sight) is usually a function of weather. If you practice intelligent and diligent risk mitigation you’ve done all you can to prepare. It’s before you leave, during prep that the anxiety lurks because in truth there is always one more thing you can do to prepare, within reason. Once you’re out there it is what it is.

Experience counts for a lot. I did my first ocean crossing when I was 20, back in the days of Loran, on a wooden Rhodes ketch. We hit three gales. First one I was terrified. Second one I was mildly nervous. Third one I was mostly annoyed lol.

There is no substitute for crewing on a passage with an experienced well prepared skipper. You’ll learn more in a week of that than in years of reading books, particularly if you run into weather.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by boatingnewbie;2680274

Did any of you initially have anxiety or minor fear when you first started boating and went offshore? (i.e. couldn't see land anymore). [COLOR="Red"

yes and that seems a reasonable fear to have[/COLOR]

If so, how did you get over it? Does it just get easier the more you do it and the more confident you feel in your vessel and in your abilities? just go a little further as you get more comfortable

Been sailing 9 years now and cruising full time for 2 years. There's still lots of anxiety sometimes even to cross a 5 mile bay depending on conditions. IMO if you lose all your anxiety you are now off guard and foolish.

[Rogerfern]

I started with small cruises inland, anchoring overnight, learning boat and getting comfortable before going offshore.
Enjoy

[barnakiel]

Btw the way I feel it, cruising is always done inshore. Offshore, you are mostly SAILING.


ymmv


b.

[boatingnewbie]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Been sailing 9 years now and cruising full time for 2 years. There's still lots of anxiety sometimes even to cross a 5 mile bay depending on conditions. IMO if you lose all your anxiety you are now off guard and foolish.

I think this is very well said. When people get too comfortable is when they disrespect the elements and potential problems that can arise, often leaving people unprepared when trouble does happen.