Sleeping during long passage.

[Frugal]

A few of the attitudes I have taken with long passages.
If you are clear of fixed objects keep moving. It will shorten your exposure time.
Get your head down as often as you can. Night or day. A reserve of sleep will be of benefit when you need to stay awake. Also allows your body to keep in a lighter sleep state for shorter periods.
An uncomfortable site ( Nav station, cockpit cushion, full bladder ) shortens your period of inattention.
After 22 years of "unscheduled events" I note that remarkably few were as a result of being asleep at the controls.
Cheers and a safe passage.

[AKA-None]

Remember you can’t save up sleep

[44'cruisingcat]

I've never done a passage single handed, so take this for what it's worth.

If it were me, I'd try to get most of my sleep during daylight.

There's no way you can see other vessels when you're asleep, but if it's daylight at least there's a very good chance of them seeing you.

[Simi 60]

Hi, did you buy catriona?

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Well, Brady 50, I can't imagine why you would take down your sails at night. Your autopilot should keep you on your course.

1. I'm concur with Ann on keeping your sails hoisted, trimmed, and drawing during the night. Why surrender an important component of your drive, stability (reduction of rolling etc), and visibility?

2. Have a look at a density map of vessel traffic on your planned route. You can use marinetraffic.com to make a density route. See attached BNE - NZ density map.gif, about 350 KB. Looking at the density map, can you identify safe places to sleep? (the colour code bar at the right hand edge is the density of vessels)

3. Think about the killing zone. Imagine a circle centred on your vessel that is 4 nautical miles in radius. That's your killing zone - the zone in which you get killed, not the zone in which you do any killing. How long - in minutes - does a vessel doing 20 knots take to penetrate your killing zone? How long - in minutes - does a cargo ship doing 16 knots take to penetrate your killing zone?

[a64pilot]

With the sails up , if I turn on my foredeck light it illuminates them, and I’m way more visible to other boats. Spreader lights even moreso, but they are too bright and I can’t see well with them on.
I’ve contemplated a light from below to shine up and illuminate the sails similar to the way airliners illuminate the tail, but won’t likely get around to it.

[Brady 50]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Hi, did you buy catriona?

No.
I bought one of the few "Open Seas Passage Makers" that Brady designed & Build.

[JPA Cate]

That traffic density map is plenty food for thought, eh?

Brady 50, you've got me wondering now, if you have any night time single handing experience. If you do not, if this would be your first offshore passage, I strongly suggest that you find someone responsible to crew for you, or hire a delivery skipper. It is only my opinion, but i think it would make the overall quality of your life better.

Ann

[boatman61]

Regarding the sails.. I keep mine up and the boat sailing.. no point in losing mileage and you will have a steady course and speed for any shipping to make avoidance course changes to CPA's.
However.. I do reef my main right down at sunset and let my genoa do the driving that way if any bad weather/squalls strike while asleep I only have the headsail furler to work in the cockpit rather than stumbling around a dark and bouncy deck while half asleep.
Its not as tough as many make out and you will soon find and settle into your own risk tolerance routine..
Have a grand trip and tell us how it went when you reach the other end..

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

That traffic density map is plenty food for thought, eh?

The density map does show that no singlehander can sleep until they are much more than 120 nmiles E of the QLD coast. That's the mistake that a previous (and not without fame) singlehander made.

Similarly, there's no place to sleep as you approach the North Island.

In between, it's a case of your answer to Dirty Harry: just how lucky do you feel?

There's plenty of sea only crossed by 1 - 5 vessels carrying AIS (and broadcasting the signal including by satellite so their signal gets recorded by marinetraffic.com) a year.

No one has records of the vessels that are not transmitting AIS or that are transmitting AIS but not broadcasting it by satellite or otherwise having the signal retransmitted so it gets to marinetraffic. com.

We know , from Aus govt agencies, that some fishing vessels deliberately turn off AIS at times. We know that most cruisers with AIS are only transmitting AIS by VHF (such vessels only get recorded when they are close to a coast station that retransmits the signal, usually via the internet, to marinetraffic.com).

So you have to multiply the density of vessels off the coast by some factor. Pick a number.

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

I've never done a passage single handed, so take this for what it's worth.

If it were me, I'd try to get most of my sleep during daylight.

There's no way you can see other vessels when you're asleep, but if it's daylight at least there's a very good chance of them seeing you.

Originally Posted by boatman61

Regarding the sails.. I keep mine up and the boat sailing.. no point in losing mileage and you will have a steady course and speed for any shipping to make avoidance course changes to CPA's.
However.. I do reef my main right down at sunset and let my genoa do the driving that way if any bad weather/squalls strike while asleep I only have the headsail furler to work in the cockpit rather than stumbling around a dark and bouncy deck while half asleep.

+++ Words of wisdom...

[Neptune's Gear]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Either you take on at least one other person to keep an adequate watch while you sleep, or you sail without insurance, against the laws, and with some extra risk, no matter how many bells and alarms you have set.

Not my experience. I have had, and will have, insurance when single handed. The colregs say lookout by by all available means. It does not say you have to have a person on watch at all times IIRC.
So you are saying that the vendee globe, and, more appropriately the solo tasman race is illegal?
Ive done the tasman 8 times, including the solo tasman race. I'm still here....
your opinion is based on????

[Maka]

If you hit something, or get hit, it will ruin the whole trip. Perhaps more.


They say it takes 6 hrs. sleep to achieve REM sleep.
I believe its less if you are exhausted and or REM sleep deprived..... in any case it is several.
I not only want to make the passage I am on, I want the boat and I to be available for the next one.
Color me cautious.

[Dr. Sea]

Originally Posted by Brady 50

I am in my mid 70s tried to get a "Boat Buddy" (share 50/50 diesel BYO food & drinks).
The first guy turn out to be a drunk.
The second guy turn out to have mental problems.
Hence my only choice is to try boating singlehanded.

This may be your problem, trying to find good crew for free. Feed your crew and buy your own diesel. Taking considerable risk and subjecting yourself to physical punishment is not your only choice.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sea

This may be your problem, trying to find good crew for free. Feed your crew and buy your own diesel. Taking considerable risk and subjecting yourself to physical punishment is not your only choice.

Yep. When we took on extra crew for the trip to Vanuatu we didn't expect them to pay for anything. We paid their airfares back home afterwards.