Sleeping during long passage.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by ErikSteenberg

I’ve never come across a boat in the open ocean that doesn’t have it. I have a receiver only

Am I missing something here ... or is this a bit contradictory? Every boat that meets you will have come across a boat that wasn't transmitting AIS.

[philiosophy]

I believe relying on electronics to keep you safe is foolhardy. There are many things that donT always show up on electronics. Most singlehanders I know sleep for short periods and still spend most of their time in the cockpit with a tomer to wake them periodically. Its less safe to single hand to be sure. That said Iknow know of several boats with at least two people aboard that both go to bed at night. It takes a hell of a lot longer to figure out what went wrong let alone deal with it if you are coming out of a dead sleep from your bunk. Single handers have no choice but to get some sleep when underway. Better than giving up the life.

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by ErikSteenberg

Mostly fishing vessels and coastal sailors don’t have AIS. I’ve never come across a boat in the open ocean that doesn’t have it. I have a receiver only (reason budget) but its good enough for me.

You say that you’ve never come across one, but you’re one right there. Of course you don’t see the boats without ais, because they don’t appear on your ais!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by StuM

1. where atmospheeric conditions are conducive to tropospheric ducting

Oh man. Just wow. Coming out of Annapolis while zoomed way out to talk about our route down the Chesapeake Bay we saw an AIS target in Thimble Shoal Channel. We digressed (I'm good at digression - oh look! A squirrel!) to talk about AIS and VHF propagation. When I started talking about tropospheric ducting their eyes glazed over. *grin*

[Jim Cate]

I’ve never come across a boat in the open ocean that doesn’t have it. I have a receiver only (reason budget) but its good enough for me.

Umm, Eric, when you get out there yourself, YOU are a vessel without AIS as far as others are concerned. There are still plenty of yachts who transit open waters without AIS transmitters. Likely they all have the same attitude that you do...

I'll agree that few ships lack the device, though, and that is of great benefit to all of us who voyage in small boats.

Jim

[JPA Cate]

This thread has really drifted.

Brady 50 wanted to learn about singlehand sleep management, and Boatman 61 told him what he does way back in the beginning.

Anyone else out there with experience of sleep management while singlehanding on passage, please chime in.

Ann

[Jimmyhenry]

Last trip to Tonga from NZ we saw several trader size ships which had no AIS signal. Several yachts in our group reported the same by VHF so we were alerted, but not by AIS.

I still think it is the best alarm on board for passages. I think send/ receive is much better than just receive. Far more effective than radar reflectors.
I have done many passages, and have never on any have we had the radar on continuously as a means of alarm. Too power hungry, and a bit unreliable. Good for rain/squalls though.

Last trip back from Noumea we had over 30 gales, and two storm conditions. Spent 80% of the trip hunkered down below trying to sleep, too wet to be in the cockpit.

Pete

[model 10]

I trust my fate. I got in 7 hrs of sleep along the north coast of Cuba doing 3.9 knots with Aries in control.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by ErikSteenberg

I’ve never come across a boat in the open ocean that doesn’t have it. I have a receiver only

Ever looked in a mirror?
To everyone else you encounter, you are "a boat in the open ocean that doesn't have it."

[Tricolor]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

........Most singlehanders I know sleep for short periods and still spend most of their time in the cockpit with a timer to wake them periodically.........

That's what I also always say, safes a lot of discussions.

[boatman61]

When/If I buy another boat I think I will opt for the AIS that transmits and recieves..
On my last delivery UK-Greece the boat was equiped with one.. several commercial vessels called us to say they were or had altered course to make a larher CPA.

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by conachair

Cant think of one either. Still wouldnt like to be out there without radar though.
Enjoy Jacare, was there for months

Its a crazy place... thank you

[ErikSteenberg]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Am I missing something here ... or is this a bit contradictory? Every boat that meets you will have come across a boat that wasn't transmitting AIS.

The ocean is a big place...

[Training Wheels]

Originally Posted by boatman61

When/If I buy another boat I think I will opt for the AIS that transmits and recieves..
On my last delivery UK-Greece the boat was equiped with one.. several commercial vessels called us to say they were or had altered course to make a larher CPA.

That has been our experience. We have seen many ships alter course 10 to 15 miles away to avoid us. On our last passage we had light and variable winds and our course was all over the place. A ship called 8 miles out to ask us our intentions.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

This thread has really drifted.

Brady 50 wanted to learn about singlehand sleep management, and Boatman 61 told him what he does way back in the beginning.

Anyone else out there with experience of sleep management while singlehanding on passage, please chime in.

Ann

My longest single handed passage was I think 10 days. Never crossed the atlantic, never been in any sort of small boat in the Pacific. But FWIW after two days of 10 minute catnaps in the cockpit, I was like a zombie. After 4 days I seemed to suddenly be quite well adjusted to my new sleep pattern. Or else, I was just adjusted to being a zombie, one or the other. Hard to say. The trick for me was scanning the horizon and near ahead , verifying my red and green and stern were burning, and then nodding back off without fully awakening, if that makes any sense. Two independent bilge pumps and alarms. No juice for the pumps would have meant no juice for the lights, too. Egg timer was my best friend, guardian of my life and the boat, my worst enemy, and my cruel slave driver, all rolled up into one. At the end of the voyage I smashed it into a trillion pieces but almost cried when I did it.



Daylight hours were mostly filled with fixing stuff. So then, I guess I was sort of a handyzombie. It's not for everyone, but it seems to work well for some.


One calm night I did drop the rags and hang two reds up on the mast, slept all night and into the morning. Felt very strange to wake up between sheets. REALLY strange. like a really wierd episode of twilight zone, or an acid trip. AIS would have been lovely if it had been invented yet, or a radar with a proximity alarm that wouldn't have drained the batts in a couple hours.