Sleeping during long passage.

[Brady 50]

Hello every one.
I'm planing a trip from Bris to NZ later this year on my Brady 50 Passage maker.
I'm trying to work out how to arrange SLEEP.

How do you "Single Hands Folks" get sleep????

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Brady 50

Hello every one.
I'm planing a trip from Bris to NZ later this year on my Brady 50 Passage maker.
I'm trying to work out how to arrange SLEEP.

How do you "Single Hands Folks" get sleep????

Many opinions on how to do this.
Here are some previous threads where it has been discussed.

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...=1418j561718j5

_______

Singlehanded Sailing: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics by Andrew Evans.

Andrew Evans is a member of CF and posts under the forum name Foolish Muse. His book is good reading, full of insights into singlehanded sailing, including his own experience (800 times, 3500 hours singlehanded) and the experiences of other singlehanded sailors.

It is well worth the small price ($14 Paperback edition). It is available on amazon in two editions, paperback or kindle.

Get the latest edition (Sept 2014) as it contains new additional content over the earlier PDF version that was distributed for free online. The 2014 edition is also available as a kindle version ($13).

While you may still be able to find the free (earlier) version online, I encourage anyone to spend a little to compensate Andrew for writing such a good and helpful book.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9ICA12...ng=UTF8&btkr=1
________

Hope that helps.
Good luck.

[gmakhs]

Depends on the situation , either 20 mins sleep or even full hours .
Sometimes heave to to sleep , sometimes just stay ahull (where there is no wind )
In general is good to check every 20 to 30 minutes around .
If it's your first time practice on a small.passage ...

[Brady 50]

Sorry I need to add the vessel Brady 50 is a motor sailer we do NOT use sails at night.
Have ALL the latest electronics on board for alarms etc.

Thanks for yr replies it's a real problem for me to drive/sail without info single handed.

[captaingregger]

I’ve done many 1,000+ NM passages single-handed. Sleep is vital. Without it you get fatigued and you start to make really bad decisions. Plus your body will wear out and eventually breakdown.

My sleep pattern depends on to region/ location that I’m sailing in. If it’s open ocean, and out of shipping lanes, I have no issues taking 6-8 hr sleep breaks. Closer to land and near shipping I sleep at the berth in my pilot house.

If it’s night and there’s no weather in the forecast, I’ll take one last significant look at the grib files, wx radar, and a good visual sweep then adjust my sail area to the ancicipated conditions and lie down for a good solid nap. In such cases, I make sure I am at least 30 NM from the nearest reef or land.

When I’m close to land I estimate when I will be 10 NM from it and set my alarm accordingly. But I never set a course directly for land (alarms have been known to go inop), Usually it’s a course bypassing the nearest land spit by 3NM or more in case I set the wrong alarm, forgot to turn it on, it breaks, or I sleep right through it.

[Greg Mason]

When we were offshore, single handers probably got more sleep the the 2 of us, at 4 on, 4 off. With pilot error alarms, depth alarms and radar intrusion alarms , there are options allowing sleep. For us, with Lloyds insurance, we were directed to have a 24 hour watch system, which as others have posted, means a horizon scan frequently, a check of the radar, etc. Remember, the curve of the earth takes away vision after 25 miles or so, and a freighter steaming towards you can be on you in a hurry. Having said that, they stick to their shipping lanes and you will know to stay away from crossing those. Good luck.

[PuttingDoctor]

I use AIS and radar alarms to keep me aware. I set a wake up alarm for 60 minutes and do an instrument and horizon scan upon waking. Then reset and resume sleep. But I do sleep in the cockpit never below.

[Dave_S]

Do you leave your radar scanning continuously or set it to scan periodically. I imagine if I was to single hand overnight I would set it to scan once every 5 minutes.

[boatman61]

Drink lots of beer and bed down in the pilothouse.. you will wake up regularly to pee so take a look around before getting your head down again.. your autopilot will do the rest.. coffee works just as well as beer..
Then again.. it could just be an age related disorder..

[Mike Banks]

Chart a course away from shipping lane (the great circle course from one main port to another) and have your AIS functioning, or better still, a radar with a proximity sweep that switches it on every few minutes and warns you of any reflection.

If you have one--forward facing sonar is also a good idea--with a really loud alarm. There are containers floating about--as well as logs and other debris. Another reason to shorten sail while sleeping. It makes sense to do this before you sleep when on a passage--just in case a sudden gust happens while you are dozing.

Then set your alarm clock or a cooking timer (mine is an oven timer which came from a stove and is clockwork and is switched to a 12 volt telephione bell) and have a nap. Napping, even for a few minutes, becomes easy once you are used to it. My timer is good for two hours, although it can be set for longer. No one could sleep through it.

Usually I set it for no more than two hours--and then only when in deep water. On the coast I find a sheltered place with good holding and anchor with an additional kellet. The same applies--two hours and check.

[Eder]

Good luck having cargo ships follow shipping lanes off shore lol.

[Neptune's Gear]

No point in heaving to. You are just as likely to be hit while stationary. Radar and ais alarms on, autopilot alarms on, go to sleep. The Tasman is pretty empty, especially further south. There are risks in everything.

[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.

[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.

Once you are well offshore, you can begin your sleeping times, but you will be safer once you are through the commercial shipping and the fishing boats. At the other end, it's a bit of a marathon, as well, again because of traffic. There are currents that set south on the east and west coasts of North Island. If your entry port is Opua, that's another long time.

Be sure you've checked out with Customs here, and made your preliminary contact with NZ Customs before you leave.

Steady's suggestion for Andrew Evans' book may help. And, you could always change your mind, and take crew, that can be a challenging crossing, with at least one frontal passage, kind of a lot to bite off if you have not done any singlehanded coastal passages beforehand. Good sleep management is what will keep you fit for handling bad weather, if it strikes you. It can be a roughish place, and deserves respect.

Ann, who has made the passage, doublehanded, not single.

[Brady 50]

Firstly I want to thank you all for your help & in put.
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, caught him at the helm out to it while on duty. He also refused to stay on my routes.
The second guy turn out to have mental problems. Forgot to bring his tablets and went absolutely mad. Had to make a fast run (7-8knts to a port) to unload him.
Hence my only choice is to try boating singlehanded.
Can argue with myself without risk to limbs etc

Grumps
Brady 50