Long distance Sailing. With or without alcohol?

[PortClydeMe]

1) A beautiful & expensive yacht without a fully stocked bar is sacrilegious.

2) However, a run-down, mildew-laden, swamp-rat, live-aboard pauper sloop forever tied up at a cold and soggy crap marina with daily bicycle rides in the drizzling rain to a part-time job taking orders at Starbucks to try and pay off credit cards without a fully stocked bar is truly cause for suicide.

Long-distance sailing and ocean passages? Please see number 1.

[tp12]

With.

I haven't done a passage but I would imagine that there'd be a daily ration

Please see PortClydeMe's response above

[JPA Cate]

Although we usually carry wine and some spirits, we decided long ago to generally not drink any alcohol on passages. It was basically because we did not want to risk that we might be impaired, either physically or mentally. We did share a toast to Neptune when we crossed the equator, though.

In retrospect, we might have shared a stiff one the night we were dismasted, but didn't even consider it. At that point the job was to get the damaged boat safely to port.

Ann

[carstenb]

We don't drink at all when sailing with a couple of exceptions (yeah always exceptions). If it is very calm and we are motoring we allow ourselves 1 galss of wine or a beer with dinner.

But if sailing overnights etc, we skip even that. The person going off watch (again assuming no inclement weather is in the offing) who has the dog watch is allowed 1 glass of wine to sleep a litttle more soundly.

Inclement weather - no drinking at all.

Although like Dockhead and apparently many others here - once at anchor or in the harbour - well - the drinking lamp is lit.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

There is a huge difference between a "digestive" as it was called in Germany and drinking to being drunk.

This.

I haven't done any long passages; the longest so far being about 30 hours. I believe we each had a glass of wine with dinner, and I had a glass of port when I went off watch and into the bunk at about 2am (I think she did likewise).

I would consider it irresponsible to drink enough to be inebriated, or even "buzzed," when I had a watch coming up in a few hours. But a drink with dinner, or before going to bed, is simply not an issue.

Of course, I also respect the right of some to choose not to drink anything at all during a passage. I have a very close friend who is an alcoholic. I would NEVER question someone's choice to not drink, nor try to push a drink on someone who didn't want one. Were I sailing on a boat where the captain wanted the passage to be completely "dry," I would absolutely respect that.

[goboatingnow]

I typically run a dry boat at sea, I have allowed exceptions but few.

BY THE WAY Mark , few navies ( if any) actually allow drinking on duty. All now provide an allowance, i.e. money to acquire a drink ration which you consume in your off time. Most have an absolute rule preventing intoxication on duty.

I believe no modern navy now has a rum ration as it was understood.

[dszerlag]

My .02 is to apply common sense. Have done alot of deliveries, dry and with some wine/beer. Alot depends on your crew, are you comfortable with them? Also weather and sea state plays a big part. No hard and fast rule at least in my book, but be smart about it.
Also none when making landfall.

[Kelsea]

I never drink underway, daysailing or passagemaking. Lost a few friends who thought they could. Guests onboard while daysailing can drink themselves silly if they want. No one drinks passagemeking.
Plenty of time to catch up once the hook is down.

[kjdavie01]

A related issue for us all is the dehydration effect of alcohol. No matter what you mix with it, metabolizing alcohol requires water, and the higher the concentration of alcohol, the more extra water your body will pee out to remove it.
We find that we're much more likely to feel the effects of dehydration if we're having that sundowner every night. And dehydration can effect your judgement, comfort, susceptibility to seasickness, etc.
Do like that sundowner, though!

[contrail]

I don't drink, myself, so it's not an issue, for me. While most of my friends do drink, I don't particularly enjoy the company of those who overdo if, or become "mean" or "nasty" drunks, and I wouldn't invite anyone along for a passage who fit those categories. Rather sail with a small crew or by myself. So, there are no rules, and the above sort of self-selects for those who know how to handle alcohol.

On charters, many many guests drink way too much, and that's common on anything from a crewed yacht to a bareboat. The industry really hasn't found a way to grapple with it. Those who most need to be monitored are those who are the hardest to deal with and they are paying the bill. It costs lives every year. Just a few days ago a charterer here went overboard and died after what was described as drinking and an altercation. Happens on land, too.

Cruisers abuse, plenty, too, but seem much more sane about what they do while on passages, so it doesn't seem that bad of a problem.

But, it's odd how sailing is interpreted as a free "get out of jail card" for bad behaviour of various sorts, by many.

Sail safe, and sail fun.

[brownoarsman]

Also, even a beer can instigate sea sickness or make it dramatically worse, and once it's there it's tough to get rid of! So if you're prone, best to abstain. Fortunately, I am not, but unwary guests have been!


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[TeddyDiver]

No water in my drink please..
A glass of wine with dinner, occasional sundowner when at least 50deg south from here...

[Hoodsail]

Just finished reading WF Buckley, Jr's, Racing thru Paradise, that documents his sailing in 71 ft ketch from Hawaii to New Guinea, 35 days with 9 on board, 2 of which were crew (1-skipper + 1-cook). they carried 32 cases of wine and 50 cases of beer...at journeys end, 6-7 cases of wine remained...I have sailed 10 days from Bermuda to Annapolis and skipper/owner demanded no alcohol on board...in moderation I would opt for it w/ dinner or an occasional drink in the afternoon...thanks

[carstenb]

Back in the early days of the Whitbread round the world race, the racers were "gentlemen racers" meaning they were men of means and sailing in their own yachts.

I recall reading about one gentleman who had been making his provisioning list. He finally decided that 1 bottle of wine per man per day was enough

Ahh - the good old days

[captain58sailin]

I opt for a dry boat while underway, too many things to go wrong. YMMV.