Single-Hander On Watch

[Capt. lulz]

Originally Posted by capttman

I never sleep below on watch only sleep 20 minutes at a time when off shore if to close to shore I don't sleep or go in to port, then again only been sailing single handed 30 plus years

Maybe you've been paranoid for 30 years?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Capt. lulz

Maybe you've been paranoid for 30 years?

not paranoid...just SMART.

[John A]

Originally Posted by Capt. lulz

Maybe you've been paranoid for 30 years?

Its called prudent seamanship. We singlehandlers reval in caution, we have no one to blame for crap when it happens..

All of these suggestions are valid.IMO

[Mambo]

Originally Posted by zeehag

do NOT go below to sleep if on watch. remain in cockpit. doze short times when there is nothing on horizon,and stay awake in busy places.

Offshore, tired, pouring rain. You don't heave-to, set radar alarm / AIS alarm and go below?

[zeehag]

NO
grab dozing snoozes briefly and keep on. below i snot the place for the watchman nor the solo sailor when at sea. is YOUR problem if anything happens. need to be in cockpit.

[nv5l]

You could, but who's to say a stationary target is safer than a moving one? Assuming adequate sea room of course.

However, if you're in heavy weather or close to shore, heaving to might be a good idea, but you still need enough sea room to keep you off the rocks, etc., while you sleep.

[sabray]

I'm good for 36 and a few hours straight time. Caveat is I'm able to manage my energy output . If the weather goes pissy the auto pilot fails etc.... Energy use goes up. There are always options heave too I practiced a nod nap where I was able to float between a sleep and awake state. Basically dozing off and then snapping back repeatedly. I use ais and radar guard mostly the ais. It's important to look forward to alternate options. Think ahead. Change your plan. More and more I go sailing. People say where are you going the answer several options. I'm sailing. Getting to a place where your so tired your hallucinating is not good. Been there it becomes a real test of good decisions bad input and gut drive.write everything down this is concrete fact to contend with. I wound up there once because of inexperience. I was then a good sailor my confidence allowed me to sail off the coast. And i kept sailing it was wonderful.I did nit have auto pilot in those days but the rig was balanced. The sailng was great so I kept going. Coming back in I had been awake fir probably 48 plus hours and could nit make sense of the bouys. I really wanted to nit be awake any linger but could not head tword land so I heaved up and short napped. Ended fine. Lots of opportunity to really screw the pooch though.

[HappySeagull]

Take a parrot and train it to wake you up when it sees something...

[Capt. lulz]

Originally Posted by John A

Its called prudent seamanship. We singlehandlers reval in caution, we have no one to blame for crap when it happens..

All of these suggestions are valid.IMO

I'm just poking fun. All I know is that if I'm not looking, I have a greater chance of collision. So I agree that all suggestions are valid.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by HappySeagull

Take a parrot and train it to wake you up when it sees something...

bubba daboatkat would eat parrot.

[surfmachine]

I am actually just making a 100 n-mile solo passage amongst the islands off the West coast of Sumatra, from Sibolga to Lagundri bay , on Nias island.

Departed Sibolga at 1730 hrs yesterday and arrived for landfall at Nias at 0630 hrs, doing 5.7 knots under motor only, no wind. A full night's passage, with a beautiful full moon illuminating the huge cumulo nimbus storm clouds all around me, no bad squalls, thankfully!

I have a latest raymarine elctromechanical autopilot, installed it myself in langkawi, below the rear bunk, on a huge stainless steel mount, can control it from the chart plotter or directly from the helm, very strong, with 300 kilos of push , mounted directly onto the rudder post, works beautifully, had about 5 sleeps, but the radar alarm kept waking me up, lots of fishing boats out, then the storms came at 3.30am and they show up on the radar and set off the alarms. I also use the kitchen alarms, two, as Mark does.

I have a track on the gps and chartplotter from last year's trips that I set the autopilot to follow. The chartplotter also has an off course alarm and way point arrival alarm, with a data and alarm repeater at the nav station.
I also have another chartplotter mounted over my bunk for keeping a check on the crew when I am off watch and also as an anchor watch alarm, very useful. It is right above my face when resting.

Of course I have a good look around on the 8 mile radar scan and check visually and on the charts before i put my head down for 15 to 20 mins. When it is raining heavily I sleep in the saloon as the radar swivels on an adjustable mount that allows me to view it in the cokpit, at the nav station, or from the saloon bed, looking straight back it and it has a loud alarm, Furuno. Otherwise, sleep in the cockpit.

I had a crew for 6 weeks, but they had to leave. Last year, also had a crew, but no radar, and still ran into a reef!?

Should be surfing in 4 hours in lagundri bay. About 10 miles offshore the SE tip of nias at the present moment. Got 3 fishing lures out the back, looking for breakfast!!?? All I have caught is irate Indonesian fisheman's net!! Ooops, alarm from the radar just went off again, 3 fishing canoes 2 n-miles ahead, what are they doing 10 n-miles offshore?

So, I reckon it's radar, radar, radar... for the solo sailer?

Fair winds from Keith.

[Mambo]

Originally Posted by nv5l

You could, but who's to say a stationary target is safer than a moving one? Assuming adequate sea room of course.

However, if you're in heavy weather or close to shore, heaving to might be a good idea, but you still need enough sea room to keep you off the rocks, etc., while you sleep.

Well, a stationary target can't be closed on as quickly as a moving target . . . so that's one point.

The thrust of the question was more toward what is the more reasonable useful approach. I understand you can demigog (sp?) this issue to death. I don't care about that -- I've read all the standard literature and accounts / theories. I am more interested in the details of how folks "out there / doing it" address a specific situation such as: you are tired and cold / cockpit is not dry place to be, you have sea room and no obvious traffic -- do you move below and set alarms or stay wet in the cockpit and continue to tire and maybe lose the ability to rationaly address whatever safety issues you might identify?

TIA

[John A]

Mambo,
I can only speak for myself one time when i woke up delusional with fatigue screaming at the gd elephant standing on my foredeck. I shortened sail and went below and passed out for six hours.

After that I made it a point to never find myself in that situation again.

regards John

[nv5l]

As far as I'm concerned, you're either on watch or you're not. If you're on watch, you don't sleep. If you singlehand for more than just an overnighter, you'll have to take a break and sleep. If it's nice and you want to sleep in the cockpit, great, otherwise, go below, set an alarm, etc.

Luckily, it's a big ocean, so the faster you get offshore, the better, but you've already read all of this.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

For a good timer, go to a truck stop and get a Screaming Meanie. They are extremely loud, advertised as waking up the dead. First time I used mine I didn't realize how loud it was. Had gone into the truck srop with timer set. Alarm went off and woke up the drivers on each side of me. YOU WILL NOT SLEEP when this alarm goes off.

Thanks UD! I really need one of these just for my afternoon naps. I hate wasting more of the day than I need too. My cell phone alarm is getting kind of flakey these days and I sleep so well on the boat I often have more extended naps than I planned.