Long Distance Solo Sailing

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by rubyjean

Amen, Brother.............

And Amen again.

There is a time and place for everything. Down the Chesapeak all night? No way.

But come up my neck of the woods, where you don't see another boat for a day or two?

Yeah that is just fine.

Maybe there are only a few of us who do it but I don't hear anyone here saying to do it in the middle of some bloody shipping channel.

What was it, two years ago when some Coasties ran down a boat in San Diego and killed one or two?

Two weeks ago talked to a bent out of shape delivery skipper who, moving a Canadian boat through US waters was boarded several times and handled very roughly by Coasties.

It's what between the ears that counts. If you use it most anything can be done. Too damn few do use it to best advantage.

[knottygurl]

so does this mean next week when I deliver a boat from port Dover lake Erie to kingston lake ontario it would be unwise or immoral to sail down the middle of the lake, seeing as I could possible be the only sailboat on the lake in the middle of the night
And of course lots of pyrat rum.

[hpeer]

I don't know, I don't sail there.

What do you think?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by svtadpole

... 2. Most of ( if not all ) the nay-sayers appear NOT to be singlehanders ...

At least, there’s no hypocrites posting.
A person who says one thing, but does anothe, is called a hypocrite.

[John A]

Originally Posted by GordMay

At least, there’s no hypocrites posting.
A person who says one thing, but does anothe, is called a hypocrite.

And a person who writes with no personnal knowledge is called, mistaken.

[w1651]

Can we get back to the opposite sex solo cruisers colliding,drinking to much rum, and having sex. Where do I sign up for that?
And what does the law say about two boats tied together, hove to and rocking like their in a squall while the suns shining brightly? Who should be keeping watch then?
Or should this be in the traveling with pets thread. Does Fido count as keeping watch?

[Jubilee39]

I have cruised single handed and short handed for over 20 years, East Coast of US, Caribbean and Pacific Crossing. I tried the kitchen timer routine and got exhausted. At times with and without crew have awakened to ships close aboard that the crew never spotted and before squalls hit. I am pretty deaf by the way. Maybe those of us, not just single handers who sail a lot develop a sense to aid them. Not to say that there were not other close encounters I missed. I have also seen my share of dinged crewed vessels, "professional" Coast Guard licensed Captains who could not dock their vessels. What I mean to say is that you should know your abilities and capabilities. Those of you with fully crewed and competent lookouts keep out of my way, I'll take my chances with the rest.

[barnakiel]

All this nth sense that wakes you up just when you were about to run down a cargo freighter is 50%BS and 50% wishful thinking.

We are not all that likely to hit other boats in the first place while, inadvertently, at times we wake up and there WILL be another boat nearby.

Urban legends. Everywhere. Today the nth sense, yore - the secret helmsman, a god, or a virgin. Sure.

All the VG sailors are single-handers, on extended voyages, in extreme conditions. You hardly ever hear this kind of mumbo-jumbo preaching from them Wondering why.

b.

[Alecadi]

And what about the guy who wants to "cruise" the caribean some 3000 miles on its jet ski solo by the way and is asking a lot of question in this forum proving taht he has no idea at all in what he is going into !!!

[smurphny]

Originally Posted by Surveyor

I would like to see a single handing sub-forum added and feel it could serve as a positive addition and provide a place to exchange ideas on the subject for those inclined to sail alone.

Yes, a CONSTRUCTIVE thread for us singlehanders would be nice. Topics like the use of electronics, sleeping, anchoring, storm tactics, handling sails alone, etc. would be useful topics if they could be separated from the paranoid finger-pointing and officialdom-quoting masses. By the way, nice boat!

[hooligan6a]

I was sailing, solo, ten miles off the coast of Panama doing about 2.5 knots, using a wind vane, about 9AM, daylight. I had been up all night, so I went down
below to make breakfast. Just finished making a bowl of oatmeal, when I looked
out the galley port and saw a ship bearing down on us. She was probley doing
20+ knots and we were doing 2+, sailing, not hove to. I got up to the cockpit and tried to start the engine, too late. the bulk carrier, hit us , bow on. I went ass over teakettle, knocked me out, for a minute. I lay there and watched 600ft.
of steel wall go by me. I know I had the "right of way" but it didn't do me much good. Remember the submarine that hit the japanese fishing boat? The
sub Captain said "the fishing boat was there I just didn't see it" That is what happened to me. That ship was right there, I just didn't see it. I was up all night and very tired, the ship could have been just over the horizon. Who's fault
was it? I guess it was both our fault. Him, for not avoiding me and me for not being on watch. Bottom line is, I lived and now have a great story to tell.
Oh yeah, My boat was badly damaged but I got my engine started and
motored to Costa Rica and repaired her and finished up my circumnavigation.

[John A]

Originally Posted by hooligan6a

I was sailing, solo, ten miles off the coast of Panama doing about 2.5 knots, using a wind vane, about 9AM, daylight. I had been up all night, so I went down
below to make breakfast. Just finished making a bowl of oatmeal, when I looked
out the galley port and saw a ship bearing down on us. She was probley doing
20+ knots and we were doing 2+, sailing, not hove to. I got up to the cockpit and tried to start the engine, too late. the bulk carrier, hit us , bow on. I went ass over teakettle, knocked me out, for a minute. I lay there and watched 600ft.
of steel wall go by me. I know I had the "right of way" but it didn't do me much good. Remember the submarine that hit the japanese fishing boat? The
sub Captain said "the fishing boat was there I just didn't see it" That is what happened to me. That ship was right there, I just didn't see it. I was up all night and very tired, the ship could have been just over the horizon. Who's fault
was it? I guess it was both our fault. Him, for not avoiding me and me for not being on watch. Bottom line is, I lived and now have a great story to tell.
Oh yeah, My boat was badly damaged but I got my engine started and
motored to Costa Rica and repaired her and finished up my circumnavigation.

Thanks for sharing.

NEWS FLASH! Large ships from all over the world converge on Panama!

After spending a month in the romote, pristine islands of northwestern Panama. I continued on to the Canal. I made visual contact with 28 large ships in less than 24 hours approching the west side of the canal. I crossed what I considered the main shipping lane at a 90* angle and went way south before approching the Canal from the south along the coast
.
.

[hooligan6a]

John, I had just left the Balboa YC the morning before and I was up all night watching
ship lights moving towards and leaving the canal. That is not an area that you want to fall asleep.
About 50 ships go through the Canal in every 24 hour period. So as you know, the ship traffic is very heavy. I was about 10 miles off Punta Mala and the ships were passing me to seaward.

.

[John A]

Originally Posted by hooligan6a

John, I had just left the Balboa YC the morning before and I was up all night watching
ship lights moving towards and leaving the canal. That is not an area that you want to fall asleep.
About 50 ships go through the Canal in every 24 hour period. So as you know, the ship traffic is very heavy. I was about 10 miles off Punta Mala and the ships were passing me to seaward.

.

I was not trying to be judgemental, cause S**t has happened to me also.
An interesting point - I ve seen two reports of crewed sailboats being struck and sunk in the same area. The surviiors of one reported that everyone was below eating supper while on rader watch.

[Jubilee39]

[QUOTE=barnakiel;677588]All this nth sense that wakes you up just when you were about to run down a cargo freighter is 50%BS and 50% wishful thinking.

We are not all that likely to hit other boats in the first place while, inadvertently, at times we wake up and there WILL be another boat nearby.


Never claimed a nth sense, only said one develops a feel for their boat, maybe what woke me was something more subtle like a vibration cannot say. I agree that not to be used as a warning device. You are right though when you say the experienced sailors rarely talk about it. Too difficult to argue with anonymous armchair sailors. I've got 1000's of single handed miles and only recounting experience that a crew on watch is not necessarily reliable either