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Old 16-07-2012, 16:24   #16
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

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The safety bit is debatable....weather, for instance, especially tropical. The sea is not as dangerous as the hard bits on the edge.

Remote....no, someone owns it, or wants to visit it. Nobody seems to want to claim a bit of sea, and I can surely heave-to, and mind my own business; and object if someone chooses just that patch of sea to heave-to as well. No windmills, no generators, no PWC's, no blaring music, no hawkers, no thieves, no tv, no movies. I've been remote before, only to be disturbed by these things that someone brought. They said they wanted to get away from it all, but brought it all with them. I hated to object, would probably have been futile and frustrating anyway. Out at sea, the objection would be valid....I'm hove to, choose your own patch or go on by, there's room enough. I like laying on the deck looking at the stars, but seeing the satellites going over spoils it a tiny bit. A reminder of presumptuous man with his puny vanities, against an infinite backdrop.

I don't mind the rolly ocean....I actually like it. I'm the sicko that enjoys mid-air turbulence and wishes the pilot would throw the machine around a little more, though I do draw the line at landings...those do worry me. Still a thrill, but not as pure as the air. The ocean is awesomely powerful, only a fool would not fear it...but it is like the book Lt.Col. Chapman wrote: The Jungle is Neutral. An armed neutrality, sure, and you're trespassing, but it isn't of itself malevolent. You have to mind your P's & Q's, and know when it's time to take a position less exposed, but it puzzles me that sailors these days seem so different than the old one....saying they love the sea, but do their best to get across it as fast as possible like a man scuttling from his house to his car with a newspaper held over his head.

Plenty to do out there....if you heard me sing, you'd tow me out there and hacksaw the masts off....so music practise is one thing I'll be doing!
Can you sing "Far Far Away"?
I just don't see the beauty in what you want to do. I'd far prefer to be doing 8kts on a beam reach all day, than hove-to for the sake of it. Have you thought about giving up sailing and taking up hiking in the Alaska wilderness with the grizzlies? Probably much cheaper and allows for all the heavenly silence and macho positioning anyone could want.
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Old 16-07-2012, 16:34   #17
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Bob and Connie-

Great attitude guys! What I think cruising should be about ...well except maybe having more fun than is legally allowed!
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Old 16-07-2012, 16:40   #18
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

Not for me. I love sailing and I love the ocean but I like hiking and harvesting sea food from the shore as well as fishing and searching out a good wine to go with it. For me sitting in the middle of deep and doing nothing would only be at the cause of need.
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Old 16-07-2012, 18:55   #19
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

When the weather turns nasty we get tired, we get hungry and usually cold and/or wet. Any one of the above mars my judgment, my co-ordination and sailing ceases to be fun. We fight it for a while but the time comes when we have to think of ourselves - our boat will look after itself. Heaving to is a thing our boat doesn't do too well so we just take everything down, lash the wheel so the boat will tend to head upwind and we go below and close the hatch. No responsibility, no decisions, no more fighting we just get dry, eat and wedge ourselves comfortably on the main cabin sole. We see the waves going over the hatch trying to carry away the reefing lines and we rest. It is the best moment of the storm. We are not in a rush to get out there again.
When things quieten down outside our lives continue as usual.
We do not heave to/lie ahull just to do it, it is done for a purpose and it lasts as long as the elements dictate.
Luckily the only damage we have suffered was a broken steering paddle for our windvane and since the unit came with a breakaway collar all we needed to do was put on a new collar. We are not afraid of other ships because when the weather is that bad they are 'going slow' too.
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Old 16-07-2012, 19:55   #20
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

Taking time out to contemplate ones place in all of this is considered by many to be the greatest luxuries of all..
Hove to, or becalmed,,,sounds good to me even on dry land,,life gets too hectic at times.
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Old 16-07-2012, 20:37   #21
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

I read all the posts and dont see the purpose of the thread....I am not trying to take away from the OP question I guess I just dont understand it. Record? why a record at all, record are set and people try to break them, and if by a bad stoke of luck you had to heave to in a long duration storm I would think staying hove-to would not be on the top of the list. sailing is meant to be slow, relaxing...(to me)no records to set here, except for when I am trying to get back my slip when a tstorm pops up!

I have actually thought about and discussed with my wife going off shore and just heaving to....to get away, not to set a record but to relax, but with shipping traffic here prolly not gonna be too relaxing or safe.

I am sure there are sailors out there now and/or especially in the past that have done it all at sea for lord knows how long, so we in our fiberglass, steel or aluminum boats wont be setting any records anytime soon....althought Matt Rutherford set one not too long ago...so what do i know...good luck!

FWIW, the longest i have been at sea is 53 days.....the sight of land was never so inviting on the 54th...by the 56th i was ready for sea again!
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Old 16-07-2012, 20:42   #22
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

In terms of personal records, the longest I've ever heaved to was from 0200ish until sunrise in order to enter an anchorage in daylight. Not the most fun way to end a passage, but sometimes it pays to be able to see the coral heads.
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Old 16-07-2012, 20:51   #23
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

I'm not sure exactly what the record is but i read recently that some guy spent close to a thousand days i think it was at sea without making landfall. I personally spend every available second on boats as they can take me onto the water which is where i can truly think, relax, and be myself.
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Old 16-07-2012, 20:58   #24
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

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Reid Stowe?
Yep that's him. I knew he was the guy that tried to sail the outline of a turtle but forgot his name.

Most recently he finished 1152d at sea. He was intending to circumnavigate 4times but apparently only managed once.
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Old 16-07-2012, 21:42   #25
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

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In terms of personal records, the longest I've ever heaved to was from 0200ish until sunrise in order to enter an anchorage in daylight. Not the most fun way to end a passage, but sometimes it pays to be able to see the coral heads.
Overnight was the same for me. ~30 miles off the coast, saw city lights twinkling. Didn't have enough fuel to get in and there was *no* wind. Just sat there bobbing like a cork in the swell. Even a 2' swell will knock your ass around if there's no wind to press the boat down a bit.

No thanks for that. I've got a wife and a kid, they're not at all interested in sitting around in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of middle of nowhere to be found in regular sailing.

If that's your thing, do whatever though. Certainly not hurting anyone.
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Old 16-07-2012, 22:15   #26
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

I have Hove too a number of times, but it was always to avoid entering a new harbor at night. I learned later that some of the harbors that I lay off of at night were actually easier to enter at night with good range lights to keep you in a channel, but at the end of a passage I was usually tired and didnt want to deal with new things in the dark. Heaving too 15 miles off shore allowed decent sleep and to be fresh when going into a new harbor. If the OP wants to read about time at sea, maybe he should read Bernard Moitesiers books. I met Bernard in the 70s and he was a bit odd. The locals laughed about how much dope he smoked, and didnt pay much attention to him. I must say that I have done a fair number of days in the doldrums, and enjoyed them, but never with no wind and big swells. That would have taken the pleasure right out of it. Sail right out to the Pacific or Atlantic High and sit. You might love it or find out that it is not nearly as romantic as you thought. Good Luck_____Grant.
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Old 17-07-2012, 03:27   #27
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

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To us the trip is the thing !! we sail till the wind stops then we may motor if a couple of days pass. We are not that worried about when we get anywhere, we have been know to go eleswhere when the wind was wrong ! the trip is whats important to us! and the getting there is the Iceing on the trip ! as far as remote ancorages are concerned, we seem to still find a few !! Personaly, heaveing to just contimplate my navel has never seemed to be anything I wished to do !! But I believe in different strokes !! heck we once left mexico for the French Isles, and ended up In peru LOL so we dont worry we just go where the wind blows us !! and enjoy it when we get there !!
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Little Otter:
I'm not sure exactly what the record is but i read recently that some guy spent close to a thousand days i think it was at sea without making landfall. I personally spend every available second on boats as they can take me onto the water which is where i can truly think, relax, and be myself.
Thanks! That's the kind of info I was looking for...thank you for soothing my fear that the dread zombie of conformity had exterminated the freedom of cruising.

It's not as though I want to hermit in the middle of the ocean like some sort of seagoing Rip van Winkle, or a volunteer Ben Gunn. After a few months enjoying the best solitude one can find, I bet it would grow old. It would have the benefit of making me more grateful for and appreciative and considerate of other people....a kind of detox from the contagious selfishness of modern life, a time to heal of scars and put them back in proportion, to get the priorities back in order. A conscious decision requiring self-discipline, and determination to do a thorough job.

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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to
I have Hove too a number of times, but it was always to avoid entering a new harbor at night. I learned later that some of the harbors that I lay off of at night were actually easier to enter at night with good range lights to keep you in a channel, but at the end of a passage I was usually tired and didnt want to deal with new things in the dark. Heaving too 15 miles off shore allowed decent sleep and to be fresh when going into a new harbor. If the OP wants to read about time at sea, maybe he should read Bernard Moitesiers books. I met Bernard in the 70s and he was a bit odd. The locals laughed about how much dope he smoked, and didnt pay much attention to him. I must say that I have done a fair number of days in the doldrums, and enjoyed them, but never with no wind and big swells. That would have taken the pleasure right out of it. Sail right out to the Pacific or Atlantic High and sit. You might love it or find out that it is not nearly as romantic as you thought. Good Luck_____Grant.


I hear you, Mr J....no, Moitessier doesn't apeeal to me on account of the herbage and lack of credibility. To make a public confession, I did smoke rather a lot of weed up till several years ago, and now will not touch the stuff and strongly advise anyone else against it. The doldrums do not appeal....but neither do the shrieking sixties; I enjoy a good storm but not to the point of foolish presumption. Nor do I want too volunteer for the lunatic fringe, though some may argue I've already hung up a shingle there. I may be wrong, but I get the impression that the world at large is already criminally insane, and to get a bit of distance from it from time to time would be a healthy change...

Quote:
I read all the posts and dont see the purpose of the thread....I am not trying to take away from the OP question I guess I just dont understand it. Record? why a record at all, record are set and people try to break them, and if by a bad stoke of luck you had to heave to in a long duration storm I would think staying hove-to would not be on the top of the list. sailing is meant to be slow, relaxing...(to me)no records to set here, except for when I am trying to get back my slip when a tstorm pops up!

I have actually thought about and discussed with my wife going off shore and just heaving to....to get away, not to set a record but to relax, but with shipping traffic here prolly not gonna be too relaxing or safe.

I am sure there are sailors out there now and/or especially in the past that have done it all at sea for lord knows how long, so we in our fiberglass, steel or aluminum boats wont be setting any records anytime soon....althought Matt Rutherford set one not too long ago...so what do i know...good luck!

FWIW, the longest i have been at sea is 53 days.....the sight of land was never so inviting on the 54th...by the 56th i was ready for sea again!
Thanks 2B, very helpful. Forgive me for my maudlin OP ramble, I should have added that the idea behind it was not to see who had succeeded at a long seatime just to have the dubious honour of a record...what I was looking for was to see how long folks can do such a thing without it becoming ridiculous or grounds to break out the butterfly net. I'm pleased beyond my initial expectation at the posts so far, especially at this wonderful statement:

Quote:
the longest i have been at sea is 53 days.....the sight of land was never so inviting on the 54th...by the 56th i was ready for sea again!
P.S. Never heard of Mr Reid Stowe, but that turtle-course thing and the four circumnavigations is definitely weird...my interest is piqued but only in the direction of morbid curiosity, not in the sense of drawing inspiration from it.

So, if you come across a junk rigged Schooner in the middle of nowhere with a hairy man swinging in a hammock, sipping a Pusser's, puffing a Julietta and reading a book, you may just have stumbled across micah having one of his mental health holidays....turn down the windmill, the stereo and stow the PWC, or he may sing at you....a fate worse than marooning.
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Old 17-07-2012, 03:57   #28
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

One of the nice things about sailing is the freedom to do (mostly) what you want. If heaving to, or sailing to nowhere "rocks you boat" then by all means do that.
Most crusing sailors describe their time hove to wating for better conditions, or daylight as one of the most frustrating times.

If you enjoy sailing more than time at an anchorage why not anchor for a very short time then move on, you will see a lot of interesting places, but still get most of your time in open water. Seems better than bobbing up and down in the same spot while still having most of drawbacks (keeping watch, boat constantly moving, wear and tear on sails and gear) of sailing.

I don't like posts that question the experience of everyone who does not agree implicitly with their view, so feel free not to answer, but have you spent much time hove to ? I only ask because I have never heard a crusing sailor express a similar view. Mottissier is only person, as other posters have mentioned, who has a similar outlook and he is certainly an individual. (note I have never met him,but know someone well who knew him and had some interesting tales, of course there has been a lot written about him)

Anyway perhaps your attitude will rub off. Next time I am hove to I can at least think this is most enjoyable bit of sailing for someone.
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Old 17-07-2012, 04:26   #29
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

Micah:

I hear you. I've sometimes had a strange desire to head out on the ocean and hang out out of sight of land on occasion. I will probably do that at some point. I just want to make sure my boat and I are prepared for the various conditions we might encounter once out there. To me my boat is for getting away from people and land. I'm not anti social by any means but, do enjoy my solitude on board too.
Over the years I've crossed paths with Reid Stowe who spent over 1,000 days at sea:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: The big small world of Reid Stowe and BIANKA
I also "planned" to be part of the flotilla that welcomed him back to New York Harbor after his record breaking voyage:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: SO MUCH FOR THAT!
Ship happens and things change. This year I've suddenly had no desire to undertake any long cruises. I've suddenly found myself happy to just sail to nearby harbors and anchorages and just hang out by myself. I was a little concerned I might be losing my wanderlust but, then I've come to realize that what I'm feeling is contentment.
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Old 17-07-2012, 21:24   #30
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Re: Record for time spent Hove-to

I love sailing to nowhere, You can wake up one day and go you know what I'm bored, let's go this direction today and see where we end up.
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