Transit Time? NY-FL

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by I.Grind

So you plan to stand watch for 16 hours a day, then turn it over to your inexperienced wife for 8 hours? For what, 30 days? Have you tried this out, maybe a little practice run for the weekend? That is a brutal schedule, even for crusty old salts, much less beginners. I humbly suggest you try this watch schedule on for size before you head offshore.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but it sure won't fun.

You think 8 hrs is too much for her?
I could knock it to 6 i guess...?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by scoobert

You think 8 hrs is too much for her?
I could knock it to 6 i guess...?

I think you really don't know what you are doing. You're going to do a 16 hour watch?
RONTLMFAO

By the way, checked out your blog - I don't think I would undertake the contemplated voyage with an engine like yours. But to each his own

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I think you really don't know what you are doing. You're going to do a 16 hour watch?
RONTLMFAO

By the way, checked out your blog - I don't think I would undertake the contemplated voyage with an engine like yours. But to each his own

Glad you find humor in things with none in them.
I am a lorry driver, i drive 18-20 hours a day.
16 is a day off to me.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by carstenb

By the way, checked out your blog - I don't think I would undertake the contemplated voyage with an engine like yours. But to each his own

Because the paint is a mess?
I am a diesel mechanic. The engine is solid, its brand new at 1050 hrs.

[foolishsailor]

Look up "polyphasic" sleeping.

You are going to need to see if you can do this as you are effectively singlehanding.

It is the infamous sleep 15 minutes and scan for a 24 hour period with one large sleep (2 hours) in the day. Try it out for 72 hours on land first - get a clip on repeating timer set for 15 minutes and try friday morning to monday mornign to get a feel for exhaustion and how it effects decision making.

Even worse thiugh, you plan on singlehanding near coastal which means you probably wont even be able to do that and may get no sleep at all -as you will have many "under" lit vessels to worry about or you may spend whole evenings always with some ships light somewhere on the horizon to worry about.

Then there is the weather. The effects of weather are going to be a shocker for you. 2-3m swells dont sound like much to someone whose only experience of them is on video - but they will scare and exhaust you as a first timer - god forbid you get 5m and larger which would not be uncommon on your passage and time. Also the ordeals of reefing and sail change and shifting gears as the wind backs and veers throughout the day.

Then you have the systems on the boat to worry about, the engine and batts etc.

This is an excellent opportunity to get a good skipper onboard to learn from. At the end of a passage like this you will be a substantially better sailor and more importantly you will have a clearer perspective on what to expect from your next passage.

Please seriously consider the warnings from fellow CFers. Not matter how intelligent your are you still lack the most important safety factor - Experience.

Please dontlet Hubris hurt you or your wife.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by scoobert

Glad you find humor in things with none in them.
I am a lorry driver, i drive 18-20 hours a day.
16 is a day off to me.

That would not be legal over here.

Coops.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by scoobert

Glad you find humor in things with none in them.
I am a lorry driver, i drive 18-20 hours a day.
16 is a day off to me.

Scoobert, sailing offshore is NOTHING like lorry driving. That is why some people are laughing at your proposed schedule.

Even in reasonably mild conditions you can be tossed about, needing every muscle just to stay balanced. A two hour shift can be absolutely exhausting in rough conditions. Yet you are proposing 16 hours!!!!!!

Check out the threads here on watch schedules for some ideas on what people find works best. Schedules of course need to be modified according to crew capability, the conditions and how many are on board, but in all my years of sailing I have never heard of a couple using anything like a 16 + 8 hour schedule routinely offshore.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Coops

That would not be legal over here.

Coops.

Its not legal here. We make it legal.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by scoobert

Its not legal here. We make it legal.

Personally, I would not be admitting to that kind of stuff on an open forum, but you are making that decision.

Coops.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by scoobert

Glad you find humor in things with none in them.
I am a lorry driver, i drive 18-20 hours a day.
16 is a day off to me.

Well, I certainly don't mean to be insulting, but a 16 and 8 hour watch is just about undoable (ok - boatman61 does it - but he's weird - no offense meant boatman)

If you read my past post - my wife and I went 27 hours beating straight into the wind. both of us are reasonable fit and experienced sailors - we were exhausted at the end of it. It is not driving a truck. You expend a lot of energy simply hanging on.

If bad weather hits, the description of being inside a washing machine is quite accurate. And when you are exhausted, cold, hungry you will end up making bad decisions unless you are very very experienced.

But as I said - to each his own.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Well, I certainly don't mean to be insulting, but a 16 and 8 hour watch is just about undoable (ok - boatman61 does it - but he's weird - no offense meant boatman)
.

None taken mate...

Scoobi... take the ICW going down.. hop out at Beaufort/Morehead City and do the rest in hops.. staying out for the Georgia bit... unless its been dredged lately..
Save the outside sail for the trip back N when you've more experience of your boat and systems... and the Stream is in your favour... and you've a better idea of your limits and strengths.

[Delancey]

Scooby- didn't anyone tell you gentlemen don't sail to weather? You have to go to Portugal first if you want to get to Florida.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Delancy

Scooby- You have to go to Portugal first if you want to get to Florida.

Don't tempt me!!!

[I.Grind]

Driving a truck is monotonous, driving a boat can be exhausting. If you overdo it driving you can pull over and sleep. There's no rest stops in the mid-Atlantic. If you heave to with wind and current against you, you will go backwards. You need to keep some energy in reserve in case there is a problem, and there will be.

Just try it first. Go sailing for a couple days, like a long weekend, plan to spend 24 a day in transit, just you and the wife, see how it works out. I think it's not what you expect.

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by I.Grind

Driving a truck is monotonous, driving a boat can be exhausting. If you overdo it driving you can pull over and sleep. There's no rest stops in the mid-Atlantic. If you heave to with wind and current against you, you will go backwards. You need to keep some energy in reserve in case there is a problem, and there will be.

Just try it first. Go sailing for a couple days, like a long weekend, plan to spend 24 a day in transit, just you and the wife, see how it works out. I think it's not what you expect.

We are 2 days from any big water...
I soloed when i brought it home, did 16 hours a day, and other then running out of food, i was fine.