What Is The Big Deal About Single Handling?

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Wrong

Shaky assumption to say the least. Anyone sailing alone will judge whether they should heave-to or continue sailing. If continuing to sail is the choice, which sail plan should be deployed? You can continue down the dtk under a triple reefed main and no foresail, slowing the boat considerably. Some will favor flying a foresail and no main. This has NEVER been my choice because absent a mainsail there'll be no heaving to. What is your level of confidence no other traffic is in your area? How distant are you from any type of hazard or land? Is current an important consideration? What do those senses you've developed over the years tell you? Just how fatigued are you and what's more important, rest and holding your relative position or making way? It's called making decisions based on your best judgement.



Not sure of what your asking here.

It was a Joke

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Greg- I have had exactly the same thing happen at Neah bay! How do you do the stretch between Astoria and Neah single handed? Where do you feel comfortable enough to rest?
Seems like I am always seeing something new in this section....

Some people like to sail NW and tack once toward Nneah. I was planning to hop from Astoria to Grays Harbor, get well rested then run up to Neah...

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by RTB

I was hoping for another video from you on your crossing to NY.

Ralph

I have a new video but Youtube has locked me out because my computer is in a different city than the last tie I used Youtube
And I don't have a phone to verify the account.
Useless damn mob.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I have a new video but Youtube has locked me out because my computer is in a different city than the last tie I used Youtube
And I don't have a phone to verify the account.
Useless damn mob.

Well that sucks.

[Sandero]

Welcome to the big apple... nice to see RTB's shining face.. too on this thing.

[RTB]

Hey Sandero.

[MarkJ]

OK got the YouTube kicked

have a look at the video at http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ty-147667.html


Mark

[boatman61]

Most want crew coz they're scared shirtless of dying alone..

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I tend to agree with this. I do think that it is a violation for no one to be awake on board a vessel at sea (the rules don't say "unless you're single handing"; they just say you have to keep "a constant watch"), but like all things COLREGS, this is something to be put into the perspective of all the other factors. If you have effective electronic means to detect a potential collision and you have made sure that they are working, and if you have proper procedures to get yourself awake and on deck in case of a potential collision, I think that's more or less ok. The main thing, however, is that all this should actually work, and that there's no accident. I agree that Jessica's main fault was not doing those things which would have effectively substituted the constant watch on deck.

While I agree that it's great to have all the latest electronic gadgets with alarms set helping us avoid collisions, there's no substitute for a human being actually being on watch 24/7. Also, having gadgets/alarms isn't required by the Colregs but keeping a constant watch is. I don't consider it the biggest moral offense in the world, but it's definitely irresponsible to deliberately go to sea with no intention of keeping a constant watch, whether you be single handing or have a large crew with nobody bothering to pay attention.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Most want crew coz they're scared shirtless of dying alone..

Or, they have to depend on others because in reality they lack the skill and confidence necessary to sail alone. Claims they're the social type that is filled with joy at the prospect of having family and friends along is just a cover, a ruse to mask the fear...

My empathy runs deep.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

While I agree that it's great to have all the latest electronic gadgets with alarms set helping us avoid collisions, there's no substitute for a human being actually being on watch 24/7. .

If your human on watch can determine the course, speed, and vessel type of a boat in the middle of the night from 25 miles away in the fog or rain with visibility of 1/4 mile I'll agree with you.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

While I agree that it's great to have all the latest electronic gadgets with alarms set helping us avoid collisions, there's no substitute for a human being actually being on watch 24/7. Also, having gadgets/alarms isn't required by the Colregs but keeping a constant watch is. I don't consider it the biggest moral offense in the world, but it's definitely irresponsible to deliberately go to sea with no intention of keeping a constant watch, whether you be single handing or have a large crew with nobody bothering to pay attention.

We're not paying to attention arguments like yours. Prostlytizing is not going to stop sailors from voyaging alone and taking much needed rest. The argument is like whistling Dixie to a milestone, telling birds not to fly because they could get hurt, or what's worse we may ram container ship or two causing them to sink.


The most worst case scenario for a crewed or boat sailed by one person in a collision with most anything at sea - especially a ship - is an emergency call for rescue is made and or people die. I accept the possibility I could die as a consequence of needing to sleep, or fix a meal while hove-to or under way... If others are aboard the weight of responsibility is much greater and keeping watch indespensable. I couldn't bear having others aboard die for lack of an effective watch. But, I'm alone and am prepared to die in order to voyage to distant lands without crew.

I'd like to see evidence sailors who sail alone are involved in more mishaps underway than crewed vessels. Maybe it's time the Colregs were changed to reflect reality, based upon verifiable comparative data between incidents involving crewed and individually sailed boats.

No doubt, both crewed and boats sailed by one person have collided with other sailboats while underway. But, the reason isn't necessarily because nobody was on watch. It may just be it's because sailors departing from point one, travelling in the same or opposite directions at night to their respective destinations plot their rhumb line exactly the same way. Then, thoughtlessly sail precisely toward or behind one another... I sail anywhere between 5 and 20 n.m. to windward of the line, knowing full well others have plotted an identical course...

There's more important considerations when developing a plan than making sure you're adhering to the Colreg regarding watches. And, one of them is accepting you are alone. Having done that, develop a plan overly abundant with caution.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by RTB

It looks like you enjoy yourself while single-handing, Mark? I was hoping for another video from you on your crossing to NY.

What I see in MarkJ's video is confidence in himself and his boat. I've observed quite a few single-handers sneak quietly into an anchorage, or up to a mooring. More often than not, it's done very skillfully.

Ralph

I enjoyed the video too and feel that folks like Mark are certainly extremely competent sailors, to the point where they can relax and enjoy sailing across an ocean alone and do it as safely as just about anyone. I have no doubt that I could learn tons about bluewater sailing from him.

But I also feel that all singlehanders are somewhat selfishly indulging themselves by tacitly demanding that all others out there be watching out for them while they sleep. AIS and radar alarms help but I don't want anyone betting MY life, without my permission, on a gadget they bought and can only hope is still working as it was when they last nodded off. Of course other, crewed boats also have a responsibility to keep a vigilant watch so "should" spot the sleeping singlehander and avoid a collision, but there are always unplanned distractions or difficulties in seeing, or equipment malfunctions, and that's why I think it's important that ALL mariners keep a constant lookout, which pretty much means long distance singlehanded sailing should not happen. For example, the glare of the sun on the water might prevent me from seeing you as we approach each other, but that means that you'll have little or no glare so should see me easily.....unless you're asleep. That's why it's important that ALL vessels keep a constant lookout as the Colregs require, because even those who intend to keep a perfect watch will have moments when they don't detect potential collisions as quickly as is necessary. Fortunately, it's a big ocean out there and our boats are relatively small, so it's quite possible to go a whole sailing lifetime without ever colliding even if you never keep a watch while offshore, but I feel that it's not right to depend on pure luck and a big ocean when other lives besides your own might also be at stake.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Wrong

We're not paying to attention arguments like yours. Prostlytizing is not going to stop sailors from voyaging alone and taking much needed rest. The argument is like whistling Dixie to a milestone, telling birds not to fly because they could get hurt, or what's worse we may ram container ship or two causing them to sink.


The most worst case scenario for a crewed or boat sailed by one person in a collision with most anything at sea - especially a ship - is an emergency call for rescue is made and or people die. I accept the possibility I could die as a consequence of needing to sleep, or fix a meal while hove-to or under way... If others are aboard the weight of responsibility is much greater and keeping watch indespensable. I couldn't bear having others aboard die for lack of an effective watch. But, I'm alone and am prepared to die in order to voyage to distant lands without crew.

I'd like to see evidence sailors who sail alone are involved in more mishaps underway than crewed vessels. Maybe it's time the Colregs were changed to reflect reality, based upon verifiable comparative data between incidents involving crewed and individually sailed boats.

No doubt, both crewed and boats sailed by one person have collided with other sailboats while underway. But, the reason isn't necessarily because nobody was on watch. It may just be it's because sailors departing from point one, travelling in the same or opposite directions at night to their respective destinations plot their rhumb line exactly the same way. Then, thoughtlessly sail precisely toward or behind one another... I sail anywhere between 5 and 20 n.m. to windward of the line, knowing full well others have plotted an identical course...

There's more important considerations when developing a plan than making sure you're adhering to the Colreg regarding watches. And, one of them is accepting you are alone. Having done that, develop a plan overly abundant with caution.

You say you couldn't bear to have other aboard your vessel die for lack of an effective watch, but how about folks in the small vessel you collided with who die because you didn't keep an effective watch? Don't they count just as much as passengers dying aboard your boat? I'm not really worried about you running into a container ship out there, as you say, it's your choice and you'll do all the suffering in a collision. But rather it's more the little guy whose boat is small enough to be badly damaged by yours that I'm worried about. Small boat sailors should know better than anyone that every boat is not huge and made of steel.

You can tell yourself that you're making all the abundantly cautions plans you want to, but when your boat is underway with no person aboard awake, that's about the furthest thing from cautious.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

You say you couldn't bear to have other aboard your vessel die for lack of an effective watch, but how about folks in the small vessel you collided with who die because you didn't keep an effective watch?

...But rather it's more the little guy whose boat is small enough to be badly damaged by yours that I'm worried about. Small boat sailors should know better than anyone that every boat is not huge and made of steel.

And yet, in my observation, it seems the majority of solo sailors out there tend to be those sailing the smallest boats...

:-)