What do single handlers do at night?

[cj88]

Originally Posted by rosatte

sometimes I sleep right in the cockpit if in a area with other traffic possible it takes a while getting comfortable doing this but has worked out so far

Try using a half-filled bean bag on the cockpit floor.

[Siberian Sea]

I’m a single handler and find it really very nice. I have made long offshore passages and have no problems at all with the solitude, matter fact I prefer to sail alone. Once offshore you fall into your natural cycle as fare as sleep is concerned. I never sleep below deck rather I say near the helm all the time. If it’s foul weather then I just sleep in my rain gear. Often I never sleep more then an hour or two at most and often that is during the daylight hours. I read a lot of books, listen to shortwave radio, and just let the time pass. I have a Monitor Wind Vane system and that steers the vessel 95% of the time. Once I clear port and start to sail I shut off the engine and never start it again until it’s time to motor into the next anchorage. If the wind fails I just wait until it returns and that’s never been more then two days. I’ve gone weeks and never seen another vessel and it seems that overall your not likely to be ran over by a ship. I do not have AIS although I’m thinking to get one.

[mark_morwood]

Originally Posted by navysurfer

...

My questions is, if I sail from Panama to South Pacific, have radar, AIS alarms, am far offshore, then basically set the boat to heave too , then sleep hopefully 6-8 hours.

...

I'm not sure there is much advantage to heaving to every night. In many boats you may as well keep sailing on autopilot with conservative sails.

I can't recommend much in the way of schedules as all my offshore single handing has been short (5 day) racing to Bermuda, so very different to what you are proposing. You need to do your own risk assessment of time asleep versus keeping healthy and competent.

[roverhi]

When offshore sleep when I feel like it. Spend a lot of time stretched out on the bridge deck under the dodger nodding off. Sleep as much in the daytime as at night. Seriously doubt that I'd see a container or other low lying detritus at night in time to avoid it. Almost never sleep more than 4 hours at a stretch no matter where I'm sleeping.

Coastal, try to stay awake straight through. Once did 72 hours straight on the tiller. Entertainment got very interesting after 48 hours. Ocean was very phosphorescent and saw a line heading directly for the boat. Immediately thought i was being torpedoed and tried to ring the emergency klaxon till I realized I was on a sailboat and the torpedo was a dolphin playing with the boat. That got the adrenaline flowing and didn't want to nod off again even though it was at the end of that 72 hour stint. Just did a delivery on a new to me boat from SF to Oceanside, CA. Last 300 miles were solo but with no wind. Made the run from Monterey to Morro Bay, an overnight passage arriving early in the morning. Took a 6 hour nap and pushed off in the evening for a straight shot to Oceanside. With no wind, first time I enjoyed going around Point Conception. Should have anchored in the bight behind Pt Conception and taken a nap but forged on. Had a very hard time staying awake the 2nd night and wished I'd had a timer so I could've gotten an hour or so of Z's. As it was had to fight through the nods but managed to stay awake. Have found that a short hour or so nap will ward off the nods for hours. A timer would have made that possible. Actually could have just shut down the engine, turned on the anchor light and gone to sleep cause I was well offshore.

Never have had radar though did have AIS on my last TransPac. Once I was past the Farallons leaving SF, the AIS was worthless as it would've been on all the offshore passages I've made. Did see two ships at the same time hull down on either side of the boat about mid passage but no other contacts. Have only seen three other ships in more than 10,000 passage making miles. Two of them were fishing boats which probably wouldn't have had AIS working if it had been available as they sure weren't keeping a watch and one ship with just the running lights above the horizon.

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

^^^^^

Cassidy, did you once own a yacht called Veedon Fleece? Met her, and perhaps you somewhere in Polynesia in 1990.

Just curious!

Jim

Sorry Jim, no not me. But I believe you’re in Australia now? If you’re going up to Fiji next year, may catchup with you then.

[Rorzech]

That old german guy they found a few years ago that was floating around the worlds oceans for 7 long years in a 36 foot sloop never got hit by a ship, container, Land, or whale, and never looked around for seven years. Had no AIS, Radar, binoculars auto pilot, or even sails. I'd say he did a pretty good job.If they hadn't found him , he might still be out there.

[PegasusIX]

When single handing I start out the day by getting short 20 min sleeps from 9am. The aim is to get well rested during the day so more alert from 1am to 3am than would otherwise be. Over 3 day sail you need to get at least one longer sleep each day of 45min to 1.5 hrs, to get a full sleep cycle including REM sleep, each day, best in daylight so you can be seen. This longer sleep period once per day avoids sleep depravation symptoms like hearing voices etc. I make use of circadium rhthyms to get a good sleep at low point of 2:30 in afternoons. Have done up to 3 days this way and still alert. Every 20 mins a visual and AIS check, and if something is seen, no sleeping till it’s gone.

[Mr B]

Less than 30 Nmiles off shore, I dont even think of sleeping,

I do stay well away from the shipping lanes,
I put my Genoa out about a foot, Drop the drive leg into the water, It acts as a drogue and keeps me sailing dead down wind at about 3 knots,
Only problem with this method, Is its usually not the way I want to go, So I have to back track the next day before I can continue on the way I want to go, It does add a lot of Nmiles to my trips distance travelled,

I keep the VHF on, If a passing ship comes over the horizon and will pass close by where I am,
They scratch on the VHF which wakes me up, If Im asleep,

Then I just turn on my the deck lights, so they know I have heard them, and make sure they arent going to run over me, Thats a visual check,

I usually sleep in the salon with one eye open, Sort off,
I cant deep sleep at sea for some reason, My senses wont allow it,
But I do get enough sleep tho,
Any thing changes in the steady motion of the boat, Direction, Wind, Waves, Noises, I am instantly in the cockpit, 4 Steps,

Ships at night are lit up like a Christmas tree, You cant miss them,
Horizon to me, 20 Minutes, Approx, 20 minutes later, Their gone,
Its surprising how quick they actually are,

Its also very rare to see a ship well out to sea, over 40 Nmiles,
Shipping lanes are clearly marked on all my maps, and the GPS,

My 2 centavo's worth,
Cheers, Brian,

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Rorzech

That old german guy they found a few years ago that was floating around the worlds oceans for 7 long years in a 36 foot sloop never got hit by a ship, container, Land, or whale, and never looked around for seven years. Had no AIS, Radar, binoculars auto pilot, or even sails. I'd say he did a pretty good job.If they hadn't found him , he might still be out there.

Is there more about this story somewhere??

I'd love to read about this.

[Chris31415]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Is there more about this story somewhere??



I'd love to read about this.

Google “mummified german sailor” and there are plenty of stories and even videos.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Chris31415

Google “mummified german sailor” and there are plenty of stories and even videos.

Oh... That guy. I thought you meant someone doing it intentionally.

[DefinitelyMe]

Not being worried about another person or another person's opinion can be kind of liberating. When I am single-handed I generally just don't care as much about stuff. When I'm tired I sleep, often right through the night. But I also sail a bit more conservatively in general, not so much for safety reasons but a) because I don't mind being out there for longer and b) to minimise work from having to handle sails.

AIS has revolutionised short-handed sailing.

I generally don't have to worry about small boats and land, but if I do I generally turn on the deck lights and then either sleep for no longer than it would take me to get uncomfortably close to land if the wind changed (wind vane steering) or sometimes heave-to depending on the situation.

Only slept through an alarm once....... while rounding Cape Agulhas, South Africa. There were two of us on board then but we were both asleep.....

On the subject of hallucinations: got overtaken by a 4x4 once and only felt jealousy at how fast it was going. Sound of diesel containers rubbing turned into a flock of sheep, complete with grass and all.

[David M]

Technically you are breaking the law (COLREG's) by not having a "proper watch", so single-handers don't have any choice but to break the law. That's how it is.

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by David M

Technically you are breaking the law (COLREG's) by not having a "proper watch", so single-handers don't have any choice but to break the law. That's how it is.

Yes, that’s an interesting concept especially when one of the most publicised sailing endeavours in the world of sailing is a single handed, non-stop race around the world and no authorities anywhere along the route do anything to stop it.

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by David M

Technically you are breaking the law (COLREG's) by not having a "proper watch", so single-handers don't have any choice but to break the law. That's how it is.

The COLREGs don't say: "human watch." One could argue that, with an AIS-triggered collision warning and the radio on you are keeping a: "continuous electronic watch."

The COLREGs also don't say vessels: "must keep a watch with a sleep-deprived and disabled, hallucinating zombie single-hander." Some latitude and judgement must apply to the situation. If it ever comes up, I expect judges to act like humans - not binary robots. But I don't know of a case where this has ever come before a court. Does anyone else?