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Old 26-08-2020, 10:28   #31
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Once off shore there is very little that can harm you. It is probably one of the safest places you can be. This is assuming one has common sense.

There is now time to enjoy the ocean, the sky at night, and ample time to do most shipboard chores. I have never been bored on a passage. Meals do seem to take on an extra pleasure, and after a few days one tends to not be interested in the latest news and the plethora of advertising that normally bombards us is gone, and each day is worth the price paid for it.

In short, life becomes truly wonderful.

What do you do different on a passage? You tend to enjoy every moment of the day. You discover ho little you need and how crazy it can be ashore.

M
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Old 26-08-2020, 10:36   #32
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Originally Posted by captmikem View Post
Once off shore there is very little that can harm you. It is probably one of the safest places you can be. This is assuming one has common sense.

There is now time to enjoy the ocean, the sky at night, and ample time to do most shipboard chores. I have never been bored on a passage. Meals do seem to take on an extra pleasure, and after a few days one tends to not be interested in the latest news and the plethora of advertising that normally bombards us is gone, and each day is worth the price paid for it.

In short, life becomes truly wonderful.

What do you do different on a passage? You tend to enjoy every moment of the day. You discover ho little you need and how crazy it can be ashore.

M
Amen.!!!
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Old 26-08-2020, 10:42   #33
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

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Question for those with extended offshore experience:



I understand there is a huge difference in offshore passagemaking vs sailing in protected waters when it comes to the following:


-absolute self reliance required (repairs, first aid, etc)
-having 2nd and 3rd backups to critical systems (handheld GPS, sextant, etc)
-preparations and experience jury rigging rudder and standing rigging, etc
-not being able to go home when foul weather approaches.

-sailing in much more significant weather events (utilizing heavy weather tactics)



I'm less curious about those aspects, because they seem fairly clear and are well documented.



But in your experience, what is different about actually sailing and navigating your vessel safely, when you go offshore? How is that different from inshore or protected waters?


Right now, my cruising grounds consist of the Chesapeake. I'll be honest, it's fairly challenging sailing at night because of traffic, and during the day I dont' go below for more than 5-10 minutes, tops. There are always boats hauling ass around me, and fishing areas popping up (in real life, but not on maps) that I need to keep wary of. The situation changes rapidly sometimes. There's a lot of things that appeal to me about heading out to less congested waters than this bay (ie the Atlantic). What things should I worry about? What things can I train and prepare for?



Thank you for sharing your experience!
Cruising offshore/passagemaking has more to do with managing the totality of your resources and less with sailing...you may make one or no sail adjustments every day, it depends on conditions. Think of the things you don't worry about sailing locally; now think about them for an entire voyage: fresh water supply, fuel, navigation, communication away from your cell phone, overboard safety measures, engine reliability, rescue gear and how to use them, crew reliability in emergency situations, crew moral, etc. Speed comes second to keeping all systems running FOR THE ENTIRE VOYAGE.

Good luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH
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Old 26-08-2020, 10:48   #34
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Oh, I forgot the a big one, managing your electrical supply.

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Old 26-08-2020, 10:58   #35
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Following with keen interest.
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Old 26-08-2020, 11:29   #36
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Done lots of coastal but one 23 day passage to Marquesas, then few days to Tahiti.

At sea it is easier, as long as you are not freaked out. Once you get used to the idea of nobody around to help, but nobody to be worried about either, and after 5 days you graduate into a nice relaxed mind-set.

I kept very busy, in spite of being only one of 6 crew on board. I did a ton of celestial navigation (had to, didn't trust captain and we didn't have sat-nav or Loran). Read some good books, trimmed sails about twice a day usually.

You will be doing everything since you are solo. Boredom will be the least of your concerns.
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Old 26-08-2020, 12:43   #37
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Main thing for me is to focus on managing and maintaining the boat rather than course speed and position. My goal is to finish the voyage in a condition where I can just re-provision and set of again not be looking at time in the yard getting things fixed. So relax sail the boat comfortably not over pressed, pick a course that make progress but is not to hard on boat or crew, hard on the wind for a day is exhilarating but after a week the rig and crew starts to show the strain. Take a break if you need it and the weather plays nice. I have stopped for a whole day after a storm to clean and dry the boat, go for a swim and just chill. Felt much better afterwards. Remember to live and not just sail, read a book, watch a film, have a special meal celebrate an anniversary.
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Old 26-08-2020, 13:03   #38
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Offshore/blue water is why I do deliveries. It is an incredible ride!

My suggestions to you are

1)Vesper AIS with WiFi. This lets you turn off the chart plotter and still get AIS alarms through your mobile device. Consider adding external alarm off Vesper device.

2) jack lines- the WM double straps are good. I use dyneema line on a delivery. Same breaking strength, small enough not to roll underfoot and easy to use.

3) WM double lead tether. AND clip in when in cockpit. Did a delivery where owner fussed about my rule. Then we got pooped and he floated off seat! No more complaints.

4) a good collection of music, radio talk shows (the Shadow, etc) from archives.org

5) Get an Iridium GO and Luck Grib with routing. I download weather twice a day. This ensure I am sailing efficient and avoid fouls weather.

6) Know that in a very long passage you will still get nailed by bad weather.

7)life raft and EPIRB— just in case things go full “utters up”.
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Old 26-08-2020, 13:24   #39
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Solo? What is your shortest possible offshore cruise out of Chesapeake Bay? Hopefully less than 100 miles. Do that first. Take it from there.
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Old 26-08-2020, 18:16   #40
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Thanks for starting this thread and thanks all for a very informative discussion, lots of things to learn and I won’t repeat the detail.

Offshore is about a totally different experience of sailing and the ocean. Even when doing coastal sailing, especially as most are overnight, I try to get out of sight of land, away from the ‘visual’ connection. I also try to plan for a waxing moon to get the full moon and the waining moon; while having some light from the moon is itself ok what is magic is the changing ocean with the moonlight (assuming not too cloudy).

I interviewed a young German solo sailor in Tonga one year and his preference was for long passages; 4 weeks. A week to get his head out of the port he just left and 2 weeks simply with the boat and the ocean and a week where he would start to think about the next landfall. Most of us don’t do a month passage very often but even a week can get you ‘offshore’, as per the German’s first week from port. It takes a few days for most of us to settle in to the rhythms of the ocean, the wind, the sky, the passing of each day and then, as others above have said, we can settle in. So, offshore is about the experience.

But, a big BUT, it is not all as ‘peaceful’ as my paragraph above as we almost always face bad weather, too much or too little wind, and so on. These are times when I ask myself “what am I doing out here”? But, I get over it.

In the end, an offshore experience is an wholistic part of the self.

PS. I was going to use the word bucolic above but it is a land term, not an ocean term. Who know what an equivalent ocean term would be?
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Old 26-08-2020, 21:14   #41
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Years ago, I did celestial and found it helpful in making land fall. Now days, with GPS and chart plotters, I don't use it at all. I feel that if all onboard navigation aids fail I can DR to find a land fall. It might not be the place I intended to go, but it will provide refuge and an opportunity to get things back online. It is true that off shore there are not many hazards, but still yachts and ships keep running aground. That is why I believe in using paper charts along with electronic. Plot your course line on paper checking for hazards and then transfer that to the chart plotter. If making a very long passage, it might be better to transfer the electronic course line to the paper chart as some GPS's will plot a great circle course. The electronic charts sometimes will not show hazards on different scales. The other thing is keeping a watch 24 hours a day. It is surprising how often something comes along that raises concern when out in the middle of nowhere. If you are short handed, one of your most important items of equipment is a good autopilot to steer. Have a good one. Take references and operation manuals for everything you can. When something breaks down on a passage, it is seldom an emergency, so take the time to sort it out and if possible bring it back on line. We (my wife and I) enjoy passage making. It will be a sad day when we can no longer make them. A simple and inexpensive device to track your movement, check weather, send simple emails, and initiate an SOS is the Garmin InReach Explorer. Check it out.
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Old 27-08-2020, 05:10   #42
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Lots of good answers already, so I only have one to add.
Sounds are different. BANG when coastal probably means you hit something.
BANG when offshore, tired, and usually in the dark, means a line blew!
Our first offshore taught us which lines needed replacement[emoji2959]
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Old 27-08-2020, 05:35   #43
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

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The one thing always is that I am always clipped in offshore, when above decks. I can’t imagine a worse feeling than watching your boat keep going from the water, hoping my wife comes up and checks on me before I get out of sight.
It can really be that simple/sudden.

My friend Joe was on a transatlantic on watch with windvane steering. His just-washed t-shirt blew out of its clips so Joe leaned over the lifelines in an attempt to snatch it out of the ocean as it went by and went in.

The complication was that the Captain, Rupert, was below prepping a meal with rock music on full blast.

After-the-fact, Rupert recounted how he had no idea what prompted him to poke his head out of the companionway for a look around... but there was Joe in the water very distant, waving his t-shirt (which was the reason why they were able to spot and get back to him).

Avoid this!
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Old 27-08-2020, 05:41   #44
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

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Originally Posted by captmikem View Post
Once off shore there is very little that can harm you. It is probably one of the safest places you can be. This is assuming one has common sense.

There is now time to enjoy the ocean, the sky at night, and ample time to do most shipboard chores. I have never been bored on a passage. Meals do seem to take on an extra pleasure, and after a few days one tends to not be interested in the latest news and the plethora of advertising that normally bombards us is gone, and each day is worth the price paid for it.

In short, life becomes truly wonderful.

What do you do different on a passage? You tend to enjoy every moment of the day. You discover ho little you need and how crazy it can be ashore.

M
++2!!!

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Old 27-08-2020, 05:58   #45
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Re: What do you do different offshore?

Single handing off shore, I love it,
I carry at least a months food in cans, UHT milk, I buy it by the case, 500 gram cans of coffee,
At night, I drop my drive leg, put out about a foot of the Genoa, Depending on the wind,
It keeps me at about 3 knots downwind,
Then I go to bed in the salon,
Any noise or different wave motion, Im in the cockpit,
Ships scratch on the VHF and I turn my deck lights on to tell them I know their there,
I seen three ships in 2000 Nmiles on one trip, ,
My oceans are empty,
Most crowded ocean Ive sailed in, was the RIP, Victoria, Australia,
All ships have to go thru a channel, about 3 Kays wide,
There where ships all over the place, coming and going, Even at 3-00 AM,

Off shore, The only thing I do different, Is to wear my chest harness on a very short lanyard, Jack line under the boom, But Now with the cover Ive put over my boat, Permanent, The Jackline is on top of the boom to the mast,

As I dont use my main any more, The boom is tied off hard to stop it moving,
I cant fall off my boat even if Im dead,
But I only use the harness if I leave the cockpit, my cockpit is fully enclosed,
My Genoa is operated from the cockpit, So I dont have to go on the deck for any reason,
No matter what the wind strength is or the wave heights,
I always stay under 10 Knots,
I have a sailing Catamaran, It makes life very easy,
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