For most couples out there cruising, the vast majority of the time, when you are underway, you are actually solo-sailing. My wife and I have something north of 30,000 miles under our keel and we choose to have one of us on watch at all times. This means when you are on watch, your mate is usually down below sleeping, preparing a meal, just resting or whatever. You get LOTS of alone time.
Being alone on watch is not the same thing as solo sailing. When a solo sailor needs another pair of hands he can't get one, whether he is hurt or has some big and pressing job to do. Also when he leaves port he knows from the outset there is no one else to rely on. It is a different mindset. Being alone with one other person is a different mindset from ordinary people, but sailing solo is a step farther in that direction. I get your point, that you are frequently alone with the sea and managing the boat. I'm just saying it's a different mindset going weeks or months without seeing another person than being alone for hours.
@@PeterJames143 I'll grant you the point. Mentally, solo sailing is way different. No question about it. I haven't done much of it, but I've done enough to know the truth of that statement. I still maintain though that from a practical standpoint, managing the boat and what not, double handing (at least the style my wife and I have done so much of) is very similar to single handing. The one huge difference is having that 2nd set of hands available when things go really wrong. In my case I'm remembering one night about 3am. Our backstay broke when we were about 36 hours out of Tonga, heading for Hawaii. That 2nd pair of hands came in real handy.
Solo sailor here. Since 2011 I sail a first generation Open 60. She's a lot of boat for solo but also very special and exciting. I enjoyed your view on loneliness and completely relate. Best wishes and safe travels.
Totally agree, except for one point. Being able to manage your boat from the cockpit is far better. You can be disciplined and look after your boat when able and safe. If you don’t have the option (forced to go to the mast in sketchy conditions), your safety is at risk.
Great perspective on being alone. There is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. I sail solo and in general, spend a lot of time alone. I have never been lonely and relish the time I get to spend by myself. As you said, when you get out there and turn off the noise, get in tune with your surroundings, it is immensely satisfying.
As a young man I built a racing yacht and sailed solo around Europe and down into Africa. I used a no job hanked to the forstay with a tack line to the head of the sail leading aft, dropping the sail was super simple without going fwd. Because the boat was light and 11 m long the loads were light and I very seldom went straight upwind, choosing to reach off and slide rather than slam the waves, Most amazing adventure of my life.
Only in the heart of the big cities are you really alone!... At sea, you're face to face with yourself, in your true place as a tiny animal in the heart of Mother Nature... You're where you belong!
I'm about to buy my first sailboat and plan to sail solo most of the time and you gave very useful info - thanks! The "feeling lonely" risk was however nothing I worried about. I have done several long (4 weeks) solo trips hiking or skiing in the mountains. I share your experience - the connection to nature is much stronger when going solo, and I love that feeling.
This is actually a brilliant video Jerome. Greetings from Alpena. It's been great following along with all of your videos and your journey, keep em comin'!
yep i agree with the (non) loneliness part, you do become in tune with nature, your boat, the life style, you're always finding things to do, there's maintenance, cleaning, or improving systems on the boat, i find that when i'm out for a week or so i don't want to come back to shore! its a kind of peace that i experience on the waves.
Let’s have a number 4 category. I call it my Wilson mindset. I talk to my equipment. My helm is riding a horse. The sails are my children the autopilot is my navigator. They all speak to me in their own language.
Re trusting the AIS at sea... I would be afraid of running into the CoughSneese fishing fleet, they like to turn their AIS off from time to time. You never know when you'll run into one of them - literally.
Good video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I've been sleeping with my Apple Watch on, it records sleep patterns. I've noticed that most nights now I sleep about 6 to 6.5 hours over 8 or 9 hours. Many periods of wakefulness, some I remember, some I don't. This seems normal. I've also sailed long distances, but not solo. I do regularly sail off the California coast solo. So sleep. I usually get good nights of sleep. To get 8 hours, I'm usually in bed for 9 or 10 hours. But I'm retired, older... age has affected my sleep. Also having to get up to pee. So sailing solo? Doesn't have to be an issue. I also know that while driving if we get the 'nods.' Chin drops, we pop right back up.... Well, we could've been asleep for 1/10th of a second or ten minutes. This is very very dangerous. If you get so fatigued sailing close to shore, etc... you need to stop somewhere and sleep. In a car when I've felt this coming on, I'll pull over as soon as I can. Sleep in the driver's seat and almost always wake up in 45 minutes and be alert enough for another 6 hours. I also like sleeping in the cockpit of my boat. It's less stressful to be able to just lift your head and look around. I have a center cockpit boat, 46' with a completely encloseable cockpit. Many boats won't have this, but if you're looking to sail solo a boat you can do this in is a plus. AIS alarms. Yes. My boat currently doesn't have AIS, but it's best to be broadcasting this signal. Then other vessels can see you, and they will hail you or blast their horn to get your attention if you are heading in their path or towards their nets. And if you're young loneliness will probably seem like an issue. Talk to a therapist, write journals. You can get to where you love to see other people but you don't feel the need to always be around others. And I love sleeping on a boat. The rougher the better. Last year I was slamming across the Pacific in my friends' catamaran. Sounded like someone was throwing dumpsters at the side while my forward berth was bucking up and down. I loved it. Slept like a baby. I once lived directly above a discotheque. It took six very difficult months to get completely used to it, but I think it's paid dividends being able to sleep almost anywhere.
When you run things back to the cockpit it takes a lot of line and blocks so you lose most of the power and its very difficult to deal with and you end up going forward to help it all out. My 2 cents here as a single hander.
Agreed. The forward end of the boat takes the most abuse from sea and wind, you must take a careful look around at least daily to find the random bolt on deck, kinked line, or cracked item.
Wow, I was rsther taken aback on your comments about the loneliness factor. While I’ve generally enjoyed a 50/50 split, with knowing both are important for me, i found your take on the subject surprisng and refreshing!
Finally an educational sailing channel!! Subscribed! only wish I would’ve found you sooner, I guess I’m guilty of clicking on bikinis like everyone else 😢 Beginner-ish Sailor from Louisiana, Tartan 34
I put solo sailing into the same bucket as solo hiking in remote areas: you trust that you will be not harmed or so sick that you cannot function. If you are OK with that you go, if not have someone with you. It is your risk profile of what you wish to do. I know that I always wanted a partner else I did not do real solo sailing or hiking.
I hate.. sailing alone! I try since 2019 .. to find a partner sharing my passion. I met sick, demanding, narcissistic women judging me of my size 5.7. I have enough of demanding women, may be I die some day on my boat and nobody.. will recognise.
If the night is very overcast and pitch-black skies don't allow for me to read the clouds for squalls, I will sail with a more conservative sail plan. Other than that, it's business as usual. Good question, thanks.
I live on an 27 ft sailing boat and i have a couple of disabilities that occasionally can cause me to have anxitiy but i keep going because i am a solo sailor on the east coast of Australia. Do you sometimes get any anxiety when you are sailing and how about homesickness do you cope with that ?. Gerard.
Dunno the "keep watch at all times" thing seems a real thing to me even if there isn't anything around, you just want to make sure there isn't anything. Big tankers are keen to ignore and oversee small sailboats in the ocean.
@@SailingIntoOblivion I know.. Tell me about it. I have been coastal sailing all the time, some passages, too. Nothing crazy like you, no crossings either, so I know too well how much it drains you. But I've only done a few days at most. I'd be too scared to be hit by a tanker wher ethe bridge officer thinks, the ocean is big and wide, we didn't see another ship in weeks and then doesn't monitor the AIS.
I watch a number of solo sailing UA-cam channels. The people sailing struggle a lot. Sometimes they're in a state of panic. I suppose they must feel some kind of sense of accomplishment for all the troubles and struggles that they constantly complain about.
Every solosailor has his/hers habits. Makes a big difference what your seafaring area comprises. Forget about everything you talk about for the Northsea, Channel, and everything on your way to the Med. South Atlantic, Pacific and Indian, you will find other probelems along the road.
honestly, didnt like you the first time i watched (hopefully I didnt make any smarta$$ comments) but I now think your one of the more informative and "real" sailing advesture channels. on lonliness: I think true loneliness comes into play when surrounded by people you have little to no connection with
According to the Colreg signed by your flag state you are obliged to have a 24 hours look-out. When you solo sail you are in contravention and your flag state should take action and your insurance position might be affected as well.
There is no "best". Like most things in Iife, sailing is a combination of compromises that make up the final product. "Lady K Sailing is a good channel that may give you some suggestions.
3-500 buck usually, still need to keep a watch but as a solo sailor I sleep when offshore for a few hours at a time. Sometime I go weeks without seeing another ship
@@SailingIntoOblivion thanks man, about to attempt my first ever solo sailing of a large-ish boat, a 1979 hunter 27. i have no experience sailing a big boat like that hands on, but i can sail hobie cats and dinghies and i learned how to sail the bigger boats with the basic esail sailing simulator. call me crazy, call me stupid, and maybe worse when i tell you that it will be sailing from the south east end of long island new york, to the north western part, or specifically from east quogue to oyster bay (mill neck). according to google earth, it's about 300km, so add another 50 to 100 when factoring in tacking, and at a top speed of about 10kph (6 kn), and it should be at least a 35-40 hours sail, and that's if i can manage top speed at all times. the wind in the forecast is light, and the boat traffic is likely to be pretty heavy around here this time of year, so, sailing full days, it will take me 5 days or more! quite amazing when u consider long island ain't even that big! to drive that distance would be under 2 hours comfortably. there will be a few stretches going over pretty open water with no harbors to pull into, like near the beginning going out into the atlantic and around montauk point. it's around 87km to the nearest harbor or safe looking area to anchor for a night. i guess that's doable. probably not a good idea to sleep while boat is sailing at night in the long island sound. i have no real world night sailing experience at all.
AIS is just a warning device. It does not steer the boat. You will need either mechanical wind vane or a electric autopilot. You do NOT want to be hand steering across the great blue.
@@teklife First off, a Hunter 27 is not a 'large-ish' boat. It is if you compare it to a dingy. I suggest you go take some ASA classes before you cast off. With your limited knowledge, you are going to end up in a Coast Helicopter or the evening news.
@@Razman23 yea i get that. the boat has an aftermarket autosteer. but i want to be able to get some shut eye without worrying that i'll crash into something, at least have a warning, that's enough. thanks for your reply.
No comments!??? How about: How closely do you try to stay on course (rhumb line-plus or minus) when you are on a long passage and subject to the whims of fickle winds, currents, and sea state? Kind of a chess game, right?
--On long voyages, the rhumb line is rarely the preferred course. Wind and currents vary predictably, are not fickle. Weather systems can be tracked with a barometer and a compass. Modern electronic satellite forecasting increases precision. --One degree of steering error is one mile in 60. 25 degrees adds 10% to distance, provides time to finish that novel What's the rush? Autopilot helps, but a boat can be steerd by lashing the tiller and adjusting the sails. What else do you have to do? --The real message he gives is: Do you enjoy your own company?
Isn't it better to inspect the wear and tear on days that it is a bit more safe to wonder on the deck? On a day that it is rather dangerous to go out there but one has to go to do a reefing or something, the focus is set on that and not on inspections. I don't have any lines or halyards or whateever running back to the cockpit. But there were situations where I wish I had.
Check your gear before you leave. IF getting out of the cockpit is not a safe thing to do, you can always use a pair of binoculars (LoL). You should have ran life lines before you undocked and be clipped in with your harness. Even a harness may not be enough. If you fall OB while wearing one but you cannot get back aboard, you are a dead man.
Rough conditions accelerate many problems. I discovered a very lose whisker stay 2 days after leaving port where I had inspected the rigging. It was about an hour from coming apart at the turnbuckle. To this day I have no idea how the mousing came off and how it worked its way lose that fast.
2:08 - don't you mean, from Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope? Otherwise you'd be sailing the South Atlantic and wouldn't have seen New Zealand! Right?
I think I would have to get some kind of low maintenance pet like a parrot to give me a little company...Do you ever get crazy thoughts or anxiety about falling over and what would you do?
Why does no one ever talk about safety on these trips? Not from the sea but from pirates and straight-up criminals? How are you (and seeminly so many others) able to steer clear of grifters, cartels, raiders and marauders when visiting foreign countries and unfamiliar seas?
You're more than likely to run over a floating shipping container than run into pirates. Unless you are in certain areas where pirates have been active. Even then they do not go too far offshore unless they know what they are fixing to board.
ALL seafarers are required by law to keep a lookout while at sea. You can't do this if you are asleep, and you have to sleep some time. AIS is good but not infallible and not all boats have it.
@@ben1895What a stupid comment. Mike is quite correct. He’s merely pointing out the law. I have no problem with solo sailors, but they need to recognise that in the event of an accident, they are likely to be held responsible, and that insurance will be difficult or impossible.
![Can You SINGLE HAND a Big Sailboat? | Sailing Wisdom [S4 Ep4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/S-U3AoplnTM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Can You SINGLE HAND a Big Sailboat? | Sailing Wisdom [S4 Ep4]](/img/tr.png)
For most couples out there cruising, the vast majority of the time, when you are underway, you are actually solo-sailing. My wife and I have something north of 30,000 miles under our keel and we choose to have one of us on watch at all times. This means when you are on watch, your mate is usually down below sleeping, preparing a meal, just resting or whatever. You get LOTS of alone time.
Being alone on watch is not the same thing as solo sailing. When a solo sailor needs another pair of hands he can't get one, whether he is hurt or has some big and pressing job to do. Also when he leaves port he knows from the outset there is no one else to rely on. It is a different mindset. Being alone with one other person is a different mindset from ordinary people, but sailing solo is a step farther in that direction. I get your point, that you are frequently alone with the sea and managing the boat. I'm just saying it's a different mindset going weeks or months without seeing another person than being alone for hours.
@@PeterJames143 I'll grant you the point. Mentally, solo sailing is way different. No question about it. I haven't done much of it, but I've done enough to know the truth of that statement. I still maintain though that from a practical standpoint, managing the boat and what not, double handing (at least the style my wife and I have done so much of) is very similar to single handing. The one huge difference is having that 2nd set of hands available when things go really wrong. In my case I'm remembering one night about 3am. Our backstay broke when we were about 36 hours out of Tonga, heading for Hawaii. That 2nd pair of hands came in real handy.
Solo sailor here. Since 2011 I sail a first generation Open 60. She's a lot of boat for solo but also very special and exciting. I enjoyed your view on loneliness and completely relate. Best wishes and safe travels.
Totally agree, except for one point. Being able to manage your boat from the cockpit is far better. You can be disciplined and look after your boat when able and safe. If you don’t have the option (forced to go to the mast in sketchy conditions), your safety is at risk.
Great perspective on being alone. There is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. I sail solo and in general, spend a lot of time alone. I have never been lonely and relish the time I get to spend by myself. As you said, when you get out there and turn off the noise, get in tune with your surroundings, it is immensely satisfying.
Until the sun sets and you can't see sh!t. 😀
Good point about inspecting the deck and rigging while at the mast and foredeck.
As a young man I built a racing yacht and sailed solo around Europe and down into Africa. I used a no job hanked to the forstay with a tack line to the head of the sail leading aft, dropping the sail was super simple without going fwd. Because the boat was light and 11 m long the loads were light and I very seldom went straight upwind, choosing to reach off and slide rather than slam the waves, Most amazing adventure of my life.
solo sailing is the best. When people are on board you have to look after their safety, comfort, etc.
And they're always in the way
Exactly, and worry about their safety mostly
Only in the heart of the big cities are you really alone!... At sea, you're face to face with yourself, in your true place as a tiny animal in the heart of Mother Nature... You're where you belong!
I'm about to buy my first sailboat and plan to sail solo most of the time and you gave very useful info - thanks! The "feeling lonely" risk was however nothing I worried about. I have done several long (4 weeks) solo trips hiking or skiing in the mountains. I share your experience - the connection to nature is much stronger when going solo, and I love that feeling.
I'm just going through the process of buying my boat to do the same , should be finalised next week
This is actually a brilliant video Jerome. Greetings from Alpena. It's been great following along with all of your videos and your journey, keep em comin'!
Alpena!!! Thanks and will do!
He makes a lot of sense!
Pretty accurate.
I embrace the solitude. I am so enthralled by the natural world that I haven't taken time to read a book on passage.
Two of my favorite things, sailing and reading at sea
yep i agree with the (non) loneliness part, you do become in tune with nature, your boat, the life style, you're always finding things to do, there's maintenance, cleaning, or improving systems on the boat, i find that when i'm out for a week or so i don't want to come back to shore! its a kind of peace that i experience on the waves.
No time to be lonely when you're alone ....
Truth right there
The takeaway: leave people with their problems on shore 😂
Thank for your elaborated explanation that really helped me to advance in my desire to go for it in the sport and lifestyle of sailing.
Of all the listening I have heard on sailing yours has been the most honest and forthright. I appreciate you.
A very interesting and informative video. I have done some solo sailing but mainly near the coast. I would like to venture more off shore. Thank you.
already I like this channel better than the rest. there are some real poseurs out there, especially when they hit 60k subs they get real smarmy.
It’s good. No bikini thumbnails, no 3 minute intros, no rubbish 👍🏻
Yep, too much clickbait these days.
Thanks for the insight! 😁 Hope all is well.
Let’s have a number 4 category. I call it my Wilson mindset. I talk to my equipment. My helm is riding a horse. The sails are my children the autopilot is my navigator. They all speak to me in their own language.
Very poetic and very effective in the same way. You become one with boat and nature instead of “battling” equipment and adversity.
Re trusting the AIS at sea... I would be afraid of running into the CoughSneese fishing fleet, they like to turn their AIS off from time to time. You never know when you'll run into one of them - literally.
Good video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I've been sleeping with my Apple Watch on, it records sleep patterns. I've noticed that most nights now I sleep about 6 to 6.5 hours over 8 or 9 hours. Many periods of wakefulness, some I remember, some I don't. This seems normal.
I've also sailed long distances, but not solo. I do regularly sail off the California coast solo. So sleep. I usually get good nights of sleep. To get 8 hours, I'm usually in bed for 9 or 10 hours. But I'm retired, older... age has affected my sleep. Also having to get up to pee. So sailing solo? Doesn't have to be an issue. I also know that while driving if we get the 'nods.' Chin drops, we pop right back up.... Well, we could've been asleep for 1/10th of a second or ten minutes. This is very very dangerous. If you get so fatigued sailing close to shore, etc... you need to stop somewhere and sleep. In a car when I've felt this coming on, I'll pull over as soon as I can. Sleep in the driver's seat and almost always wake up in 45 minutes and be alert enough for another 6 hours.
I also like sleeping in the cockpit of my boat. It's less stressful to be able to just lift your head and look around. I have a center cockpit boat, 46' with a completely encloseable cockpit. Many boats won't have this, but if you're looking to sail solo a boat you can do this in is a plus.
AIS alarms. Yes. My boat currently doesn't have AIS, but it's best to be broadcasting this signal. Then other vessels can see you, and they will hail you or blast their horn to get your attention if you are heading in their path or towards their nets.
And if you're young loneliness will probably seem like an issue. Talk to a therapist, write journals. You can get to where you love to see other people but you don't feel the need to always be around others.
And I love sleeping on a boat. The rougher the better. Last year I was slamming across the Pacific in my friends' catamaran. Sounded like someone was throwing dumpsters at the side while my forward berth was bucking up and down. I loved it. Slept like a baby. I once lived directly above a discotheque. It took six very difficult months to get completely used to it, but I think it's paid dividends being able to sleep almost anywhere.
Love the pith helmet, really suits you, there’s probably a great story attached to it 😆👍
When you run things back to the cockpit it takes a lot of line and blocks so you lose most of the power and its very difficult to deal with and you end up going forward to help it all out.
My 2 cents here as a single hander.
Agreed. The forward end of the boat takes the most abuse from sea and wind, you must take a careful look around at least daily to find the random bolt on deck, kinked line, or cracked item.
Wow, I was rsther taken aback on your comments about the loneliness factor. While I’ve generally enjoyed a 50/50 split, with knowing both are important for me, i found your take on the subject surprisng and refreshing!
95% boredom, 5% sheer terror
Only if you’re missing too many brain cells
Insightful. Brilliant. Thank you.
Excellent! Can’t wait to experience the ZEN of sailing solo. Somewhere in Baja.! (Sailing my Flicka-20).
Nice, hope you share some video, would love to see where you go. I did a trip up the Baha years ago.
Terrific insights! Thanks for sharing.
Loneliness and solitude are two very different things.
I have sailed with great crews, bad crews and alone. I love solo.
Finally an educational sailing channel!! Subscribed! only wish I would’ve found you sooner, I guess I’m guilty of clicking on bikinis like everyone else 😢
Beginner-ish Sailor from Louisiana, Tartan 34
Thanks so much, I hope to do a few more videos explaining the how and why of ocean sailing
nothing wrong with clicking on bikinis.
That was interesting, thanks.
Excellent!!!!
Great answers...
I think I am going to like it!
It’s funny because if some of these myths are true it’d work out perfectly for me, I’m an insomniac and I love being alone, sounds like a blast 😂
I still think the possibility of sailing over the edge of the world and the existence of seawaters should be number one.
Isn't that why sailors like chutes and parasails? Just adjust the lines and sail back up on top again....
Great video. Thank you for your insights
I put solo sailing into the same bucket as solo hiking in remote areas: you trust that you will be not harmed or so sick that you cannot function. If you are OK with that you go, if not have someone with you. It is your risk profile of what you wish to do. I know that I always wanted a partner else I did not do real solo sailing or hiking.
I love Solo because it's peaceful
i never sailed with AIS. boy, it sounds like a truly liberating invention!
No time to be lonely when you sail alone .
Been there, and I agree.
My wife sailed around the southern ocean in 2008.. Scary as shit.
I hate.. sailing alone! I try since 2019 .. to find a partner sharing my passion. I met sick, demanding, narcissistic women judging me of my size 5.7. I have enough of demanding women, may be I die some day on my boat and nobody.. will recognise.
What if any extra safety precautions do you do when sailing solo at night?
If the night is very overcast and pitch-black skies don't allow for me to read the clouds for squalls, I will sail with a more conservative sail plan. Other than that, it's business as usual. Good question, thanks.
@@SailingIntoOblivion Do you use radar at night to see squalls?
@ I don’t have radar, most nights you can see them, I have zero instrument lights in the cockpit and you get amazing night vision after 10-20 minutes.
I live on an 27 ft sailing boat and i have a couple of disabilities that occasionally can cause me to have anxitiy but i keep going because i am a solo sailor on the east coast of Australia. Do you sometimes get any anxiety when you are sailing and how about homesickness do you cope with that ?.
Gerard.
Dunno the "keep watch at all times" thing seems a real thing to me even if there isn't anything around, you just want to make sure there isn't anything. Big tankers are keen to ignore and oversee small sailboats in the ocean.
Have to sleep sometime though, and 20min naps will turn a sailor into a zombie
@@SailingIntoOblivion I know.. Tell me about it. I have been coastal sailing all the time, some passages, too. Nothing crazy like you, no crossings either, so I know too well how much it drains you. But I've only done a few days at most.
I'd be too scared to be hit by a tanker wher ethe bridge officer thinks, the ocean is big and wide, we didn't see another ship in weeks and then doesn't monitor the AIS.
I watch a number of solo sailing UA-cam channels. The people sailing struggle a lot. Sometimes they're in a state of panic. I suppose they must feel some kind of sense of accomplishment for all the troubles and struggles that they constantly complain about.
Every solosailor has his/hers habits. Makes a big difference what your seafaring area comprises. Forget about everything you talk about for the Northsea, Channel, and everything on your way to the Med. South Atlantic, Pacific and Indian, you will find other probelems along the road.
Thank you. From Canada
honestly, didnt like you the first time i watched (hopefully I didnt make any smarta$$ comments) but I now think your one of the more informative and "real" sailing advesture channels.
on lonliness: I think true loneliness comes into play when surrounded by people you have little to no connection with
AIS and radar have made solo sailing a lot safer.
According to the Colreg signed by your flag state you are obliged to have a 24 hours look-out. When you solo sail you are in contravention and your flag state should take action and your insurance position might be affected as well.
He has a 24 hour, multiple layer, electronic watch system.
You can also add a radar perimeter and an OSCAR camera if you want more layers
I'd love to have a boat precisely for the solitude. BTW: What's the flag behind you?
What is the best blue water boat under 30 feet?
There is no "best". Like most things in Iife, sailing is a combination of compromises that make up the final product. "Lady K Sailing is a good channel that may give you some suggestions.
As for loneliness...if you get bored with your own company you have no right inflicting it on other people.
😇
how much is an AIS and then can i just get in the cabin and let the boat sail on a heading for hours and hours without any input?
3-500 buck usually, still need to keep a watch but as a solo sailor I sleep when offshore for a few hours at a time. Sometime I go weeks without seeing another ship
@@SailingIntoOblivion thanks man, about to attempt my first ever solo sailing of a large-ish boat, a 1979 hunter 27. i have no experience sailing a big boat like that hands on, but i can sail hobie cats and dinghies and i learned how to sail the bigger boats with the basic esail sailing simulator.
call me crazy, call me stupid, and maybe worse when i tell you that it will be sailing from the south east end of long island new york, to the north western part, or specifically from east quogue to oyster bay (mill neck). according to google earth, it's about 300km, so add another 50 to 100 when factoring in tacking, and at a top speed of about 10kph (6 kn), and it should be at least a 35-40 hours sail, and that's if i can manage top speed at all times. the wind in the forecast is light, and the boat traffic is likely to be pretty heavy around here this time of year, so, sailing full days, it will take me 5 days or more!
quite amazing when u consider long island ain't even that big! to drive that distance would be under 2 hours comfortably. there will be a few stretches going over pretty open water with no harbors to pull into, like near the beginning going out into the atlantic and around montauk point. it's around 87km to the nearest harbor or safe looking area to anchor for a night. i guess that's doable.
probably not a good idea to sleep while boat is sailing at night in the long island sound. i have no real world night sailing experience at all.
AIS is just a warning device. It does not steer the boat. You will need either mechanical wind vane or a electric autopilot. You do NOT want to be hand steering across the great blue.
@@teklife First off, a Hunter 27 is not a 'large-ish' boat. It is if you compare it to a dingy. I suggest you go take some ASA classes before you cast off. With your limited knowledge, you are going to end up in a Coast Helicopter or the evening news.
@@Razman23 yea i get that. the boat has an aftermarket autosteer. but i want to be able to get some shut eye without worrying that i'll crash into something, at least have a warning, that's enough. thanks for your reply.
No comments!???
How about: How closely do you try to stay on course (rhumb line-plus or minus) when you are on a long passage and subject to the whims of fickle winds, currents, and sea state? Kind of a chess game, right?
--On long voyages, the rhumb line is rarely the preferred course. Wind and currents vary predictably, are not fickle. Weather systems can be tracked with a barometer and a compass. Modern electronic satellite forecasting increases precision.
--One degree of steering error is one mile in 60. 25 degrees adds 10% to distance, provides time to finish that novel What's the rush? Autopilot helps, but a boat can be steerd by lashing the tiller and adjusting the sails. What else do you have to do?
--The real message he gives is: Do you enjoy your own company?
Is it the svvizzera
Isn't it better to inspect the wear and tear on days that it is a bit more safe to wonder on the deck? On a day that it is rather dangerous to go out there but one has to go to do a reefing or something, the focus is set on that and not on inspections. I don't have any lines or halyards or whateever running back to the cockpit. But there were situations where I wish I had.
Check your gear before you leave. IF getting out of the cockpit is not a safe thing to do, you can always use a pair of binoculars (LoL). You should have ran life lines before you undocked and be clipped in with your harness. Even a harness may not be enough. If you fall OB while wearing one but you cannot get back aboard, you are a dead man.
Rough conditions accelerate many problems. I discovered a very lose whisker stay 2 days after leaving port where I had inspected the rigging. It was about an hour from coming apart at the turnbuckle. To this day I have no idea how the mousing came off and how it worked its way lose that fast.
Where were you going that you were at sea for 271 days?!
I believe that was his Southern Ocean passage from Cape of Good Hope to Cape Horn.
💓
I,'m fully agre with you
I trust radar more than AIS
No 1….do you get scared.
2:08 - don't you mean, from Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope? Otherwise you'd be sailing the South Atlantic and wouldn't have seen New Zealand! Right?
The prevailing wind in the Southern Ocean is a westerly.
I think I would have to get some kind of low maintenance pet like a parrot to give me a little company...Do you ever get crazy thoughts or anxiety about falling over and what would you do?
A parrot is a very high-maintenance pet. Please do research about an animal before adopting/buying it.
@@lmack3024 Good advise! Thanks..
Maybe a Seagull?
You’re parrot flies away when shit hits the fan
Why does no one ever talk about safety on these trips? Not from the sea but from pirates and straight-up criminals? How are you (and seeminly so many others) able to steer clear of grifters, cartels, raiders and marauders when visiting foreign countries and unfamiliar seas?
Offshore it's not an issue, unlike the old days, moder pirates are afraid of the ocean and will not go very far out. good question!
You're more than likely to run over a floating shipping container than run into pirates. Unless you are in certain areas where pirates have been active. Even then they do not go too far offshore unless they know what they are fixing to board.
people just sailing around are not high value targets
what are they going to steal, your 3 month supply of instant noodles?
...you've been watching too many movies.
ALL seafarers are required by law to keep a lookout while at sea. You can't do this if you are asleep, and you have to sleep some time. AIS is good but not infallible and not all boats have it.
Bore off mike
@@ben1895What a stupid comment. Mike is quite correct. He’s merely pointing out the law. I have no problem with solo sailors, but they need to recognise that in the event of an accident, they are likely to be held responsible, and that insurance will be difficult or impossible.
@@billfromgermany ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@@ben1895 My word, Ben. You have a problem, don’t you. Presumably a sad keyboard warrior in his parents’ attic?
Call a cop!