# Single handed



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

If you single handing across the ocean and you have no autopiolit how do you sleep?/


----------



## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

You usually have a windvane or an autopilot. Depending on the design of the boat, windvanes can be quite effective on a wide range of points of sail. There are other techniques that allow a boat to be self steering without a windvane or autopilot but most of these a very sensitive to changes in wind speed. 

When single-handing you only sleep for short ''catnaps'' of 10 to 15 minutes each. For some that works well almost indefinitely but for others exhaustion comes very quicly because their physiology and inherent sleep pattern requirements. 

Jeff

Jeff


----------



## Magic_Moments (May 15, 2003)

Auto pilots use electricity and are prone to breaking so most people probably rely on the windvane for sailing and an autopilot for motoring.

Most of the container ships run between 20 to 30 knots at sea so they can go from under the horizon to in your face in 20 minutes which is one reason for the short sleep periods. When I was younger and less brilliant, I crossed in front of one rather than adjust my course and wait for it to pass and I can say that I think the pressure wave on the bow of that ship looked as tall as my mast. Now I try to always stay 3 or 4 miles away.

Ken


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

There was an interesting article in either Sail or CW on Ellen MacArthur''s sleep schedule for her around alone race. Worth looking into. I believe she also got some sleep time every 2 hrs.

Sleep is an interesting question. Generally, you cannot go for long periods of time without REM sleep. That varies from person to person, but I think an average REM cycle (dream cycle) is 40 min. I believe Ellen had one period per day of 2 hr sleep....but check me on that. 

More recently, there was an article in CW on the latest around alone race and one contestants sleep (though I think they simply reported the aggregate). You might be able to get some info off the race web site. 

They do make radar''s that have an alarm function that can be set at various distances. Also, a good idea is to select a boat that has nice long, wide cockpit benches that are great to sleep on. 

The need for sleep cannot be overstated. Being able to function with a schedule of catnaps on a constant basis is one thing that separates solo sailors from others. 

Hope this helps

John


----------



## Rontoo (Jun 5, 2006)

*Single-handed*

My boat's a Mull 31 ft - sails and single-hands beautifully - and I'm only 72 for what that's worth .

The only things I go forward for are (1) to move my main's'l Cunningham/Reefer up or down onto the appropriate cringle and (2) anchoring. (That's other than racing single-handed when I have to fly the spinnaker!) Everything else goes back to the cockpit.

I use an auto-helm (a/h) and have self tailers on the genoa. I've also conjured up a minor rat's nest of lines and bungie-cord to lock the tiller if the a/h's on the blink for any reason. The a/h will tack me through 90% which is great - once through the tack I fine trim closer to the wind according to conditions.

I usually reef while still sailing - it's not a problem - but I would really recommend practising heaving-to in various wind strengths to find the best setting for sheets and tiller. When I first tried it, I was astonished how the boat quietens down and suddenly the emergency, if there is one, looks and becomes a lot easier to fix! Somebody's already said "reef in time" - always a golden rule - it's a darn sight easier to shake it out if not needed than take in when you've left it too late!

S/H'ing is magic - I use the opportunity to practice on my organ ! I'll rephrase that - my harmonica !


----------



## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

*original question*

Short answer. You Don't. If you single hand, some sort of self steering is nessesary.
Remember what Rontoo says " one hand for the boat, and one for your organ". ROTFLMFAO
Marc


----------



## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

I had posted this a couple of days ago on another topic but it seems to apply here as well. Cheers.

I started sailing a couple of years ago and, of necessity, have been solo sailing, some at night. I have completed a couple of two-night passages and a couple of others overnight. My sailing has been in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Shipping has not been much of a problem. I did cross the Cabot Strait a couple of times last year and at times had several large ships within a few miles but nothing worriesome. Mainly good luck.

My personal experience is that I sleep when ever I can. During the day I sleep in the cockpit with no timer. Just cat naps. I never really sleep deeply. At night I set kitchen timers to wake me every 30-minutes. Crossing the Cabot Strait, every 15-minutes. I get tired and am not nearly at my best when woken between 3am and 5am. But, I have always found that to be true. For years I was a maintenance supervisor and would either have to take calls at odd hours or sometimes pull all-nighters. Those hours have always been very difficult, sailing or not.

I left Burgeo at 7:00am headed for Sydney. The first night was blustry and occasioned a 3am sail change. I set the timers for 30-minute intervals. I really got bounced around bad that night. The next night I was across the strait but running parallel to the coast and aware of the shipping lanes.
I set the timers for 15-minute intervals. Having arrived at Sydney at around 7am (a 48-hour beat then calm) I set about putting the boat to bed for winter. I turned in at 10pm that evening. So despite the rough first night and short interval on the second night I was adequatly rested and able to put in a full days work.

On the other hand at the end of my crossing from Sydney to Grand Bank, some 38-hours, I was ghosting into Grand Bank when I saw, for an instant, a three masted schooner arise out of the fog. Then again, and maybe a third time. I thought I could hear the sails luffing but no voices and no motor. The radar showed nothing. I blew the fog horn and got no response. Upon entering Grand Bank the Harbour Master says "Well Be'y, didja see that 100-foot schooner going out? The Mist of Avalon? She just left this morning." Well did I see her or was I hallucinating from lack of sleep? I'll never know.

I'm not happy about solo sailing, but that is my lot and I would rather take the calculated risks attendant than to skip the experience. My wife says I'm nuts and since she is a Psychoanalyst she is emintently qualified to make that judgement.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

A friend of mine once likened sailing single handed without some sort of self-steering device, preferably both a windvane and autopilot, as a form of torture or some level of hell. 

Sleeping long stretches, while at sea, is a fairly risky proposition.


----------



## katytoo (May 30, 2005)

*Sleeping while singlehanding*

I believe that Robert Manry who crossed the Atlantic in his 13 foot sloop "Tinkerbelle" used a bucket on a line that he tossed off the bow of his boat each night to act as a sea anchor. The sea anchor would cause his boat to basically stop in the water, and this would enable him to catch some sleep each night, though I'm not certain how much. It should also be possible to heave to for some sleep time, particularly if one used a sea anchor in conjunction with heaving to to prevent the boat from drifting backwards. 
In today's world, with the greater volume of sea traffic that exists, some sort of alarm system, perhaps like the CARD system which sets off an alarm whenever it picks up a radar signal, could be used to avoid being run over in the middle of the night by some giant.
This system obviously would not work if racing offshore, but for one who is in no big hurry it might solve the sleep problem a bit better than catching catnaps for weeks on end.


----------



## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

anyone heave-to for a nap?


----------



## katytoo (May 30, 2005)

*Heaving to for a nap*

Well, I'm basically a daysailor on Lake Erie, but I have hove to (heaved to??) to get something to eat and take a rest and have fallen asleep in the cockpit for a short time!! Not intentionally, but I just kinda dozed off and woke up a half an hour or so later. I wouldn't want to do this in a tight area when the wind was big as the boat does drift with the wind when heaving to, but for little catnaps, especially if the wind is not going to cause the boat to drift a long ways, or if you have plenty of room I would think that heaving to would be a good way to catch a bit of a nap. Remember, though, the biggest danger is that some hotdog power boater trying to impress his girlfriend or a big steamer heading into port may not see you and I'm sure it hurts if one of them runs into you while you're catching up on your sleep.
Fair winds,
Peter Kozup, S/V Katy Too
Cape Dory 26, Hull #42


----------



## lonebull (Jun 10, 2006)

I use the auto pilot and the wind vane to help relieve the manual duties of my solo watch. I set my sleep timer for longer intervals during the daylight hours and stay more vigilant at night while underway. In the Gulf I hug the edges of the sea lanes. This keeps the rigs to port or starboard and most larger vessels stay off the edges. In heavy traffic areas I don't sleep. My record is 3 days with no REM sleep. Setting anchor was heavenly. Of note is an experience I had when crossing the Bahama Banks recently. Seems there are a number of sailors out there that have decided their safety and adherance to the Rules of Navigation is your concern. They put their boats in auto and go nighty night. In the same breath they'll puff up and show you their 6-pack captains license. My only consolence is that nature has a way of thinning these yoyo's out.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I guess you could put up two anchoring daymarks and sleep for a few hours during the day. The signal of two round dayshapes over one another indicates that the boat is not under command IIRC. I think that if you're single handing, being awake at night is more important than being awake during the day... but it also depends on where you are at the time. Sleeping in the middle of a large shipping channel to a major harbor is asking to win a Darwin Award.  Staying out of the shipping channels as much as possible is a good idea for small sailboats that are single handing.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Just don't do it. If you are worried about a lightening strike that will damage your autohelm, get a second autohelm that is in an inuslated box. Oh, and radar. You should have that too. 

Remember there is a big difference between a boat that can sail across the ocean and a single human mind which may be forced to make life or death decisions on that boat. Boats don't go crazy from lack of sleep. People do.


----------



## Rontoo (Jun 5, 2006)

gershel said:


> Short answer. You Don't. If you single hand, some sort of self steering is nessesary.
> Remember what Rontoo says " one hand for the boat, and one for your organ". ROTFLMFAO
> Marc


Come off it, mate! Self steering's great but not altogether essential. As I've said, I race single handed and the rules say no automatic steering is allowed. In suitable conditions I (at 73) manage to fly the spinnaker - getting it down is harder but manageable.
AND, I'll have you know, it takes TWO hands to play my organ  how else to get the sharps?


----------



## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Why are people so hung up on windvanes? My first trans-Atlantic was in a 22 foot boat that steered herself without a wind vane and I did that trip solo without a windvane, electric system or engine and didn’t have any problems. I have used windvanes on other boats but they are not 100% required on all boats.

My current boat is a 34 footer and she also sails herself and she does it better than I can.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

PS. On my current boat I am adding a windvane designed and built for my boat by Dr. David Parker. It’s a neat piece of gear.


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

This is a good post. But on the east coast of the USA and even into the Caribbean, you be hard pressed not to be able to find a place to set an anchor for the night. We are talking about crusing after all ..... And yes I know about Fl. and anchoring..


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Boat?*

Hey Robert, I'm curious, what kind of boat do you have? Tell us about the windvane. Thanks Brandon



Tartan34C said:


> My current boat is a 34 footer and she also sails herself and she does it better than I can.
> All the best,
> Robert Gainer
> 
> PS. On my current boat I am adding a windvane designed and built for my boat by Dr. David Parker. It's a neat piece of gear.


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Duh Huh!*

Duh Huh! Let me guess, Tartan 34? Am I right?



snider said:


> Hey Robert, I'm curious, what kind of boat do you have? Tell us about the windvane. Thanks Brandon


----------



## wumhenry (Mar 29, 2006)

katytoo said:


> I believe that Robert Manry who crossed the Atlantic in his 13 foot sloop "Tinkerbelle" used a bucket on a line that he tossed off the bow of his boat each night to act as a sea anchor. The sea anchor would cause his boat to basically stop in the water, and this would enable him to catch some sleep each night, though I'm not certain how much. It should also be possible to heave to for some sleep time, particularly if one used a sea anchor in conjunction with heaving to to prevent the boat from drifting backwards.
> In today's world, with the greater volume of sea traffic that exists, some sort of alarm system, perhaps like the CARD system which sets off an alarm whenever it picks up a radar signal, could be used to avoid being run over in the middle of the night by some giant.
> This system obviously would not work if racing offshore, but for one who is in no big hurry it might solve the sleep problem a bit better than catching catnaps for weeks on end.


What good does stopping do? Isn't your chance of being run over by a ship the same whether you're moving or stationary? If so, sailing on autohelm while sleeping would improve your odds, by reducing time at sea.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

wumhenry said:


> What good does stopping do? Isn't your chance of being run over by a ship the same whether you're moving or stationary? If so, sailing on autohelm while sleeping would improve your odds, by reducing time at sea.


The only time I think that stopping makes sense is if you're going to get close to shore or a major shipping lane if you don't stop. Otherwise, making progress towards your destination makes much more sense.


----------



## Mkfcdl (Mar 11, 2003)

I can tell you what I did crossing the gulf of mexico by myself last fall: no sleeping at night PERIOD; stay out of shipping lanes except at the start and end (Galveston to Key West), sleep during daylight with a 30minute timer AND radar with a 10nm zone alarm (I would much rather have too many false echoes than miss one too close), use the autopilot routinely (uses power but saves fatigue), and heave to in bad weather and sleep. The final rule was no absolutely none whatsoever alcohol while on the voyage and no coffee after arriving and securing the boat and entering a blessed uninterrupted yes I am dead stage 10 REM (that's more than normal stage 4 sleep by one level per day of sleep deprivation)! And of course, that's one of the little blessings of single-handing: when the voyage is over and you really want to sleep, no one is pestering you to do the dishes or take them to get some real food to eat. Ha!

Cheers,
Mark


----------



## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Sounds like great advise, Mark.
Thanks


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The no alcohol is very key...even small amounts of alcohol can impair your judgement and interfere with your night vision...


----------



## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

sailingdog said:


> I guess you could put up two anchoring daymarks and sleep for a few hours during the day. The signal of two round dayshapes over one another indicates that the boat is not under command IIRC. I think that if you're single handing, being awake at night is more important than being awake during the day... but it also depends on where you are at the time. Sleeping in the middle of a large shipping channel to a major harbor is asking to win a Darwin Award.  Staying out of the shipping channels as much as possible is a good idea for small sailboats that are single handing.


SailingDog you have it correct: Not Under Command is; Two vertical black balls during the day and Two vertical all around red lights at night. But that don't relieve you of having to maintain a proper lookout. But it may by using those day shapes or light, keep you out of a little less trouble. 
And a little less trouble may make the difference. But then you are depending on someone who may or may not be standing a proper lookout on one of those ships. And as to whether they see the Not Under Command shapes or lights may be another story.
A single hander was partially held at fault by the courts when he was ran down by a ship, because he was not standing a proper lookout. The only good part of his story was that he survived the collision. 
But maybe someone can program a RaCon or a Sark to display a singlehander's code on a ship's radar and have it accept by SOLAS. Anything to make life safer out there.


----------

