Boating & a few beers.

[nigelmercier]

i'll be single handed what is the score? ...

We always have someone responsible who is "Des" for the day, single handed causes a problem

Perhaps you could turn it to your advantage: I gave up drinking over 4 years ago, and I've never looked back. When people ask, I say I'm allergic to alcohol, it turns me into an a55hole.

 

[benlui]

I'm surprised - even a little disappointed. I'd hoped everyone would be breezily reassuring Phantom18 that he's unduly concerned.

Dinghying and Jeanneau day-sailing in the Solent in recent years, I and one or two friends would routinely find the bottom of a 1/2 bottle of rum during lunch at sea, and we always felt very hard done-by, when there was no other drink on board.

We didn't mop it up in crowded waters, or negotiating tough entrances. And definitely not after dark or in fog, when there's already more than enough to cloud perception and judgement. But, we never once came even close to any doubtful or worrying situation.

Onesea's point bears repeating - it's vital to know your own safe limits.

Is the question here, actually rather a different one? Aren't we thinking mainly of what the law and law enforcers very warily recommend, and the avoidance of potential culpability, rather than what will actually, significantly affect our ability while sailing?

Offshore, I don't believe booze at a yacht's wheel justifies remotely the same verboten status of booze in the car. That said, I haven't touched one drop this year for medical reasons, so my own competence needn't be called into question!

+ 1

 

[Searush]

Absolutely right.

In any case, why take any risk when there are alternatives to booze which are just as pleasant to drink. The only reason for drinking alcoholic drinks is the effect that alcohol has on you so by definition your capabilities are altered by drinking booze.

That's just not true, the flavours af a decent Scotch or even a G&T are not replicated by soft drinks. If one's sole reason for drinking is to get drunk (even if only a little), then one may well have a problem & need to go t AA.

The effect of a single drink is tiny, which is why even car DD limits are set above the level of 1 or 2 drinks over an hour or so.

 

[benlui]

Why is everyone worried about the guy pottering along after a single drink, surely this isn't so wrong, what about people on the water who have no experience whatsoever, going out without life jackets, overloaded boats,pub to pub cruises, the list is endless, surely these are the ones that create the risks for the rest of us, and that they are the real problem? I don't know why we get so besotted about an odd drink here or there, its gone way to far because of the ones that have abused it and ruined it for the rest of us.
I think there are a lot more dangers on the water than an odd beer or g&t here and there. i think its about time we faced up to the reality of it all and stopped pointing the finger at the normal joe soap who goes out of his way to make sure they are doing everything in their power to maintain safety at all times but are accused, of being careless by having one drink while at sea. As a professional skipper, i must admit i have been known to have a drink at sea. Ive never overdone what i thought might be my "capping limit" and never will. Its a difficult balance, but very easily managed at the same time! A small beer with lunch never did me or my crew any harm.
Sailing is meant to be an enjoyment, why cant we just move on and let it be that exactly. if were not causing harm to others, then lets all just enjoy it. I see in another post here all the discussions over the blue ensigns, who cares, were all serving the common purpose and enjoyment right? We all like to do the same thing. Why cant we just loosen up a little and get on with it. Rant over!
Searush has a good point i think. I also don't drink to get drunk, but because i relish the flavor of a certain type of drink to go with a certain type of occasion. But i certainly do appreciate that there are those who, do, drink to get drunk. But that's not what this post is about....

 

[Woodlouse]

Remember, when you're single handed it means you have another hand free to hold your glass.

 

[Bajansailor]

The commercial coastal 'booze cruises' here (Barbados) are quite legendary, having been started (I think) by the (in)famous Jolly Roger pirate ship back in the 60's.
They would do a lunch or evening cruise that was (is) all inclusive on the drinks front - and they even had a 40 gallon self service barrel of rum punch on deck for the punters to administer their own potions.
Yes, folk would get pretty hammered, and no doubt there were many sore heads the next day, but I dont think they lost very many people as a result of having the rum punch self service.

The sailing cattlemarans today tend to offer a more diverse cruise, including snorkelling on shipwrecks and with turtles, and they sensibly have a rule where no alcohol is served until the anchor is being weighed at the final snorkelling stop.

If we go for a day sail along the coast, we always fill a cooler with bottles of beer, Smirnoff Ices, water, perhaps even some soft drinks and rum depending on personal preferences of those on board. And everybody has a drink or 2, but they are invariably pretty sensible about it.
And if we are on a passage, we will usually have a happy hour just before sunset, so long as the weather is reasonable and the boat is happy.

A pal of mine sailed across in the ARC some years ago - there were 4 blokes on board, and between them they got through 2 bottles of single malt whisky every day - and they had a textbook crossing, without any drama or major happenings. But that was their choice, I certainly couldnt cope with that quantity of alcohol!