How do you maintain colregs when sailing long distances single handed?

[ricky_s]

I've often wondered about this one.

When single handed on longer passages, you can't keep a look out when sleeping so technically break the lookout rules of the collision regulations.

Do people end up in court because of this?

 

[TiggerToo]

no, they end up at the bottom of the sea

 

[TimBennet]

Do a search on it and you'll find enough polarised arguments to keep you reading until the end of time.

Failing that, I'm sure that they'll be people from each camp along shortly to start it off all over again.

In the meantime, do you have any evidence as to the size of the problem singlehanded sailors cause to other boaters and the world in general?

 

[prv]

Do people end up in court because of this?

Never heard of it happening. The oceans are a big place, so the odds are pretty good that you won't meet anything else while asleep anyway. Tooling up the English Channel while tucked up in bed would be rather different, and I don't think anybody (deliberately) does this.

Most of the things you might hit are much bigger than you, so you're risking your own safety and not anybody else's.

On boats with power to spare, radar guard-zone alarms help, plus there are also AIS alarms and radar target enhancers that can beep if another radar pings them.

Nevertheless, I believe the RYA has a policy of not endorsing single-handed races precisely because it condones this breach of the rules.

Pete

 

[KellysEye]

In the Caribbean Chris Parker, in the USVI's, did the weather plus any missing boats i.e. not arrived on time. Many did arrive but late or at a different port. 30% of the missing boats were single handers and they probably make up less than one per cent of all cruising boats. I don't know the percentage of single handers that didn't make it, but it would make some sense that is higher than crewed boats given the 30%.

 

[Pye_End]

If you are near enough to land to have the risk of meeting fishing boats without AIS then you sleep for about 10 minutes at a time, so in theory if there is anything small around you will see it before a collision. Anything bigger has AIS and can trigger an alarm. For the risk of meeting another yacht further out, or a ship who is not transmitting AIS for some reason then you hope they see you. This minimises the risk but does not completely eliminate it.

The other alternative is to run radar.

 

[dunedin]

Never heard of it happening. The oceans are a big place, so the odds are pretty good that you won't meet anything else while asleep anyway. Tooling up the English Channel while tucked up in bed would be rather different, and I don't think anybody (deliberately) does this.

Pete

Er, I think singlehanded collisions do happen.
- at least one, if not two, collisions with fishing boats in the last Vendee Globe - cold have done some serious damage the speed these guys do
- didn't one of the attempted youngest round the world girl skippers have a pretty heavy crash also

 

[oldbilbo]

The recipient of the OCC's Jester Medal and the first/only person to sail 'Singlehanded and Nonstop Around The Two Americas', Matt Rutherford, mentions poking his head outside for no apparent reason one night in the South Atlantic to see high up and coming his way a 'red and green'. He'd been sleeping for some time 'cos there was close to no wind.... and he'd just sufficient time to unstrap the Monitor windvane self-steering and wiggle his way just clear. The bow wash of this Very Large container ship spun his 27' Albin Vega right around.

No-one responded to his shouts of indignation....

 

[onesea]

 

[prv]

Do people end up in court because of this?

Never heard of it happening.

Er, I think singlehanded collisions do happen.

I said court cases, not collisions.

And in context, I meant court cases purely for breaching Rule 5.

Pete

 

[Uricanejack]

I said court cases, not collisions.

And in context, I meant court cases purely for breaching Rule 5.

Pete

I know of at least 1 attempt to get into court. The single hander was trying to sue a Chilean Submarin after colliding with it in Jaun De Fuca Staright.
He was unsuccesfull the submarine claimed dipolmatic immunity.

 

[Malabar]

Ella's Pink Lady was a classic case of how not to set off round the world singlehanded.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2009/mair/268-mo-2009-008.aspx

 

[Iliade]

Ella's Pink Lady was a classic case of how not to set off round the world singlehanded.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2009/mair/268-mo-2009-008.aspx

Quite so! The report reveals that there were crew onboard; that or the singlehander had a serious personality disorder... :0)

 

[l'escargot]

Quite so! The report reveals that there were crew onboard; that or the singlehander had a serious personality disorder... :0)

Where does it say that then?

 

[Cruiser2B]

Maybe in Ireland? They've made a point of officially warning solo sailors: http://www.dttas.ie/viewitem.asp?id=7927&lang=ENG&loc=2013

 

[TQA]

Jeanne Socrates might be a good person to ask.

Currently in the Tasman sea on day 185 of her single handed non stop engineless circumnavigation.

It is her 3rd single handed circumnavigation so she must know a thing or to about this.

 

[oldbilbo]

Maybe in Ireland? They've made a point of officially warning solo sailors: http://www.dttas.ie/viewitem.asp?id=7927&lang=ENG&loc=2013

In light of the Jester community's plan to hold an event finishing in Baltimore, C. Cork later this year, I'm wondering how far Irish State jurisdiction extends.

 

[jerrytug]

In light of the Jester community's plan to hold an event finishing in Baltimore, C. Cork later this year, I'm wondering how far Irish State jurisdiction extends.

That Irish thing is a 'reminder' only. I don't see the point of it,lookout and sleep are major concerns to singlehanders already!
Edited to add: and this notice ,from Dublin,about singlehanded lookout is addressed to "...skippers,and second hands..."!