Man and boy - would you go?

[AntarcticPilot]

Only go if you reckon you could do it solo AND look after a child.

+1. You need to think of this as a single-handed cruise, with the bonus that your boy might well give assistance. Give him a series of tasks that are within his ability, but regard anything he contributes to sailing as a bonus.

+1 also for the recommendation that you fit a tiller pilot. They are a magical bit of kit that transforms the experience of single-handed sailing!

I don't know your son, so I can't be specific. But take along whatever he needs to occupy himself; for me it would have been books, and a little later, Ashley's Book of Knots!

 

[sighmoon]

I'd go. PM coming up ...

Thank you for that.

Just make sure you teach him to clip on early and I'd say life jackets all the time. Perhaps with inflatable auto Dan bouys on the belt and a plb in the pocket

We clips on as a matter of habit, whatever the weather.

Inverness to Aberdeen/Peterhead.
Lots of short hops.

We came from that way and had a lovely time, but want to go to new places.

tiller pilot is in my opinion essential

small people get cold pretty fast

you are essentially sailing alone

he must be a pretty remarkable eight year old

I know that my son at eight would not have been up to it

D

Thanks Dylan.

We have a wheel, not a tiller, so fitting the autopilot is a bigger job. I've sailed the boat solo (once for 40 miles, once for 90) without, as she really does sail herself after a bit of tweaking. In fact, she tends to go quicker with nobody touching the wheel.

Said 8 year old has seen some of your movies (of his own accord). Maybe see you along the way somewhere. Funny you mention the cold. We have lots of pictures of the rest of us in oilies and jumpers and him in his pyjamas. "Kids don't get cold." says he. He swims in the North Sea. I make light of it, but yes, it is a potential issue, and thanks for flagging it.

Why not go?? Both of you will gain an incredible amount of time and sharing experiences and I am sure your son will remember it for the rest of his life.
Also involve him with the Navionics side of it, explaining where you are going and why you have made certain decisions, he will be thrilled to be treated as an adult and not as an 8 year old.
Might be an idea to call home nightly so that others know how you are getting on, why not let him do that side of it, part of his crewing duties???

Do let everyone know how you get on

Fair winds and enjoy

janeK

Good suggestions. Thanks.

I did exactly that passage 2 weeks ago, Inverness, Portmahomack, Wick, Stromness. Then Stromness, Kyle of Tongue, Cape Wrath and Lochinver (though Kinochbervie or Loch Laxford would be better for a shorter day). Weather was good, no problems encountered, and I had a word with the Wick Lifeboat coxswain who gave me excellent advice regarding the tides. We were three up - three slightly elderly men - and with careful planning and suitable weather two people could do it without a problem. The wee boy's attention span and boredom factor could be a problem - electronic toys could be a help.

As with all those feared areas where the pilot books are filled with dire warnings, if you choose your moment well it will seem easy. If you get the tides or weather wrong you will have problems. Speak to the Wick harbourmaster - he is a very nice man.

Good to know, thanks.

In case the habourmaster is on holiday. My plan was to leave Wick at about HW Dover +5 and be crossing the Pentland Firth just before slack water, and then going through Hoxa sound to Stromness. Is that about what you did?

+1. You need to think of this as a single-handed cruise, with the bonus that your boy might well give assistance. Give him a series of tasks that are within his ability, but regard anything he contributes to sailing as a bonus.

+1 also for the recommendation that you fit a tiller pilot. They are a magical bit of kit that transforms the experience of single-handed sailing!

I don't know your son, so I can't be specific. But take along whatever he needs to occupy himself; for me it would have been books, and a little later, Ashley's Book of Knots!

Yes. I'm expecting it to be mostly singlehanded, and OK with that, though (according to The Book) Orkney is more challenging than anything I've done previously.

 

[Hypocacculus]

What does his mum say?

 

[TimBennet]

. . . though (according to The Book) Orkney is more challenging than anything I've done previously.

It's your decision, but I wouldn't add an eight year old to the 'bonus' side of the equation. I think looking after an eight year old will add more work rather than guaranteed him being any material help.

So you are left with a single handed passage in northern waters greater than you've done before, with the added responsibility of taking a child with you, and in a boat without a reliable self steering system which any experience singlehander will tell you is pretty much essential.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's your decision, but I wouldn't add an eight year old to the 'bonus' side of the equation. I think looking after an eight year old will add more work rather than guaranteed him being any material help.

There are more bonuses than material help. We sail for fun (don't we?) and sailing with a child can add an enormous amount of fun.

So you are left with a single handed passage in northern waters greater than you've done before, with the added responsibility of taking a child with you, and in a boat without a reliable self steering system which any experience singlehander will tell you is pretty much essential.

To be fair, he does seem to have a reliable self-steering system: the whole yacht. And anyway, people were sailing singlehanded around the coast of Scotland for decades before autopilots, wind vanes and tiller pilots existed.

 

[CFarr]

Have you thought about the possibility of not getting out of Wick for a week or more?
Could very easily be the case as you will definitely want fair weather coinciding with the right tide to cross the firth.

 

[sighmoon]

It's your decision, but I wouldn't add an eight year old to the 'bonus' side of the equation. I think looking after an eight year old will add more work rather than guaranteed him being any material help.

So you are left with a single handed passage in northern waters greater than you've done before, with the added responsibility of taking a child with you, and in a boat without a reliable self steering system which any experience singlehander will tell you is pretty much essential.

I've considered that the 8 year old might not be any help, but I've sailed with him long enough to know how much extra work he'll be. He's pretty self sufficient on board.

I know that balancing the rig is not the same as having an autopilot - particularly if there's no wind, or it's really rough, but OTOH, I wouldn't feel comfortable using an autopilot unless I had plenty of sea room, in which case I could equally easily let the boy steer for a few minutes.

Have you thought about the possibility of not getting out of Wick for a week or more?
Could very easily be the case as you will definitely want fair weather coinciding with the right tide to cross the firth.

Being stuck somewhere with facilities is low down on my list of fears.

What does his mum say?

"Be careful."

 

[Hypocacculus]

Well if his mum has given you her blessing, go for it.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and make sure the lad knows how to heave to and call for help. After all, they used to manage Thames sailing barges with just a man and a lad.

 

[iain789]

Good to know, thanks.

In case the habourmaster is on holiday. My plan was to leave Wick at about HW Dover +5 and be crossing the Pentland Firth just before slack water, and then going through Hoxa sound to Stromness. Is that about what you did?

.

The advice we had, based on our boat speed of 6Kn and being near neaps with very little wind, was to leave in time to reach a point 3 miles East of Duncansby Head in time to catch the last hour of the ebb. At DH to steer due North, and the tide would take us right into Scapa Flow, through Hoxa Sound. It worked like a treat, and we had about 4Kn of tidal assist passing Swona, but do your own research and if possible get local advice. I think we left Wick about 2 hours after HW Dover.

 

[Romeo]

Where is you ultimate destination? Speaking as a former 8 year old, I think I would prefer the short hops and stuff going on by going through the canal and up, as being 8 what mattered to me was spending time with my dad and seeing new stuff, rather than getting hairs on my chest by undertaking 50 mile passages.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Thank you for that.


We clips on as a matter of habit, whatever the weather.

We came from that way and had a lovely time, but want to go to new places.

Thanks Dylan.

We have a wheel, not a tiller, so fitting the autopilot is a bigger job. I've sailed the boat solo (once for 40 miles, once for 90) without, as she really does sail herself after a bit of tweaking. In fact, she tends to go quicker with nobody touching the wheel.

Said 8 year old has seen some of your movies (of his own accord). Maybe see you along the way somewhere. Funny you mention the cold. We have lots of pictures of the rest of us in oilies and jumpers and him in his pyjamas. "Kids don't get cold." says he. He swims in the North Sea. I make light of it, but yes, it is a potential issue, and thanks for flagging it.



Good suggestions. Thanks.


Good to know, thanks.

In case the habourmaster is on holiday. My plan was to leave Wick at about HW Dover +5 and be crossing the Pentland Firth just before slack water, and then going through Hoxa sound to Stromness. Is that about what you did?

Yes. I'm expecting it to be mostly singlehanded, and OK with that, though (according to The Book) Orkney is more challenging than anything I've done previously.

Did you go?

How did you get on?

 

[robertt]

I have sailed several times with just one kid as crew albeit he is 13. In my experience the autopilot is extremely useful as it frees you up so that you can do the 101 other jobs that your son can't help with whilst not having to rely on or stress your boy. But he MAY then get bored?

 

[LadyInBed]

My daughter was eight when I overnighted with her from Waymouth to Dartmouth but I had an auto pilot and sail a lot on my own.

PS It was a magic trip (Dartmouth regatta).

 

[sighmoon]

Did you go?

How did you get on?

PM sent

 

[Angele]

PM sent

Spoilsport. We all want to know....

 

[sighmoon]

We did go. I'm going to try to interest YM in an article.