Noob: so you're in the middle of the ocean...

cimota

cimota

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Northern Ireland and soon Almeria
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While part of my interest is cruising from my home base (Belfast, UK) around the west coast of Scotland, maybe around Ireland, I also have dreams of taking SWMBO and retracing our honeymoon cruise (on a much larger ship: Sweden, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Talinn, Copenhagen, Warnemunde - though TBH I'd skip Russia - depressing place) or cruising the Med like we did last summer (again on a cruise ship), going transatlantic and eventually joining a circumnavigating rally. Big dreams.

So, anyway, most of these places take more than a day to get to so I'm assuming a set of standard procedures for anchoring at sea. I'd be interested in reading some of your blue-water anchoring tips.

I assume a minimum of drop the sail, drop a parachute anchor (I'm not yet up on the terminology), set some outer lights, close the door and off to bed?

Stay off shipping lanes? Do you tell someone? Or do you just set a watch and someone sails all night? Presuming autopilot is bad.
 
There's no anchoring at sea; it's a 24/7 activity. You could heave to if you wanted. That means that you set the sails so as stall the boat and she's stays roughly still where she is. (That's a bit of a simplification).

Rob
 
I seem to remember a couple from Finland who crossed the Atlantic in record slow time because they stopped to sleep every night, they were experienced and simply believed that a good nights sleep was important. The worry over weather and general anxiety tends to drive you to cross as fast as possible.

Now having said that, no need to drop sail just heave to. I am inclined to do this quite often, I find myself getting fed up with the noise and motion and craving a bit of piece, I also get tired of being aware all the time, checking gear, etc, etc so I heave to and the peace is really a relief! I get myself together, make some food a drink and then get back into being in wonder at my surroundings, soon enough I'm ready to sail on, a little snooze is often included.

I also remember some folks who deployed a sea anchor from their Westerly Renown (I think) when a full gale set in, they had one of their grandchildren on board and didn't want to give him a rough and anxious few days, so sat out the gale in peace and relative comfort whilst holding their position relatively well over (I think) two days.

In conclusion, I don't rush as that tends to stress me, and I am happy to heave to and rest, sleep, eat. When I heave to I always use my Watchman radar alarm and take a position check. I sail singlehanded a lot, with someone else I would still heave to but have the crew on watch whilst i sleep, then no pressure on them or for them, so they can enjoy their surroundings too.
 
Thanks for the answers, folks. The always-on thing is not going to work and I had to google the meaning of heave-to :) I think that I may need to rethink stuff because SWMBO won't be happy with broken sleep :) I mean, if it takes more than a week to cross the Atlantic? How long to sail from Northern Ireland to the depths of the Med?

We're not in a rush anywhere so I'm happy to drop a drogue and get plenty of sleep.
 
cimota said:
Thanks for the answers, folks. The always-on thing is not going to work and I had to google the meaning of heave-to :) I think that I may need to rethink stuff because SWMBO won't be happy with broken sleep :)
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You'll be surprised how readily you fall into a watch keeping routine. It's not broken sleep. It feels quite natural to get your head down for a few hours then get back up on deck for your watch.
 
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cimota said:
Thanks for the answers, folks. The always-on thing is not going to work and I had to google the meaning of heave-to :) I think that I may need to rethink stuff because SWMBO won't be happy with broken sleep :) I mean, if it takes more than a week to cross the Atlantic? How long to sail from Northern Ireland to the depths of the Med?

We're not in a rush anywhere so I'm happy to drop a drogue and get plenty of sleep.
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It's all just a fantasy isn't it? You haven't even read a single long distance cruising book. Go and read a bit about it and then you won't be coming on here asking idiotic questions about anchoring at night. Don't even think about crossing the North Sea without keeping a continuous watch.

- W
 
Cimota, you hold and nourish your "big dream" as you describe it, maybe one day you will take up sailing, maybe you won't. Either way the subject of cruising under sail is a wide and interesting one.

Mostly we are a friendly bunch with a shared passion for the sea. Many people on here will remember having that original spark of interest but no knowledge or experience and wont regard your questions as idiotic.
 
How long to sail from Northern Ireland to the depths of the Med?

It's feasible to sail from Ulster to the Med without any overnight passages; you won't quite manage it nine till five, but if you waited on the weather, took a few detours and were prepared to motor, you could achieve it with nothing above a few 12 hour days. Actually, if you went via the canals, you probably could do it all in eight-hour days.
 
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webcraft said:
Go and read a bit about it and then you won't be coming on here asking idiotic questions about anchoring at night.- W
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Hi Matt & welcome.

Don't worry about Webby being a bit sharp - his self assesment is due by the end of the month.

He is right though you need to do a bit of research yourself - I see from your profile you are looking to get a boat in about 4 years time and sail over the horizon.

If you are a bit short of reading time have a look on youtube - there are plenty of video blogs of people crossing oceans that will give you a "feel" of what goes on.

Heres a good one



You will find that as someone has to keep watch you might as well keep the boat sailing.

Oh....also - start dinghy sailing right away.

.
 
silver-fox said:
Mostly we are a friendly bunch with a shared passion for the sea. Many people on here will remember having that original spark of interest but no knowledge or experience and wont regard your questions as idiotic.
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I do regard the question as idiotic, but that doesn't mean I think ill of the questioner.

Pete
 
cimota said:
How long to sail from Northern Ireland to the depths of the Med?
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A couple I know set off from Preston, NW England, and got to A Coruna, NW Spain, in 5 & 3/4 days on a 40 footer. You're on about the same distance, so to get to the depths of the med, I should think at least two weeks.

We're not in a rush anywhere so I'm happy to drop a drogue and get plenty of sleep.
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You can't do this, and you can't heave to and go to bed as has been suggested. Not go to bed in the sense you're thinking anyway. Somebody has to be on watch all night. You cannot just allow your boat to drift in one of the busiest parts of the sea in the world while you get some kip.

I'd suggest you do a bit of reading to see what you're letting yourself in for. A good book to start with would be "the last man across the Atlantic". It's nothing heroic, just a bloke going for a sail. It'll give you some idea.

Once you're read that, buy "Heavy Weather Sailing", published by Adlard Coles.

This is a picture taken of the bit of sea you will have to sail across in order to get to the Med.
06_V5O_L1(Stamm)storm3_360.jpg


Would your missus be happy in that?
 
People have hove to for the night when crossing oceans before, and people will do it again. It is an unusual way of doing it though.

As someone said before, if you want the Med, then it sounds like the French Canals would be the best route there for you, much more interesting than long ocean passages.
 
prv said:
...and I'd have thought that was in serious press-on delivery mode, not most people's holiday cruising.

Pete
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Aye, definitely without stopping. I know all too well what happens when you stop along the way - you get comfy and don't want to move. (oops. I'm taking steps to avoid stopping in future :) ).
 
prv said:
I do regard the question as idiotic, but that doesn't mean I think ill of the questioner.
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There aren't stupid questions, just dumb answers :) I deal with a lot of newbies in my day job and the nice thing about forums is that if you're not in the mood to deal with idiots, you don't have to even read the thread. I am new to this, of course, but just taking my time (because that's my most precious resource). Chaps like the fellow who took the time to threadcrap just have their own issues. There's a saying about "arguing on the Internet" so I try to avoid it :)

I've bought SOUTH and a few more novels are on my wishlist. At the momentive just read the highly glamourised articles in the magazines on crossings and whatnot - and as I said elsewhere, my first magazine was the anniversary of the Fastnet disaster so I'm somewhat having a clue that if it goes bad, it goes bad,

So on long crossings like the Atlantic and the Pacific, you take turns. That changes things. It's not the weather, it's the company. But my wife made a friend recently who sails with her husband and is interested in having some additional crew for some short trips so going to try that to get some sea legs.

I am curious that some people say you can heave to and others insist on a 24 hr watch rota. Assuming the heave-tos weren't pulling my leg, that's a considerable difference in opinion.
 
nathanlee said:
I'd suggest you do a bit of reading to see what you're letting yourself in for. A good book to start with would be "the last man across the Atlantic". It's nothing heroic, just a bloke going for a sail. It'll give you some idea.

Once you're read that, buy "Heavy Weather Sailing", published by Adlard Coles.
Click to expand...

That's the sort of thing I started the thread for, thanks! Wishlisted!
 
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