temptress
Well-known member
How many on board?
sTwo or more then do a watch system. We use 2 on 2 off when 2 up.
sTwo or more then do a watch system. We use 2 on 2 off when 2 up.
Overnight passages
- Thread starter fireball
- Start date
Csail
N/A
No problem for the first 36 hours - after that I've been know to halucinate.. I love night sailing. Keep warm, have the ipod and plenty of rock music, plenty of nibbles, lots of tea. On deck a decent torch, the bins, the hand bearing and mostly hook on. Best of all, all other crew below deck asleep.
If you feel tired at the start, have a kip. Its surprising how refreshing just half an hour is.
I usually find that the increased concentration puzzling out what you are seeing is what keeps me alert at night and why I suffer more when the daylight comes.
100% but i find shift change better before it starts getting light.Probably not interested but i enjoy watching this sort of thing if its miles of shore or carib.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/universe/sights/stars/#p009p0pn
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Elessar
Well-known member
have done 14 nights in the last 4 weeks. St Peter Port to Gib, then Gib to malta, both non stop. Now just one overnight at a time and have reached genoa.
with a partner i think 1 hour watch minimum, but go as long as you can. no point coming off watch and waking your partner if youre still alert. Wake your partner when you need to. With people you know less well a more rigid systme may needed. Some nights you might be able to go right through, others you may be struggling. Keep it flexible, its fun not the navy. In busy areas in or near TSSs for example I like to have 2 on at a time, but with just 2 people thats a problem.
And if your engine is on the the radar might as well be. Why ever not?
You know my number if you need an extra pair of hands BTW, they would be loaned with pleasure, I should be back next week. I can go down and make food or navigate on demand because I just dont get sick, well not quite true but the last time was 1981 in a mirage 28
KellysEye
Active member
No need to stay awake with a three on, three off watch system. If you want to stay awake for the fun of it then plenty of snacks and flasks of hot drinks. Also stand up and look around every five minutes. Somebody mentioned looking around every half an hour, given the closing speed of a yacht and ship can be 25 knots that's potentially suicidal.
DJE
Well-known member
My last couple of overnight trips the watch pattern came down to me going off watch whenever the others stopped being sick for long enough.
fireball
New member
Ah - it's ok - I can stand watch whilst being sick ....
Ianhampshire
New member
Obviously everyone has their own way of dealing with a long night and this varies even more when sailing single handed, two-up or with the ideal of three persons.
Most of my own over-night sailing has been single handed and it has been comforting to read that others often deal with some of the issues in the same way as myself.
a) Going more than one night without sleep is not possible. The following morning is not the problem its the following afternoon that it can start to hit you big time !
b) After a full days work in the office, the fresh air and anticipation of the weekend or holiday ahead is often enough to get you through that first night.
c) Cat napping for 20-30 minutes during the night with the aid of an alarm clock or egg timer works well unless you are close inshore, in heavy traffic or bad weather.
d) I spend quite a lot of the night hours doing unnecessary navigational exercises (chart work, radar work, lights, tides etc). Its all good practice and helps to keep the mind awake.
e) Tea coffee, sweets and biscuits. Promising yourself that in 10, 20 or 30 mins time you will make a cuppa.
f) Smoking does help but obviously not for everyone.
g) Sailing with a slightly over-reefed main and genoa makes it less stressful and safer even if it is slightly slower. Without this precaution you need to be awake enough to have to put in a reef should the wind increase.
h) Beware of lobster/crab pot buoys. They alone can help a lot to keep you awake at night when you just know they are out there waiting for you !
i) Loud music over the stereo system is good but you would be amazed just how far the sound will travel over water on a still night
Those are my own thoughts for what they are worth.
Most of my own over-night sailing has been single handed and it has been comforting to read that others often deal with some of the issues in the same way as myself.
a) Going more than one night without sleep is not possible. The following morning is not the problem its the following afternoon that it can start to hit you big time !
b) After a full days work in the office, the fresh air and anticipation of the weekend or holiday ahead is often enough to get you through that first night.
c) Cat napping for 20-30 minutes during the night with the aid of an alarm clock or egg timer works well unless you are close inshore, in heavy traffic or bad weather.
d) I spend quite a lot of the night hours doing unnecessary navigational exercises (chart work, radar work, lights, tides etc). Its all good practice and helps to keep the mind awake.
e) Tea coffee, sweets and biscuits. Promising yourself that in 10, 20 or 30 mins time you will make a cuppa.
f) Smoking does help but obviously not for everyone.
g) Sailing with a slightly over-reefed main and genoa makes it less stressful and safer even if it is slightly slower. Without this precaution you need to be awake enough to have to put in a reef should the wind increase.
h) Beware of lobster/crab pot buoys. They alone can help a lot to keep you awake at night when you just know they are out there waiting for you !
i) Loud music over the stereo system is good but you would be amazed just how far the sound will travel over water on a still night
Those are my own thoughts for what they are worth.
KellysEye
Active member
>Going more than one night without sleep is not possible. The following morning is not the problem its the following afternoon that it can start to hit you big time !
Sadly it is. My record for no sleep is four and a half days, twice. You do start hallucinating (e.g ship lights turn into Manhatten island) but it is possible to function normally. The key thing is even if you can't sleep you must lay down to rest.
Sadly it is. My record for no sleep is four and a half days, twice. You do start hallucinating (e.g ship lights turn into Manhatten island) but it is possible to function normally. The key thing is even if you can't sleep you must lay down to rest.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
As I've just fallen asleep on the District Line and missed my stop, I feel unable to comment.
Poignard
Well-known member
You got a seat?!!!
Csail
N/A
4.5 days is pretty good but your right about hallucinating.If your abroad buy a stack of melatonin to get your body clock back to normal.
oldvarnish
Active member
If you read the accounts of the early round-the-world guys such as Chichester and Alec Rose, it's perfectly clear that on most occasions they had a decent dinner, turned in for the night and got up for breakfast, their sleep only broken by a change in motion of the boat.
Lee_Shaw
New member
Good post but, engine at night, nah. It's a recipe for disaster. IMO.
Poignard
Well-known member
I'm pretty sure I remember reading in his book 'A World of My Own' that Robin Knox-Johnston once slept for ten hours uninterrupted.
And Eric Hiscock in 'Wandering Under Sail' writes :
"I heard the BBC announcer say "Good night, everybody. Good night!" and I thought I might as well go to bed too, for there was by then not a breath of wind. So I stowed the headsails, lashed the riding light in the rigging, had some soup and turned in"
He was was just south of St. Martin's Point, Guernsey with a south going tide.
He reckoned on waking up every hour and having a look round.
Further on he writes:
"But after all it is possible to heave-to under snug canvas on an the offshore tack and sleep all day when one reaches that state of fatigue.(i.e. when one is really tired)"
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
Stretching and breathing exercises when torpor threatens and a walk round the deck; hold the safety line off the deck. Stretching revitalises the muscles and breathing exercises using the full lung capacity revitalises the blood. Google stretching exercises and make up a small routine - its surprisingly effective.
Rubbing cold water into the face and around the whole neck freshens one up when concentration begins to fade.
Rubbing cold water into the face and around the whole neck freshens one up when concentration begins to fade.
Elessar
Well-known member
Its just that I thought Fireball said he might motor.......
On the boats i frequent these days the engine(s) being on is sort of a given and I seem to survive it
Babylon
Well-known member
Why?
fireball
New member
My train journeys were easy. On the way in it was the penultimate stop and didn't matter if I missed it. Going home it was a major stop so not easy to miss either.
fireball
New member
We are not going round the world!!
fireball
New member
On the boats i frequent these days the engine(s) being on is sort of a given and I seem to survive it
Oh the engine is reliable. No alarms
