Psychological issues on transat/long ocean passages

[saab96]

I’ve done two Atlantic crossings – both with crew – and a lot of North Sea/Biscay crossings with and without crew. How you react to being alone or with others on board for weeks at a time (as well as dealing with all the things you need to sort out in the places you land) is a big part of whether the sailing will be successful and also enjoyable. As a subject it is probably the key to your passage-making but a tad more than can be covered in a post but you might find something that rings bells with you in my book (and, no, this isn’t a plug to sell a book) Your First Atlantic Crossing from Adlard Coles. Look at Chapter 3 THE CREW: STILL WORKING ON IT. It might help you find out how to find good crew. You certainly don't need the ARC to make a good crossing.

Great post and quite timely for my personal circumstances. I'd like to cross from E to W over winter 2017/18 so I'm currently enjoying the armchair planning. My wife is very happy to fly and meet me the other side but absolutely would not sail across. I'd like to be a boat of 4 but don't know how to go about finding three crew with those very special personal characteristics.

 

[caerolusmagnus]

Boatman61

The sense of the infinite and wanting to continue forever...

This psych condition has been identified in flight medicine. Pilots have been known to resist coming down so much that they ran out of fuel!

 

[Skylark]

I’ve done two Atlantic crossings – both with crew – and a lot of North Sea/Biscay crossings with and without crew. How you react to being alone or with others on board for weeks at a time (as well as dealing with all the things you need to sort out in the places you land) is a big part of whether the sailing will be successful and also enjoyable. As a subject it is probably the key to your passage-making but a tad more than can be covered in a post but you might find something that rings bells with you in my book (and, no, this isn’t a plug to sell a book) Your First Atlantic Crossing from Adlard Coles. Look at Chapter 3 THE CREW: STILL WORKING ON IT. It might help you find out how to find good crew. You certainly don't need the ARC to make a good crossing.

I've read your book, with some amusement, on more than one occasion! I loaned it to a work colleague just a couple of weeks ago as I'm courting him as crew! Thank you for writing it...................I'm happy to plug it for you :encouragement:

 

[boatmike]

I am having very severe psychological problems sitting here in the freezing cold waiting for June when crew has agreed to go off down the canals to somewhere warmer..... Has anybody got any therapy suggestions that will stop me going stir crazy until then???