Single handed insurance

[duncan mckenzie]

I just approached Pants Palma to see if they had a different approach, they wrote back that the answer would be the same as the one I had had from their Plymouth office a few days ago However if I had a fancier boat, I wouldn't be getting the cold shoulder anyway.
Today I had an offer of comp cover for single-handing around the Atlantic islands and across to the Caribbean for not too much. Now to read the small print. It was through Edward Williams who work with Northern Reef which seems to be a British run outfit in Uruguay, so thanks for that suggestion Sandy. I will do a bit more research but at least someone is offering something. Cheers

 

[TNLI]

How do single handers comply with the colregs?

RADAR

 

[LadyInBed]

RADAR

Four years and best part of three months for you to reply to that ?

 

[Sandy]

Four years and best part of three months for you to reply to that ?

And getting insurance is even more difficult.

 

[Daydream believer]

RADAR

How does that help when one is fast asleep?
How does it help if the screen is on deck & you want to sleep in the cabin?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

How does that help when one is fast asleep?
How does it help if the screen is on deck & you want to sleep in the cabin?

Collision avoidance zones and a fecking big buzzer linked to the radar that wakes you up when something enters one.

 

[Poignard]

Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs)

 

[TNLI]

How does that help when one is fast asleep?
How does it help if the screen is on deck & you want to sleep in the cabin?

The audio alarm on the guard zone should wake the dead, never slept through it yet. I've always installed radar sets so that they are just inside the main cabin up high enough so that they can be seen from both the cockpit when leaning forward, or the cabin. You can get a repeater for the screen that includes the alarm.

I did get full hull insurance from Pantaeneous, (No idea of the spellin), for 6 years covering a single handed Atlantic circle in a Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, and a full single handed circumnavigation in a Van Der Stadt 34. The only restrictions were in reference to hurricane season in the Caribbean and war zones. No idea if they will fully cover single handed sailing without more restrictions or not. I did get coverage for Typhoon season in Fiji with a minor increase in deductible.

My first yacht was a bit too small for a radar, but a radar warning receiver is a good idea anyway, just make sure to fit a 2 way power switch to avoid frying it if you also have a radar.

Anyone on list have Pants insurance for single handing ??

 

[Daydream believer]

The audio alarm on the guard zone should wake the dead, never slept through it yet.

I have an audio alarm on my Echomax radar reflector. It has to be turned off permanently, otherwise I would not get any kip whatsoever in the Channel, esp the dover Straits, as it goes off whenever I get painted with radar. Presumably that is the same with a full on tadar set. That would make the alarm a pain in the butt, unless well away from main shipping & just wanted to know about the ocassional passing ship

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I have an audio alarm on my Echomax radar reflector. It has to be turned off permanently, otherwise I would not get any kip whatsoever in the Channel, esp the dover Straits, as it goes off whenever I get painted with radar. Presumably that is the same with a full on tadar set. That would make the alarm a pain in the butt, unless well away from main shipping & just wanted to know about the ocassional passing ship

If you were in busy shipping lanes like the channel you wouldn't be asleep.

 

[Daydream believer]

If you were in busy shipping lanes like the channel you wouldn't be asleep.

That is what you think

 

[Fr J Hackett]

That is what you think

Each to his own and just rewards for the foolhardy and stupid.

 

[Sandy]

View attachment 126698
Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs)

Has anybody mentioned that to the likes of Pip Hare and the other Vendee Globe competitors? Three months without sleep is an amazing achievement. I struggle at 48 hours, still they don't have fishing pots to worry about most of the time.

 

[Poignard]

Has anybody mentioned that to the likes of Pip Hare and the other Vendee Globe competitors? Three months without sleep is an amazing achievement. I struggle at 48 hours, still they don't have fishing pots to worry about most of the time.

I don't know but I am sure these highly competent sailors know everything there is to know about all aspects of seamanship, including the colregs.

How they cope without sleep amazes an idler like me, who likes at least 7 hours sleep every night!

I remember reading in Robin Knox-Johnson's book about his first circumnavigation how he once slept for 10 hours.

And Eric Hiscock, in his days as a single-hander, turning in for a night's sleep south of Guernsey, in thick fog!

Sang-froid!!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You can train yourself to go for many hours without sleep even a couple of days but not 3 months. You need even when accustomed to long periods without sleep short spells of sleep.

 

[TNLI]

I have an audio alarm on my Echomax radar reflector. It has to be turned off permanently, otherwise I would not get any kip whatsoever in the Channel, esp the dover Straits, as it goes off whenever I get painted with radar. Presumably that is the same with a full on tadar set. That would make the alarm a pain in the butt, unless well away from main shipping & just wanted to know about the ocassional passing ship

If it keeps going off set the guard zone closer, although I would recommend you plan your trip to day or overnight sail until reaching Penzance before a last check of the weather, and depart planning to avoid the worst of the shipping lanes. A radar warning receiver is of more use when you get clear of the shipping lanes, although many merchant vessels turn their radar off when well clear of other shipping and in good visibility, so a radar is a far better solution, both in poor visibility and when trying to sleep in a safe manner. Oddly enough it's not the big merchant vessels that are the real issue, as they tend to stick to a defined course, alas the fishing boats do not and are all over the place chasing side scan sonar returns.

Nothing is perfect and anyone planning to head offshore should plan what to do in a collision, a full crew does not guarantee you will not be involved in one. A steel hull helps a lot, although my own lifeboat is an alloy composite, but it has 3 main watertight bulkheads, 6 bilge pumps, and when the 2 central side lockers are stuffed with lifejackets or bags of pasta, should not sink even if a main bulkhead is breached. If you do get run down, dive below as the main risk is getting washed overboard or having the mast fall on you. In a small boat it's very unlikely you will get a hull collision from a merchant vessel as the bow wave should push you to one side, BUT it's a very different story if a fishing boat T bones you in fog.
Alas most designers are still building boats that if you knock a hole in them, they sink. Truly nuts in my opinion, and only the offshore multi hull designers have got that sink ability issue sorted.

 

[Daydream believer]

I regularly nod of for 5-10 minutes in the channel or S N sea. I sleep on deck & can look round in an instant. I check the AIS for larger ships first, that gives me 10 minutes max. The biggest problem is not the large faster vessel. Even at 20 kts that is only 3.5 miles & I pick them up at 10M+ on AIS. Generally they stick to lanes so one keeps out of those for obvious reasons. The worse are fishing boats. Most fishing boats etc are within sight at 10 minutes range but they tend to be erratic in course. Support vessels are more prevalent, but due to their speed the skippers tend to be more aware of what is ahead of them.

I have had issues with smaller supply vessels, one in particular ( Polarstream- deserves to be named & shamed) in the Dover Strait that was clearly unaware of my presence & only swerved after 3 VHF calls. Missing me by less than 75 yds. He had changed course directly towards me obviously without looking first

It is better to take a deliberate nap than fall asleep by mistake which can be somewhat dangerous

I find that 3 or 4 -10 minute naps makes a big difference to how long one can go. However, whilst I do quite a few trips up to circa 110 miles it does not normally take more than 20 hours. A good rest before hand helps. I have a rule of sail a day, rest a day minimum.

 

[TNLI]

How do single handers comply with the colregs?

RADAR 24/7 in guard zone alarm mode.

 

[TNLI]

The other thread about sailing single handed, reminded me to ask you lot: how do you managed to get ensured?

I ask, because when I contacted my insurance company, about extending the cover to the Azores, I was told that would do it, but only if I could guarantee 2 additional crew.

Now, this is only hypothetical, for now. But how does one manage to get insurance cover for single-hand sailing? Is it possible to get one-off cover for single journeys/restricted time?

From the Pantsandus web site:

Single handed sailing whilst cruising is not excluded as standard under the policy terms and conditions. However, for ocean passages you will need to contact us to discuss your crewing arrangements. Underwriters will need to approve these, for cover to remain in place for your passage. Single handed racing is excluded under the policy terms and conditions.

 

[Daydream believer]

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