sleeping on the move - any tips?

[jonic]

A quick death was exactly what I needed. I have NEVER felt worse than that........
Apart from today recovering for my work leaving/stag night hangover. Yuck.
311 almost sold, bloke has put in a lowish offer but broker fee is a bit painful.
Might hang on a bit longer, concentrating on the wedding now, less than a week to go. honeymooning on the Norfolk broads.
Good luck with the race.

It is now 4:09 am........I really am the wrong person to advise on sleeping!

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[alant]

With the watch system & work involved on these boats, you will sleep like a baby each off watch. You will also dream the most intense dreams - possibly due to the noise (either above your head on deck, or just the sea going past your bunk). Great stuff - Enjoy.

 

[Modulation]

Roger
Don't take Nytol. Fine if it works but if it doesn't you'll end up twitching like a bluetit. It's an awful feeling and will take 6 hours to go away.
Your best bet is to just not to try to sleep - then you will.


Brendan

 

[Guest]

I sailed from Bodo in the Norwegian Arctic to Leith, port of Edinburgh, about 850 miles, on one of the BT boats, Motorola, and on a passagemaking regime _ 6hr duty watches in daytime, 4hrs at night, split between two watch teams _ sleeping wasn't a problem. I found I woke up feeling well-slept after just under four hours and was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, even though I hadn't been consciously tired _ it was cold and seasickness that made me want to get to bed. One thing that interrupted my sleep was slamming into troughs and the feeling of dropping through space as forty-four tons of boat went almost into freefall off the crests. But it was easy to sleep through when you go used to it, except when we had really strong winds (48kts) _ seriously exciting on the helm at night.

My main problem was seasickness. On open water I could not hold food or water down. None of the remedies worked _ Stugeron, ginger, pressure bands, whatever. The only places I could control the nausea were on the helm or horizontal in my bunk (more like a stretcher). Putting on or taking my oilies off and getting them out of or putting them into the wet locker at the bottom of the companionway steps, which reeked of diesel, always meant a dash up the stairs to call Ruth or Hughey in the cockpit. I didn't eat and barely drank for the four days crossing the North Sea and lost nealy a stone on the trip. I still managed my watches and even my mother watch _ cleaning the heads and cooking while you're puking.

Having said that, they're great boats, and if you get a F7 or F8 it'll probably be the most exciting sailing you've ever had, especially on the helm. Changing headsails is seriously strenuous, though _ and puke-inducing in a hooley.

Sleeping won't be a problem, believe me. And despite the discomforts, I'd sell my mother to go again. Any offers?

 

[rogerroger]

How I got on...

well I'm back now - had a great trip - roughly 2 and a half days from Plymouth, round Fastnet Rock and then up to Kinsale. Had wind behind us crossing the Irish sea, very big waves and rounded the rock in a gale in the dark!

Anyway - I did not sleep at all on the way there. This is not an exaggeration, not one minute. I wasn't sea sick at all, the berths were perfect sea berths, I was totally relaxed but just could not nod off.

The trip back was a beat to windward of about 40 hours - I slept about 3 hours. I was then so over tired that even a night tied up in Flamouth I hardly slept.

It did somewhat spoil the trip and I'm starting to think I might have a sleep disorder !



Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk