Solo Channel crossing in convoy? First solo passage

Daydream believer said:
So what do you think any other boats cruising in company are going to do?
If you fall in they probably will not know in time to save you. They will not stop you getting run down if you decide to play rabbit with a ship.
if it is rough they will not be able to get to you. Although what would you want them to get to you for.
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I remember hearing a rescue on vhf many years ago. A group of single handers crossing the channel were running an hourly radio net and one failed to check in. A helicopter found the boat sailing on autopilot with nobody aboard. The winchman read the last log entry then they flew back up his track and found him floating in his lifejacket. They recovered him safe and well.
 
DJE said:
I remember hearing a rescue on vhf many years ago. A group of single handers crossing the channel were running an hourly radio net and one failed to check in. A helicopter found the boat sailing on autopilot with nobody aboard. The winchman read the last log entry then they flew back up his track and found him floating in his lifejacket. They recovered him safe and well.
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BUT had he been clipped on the would have been able to call on his vhf
 
sailorman said:
BUT had he been clipped on the would have been able to call on his vhf
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I believe being clipped on if sailing solo is useless. If boat is on autopilot you would be dragged along until you released harness (if possible in the drag effect) or drowned.

Its difficult enough for others to recover a MOB and impossible to do it yourself.

Good clothing, LJ, handheld flare pack and waterproof handheld VHF would give chance of survival if MOB as a solo sailor. Not sure of survival time in the channel in winter - Dry suit or survival suit would improve it.
 
sailorman said:
BUT had he been clipped on the would have been able to call on his vhf
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The chances of using a VHF( If it was attached to casualty) whilst being dragged along are pretty remote. However, one might be able to use it if the boat was near stationery- as when lowering sails. But in that case one would probably be near the shore & it might be better NOT to be clipped on & just call for help , unless, of course, the boat was heading shorewards & would take casualty with it
 
LadyInBed said:
Only if the tether is long enough to allow you to go overboard.
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A tether that short ( even allowing for a jackstay in centre of boat or on cabin sides) would be so short as to be dangerous. it would restrict free movement of the user so he could not stand up etc. I once had a crew who came with a 4ft one. After the first 2 days he threw it away & used a conventional 2 meter one
 
Daydream believer said:
A tether that short ( even allowing for a jackstay in centre of boat or on cabin sides) would be so short as to be dangerous.
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They may be dangerous in theory, but certainly not in practice. In fact helmsmen on fast racing yachts (which tend to take more green than most) routinely use two short harnesses to keep themselves steady.
 
It struck me that the radio net was a good idea - offering some benefit from others doing the same trip without the need to keep to a strict convoy format.
 
Daydream believer said:
A tether that short ( even allowing for a jackstay in centre of boat or on cabin sides) would be so short as to be dangerous. it would restrict free movement of the user so he could not stand up etc.
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Your opinion, certainly not mine.
I once had a crew who came with a 4ft one. After the first 2 days he threw it away & used a conventional 2 meter one
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2 mtrs! Mine is about 4ft and I double that round the jackstay and back to harness making it 2ft when moving forward.
When at the mast it is just long enough to go round the mast and back to my harness, giving me just enough room to work.
 
horatio_nelson said:
Ok so there's me, Sugar Kane, Danbury, ronsurf so far - we got ourselves a convoy :)

A month's warning enough? How about a weekend mid to late Nov?

I am totally serious about this, I think it would be awesome. Let's do it!

First hurdle is agreeing a date. I can make any time within reason. Assemble the fleet in the Solent? I'm the flagship, obviously :D
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Yeah, Im totally up for this, as I said before Im fairly freeish most weekends, Id say we should be assembled in some sort of group by the early hours of a friday morning or even late thursday evening, which would allow us plenty of time to get over for cherbourg and in the bar for arrival drinks friday night. that would give us most of saturday to do as we want, possibly a team meal round one of the boats or ashore, then hit that minty highway back across early sunday morning for a civilised hour of re-entry back to solent area.

obviously weather permitting. last november we had 100mph plus winds. the november before I was out sailing in long sleeve tshirt. anything can happen.

my boat is Boogie Nights, its a Dehler 36 CWS, I hope your Scanmar 33 is ready to hussle... mine needs a scrub again, but it'll be good enough for this. (Beware that Barbie is sporting a new outfit after her altercation with a large bollard in Weymouth the other week. She's kickin' "figure head" arse!)
 
When I was based in the Solent I used to do a few November December crossings. This resulted in a few adventures involving unforecast **** weather including a couple of ferry crossings;- be careful with the weather windows!
 
horatio_nelson said:
What about the weekend after that? If you can (and will!) make it, let's do it then...
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Apologies for the radio silence - other personal matters have been taking priority.

TBH, I don't want to commit and would much prefer the serious participants find a suitable date for them, and if I can/want to join in I will. Gotta say its unlikely at present, and specifying one particular weekend doesn't allow for any flexibility due to weather at this time of year.
 
LadyInBed said:
OK, I'm not 6ft tall but my jackstays, even though tight along the deck, lift when attached to my tether.
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I was only teasing -but if your line is 4ft & doubled up that means it reaches 2 ft down from your chest. ( lines up with the end of other body parts)
This means that the jackstay has to lift 2'-6" off the deck. It may do in the middle but not at the ends.
I also feel that a situation where you have to uncouple to transfer it to the mast is not good either.
I have fixed points low down in the cockpit on the seat fronts & if anyone wanted to stand on the seats to handle the boom they could not stand up. In fact if you have a chest fixing point on your harness ( It needs to be high up) a 4 ft line is just too short to slide along the jackstay & let you stand on the cabin roof ( if the jackstay is on the deck)
jackstays on the centre of the cabin are not usually much good as they will not go to the bow on most boat set ups & will not go back into the cockpit due to the hatch being in the way. so a person on the cabin by the mast needs 6 ft min to reach the jackstay on the deck
 
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