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Thread: hi to everybody

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    rome,italy
    Posts
    4

    Default hi to everybody

    hi there,
    i'm the new one in forum, i guess, writin' from italy so my apologies for my uncorrect sailwords-english (just trying to improve day by day but it's not so simple...

    i'm reading a book about singlehanded sailing and i used to sail with a friend of mine on a stainless steel schooner, so i feel comfortable in doublehanded sailing; i'd like to try to singlehand but some points look not so clear to me,as sleeping behaviour Would i train myself day by day (or whenever i sail) in partial sleeping?
    it's better some partially rest during the night?
    ...and on the other side, to supply power to an autohelm 1000 (for a 9 mt.boat) wich kind of solar panel should i use?i'm suppose to sail in mediterranean where self-steering (by "wind helm") cannot work

    thanks in advance

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    134

    Default

    Hi Ilbian (I'm guessing that's your first name)

    The generally accepted sleeping technique for singlehanders is to take short 20 minute naps as frequently as possible. Any longer than that and the brain goes into deep sleep which is difficult to wake up from easily, futhermore it allows large ships to creep up over the horizon and get within collision distance. So take lots of 20 minute naps whenever you can, whenever the boat allows it. I usually start taking them in the early afternoon of the first day out so that by the time it gets dark my mind is already accustomed to the procedure. Don't worry if you don't fall asleep during the 20 minutes, just lying down and resting is beneficial. Eventually your body will learn to drop into sleep quickly and wake up quickly. This may take a few days though. Make sure you carry a couple of reliable timers with loud alarms to wake you up.

    As for what solar panel you should get, it would be hard to answer without knowing more about the power drain of your autohelm. But a good rule of thumb is to get the largest panels you can possibly put on the boat, because it probably is not going to supply all your power needs anyway. Even if it did, you are still going to have to worry about what to do when you have cloud cover for days at a time. The question then becomes, 'how often are you going to need to run the engine to charge the batteries?' (Or if you have no engine, how much time must I self-steer because I'm conserving power?)

    There are others that have more experience with totally using solar on small boats, perhaps they can respond.

    Mark/Alchera

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Hi Ilbian,

    You're doing better with English than I'd do with Italian. Mark's advice about sleep strategies is pretty much what many of us do within 200 miles of a coast and near shipping lanes. In mid-ocean, I rely on AIS and radar with a guard zone set at around 20 miles and sleep when I'm tired.

    Why won't a wind vane work in the Mediterrian?

    I rely more on my engine to charge the batteries than solar. As mark said, any cloud cover or shade from the rig and sails really reduces the charge out of a solar panel.

    Best of luck to you.

    Bill Merrick

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    2,095

    Default

    My own personal routine is to do as Mark suggested and get as many 20-25 minute naps as I can during the day. With practice you'll get good at waking up, looking around for a minute or two and then going right back to sleep. I don't sleep any more than that when I'm within 150-200 miles of California because of the shipping. I have occasionally slept more than that when the fog is so thick that even if I was awake I couldn't avoid a collision with a ship.

    That's sort of a fatalistic attitude, I suppose.

    I keep up that routine while doing longer passages but when I'm more than 200 miles off the California coast I try to get 90 minutes of sleep between midnight and 3:00 AM. Staying asleep for 90 minutes allows you to get into REM sleep, stay there, and then come out of it again and that makes a big difference in overall alertness. For my body, it's not crucial to get that 90 minutes for a 2-3-4 day trip but on a trip that is longer than that, it's really important.

    I have noticed that for me, there's a really big difference between getting an hour of sleep and getting 90-120 minutes.

    I know, myself that I can keep this routine of naps and 90 minute sleeps for about 6 days. At that point I have to get about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep or I lapse into serious stupidity and feel really sick.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    rome,italy
    Posts
    4

    Default

    thanks for suggestions,i'm gonna do my best to make some practice;
    i've got few infos about autohelm1000 (in charge on a boat of a friend of mine) but i'll look forward about rigid-solar panels (and prices,too!!) and wich kind of autonomy they have in order to run an autopilot like that.

    Probably, a wind vane in mediterranean could work(i've seen just a pair of samples as aries or mustafà by malingri, but always set up on boats going out mediterranean and facing trade winds) but i'm pretty sure that it needs an on-going setting at least because we're facing often changing wind. I would like to have much infos about wind vane and their prices;any suggestion about?

    thanks and goodbye

    p.s. ilbianconiglio means "thewhiterabbit" (comin' from the wonderland tale, of course) roughtly translated; somebody tells that rabbit it's an ominous on boat but here we're still on land and that one is off every misfortune of course

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    166

    Default

    So, White Rabbit, what is your name?

    Regarding wind vanes. I suspect that the reasons you may not be seeing many of them in the Med is that they arn't as easy to use as autopilots. In addition, they are not particularly useful on short day sails with many tacks and they require a higher level of skill in sail trim. They do, however, offer an alternative to constantly feeding a battery bank to supply an amp gobbling autopilot and hand steering.

    In some cases, the wind vane may also serve as an emergency rudder if the main rudder breaks.

    The most respected and recommended wind vane seems to be the Monitor although other well-known models have very ardent fans. The smart move if you're thinking about getting a wind vane is to select the model you want and then shop for a used unit in good condition. A new wind vane, with the emergency rudder option will cost $4,000 to $5,000 US. A used unit will probably cost about half that. It's not unusual to see wind vanes offered for sale that are over 5 years old but have never been installed on a boat. In other words, they're new. This is old technology that is fairly unwanted except by singlehanded racers and cruisers.

    Good Luck

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    33

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    Just from the variation of the responses to the question about sleep patterns reminded me of this article about singlehanded sailors and sleep. I find myself to be mainly a lark but the text reveals all sorts of variations. See what works for you http://outside.away.com/outside/body...raining_1.html
    Al
    Last edited by dogbark; 02-05-2008 at 03:22 PM. Reason: error in url

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Vancouver British Columbia, Canada
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    133

    Default

    Seeing as you are in the EU, I would suspect that the Monitor windvane may be considered a bit 'exotic' and if a autohelm 1000 steers your boat I am suspecting it is a smaller vessel. probably a good bet to look for a european-built piece of equipment,especially if in the used market., I had a Navik which steered my previous boat well, or you might consider a Windpilot self-steerer - both of which are built over there.

    Jim/Haulback

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    On board 'Nereida' when possible - in S.Africa just now
    Posts
    33

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    ...and there's also the Aries which seems to work well for smaller boats - now made in Denmark, with spares from the U.K. for the older model (plenty around which you could probably pick up 2nd-hand) ...
    Would you hope to sail outside the Med at some point??
    Ciao!
    Jeanne "Nereida"

    www.svnereida.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    rome,italy
    Posts
    4

    Default

    good suggestions, i'll try to find info's about wich wind vane (used) fits for my purpose; the boat-not mine yet but it's going to be mine within next winter, as i hope-is a small 9 meters, built in espana during the 70's, with a moderate overhanged stern, good stem (not cutted as i often see today in our harbours), quite well balanced. Nowadays i sail with a friend of mine on a 50ft.schooner where an autohelm5000 works quite well and he suggested me to use the 1000' for a boat of 27ft. is strong enought

    She's supposed to sail inshore but i've read about some guys rounding the world with that boat so probably it worths more than it seems.I'd like to spend some time sailing around here in mediterranean, full of amazing place to sail and to visit. Furthermore, i don't even think about myself as an oceanic/singlehanderv seaman, just tryin' to make experience and experience and then see what's gonna happen

    we usually say "good wind", so i do
    bye

    p.s. as requested, my name is marco

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