Charles Don's Solo Voyage: One Against the Elements

The hero of today's material is Charles Don. He will talk about his solo swimming experience. In addition, the sailor will share his impressions of everyday affairs and what it is like to be alone with the elements.

The beginning of the way

I came to sailing alone and without training. It was in a boat that I purchased myself. Interestingly, I never really aspired to become a lone sailor. It just happened. 

After all these years, I still do not plan to sail anywhere alone. I am always happy to take a team with me. It's just that I'm usually not ready to cancel a proposed cruise or transition simply because no one wants to come with me.

Without a doubt, one can get great pleasure from sailing boat sailing without assistance. The larger the boat, the more fun. The key to swimming on your own, as with so many other things, is self-awareness. 

You must be well aware of your natural limitations. This is just one of the reasons why, after several seasons of regular sailing solo, the boat of my dreams is not 47 meters. And almost two times less!

The wisdom of sailing and recreation

One of the first things I learned about solo sailing is that open ocean crossings are much easier than coastal crossings. Sleep is always the key problem. It is always easier to sleep when you are in the middle of nowhere. 

I remember one day asking Webb Chiles, the famous long-distance lone sailor and favorite SAIL contributor for many years, how he organized his sleep during the voyage. 

His answer was very simple: I don't organize. His strategy was to just fall asleep and then sleep as long as possible until he had to get up to deal with something.

I tried it myself because I like to sleep well. And this method even worked! It was a special relief when I was able to rely on modern electronics. She notified me when there were any problems. 

A burglar alarm radar can alert you to both approaching ships and a squall. The AIS transceiver will pay special attention to any ships and most blue water yachts in the area.

Small play

Coastal crossings are a completely different story. There are still many commercial fishing boats not equipped with AIS, and sport fishing boats, I have noticed, often prefer to sail in the dark so that no one will discover their top secret fishing spots. 

In addition, there are many small craft that are not equipped with AIS. Falling asleep with threats buzzing around you is a bit like trying to play pinball while blindfolded. 

If you're not really a wizard, it's best to stick with short sleep sessions. Of course, the big advantage of coastal sailing is that there are usually places to stay. 

Thus, when I go to shore, I usually limit myself to short jumps, with no more than one night leg in each, even if that means it takes longer and generally swim more distance.

Equipment

As for the question of how best to equip the boat. There are whole books on this topic! I have a young friend who sails alone in a 39ft Allures boat. 

He loves to regale me with tales of daring, remote-controlled solo spinnaker lifts, honey swamps and other esotericism. It's all good. 

However, you also need to be able to steer your boat when the gizmos break. At the end of the day, what matters most to me is a solid self-driving system and a shield that I can get from the steering wheel.

The reason is that usually not your gear is the limiting factor. This is your state of mind. You will be surprised how big a boat you can handle alone if you handle it thoughtfully. 

When sailing alone, even in a small boat, you always need to think carefully about your every move. Preferably in advance. And then focus exclusively on each of these movements as you complete them. 

You need to exist and work consciously in every moment before moving on to the next - a philosophy that works just as well in life in general as it does on a boat.

17.09.2021