Requirement for "Lookouts"

[Warren Milberg]

My understanding of maritime laws is that there is a requirement for mariners to maintain a visual and auditory "lookout" at all times. While I have made a number of blue water passages, none have been solo. On all of these voyages, someone was always standing watch. A few of my friends, who have made solo ocean voyages, tell me that this requirement is impossible to meet and for obvious reasons. Some have catnapped for brief periods, some have used radar alarms, yet others have ignored it completely in order to get needed sleep when out of major shipping lanes. If you've made a solo voyage offshore, how did you deal with this requirement?

 

[RichH]

I sail all night when the 'visibility' of my boat is the least to others; lightly sleep (with BIG alarm clock) and catnap during the day. Sleeping and cat-napping during the day so that I have best 'visibility to others'. If I need 'deep sleep', I heave-to after broadcasting an open call on VHF 16/13 ... and then hope for the best.

 

[Chuckbear]

Warren, Sounds like you already have most of the info on how others handle this and it depends on the area you sail and you personal comfort levels. But you have also found the biggest issue with single handing long distances. This is why insurance companies for the most part will not insure singlehanders and according to the letter of the law as soon as you go into the cabin or take a catnap and no one is on watch, any issues that arise becomes your responsibility. Chuck

 

[Stu Jackson]

Warren there have been books, as you know, written about this issue. Frank Mulville and Steve Henderson have both written books called similarly "Single Handed Sailing." John Letcher also describes routines in "Self Steering for Small Craft." Naps, and kitchen alarm clocks are the first step. All of them then indicate that ship board routine and "awareness" then take over.

Coastal cruising with boats and ships around aren't a good place to do this. Their stories are for deep sea transits.

As is your question! A good one, too.

 

[sailingdog]

Not keeping a decent watch in coastal waters is just asking to get a Darwin. If you really need rest or to do something and you're in coastal waters... find an anchorage, drop the anchor, put up the ball dayshape or turn on the anchor light, do your business and then get going again.

If you're on the open ocean, you're far safer taking a break in your watch keeping. If you have radar, it would be a good idea to set it up for guard alarm at the minimum.

 

[tsmwebb]

...
If you're on the open ocean, you're far safer taking a break in your watch keeping. If you have radar, it would be a good idea to set it up for guard alarm at the minimum.

"Safer" is the operative word. I've had two close calls (where I had to alter to avoid a collision) offshore. The first was South of the Cooks where I had to alter for a fishing vessel (not engaged) heading south. I passed close enough to see that the bridge was deserted. And the other was three days north of Oahu when I had to jibe to avoid a RORO. Too, RADAR alarms are less than perfect -- in a seaway offshore the gain has to be set low to keep false alarms down and sometimes even big ships can slip through a guard zone (particularly if they are moving fast). AIS is wonderful, but it will not get most fishing boats, and you'll finds those guys in the most remote places.

I know people on full crewed yachts who run without any watch at night when they are in "low traffic" areas... I think they're nuts. I've heard lots of folks who have made one or two passages say "we never see any vessels offshore." I think they're blind.

--Tom.

 

[sailingdog]

Yes, I would agree that SAFER is the key word... and that minimizing the time you're off watch is key. The strategy of keeping a decent watch at night and a less thorough watch during the daytime is a gamble, but one that many single-handed sailors make.

I can't think of any passage I've made where we didn't spot at least one vessel at night. Night and fog makes it even worse.

"Safer" is the operative word. I've had two close calls (where I had to alter to avoid a collision) offshore. The first was South of the Cooks where I had to alter for a fishing vessel (not engaged) heading south. I passed close enough to see that the bridge was deserted. And the other was three days north of Oahu when I had to jibe to avoid a RORO. Too, RADAR alarms are less than perfect -- in a seaway offshore the gain has to be set low to keep false alarms down and sometimes even big ships can slip through a guard zone (particularly if they are moving fast). AIS is wonderful, but it will not get most fishing boats, and you'll finds those guys in the most remote places.

I know people on full crewed yachts who run without any watch at night when they are in "low traffic" areas... I think they're nuts. I've heard lots of folks who have made one or two passages say "we never see any vessels offshore." I think they're blind.

--Tom.

 

[John]

One other guy and I helped a guy motor his sailboat up the California coast from Long Beach to SF. We went straight through, night and day. He had radar and AIS. He had one person awake at all times, but not necessarily on deck. The person on watch would take a look outside every ten minutes or so, and the rest of the time monitor the AIS and the radar. We were alongside but not in the shipping channel. Would this be considered normal?

By the way, the nearest collision we had was with a whale that dove just thirty feet or so ahead of us.

 

[Chuckbear]

One other guy and I helped a guy motor his sailboat up the California coast from Long Beach to SF. We went straight through, night and day. He had radar and AIS. He had one person awake at all times, but not necessarily on deck. The person on watch would take a look outside every ten minutes or so, and the rest of the time monitor the AIS and the radar. We were alongside but not in the shipping channel. Would this be considered normal?

By the way, the nearest collision we had was with a whale that dove just thirty feet or so ahead of us.

Every time everyone was below decks and not in the cockpit on watch you were in violation of maritime regulations. I am not sure why with three people on board you would set a watch this way. Chuck

 

[Franklin]

All depends on your route on whether or not you are going to see ships. If you are crossing an ocean east to west or west to east, you major chances are when within 300 miles of shore. If you are going north to south, your changes greatly increase as you are crossing shipping lanes.

There was a 50 year old woman who sailed around the world alone from 1997-2002 if I remember correctly. When crossing the south Pacific, she saw a few ships when she was near shore. She tried to stay on watch the whole time when within 300 miles of shor but became overwhelmed with sleepness only to be awaken by a passing ship. The rest of the trip across the south Pacific she only saw one other ship, which of course she didn't see until it passed by. When she headed north towards Indo Islands, there were ships everywhere so she had a terrible time getting sleep.

My crew and I only saw one ship in two crossings of the Gulf of Mexico.

Soon I plan on a single handed cruise to somewhere. I'd like to sail to the Philippines but don't think I can afford it. Another possible distination is Grenada but it's very risky trying to get there. May just do to they Keys and come back. Going to the Keys will have a lot of traffic so sleeping will be hard. Going to Philippines would have it's traffic areas but mostly free of traffic (I believe). Going to Grenada, well, that all depends on the route.

 

[RichH]

All depends on your route on whether or not you are going to see ships.

You have that correct. If you stupidly follow the same GPS courses/rhumblines that just about EVERYONE (ships, rec. boats, fishing fleets, etc.) is now using, your chances of 'seeing' others goes up exponentially. If you 'parallel' (and stay off) these 'GPS routes' by many many miles, your chances of 'contact' go waaaay down.

It seems that EVERYONE is now traveling the *exact same* GPS course lines these days; on major 'routes' you sometimes get the feeling that its like being on the New Jersey turnpike at rush hour.

 

[tsmwebb]

You have that correct. If you stupidly follow the same GPS courses/rhumblines that just about EVERYONE (ships, rec. boats, fishing fleets, etc.) is now using, your chances of 'seeing' others goes up exponentially. If you 'parallel' (and stay off) these 'GPS routes' by many many miles, your chances of 'contact' go waaaay down.

It seems that EVERYONE is now traveling the *exact same* GPS course lines these days; on major 'routes' you sometimes get the feeling that its like being on the New Jersey turnpike at rush hour.

Yes, there are some routes that virtually guarantee shipping issues. As a SAILING boat we seldom find we can follow a direct GPS route on a significant passage. But, we've had contacts that I've felt worth plotting in very remote parts of the Pacific. Including one where we would almost certainly have had a collision if we hadn't taken action as we were coming north out of the Southern Ocean. That was about as far off the shipping routes as you can get. Fishing fleets pop-up in the oddest places. We ran into a big one when we were going from Bora Bora to Hilo at about 5N. In my experience, even in the most remote spots far from gps tracks the vigilant watch will sight a vessel every other day or so and will have a CPA < 2 miles every few sightings. Of course, if you aren't looking you will not see any shipping... But, it doesn't follow that there isn't any shipping.

--Tom.