The Art of Sailing

My sleeping was well off shore, and I was solo, which kinda dictates the flow as no one stays awake for a week. And yes, the radio was on, it always is. My comments you quoted were about in-shore waters.

Yep, that's me (or it used to be). Once drove cross country, 4 days, on 5-10 minute power naps.

My land transpo is a Ford Transit van which I built out as a "stealth" camper. Heated bed, porta potty, fridge..... I can park it anywhere and take a nap and no one will know..... I put a heavy floor (400 pounds of solid oak, plywood and rubber) to get some weight down low for handling and it came with the twin turbo 3.5 Thing is a beast.....

I get that you have to sleep. Certainly off shore has less interaction with traffic as opposed to inshore. The radio should absolutely be on. The MMSI alarm should be programmed and functional on the VHF. I get all of that. But I've also tangled with numerous freighters and commercial fishing fleets well offshore around the mouth of the Chesapeake, Cape May, Brunswick, Jax, etc. Let's just say that I wouldn't be comfortable doing it, and a big reason for my discomfort is that I know folks like you are out there...and that unsettles me. I'm having to watch out for the both of us, and I don't know where you are or when I'll come across you.

Well, nowadays we both have active AIS so that takes care of that.

So good to hear someone smart enough to carry paper charts and I'll bet you know how to plot and follow a course on them too. GPS goes back further than 20 years, although chart plotters are more recent. First boat I ran that was outfitted with GPS was in 1991, and I fell in love. But my paper charts still traveled with me cause my constant thought when on boats (born from experience) has been 'What will break down next?'

Yes, I carry paper.

I think you'll find that most of us "seasoned" boaters tend to carry paper.

Not for much longer.
https://www.thelog.com/snw/noaa-to-discontinue-paper-nautical-charts-by-2025/

Probably planning to replace with digital satellite view charts.

Yes , I'm aware but doesn't mean we need to throw them out. As someone once said, rocks don't move.

but shoals, channels and buoys do.

Ed don't get technical

This makes me wonder how many boat pilots are looking at a smartphone while they sail along.

Thankfully you generally lose cell coverage about 10 miles offshore.

I told my wife pretty early on in the relationship that I was a control freak.
Not because of a fragile ego, but because I flew airplanes for a living:
If you lose control of an airplane you are dead.
Same with a boat, you have to be in control at all times, otherwise uh, you lose
control.
(I have nightmares about losing control of planes, boats or wife’s bad juju)

Might want to change the order. Plan crashes kill you fast, and you have to close your eyes with your wife .

I’m kinda of interested in chartering a large sail boat for next vacation. No interest in owning one but would be cool to enjoy for a week.