Poll: Would you travel on a 55ft Sailboat from England to Antigua; West Indies with one captain?

Question

Poll: Would you travel on a 55ft Sailboat from England to Antigua; West Indies with one captain?

Answer 1

honestly you wouldnt see me on a blow boat  sorry

Answer 2

I am sorry... but please!  please! Don't let people that have never done it - and are too scared to do it themselves - scare you off and tell you how crazy it is...  I have been sailing since I was 8 years old (and thats been over a half century ago... lol) and I have made one complete circumnavigation (with my son) and been from Iceland to South Georgia Island twice, and sailed the Pacific and Atlantic a half dozen times... and you know what?  I personally know far more people that have been seriously hurt in their homes, backyards, walking, driving, at work... while I was out sailing then I have even heard of, hurt while sailing.  I live aboard - so I am very close to what happens in, on or near the water...  Allowing others to scare you away would be a real shame...  But now, having said that, doesn't mean you should go on "this" voyage.

So... to answer your question...

Would I go... yes, if I knew the Captain was a person of integrity, of good character... and good ability.  But... (and this is key - I also know that if anything happened to him, I could get us back safely.

So... you need to learn enough to do the same.

On this voyage, the distance sailing would normally take you from England down the coast of France, Spain, to the Canary Islands. This is about 1,500 nautical miles and that translates into about 15 to 17 days in a 55 ft sailboat. From the Canary Islands to St. Johns, Antiqua, and Barbuda is another 2,600 nautical miles and another 26 to 30 days.  So, ask yourself, can you spend 24 hours a day for 50 to 60 days in very close quarters with this "Captain"?

Both my son and I (together & seperately) have made similiar trips even in smaller sailing vessels... with inexperienced crew, and solo...  with no crew at all.

So, the question should not be "Would you make the trip with only one Captain?"   but rather...   "Would you make the trip with only YOURSELF and THAT PARTICULAR Captain?"

In my case, (and that of my son) the first thing we do (always!) is teach the crew all the aspects of sailing safely (ie: man overboard drill, life-line usage, etc.) and the basic fundamentals of handling the boat in case of an emergency.

As in the "Man overboard drill" my sailing students are always shocked into reality when I tell them we are going to practice the "man over-board drill" and then I jump into the water... WOW!  What a shocker it is to them when they realize they are left to fend the boat for themselves... (for some reason, students always assume it is they that will fall overboard... and not the only one left on the vessel to know what to do to retrieve and save the life or lives of their friend or friends...

So, the fact that you are asking this question, makes me think you have some doubts of your own about the particular Captain...   If so - don't go! It is that simple!  

If on the otherhand, if you trust the Captain and his ability... and it is only because you have no idea of what to do if something were to happen to him... then it is your responsibility to learn.

In fact, he should have already spoken of teaching you how to sail etc.  

This is why on smaller sailing vessels - we like to call all our  passangers "crew"...   (We Captains don't often take "passengers" but once...  we like to take "crew"... as they are the ones that "help with the work" and thus help make eveyone safe... They don't just sit on their keysters expecting someone else to keep the food, snacks and umbrella drinks cold.   These are the people that never get invited back."



As a crew member (especially First Mate) You are expected to learn the basics of sailing, the basics of the particular vessel, and do your part... Believe me... it will make for a much happier Captain and much safer voyage.  And the better "crew" you are... the more likely you are go get invited out the next time...

Before you leave England, you should have as many sailing lessons as possible...  your "Captain should be teaching you the ropes... how to use the radio, how to start and stop the engine, how to start & stop a sailing ship, and all about reading the instruments (GPS & compass) and understanding all the safety equipment (EIPRB, MayDay or PanPan calls on the radio, flares, etc.  etc. )

If he is not doing this, offering to do this, or talking of and planning with you to do this... then you can probably forget the trip... because he is either not serious about it... or he is not a competent sailor or Captain himself.

At all points along the way, you should know what to do, and which direction to turn in case of an emergency...

By the time you reach the Canary Islands... you should be as good at handling that vessel from the helm as your Captain...

You have plenty of time to take a few lessons... learn to sail... learn the nomenclature of the vessel and sailing.

(I am assuming you are not going to set sail "now" - at the very start of the Atlantic hurricane season.)  If he wants to do that, then make sure he is planning to sail the North Atlantic route... or don't go until the end of the hurricane season....  

Happy & Safe Boating!

Answer 3

I would travel anywhere with you captain.  Love, honey

Answer 4

There can only be one captain on a boat or aircraft. If you mean only one crew member i.e. only one person who can handle the craft, without someone qualified to assist or take control in the event of an emergency or incapacitation of the captain, then taking a trip over that vast distance would be extremely risky to say the least. Many would say crazy!

Answer 5

Are you asking just the two of you  from Jolly Ol' to ANU? and I may assume you have little to no experience?

Errrrrrrrh........when I was younger and foolisher I did trips like that and I thank Poseidon, Jah, and whoever else that we made safe trip(s)..nowadays  I'd have to say you're nuts.

As Capt Bob says the trip gets broken up into various legs, some 20-30 days in duration. A 55 foot boat can be a handful to operate. Once you get going  and the auto pilot is working there's not much to do, but handling sails, fixing things and just plain standing watch 24/7 is a major strain on just two people; and if one knows little its a major strain.

So ask yourself.......I'm 15 days, or 360 hours, away from land and something happens to my captain. Not just falling overboard but hurt in accident and confined to his bunk. Can I myself all alone get this boat into port and do everything needed in the next 360 hours....eat cook clean up tend sails navigate KEEP LOOKOUT all by myself? If the answer is no, well.......

Now, this trip with a Captain that knows his/her stuff and TWO other people with some smarts and a willingness to learn can be a blast! The strain is greatly reduced and folks aren't sailing on the edge of disaster all the time.

As as was mentioned, you aren't planning on doing this trip before September are you? A Trans Atlantic in summer runs the real risk of being overrun by two or more tropical waves/depressions/storms or worse.....if you are waiting for fall then check out something called the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers....where up to 150 boats do this trip more or less together.

Oh yeah and if the Captain tells you "I can do this trip myself I'm just bringing you along for when I have to sleep" I'd wouldnt touch the trip with a pole....that type of ego is NOT fun to day- sail with,, let alone spend the best part of 2 months with.

Answer 6

It all depends on the experience of the person. There are many people who do long voyages singlehandedly. If you are talking about having the boat delivered (you pay for someone to move it for you) then legally you need at least one more person. You can have one captain, but the captain will most likely put it in his contract that he needs one or two people for crew. That is just to  cover himself if something happens to the boat. If you have a licensed captain working on the boat, then you need to follow the same laws that a comercial vessel has to follow in regards to how much time on watch a person can do. A person cannot be on watch for more than 24 hours for every 36 hours. If your captain is willing to take the risk, and you trust him, then it should be ok. Again people do much longer trips with just one person onboard. People race singlehandedly around the world non-stop, but it is still advisable to have a captain and one crew person. If you know how to sail and want to then you could be the crew.

Answer 7

One captain? Yes! The captain as the only crew member is risky especially since I can't swim. It would have to e a really big emergency to leave England or reach Antigua.