LA NEGRA

2. January 2013

Sailing mysteries

The most common question from landlubbers is: So what do you do at night? where do you stop? or do you just drop anchor?

We love that question. So let's say you are in the ocean with 2000m meter water depth, you would need at least 2000m of chain, which if you'd have all that chain on the boat it would probably sink from the weight - so no you can't drop anchor out on the ocean. And if you are far away from land, evidently you can't just stop ashore.

Night sailing. You just keep sailing, be extra cautious, when sailing with 2 or more people you take turns (watch) 2 hours one person, 2 hours the next. When I sail by myself I do 10-20min sleeps all night, if I am in waters where there is not alot of traffic, if there is lots of traffic - no sleep. So every 10 to 20 mins you wake up and check if anything is around you. The first night is hard for me but after the first night I get in the rhythm of sleeping in short bursts day and night and it becomes much easier. But this is where an extra set of eyes (radar) would be really great. It alarms you if anything comes close to the boat and you can see which direction and app. which speed the other boat is going. At night it is very difficult to tell, the distance, the direction and speed. Only when the boat comes closer you can tell by the navigation lights. Often at night fishing boats go zick zack around you, that really drives you crazy.

So once more, anyone who would like to sponsor us with a radar will get much love and exposure from us.

Night sailing is magical; so peaceful and quite, the stars, the illuminating planctons like stardust, the nothingness... but the best is full-moon sailing. It seems like daytime and you can see very far and the moonshine glittering on the oceans.