Sleeping on boats offshore overnight.. whats the trick?
I struggle to get any sleep on over nighters offshore. Does anyone have any tricks to getting any sleep like do you do anything to combat the chop slap against the hull ? or sleep in a particular position? Or is it take what you can get slkeep wise
any thoughts appreciated
cheers
Garry
Garry
Retired Honda Master Tech
Good question Garry...I have trouble sleeping at home...but i find that when i am a sleeping in a boat on the water i have no problems...Personally i think i have less problems on the water because normally a full days fishing and being out on the water usually wears me out...Is it the noises that keep you awake or are you worried about anything going wrong...
Cheers Mick
Hi Gary,
Is it the sound of a screaming ratchet that wakes you? Not sure what you could do about that
Use a soft matress so you sink deeper and roll less. If possible sleep transversally across the boat (eg port to starboard) rather than in the axis of the boat, it's easier to sleep being rocked head to toe rather than side to side ... at least so I find.
Re the hull slap - no remedies that I'm aware of.
bit the same as sleeping any where maybe, the age old thing of minimising risk. When at home we have prepared our house (and prepared ourself) over a life time of learned skills and thought processes to know that when we go to sleep we are as safe as we can be from danger. In the subconsious when we sleep in a unfamilar surrounding we are unsure of the risk so maybe the sleep is spasmatic to keep us in a higher level of alertness .
When I sleep in the boat I do every thing I can to minimise risk, good anchor, double rode, safe anchoridge, drift alarm set, good boat house keeping.
I love the slap of water against the hull, the sound of silence from every day life, the gentel rocking etc.
cheers
blaze
Last edited by blaze; 06-05-2007 at 08:08 AM.
A bottle of Rum !
Garry
I am with you I find it very hard to sleep with the .....will the anchor pull, how close is that other boat, where are those rocks, did you hear that!!!!
I dont get much noise as I just pull in behind an island but I find a big feed helps
Find an island and pull up have a few rums and thats me gone.
Garry,
i sleep better when i am on someone elses boat, and ear plugs are great to reduce the wave slap noise. i also let a bit of extra anchor rope out to soften to the waves, most times i just keep fishing
CHEERS RODNEY
Guys it's more the slap of the chop against the hull more than anything. Overnighters are normally 2 mates my eldest sone and myself so 2 sleep and 2 fishin/lookouts just cant seem to be able to nod off. Cant see myself entertaining a bottle of rum 50klms offshore so was hopin there maybe other tricks
Garry
Garry
Retired Honda Master Tech
Head to the front , and a stiff coffee , straight to ni-night .
Sam...
even with that guy on the outside with a 2lb hammer belting on the hull????Originally Posted by sempre
Garry
Retired Honda Master Tech
I've only ever done a few overnighters. I know a few blokes that have those garden lights-the ones that have the solar pannels on the top. They coin out for the good ones so if by some reason the standard All round white light goes they have it backing up to warn others they are there. I guess i hadnt had a problem as I new the others I was with were real old hand boaties that had their Sh*t in 1 sock. All about peace of mind like Blaze says. We basically have 2 modes of sleep alpha & Beta. When your in Alpha its a very light sleep beta is a deep sleep. your brain goes in cycles of 10mins Alpha 40mins beta or there abouts. If your security is in question like Blaze suggests your brain wont go into Beta sleep. Also waking up from beta sleep is what makes you feel like you want to go strait back to bed.
Cheers Chris
The wave slapping cant be that bad...The commercial fishing boat i used to sleep on had its chain anchor well next to my head...have you ever heard the noises they make when your on a big rock or really hard bottom...the noise just travels up the chain...very eeerie....
and on top of that the ice machine is growning away ....
I haver got your answer...
Drop and raise the anchor 50 times at 100 meters depth by hand...i can guarantee you will sleep.....
Cheers Mick
mate, i used to do many a sleepover offshore and will do it again once i have the new boat. i found that a couple of beers, a good meal, full safety checks, having a mate on board or a nice blonde is even better, and bobs ur uncle. it depends on your boat size as well. i think that some of the above comments are correct though about sleep patterns, and to be honest, i think it is a good thing if your in a boat under say 8m that you dont sleep for long long periods. you need to remember you are at sea and need to have some handle on the weather forecasts etc, perhaps you could do it in shifts, failing all that, as someone said, lift the anchor 100 times and youll be buggered and go straight out
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