This Old Man’s sleeping concerns have daughters’ attention. Oldest child even sent historical references to sleeping habits of yesteryears. Back when work habits set most sleep schedules.
What Sheryl didn’t include was the four-hours-on, four- hours-off ‘watch’ time employed when sailing offshore. This skipper tried to assign watch duties when we four men sailed 36-foot Makaleka from Cape May, New Jersey to Block Island, Rhode Island. Two men on deck driving, two sleeping—except this skipper was awakened if additional help needed. Often, I remember.
Distance of 230 miles of Atlantic Ocean. If your main and jib sail only carried your 36-foot sailboat at a speed of five-miles-per hour, plan 46 hours of sailing. Took we four, and the cat Bosun Mate who often climbed into my bunk, a full two days.
If you calculate going by land, 342 miles by land including the ferry ride. Margaret, Captain Jack the Golden Retriever, and sister drove north from Cape May. Then Margaret and dog hired a drive to ferry. Ferry took seven hours to reach Block Island. We docked a day before Margaret and dog arrived. She got off the ferry and taxied to the marina where we anchored.
This skipper and crew were absent. Touring the island by rental car. Margaret got a marina worker to cut the lock we had on the cabin. She went below. Changed to her sea-going clothes. Then Makaleka–Hawaiian for Margaret–waited in the cockpit. With remaining spirit. She knew where we stowed the grog.
Photo by Sergio Ponomarev at Shutterstock
