GL: Sngle handling locks on the loop

[Ralph Yost (home)]

Greg
Safe Boating requires the constant use of the word PRUDENCE. Its not prudent 
to take on a trawler trip single handed IF it can be avoided.
In your theoretical scenario, it would be prudent for you to get another 
companion....a friend, relative, whatever, even if you scheduled them for 
segments of the trip. There have been people who have done it this way, and 
one grandfather comes to mind who had his grandson with him for part of the 
Loop. It provided a good time for each of them to become closer as well.

I dont think I would enjoy doing The Loop by myself. The workload is 
significant as it is with a companion. You have maintenance and repair to 
deal with as well. Safe singlehanding requires it to be well thought out and 
the boat needs to be rigged with a lot of extra equipment and systems to 
accommodate it. Even so its never as good as having another person on board. 
Should you ever get injured, even a deep cut, being by yourself is not good 
and has the potential to escalate a minor problem into a life threatening 
one. Having a heart attack while alone on a boat would probably be fatal.
R.


From: "Greg Schoenberg" <dene at ipns.com>


> Excellent advice by all.  I disagree about one of the posts being 
> insensitive.
> Twas a dose of reality...navigating the loop and life is more difficult 
> solo
> than with a compatible partner.  I got a dose of this for three long weeks
> when my wife visited her missionary sister in Kenya.  During that time, I
> managed life and even our 22' boat by myself.  That led me to this post. 
> What
> if, God forbid, something happened to my wife before our dream of loopin 
> the
> Loop comes to fruition, 6 years from now.  Could I carry on and do it 
> myself?
>
> Truly I don't know, but given the excellent advice given here, I know now 
> it's
> possible.  I think it would require the right boat, like a 25 Rosborough,
> which has side doors.