How Dangerous Is It To Sail Across The Atlantic

Dangers

If y'all were fainthearted, yous probably wouldn´t even get this far on an Atlantic crossing site, let solitary plan on a large bounding main voyage in a small boat. Yet existence a chance taker requires applying more than average measures of security, in order to survive.

We are known non to hesitate to climb a mountain, take on risky business projects, dangerous expeditions or sheet in foul conditions. Still, we would never ride a car without strapping on a seatbelt. Especially not the yellow cabs of NY City! Before every projection, we study the dangers and do everything possible to gear up for them. We take back ups and back ups on the back ups. Nosotros are risk takers simply no dare devils. We want to touch the void - and survive. It is not bold to throw oneself straight out in space with the fingers crossed. It's wise to bring a parachute.

On an Atlantic voyage there are some serious threats. Most tin can exist prepared for; although some volition exist up to Gods will only.

Nail injuries

There are many stories of poor sailors, alive at 1 second and expressionless in the side by side, killed by an unexpected swing of the smash. A sudden change in the air current, a freak wave, a mistake in the setting of sails or an autopilot fault - all could cause the boom to violently hinge over the cockpit in an instant.

At long, monotonous ocean voyages it is good to use a preventor, rigged from the boom stop to the bow of the boat. It will keep the boom from unexpected movements. Ideally, lead it through a snatch block on the fore deck and bring it aft to a spare winch. You tin then prune it from the prophylactic of the cockpit in an emergency.

Broken mast

Not and then unusual. We have several friends that have suffered this hazard. Freak waves, hard winds and other can cause this accident. Luckily all our friends survived. The major danger is getting hit by the mast or thrown overboard. The boat usually keeps afloat. Foreclose this accident by correct rigging and exist tied into your lifeline every bit much as possible. If yous have this accident, exist prepared to be adrift until rescue, unless there is a major piece of the mast left standing, enabeling you to rig some temporary sail.

There is an ongoing contend whether information technology is better to mount the mast on top of the deck or to the floor bottom inside the boat. To have the mast rigged on deck ways less damage to the deck in case of breakage; a floor-mounted mast on the other hand is said to brake less easily. Our boat came with the mast mounted to the flooring - so that´s simply our standpoint for now.

Tsunamis

One friend had a large freak wave, probably caused by an underwater volcano eruption. It hit the gunkhole at night, in perfectly calm seas. The moving ridge first appeared as a strange white embankment in the nighttime distance. Inside moments it was over the boat. The boat turned effectually 360 degrees and came back up with the mast cleaved. Luckily, this issue of a freak wave is almost mutual only shut to a shore - on an open bounding main it will only pass under the boat and you won´t even find information technology.

Human over board

This is a terror every bit finding somebody in the large waves of the Atlantic, when the boat speeds at vii knots - perhaps at night - is if not entirely impossible, then well-nigh near impossible.

There is only one manner to prevent this - clip in to the lifeline! Especially when working main sails, moving around deck or at lonely watches, specially at nighttime. Our GPS has a Man Overboard button. The idea is that you push it and it volition go on the tape of the position where the person was lost and directly you back to information technology. We have pushed it and it certainly causes an alarming situation - violently signaling TURN Dorsum and other orders. Luckily, we oasis´t had to try it out more than that, but the feature seems similar a good idea, providing the push button is pushed swiftly enough.

Another good thing is the fluorescent stick commonly used for scuba diving in case of emergency. You continue information technology in your life-west and restriction it in the water. The light might make it easier to find you.

Except if you are a single handler of course, in that instance all that remains is a final chat with the sharks.

Some very good sailors refuse to use a lifeline because, they state, it restricts the liberty of sailing itself.

We know of at least one of them getting killed when falling of his boat. He actually fifty-fifty had a crew at the time, but they were not able to find him. Delight do use the lifeline.

We had a rule that none of u.s. was to keep deck at nighttime without awaking the other, and to be tied to the lifeline at all unmarried night watches. That rule also considerably improved the sleep of the one with watch off.

Whales

We have heard of boats hitting whales sleeping at the surface, or even getting attacked by whales. It is extremely rare and cannot really be prevented in any mode. Our forward-looking sonar gave so many false alarms that we had to plough information technology off. Or else, information technology occasionally showed giant mammals nether the boat which terrified us - but fifty-fifty when given the information - what were we supposed to do about it?

There are tales around almost sailors painting a large eye or other, to a whale hopefully scary, images on the hull.

It has not seemed to work and the practice appears to take been abandoned. If y'all yet decide to try it, you should take into account a possible embarrassment and explanations at times of hauling.

had whales visiting and playing with our boat. Whilst ane of us was delighted by this rare experience, the other was mortified. The whales surfaced all of a sudden, merely about 10 anxiety abroad from the boat - and pigeon under it. We expected a slam and the sound of rushing water and glanced for the life raft. Instead of striking united states from the deep nether, the whales resurfaced on the other side of the boat, came back in a large circle, rode a surf and dove under the states again. They were v-6 animals, about 30 feet long, night blueish or greyness with white marks.

The entertainment lasted for nigh 30 minutes. As we had heard that yous shouldn´t exercise anything to irritate the whales, we didn´t even dare to flush the toilets. We watched the animals in horror and awe and finally they disappeared as silently as they had occurred. One revisited once more than the side by side 24-hour interval, but left just afterward a few minutes.

Floating containers

Again, not much can be done, except having a expert life raft and try to continue a shut watch. Radar will probably not exist able to spot a half-sunken container. In the offset of the voyage, your optics will exist pinned to the waters, but as fourth dimension goes by, you´ll gradually get more than confident and just check once in a while. It is extremely rare, it´south Gods volition - and then relax.

Freighters and boats

Collisions with boats and freighters are not that uncommon. The watches on boats, especially at night, are usually less than acceptable, with the crew oftentimes napping abroad.

It is very hard to guess a distance to another boat at dark. You could besides get run over from the aft by a large freighter, without it even noticing that you were there.

Radar is very helpful in this situation, especially when getting closer to landfall at heavily trafficked places. Information technology volition warn you with a point when a distant, big object is approaching. Information technology will also judge the distance. You can cull the settings for an adequate range for every situation.

Storms, squalls, heavy atmospheric condition

It is of import to schedule a passage according to the weather patterns of the area. There are frequent hurricanes on the southern Atlantic Body of water passage between July and November. Other regions have similar weather patterns to accept into account when choosing timing.

Go when your odds are at their bests. You might even so encounter storms and heavy weather, and nearly certainly sudden squalls. The latter are single, large clouds conveying in them fast winds and rain. At all cases it is crucial to choose the right sail settings. Canvas with less sails than necessary when in any doubt, just enough to maintain good steering if in bad weather.

We had heavy winds and some storms on large parts of our passage. Our 37 foot old O´Day, comfortable merely broad, coastal cruiser made the crossing subsequently in only 20 days and some hours.

We set up the mainsail perhaps four times, only to quickly driblet information technology again. In fact, nosotros did the entire passage using mainly just a pocket-sized jib of the Genoa for steering. Notwithstanding, we often ran at ix-10 knots. Working simply the Genoa was condom and convenient under these circumstances. Only it also proved safer in calmer weather condition, when sudden squalls otherwise required fast action in dropping the sails, often in the middle of the dark.

If you fail to drop sails in heavy winds, they might get ripped or blown out with the boat violently out of command in the meantime.

A proper, boilerplate steering speed at high winds for a boat depends on the size of the gunkhole. It is around vii-knot speed for Santa Maria at her 37 feet. Around 5 knots for a 27 footer, and ix-10 knots for a 50 footer. Lower the speed by taking in sail.

Waves

The waves on the Atlantic tin be huge. Usually, that doesn´t pose a problem to the boat, every bit she volition simply ride them. Occasionally, waves come from different directions, striking the boat violently. Even though the dissonance is alarming and nerve wrecking, the boat usually hold upwards well. Ours did.

In a very trigger-happy storm, it is meliorate to drib as much sail as possible, steer with the Genoa and striking the waves caput on. This significant going of class and and then returning dorsum on course after the storm has passed. Such storms are however almost non-existent at the middle Atlantic equally far as we know, providing you have chosen the right time for your crossing.

Lightning

Plastic boats are said to perchance fire if hit by lightning, so some sailors prefer steel or aluminum boats. Some plastic boats have copper wiring built into the hull, attached to a big plate at the keel. This is said to be undesirable, because the lightning could blow away the keel. In that location are auto-battery-starter cables around, to be attached to the rig in instance of lightning.

Santa Maria came with old copper wiring in the hull, not fastened to whatsoever plate nonetheless. At a thunderstorm outside of Venezuela, we un-wrapped our battery cables and clipped them to the rigging, with the ends towed in the water, equally the instructions had said. That was pretty easy.

Then we realized that we had also tied the gasoline container to ane of the rig's - at present with a lightning cable attached to information technology! Nosotros removed the gasoline and waited for what was adjacent.

The thunder passed well abroad from us and in the morning we sailed into a quiet anchorage. Except now the sailors present there gazed startled at us from aboard their boats, equally poor Santa Maria arrived, carrying 8 battery cables dangling all over her hull. We removed them swiftly and have not used them since.

Fortunately, personal injury is said to be rare at a lightning hitting a boat. Plough on the Autopilot and go below. Do not touch on whatsoever metals. If hitting by a lightning, the harm could exist great to electronics. The gunkhole might also need a complete rewiring. You could go on your handheld GPS in the oven. Some physicist said that that could save it, due to Faraday'due south cage effect. We don´t know. But we have ours in the oven. But in case.

We never encountered thunderstorms on our Atlantic crossing.

Sinking

Yes, that could happen. There are some thrilling biographies written by survivors of sinking at the oceans. Usually, information technology seems that the actual sinking takes quite a long time, several hours and oftentimes the boat even keeps afloat fifty-fifty though it seemed to sink. Don´t go for the raft until really sure.

Information technology is really important to accept a practiced life raft. The raft should be geared for off shore cruising. This meaning actress potent lesser, double insulation, blankets and other. In that location have been alarming reports on rafts flipping over in heavy waves, nosotros don´t know, but information technology is said that water anchors might help. Rafts have to be serviced inside sure time ranges (2-4 years), make sure that it is done properly and by certified people.

Adjacent to the raft, you lot should have an extra gearbox with additional necessities, such as sun blocker, watermakers, dry foods, a knife, a mirror (for signaling), wound intendance products and first aid medicals, flashlight, Gebirb, spare batteries, matches, fishing line & hook, a funnel, a compass and other.

Bank check the expiry dates on everything on a regular schedule.

The raft is thrown over board to inflate. Don´t forget to necktie it to the boat beforehand though.

If nosotros sank, nosotros would probably follow this procedure:

Release the raft
Bring the additional box
Collect other necessities to bring, especially water bottles
Look to enter the raft until really sure that the boat is going to sink
Wait with releasing the flares until other boats well in sight
Call habitation on the sat phone, release the GEPIRB, mark the log with position

Ane survivor (Steve Callahan, "Surviving") spent months aboard his raft. The raft started leaking afterwards a while. A shark stalked him, occasionally trying to saw its fashion through the raft floor. A Gold Mackerel followed him for weeks; they became quite skilful friends after a while. Steve had 3 water makers with him, all broke down, but he managed to mend them with spare parts of the others. He wasted all his flares on the first freighter in sight, the freighter never noticing him. Some time later he had a freighter almost on top of him just couldn´t make himself noticed due to his flares all being used up.

Steve drifted all over the Body of water, got himself tangled in Sargasso weed for a while and it all looked pretty bad. Finally though, the locals at some remote islands picked him up. You can survive sinking, just be well prepared beforehand.