Try to stay out of shipping lanes. Get a chart that shows where they are
and stay at least 20nm on either side. When your destination converses
maintain a good lookout. Don't worry about Merchant Vessels in the open
ocean, as they are on autopilot. Worry instead about fishing vessels a few
hundred miles from shore. Regardless, the odds favor you.
Worry more about semisubmerged containers along shipping routes.

"New Conservative" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I haven't actually sailed a boat yet but plan to later this year. I am
therefore still a bit green when it comes to the intricacies of the
subject.
Say I'm keen to visit the West Indies and I'm leaving from say
Southampton, England. I'm on my own and will need to sleep every day,
even if only for a few hours. Is it safe to let a boat 'sail herself'
while I catch some shut-eye, or is this a no-no? Can it be done safely
or would I have to drop all sail and just bob around in the dark for a
while until I've awoken? Obviously it'd make for a shorter passage if
I could somehow keep going 24/7. And ideas? Thanks.
--

Martin Smith, the New Conservative Party.

http://www.newconservativeparty.org