"Wayne.B" wrote

When you are crossing oceans there is no alternative but to cruise
around the clock for many days at a time. Learning to deal with the
sleep deprivation and fatigue is part of the game, not so with coastal
cruising. Bad judgement can start creeping up on you after an
extended time offshore.


But, the only way to learn to deal with those things is to do them. I urged
them to take on some extra hands for the trip and even located some
candidates that I knew but the elected to try it alone. This was very much
a training cruise for them and not a bad route actually. Far enough out to
experience all the conditions of an ocean passage but not so far as to not
have options if problems arose.

When I was flying, there was a constant tension between being conservative
and safe and gaining the experience to be ready for conditions that can come
up almost any time. The latter often required going out and doing things I
wouldn't want to make a habit of. I think this has been invaluable for them
and a lot less risky than things I see people doing all the time within
sight of land. The track they are following into the harbor now shows the
judgement I would expect of a very seasoned navigator even after a long
shorthanded trip.

I'll be headed out to meet them in a couple hours.

--
Roger Long