New Conservative wrote:

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?

Sailing alone over longer distances is not something that many people
experience, so there tends to be a broad range of responses when this kind
of question is asked. One thing you can be sure of is that people who sail
alone will give you vastly different responses compared to those who do not.

Having said that, I think you may be getting ahead of yourself. Why not
give this issue some thought _after_ you have sailed for a few years and
made a few coastal cruises. By then you will have made a few of the
mistakes, and experienced one or two of the terrors, that we ell have, and
you will be in a position to answer quite a few of your own questions.

Also by then you will have gained enough experience to put forth questions
that are worth spending time answering.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/