A breath of fresh air! Finally a true mariner sharing the seas with us less the annoying music and background chatter. Providing just enough commentary to keep us informed. Beautiful sailing just beautiful. Thank you!
Hello Nicholas. Thank you for your very kind comment. I try to make the film simple. I only point the camera if I'm not busy with the boat and try to edit the footage to show what it was like. Quite difficult ... as you don't film when your working hard. Thank you for watching the videos. ATB James
Like your videos. You aren't afraid to show long uninterrupted shots of the ocean. No need for constant bantering either. The focus is on the sail. Love it. Keep it up - maybe throw in a couple of different camera angles as you progress -
That was awesome. You let the wind and waves tell the story and it was totally hypnotic. No need for music when you have the power of nature to hear and see. Many thanks, that made my evening. I'm off to install solar on my small yacht in the Solent tomorrow and needed some inspiration.
Thank you for your very kind comment. We ran before the Portuguese Trades all the way to Porto Santo. A wonderful experience. My solar panels have worked very well on 'Talisker 1'. Have a great week end. Stay safe - James
James, It was absolutely incredible to watch those following sea's and watching as the conditions grew worse as the days went by... I truly enjoy your film work without all the nonsense of constant chatter and music... It truly gave the audience the real sense of being there with you... although I am sure it was tough to grab any sleep in those conditions rolling from side to side in that sea state. Robert North Star
Hi Robert. Thank you so much for your kind comment and for taking the trouble to watch the video. However, the leg to Madeira was the easiest. 800 miles in five days and two hours just about all down wind. Once the boat was set up she did all the work. I hardly did anything for sixty hours. Virtually not a drop of water in the cockpit. The self steering behaved superbly. It was hard work at the beginning clearing North West Spain and the TSS's so there was not much rest for the first 25-30 hours but once clear of land and traffic the Portuguese Trades kicked in beautifully. I have very good lee cloths in the main saloon of the boat so for my 15 minute naps every hour I was very secure. Again, many thanks for watching. ATB James
Hello James. I love this clip of downwind sailing and often return here to watch it. There are no distractions with music or commentary, just the pure essence of the ocean and the boat. It's about as close as one can get to the experience without actually being there. The rhythmic rolling motion of the yacht is very well conveyed with the horizon kept steady. May I ask if you used a camera gimbal with your Panasonic camera in order to keep the horizon level? Best wishes for your future voyages
Hello. Thank you for your very kind comment and for watching the video. It seems like such a long time ago. I'm afraid I spend money on the boat and filming comes second. I have a very simple small camera that is hand held or wedged by a rubber ball tripod. It's amazing how good the images are on such a simple device these days. Many thanks again James
@@samingosailing Ah, I see. You did a wonderful job. By stripping away everything that is unnecessary and allowing the camera to linger on the shot you've captured the atmosphere of of blue water sailing. Something few channels manage to do. Thank you for your reply
Hi Cliff. Thank you very much for watching the video and for your very kind comment. It was very enjoyable taking the Portuguese Trades down to Madeira. It was harder work making our way home to the UK via the Azores in Parts 4 and 5. ATB James
On the contrary. I'm not brave at all. I'm actually rather scared. I did have confidence in my ship. All I had to do was look after myself. A disabled sailor will disable the boat. If I was fit and well then I could look after the boat. Managing myself was key. The 2018 voyages were unremarkable which meant they were safe. That's how I like them to be. Thank you so much for your kind comment and for watching the video. ATB James
Good lord I’ve watched all kind of sailing videos. I had to subscribe. And now I’m buying a sailboat are you happy lol. Great video uninterrupted footage of sailing Great job just wonderful channel thank you so much
Thanks a lot for sharing those videos. I keep in a corner of my head the plan to do the same one day and be also able to see « many stars in the sky » during beautiful night at sea. Fair winds and stay safe. Alex
Hi Alex. Indeed! Nothing will prepare a sailor for the ocean until he or she has been there. Light pollution on land does not allow one to see the heavens at night. You need to find land far from people or be deep in the ocean to see the stars. Thank you very much for watching the videos. Fair winds and stay safe. James
This is a fantastic REAL sailing vid.... brilliant.!⛵️ Do you have you autopilot on wind or course.? It (as well as you Typhoon) copes so well with the motion of the sea, I’m impressed. Was it hard for you to cook, sleep and move about in that motion.? Brilliant shots you got.! Warren s/y Legend
I prefer to have the pilot on course. You get used to motion. The first 24 to 48 hours of any voyage is the hard bit until you get in to sea mode. It's just vital to sleep, eat and drink and keep yourself tip top to manage the boat so self management is very important. Like climbing you keep three parts attached to the boat at all times. Never let yourself be thrown across the cabin or in the cockpit. Hardly a drop of water in the cockpit! Warren! Really good of you to comment. Thank you so much. ATB James
Another great video James. The definition of the video is very good. What do you film on? I always find your videos interesting and instructive as you film from a sailors perspective. As the relatively recent owner of TN21 I am also looking closely at how you have set the boat up. The Typhoon is a great boat and you certainly get the best out of her. I do admire you single handing on such long passages and if you were to find time to do show us less experieced sailors how you handle say docking and manoeuvring at close quarters that woild be very interesting as well. I know there is lots of stuff out there including some great videos from Patrick Lane but everybody has their own preferred techniques based on their own experience,
Hi Richard. That is a very kind comment. I regard myself more as a sailor than a camera man. But no more than a competent sailor who tries to sail safely and look after the ship. My camera is a simple one. A Lumix Panasonic DMC-FT5. I also use my iPhone SE occasionally. Only the mast remains of the original rig I bought. I changed most of it to suit me. I have friends (better sailors than me) who would hate to sail alone. It is what you are used to. I have about 30,000 + offshore NM alone and I feel its an attitude thing really. No cleverer than those sailors who sail as part of a crew. You just have to make sure you are 100%. An injury to a single hander would disable the boat so I tend to move about as if I were twenty years older! Although I've worked professionally as a sailor I am not an instructor. I'm happy explaining what works for me but I would never tell someone what they should do. I would have very definite ideas about don'ts. I'm in touch with Patrick Laine and I had the pleasure of meeting him in Suffolk earlier this year. Every boat manoeuvres differently. Some are very tricky indeed. My boat will behave differently in the same place with a different wind and tide direction. I think I was asked to show someone how to dock their boat and I was able to show them how to do it THAT afternoon. The following day it would be different. I'm lucky to have a very manoeuvrable boat. Patrick the same. I've never had any problems docking 'Talisker 1'. Thinking it through thoroughly before hand, plenty of fenders and mooring lines fore, aft and amidships on BOTH sides is my method. And not being bullied in to docking in a difficult or impossible place by harbour staff. A thoroughly helpful but inexperienced individual on the dock can mess up your best laid plan!! Fair winds and stay safe James
Hello James Thanks for taking the time to give such a full reply. I totally appreciate that every boat behaves differently and that you can approach the same pontoon several times in the same boat and need to react differently due to conditions. I have sailed on two Typhoons, both have different props and engines and each has its own quirks. I guess I am always interested in another sailors perspective and experience hence my question. Keep sailing, keep safe and continue to enjoy Talisker 1!
Richard! I'm so sorry .. I missed it! You have TN21 and I have TN20. What is her name? Yes please to exchanging notes on our boats. My email address is samingosailing@icloud.com ATB James
That self steering gizmo is top notch; making lots of fine adjustments. Wish I was out there. If the boat did get swamped by a huge wave in the rear would it somehow empty itself? Thanks
Your absolutely right. The self steering is state of the art from Raymarine. A phenomenal bit of kit. There was also barely a drop of water in the cockpit for the 800 nautical miles to Madeira from NW Spain. It can get wetter if sailing to windward! I keep the companionway washboards in most of the time. Certainly the lower washboard is in just about all the time. The cockpit IS self draining. But I'll try to avoid a wave in the cockpit if at all possible. Thank you so much for watching. ATB James
Hi James, I've watched your adventures from episodes one to three. You really are an excellent sailor. Can I ask at what radius do you have AIS and radar guards set at? Thank you for sharing. All the best. Kind regards. Daryl.
Hi Daryl. That's very kind but I would describe myself as an ordinary sailor who endeavours to sail unremarkable passages. That means they have been safe passages. Guard zone settings vary a little. For coastal sailing probably no guards set at all unless visibility is poor. In the Ocean I had about 5 to 10 NM on radar. On AIS I set a radius of 5.4 NM, a CPA of 8 NM and a TCPA of 60 minutes. Thank you so much for watching. Kind regards - James
Hi Timo. I have state of the art Raymarine Evolution self steering with Linear Drive. An amazing bit of kit. The solar panels were enough most of the time. If money was no object I would also have wind vane steering. Thank you so much for watching the video. Stay safe. ATB James
@@samingosailing Thank you - I have the same pilot, but have not used it for extended periods of time. It seems to cope the conditions pretty well. I wonder if you carry a replacement work unit on board? Agree on wind pilot, is one of those nice to haves. Stay safe you too.
Hi Timo. I've used the pilot non stop for long periods of time and in some quite lively conditions from all directions. The boat and the pilot have handled all conditions very well. My spare is the old ST6000. The installation is such that I can change the drive and then just flick a switch and use the old control unit. Changing the drive unit over is comfortable in harbour but would be difficult but manageable in a seaway. ATB James
Hi - you’re always using your autopilot. How much battery capacity do you have and how often do you have to run your engine to charge your batteries? Happy sailing!
Thank you so much for watching. I do have solar. Domestic batteries 300AH. The days are shorter down south. Normally the batteries will be full at sunset. If the steering has had to work particularly hard overnight I might need to run the engine at first light but this is not too often. Single handed I do run radar (latest Raymarine so not using the juice of older models) and AIS 24/7. Sailing in higher latitudes with sometimes nearly 24 hours of daylight the solar panels have pretty much kept the batteries full all the time. ATB James
Fabulous shots of the Ocean. One question, if you come across another vessel and need to speak to them. To alter course etc. How do hou know which RF frequency to be on? Thanks
Hi Micky. Channel 16 is what we all use at sea. Once contact is made you agree to switch to a working channel. Ships tend to like 06 once contact has been made. Wiki describes 16 very well .. "Primarily intended for distress, urgency and safety priority calls, the frequency may also carry routine calls used to establish communication before switching to another working channel". Thank you for watching. ATB James
I'm very much enjoying watching your videos again, as I did the 1st time I saw them. Questions: What is you autopilot and do you have a backup? Also, how come you don't have a wind vane? Thank you for your responses.
Hello Ron. I'm sorry for the late reply. I'm anchored in the River Swale on my way home from Belgium. The weather is very unpredictable. There is a simple answer to the wind vane. I could not afford one. But I really really want one and with a possibility of sailing far again next year it will be something to revisit. As a solo sailor you do need a very good autohelm, when close to land and traffic. I spoke with the CEO Raymarine UK and he told me that their Evolution with Linear Drive, provided I had power, would take me round the world. I have found it to be fabulous. It is without doubt, state of the art and steers the boat, in all the conditions I've experienced, superbly. But having something, purely mechanical, has to be a good idea for very long offshore passages. My back up is the original Autohelm ST6000. It is wired in such a way that it is fairly easy to swap over though I've only practised switching the drives in harbour. Not something that would be enjoyable in a seaway. Thank you so much for watching the videos again. I did not steer the boat at all from NW Spain to Madeira. Just occasionally touched the buttons to alter course a couple of degrees. The Portuguese Trades were blowing 5 to 7's, mostly 6's and 7's and the steering was incredible as you saw in this video. Stay safe James
@@samingosailing Hi James; Sorry to my late reply to your reply. Do you have the ACU-200 or the ACU-400, or perhaps some other Raymarine unit? A friend and I had a Raymarine 6000 unit fail sailing Newport to Bermuda a few years ago, and he replaced it with an ACU-400 unit. (His boat is a mid-70s S&S Swan 44 displacing 30K pounds.) The unit is incredible. I have a Raymarine 6000 on my 37 foot Tartan, displacing 21K pounds fully loaded, and it works fine. But as a back up I bought a Pelagic tiller pilot that can be attached to the emergency tiller, in the event the 6000 dies. But I also have a WindPilot Pacific wind vane. My sailing friends say that I'm like a man that wears both a belt and suspenders. I'm sure that my pants won't fall down. Here in the USA one can buy a used wind vane for about $2000; usually a Monitor which most owners like very much, although it worth being sure that one buys one made withing the last 20 years which used 316 steel, not 304 steel which is more subject to corrosion. Keep posting your great videos. I really enjoy then particularly as my single handing days are numbered, as I will be 80 in a bit more than a year and I don't bounce back as quickly as I did a decade ago. Regards, Ron
@@roncanizares9966 Hi Ron. I have the Raypilot Tip 1 Lin Short Stroke (MB1130) Linear Drive for vessels up to 22,000lb (10,000kg). The ST6000 pales in comparison but it is a good back up. Your Windpilot is terrific. With one of those I might not need the sophistication of my state of the art Raymarine steering. Ideally, I would like wind van steering and the electronic steering that I have. Belt and braces in the UK :-)) I do like belt and suspenders though. I'm not far behind you on the age stakes. I'm 66 and suffered a total heart block last November and now have a pace maker. This year I've been recovering and a recent MRI has been very encouraging, which I celebrated with a southern north sea cruise to Belgium. So its not all over for me yet after all. I can now work on my fitness and perhaps do a long cruise next year. Stay safe and thank you for your messages. Regards James
@@samingosailing Hi James; I am glad your health issues are now under control, and I am looking forward to your future videos. Best regards, Ron (a fellow OCC member)
Thank you Valerio. Very kind of you to comment and thank you for watching. Here is a link to my boat www.samingosailing.com/my-boat-westerly-typhoon-talisker-1/ ATB James
Hi Oliver. Thank you very much for watching the video. Yes! It is incredible. No coastal sailing prepares you for the ocean. It is a different world. I have boated all my life but did not buy my first cruising sail boat until 1998. But I have packed an awful lot of sea miles in to my life ever since then. I enjoy most completing a passage knowing that it's been a safe voyage. That I've looked after myself which in turn will allow me to look after my ship. I don't want to let her down. The most anxious moments are before departure. That settles down once you put to sea. ATB James
@@samingosailing tha ks for sharing your sailing experience (Turkey, med). I have very little experience and didn't dail since 2011. But I will get back to it asap and hopefully get my own boat sooner than later. Fair winds
On the longer legs, how do manage sleep versus safety? Do you have any alarms set on your systems to alert you to nearby vessels getting into the danger zone?
Hello George. In your first comment you asked why Madeira and not the Azores. In Part 4, the next video, I do sail to the Azores as I always intended to do. But I also wanted to sail to Porto Santo, Madeira. The easiest route (way round) is Madeira first, as the Portuguese Trades should be helpful on that leg and indeed they were. Although a windward passage the Azores was easier from Madeira. Once I knew there was a week of easterly winds to get me down Channel in early June the plan was very much Madeira, then the Azores, then Falmouth and home. A single hander can't rest close to land and traffic and it's imperative to know ones limits AND to look after oneself. If I look after myself I can look after the ship. It is highly unlikely a well found boat will let the crew down. Out in the ocean there is very little traffic. Sleep is imperative and my method is 15 minutes every hour. I scan the horizon and then set an audible alarm on AIS and Radar. I also set an alarm clock to wake me. If tired I'd check the horizon and lie down again for 15 minutes, alarm (s) set. Many thanks for watching. ATB James
@@samingosailing Thanks James. Originally I was expecting you were crossing the Atlantic so the Madeira-Azores -Porto loop made sense once I realised you weren't going right across. 15 mins every hour is pretty tough so you must sleep like a baby when you berth. What type of boat/size do you have?
I always thought I'd sail further but as a single-hander and with a lovely wife at home I try to sail for no longer than three months. Its lovely to get home. I also don't want to leave the boat anywhere. East coast of the UK, Madeira, Azores and back ended up being 4,000 nautical miles so 1,000 more than an Atlantic crossing I did on someone else's boat. I love higher latitudes. I've managed to get above Shetland a couple of times and across to Norway in the summer months. I was hoping to make Faroe and perhaps Iceland this year. The 15 minute thing if followed properly really does work for me. I lie down if me and the boat are not busy. I worked out I was getting nine hours in 24. I might have an hours sleep in one go with a quick check round every 15 minutes. I did get woken by the boat. A slight change in the way she was working would have me up. There is rarely any quiet and one becomes very very tuned to the sounds she makes. "Talisker 1' is a much modified Westerly Typhoon. She is just over 37 feet, stable and quite fast. She sails well in light airs and can be reefed right down in a blow... Thank you so much for taking the trouble to comment. ATB James
James, thanks again for sharing those videos. Could you please let me know which navigation App are you using on your tablet? It’s seems to be really efficient. Thanks a lot and fair winds. Alex
Hi Alex. My primary source for navigation is paper charts and traditional navigation which is then backed up by a number of GPS units on board. What paper charts show. for example, are sea mounts. A sea mount close to the surface in the ocean can create some disturbed seas in rough conditions. These are not shown on say Navionics when well offshore. My iPad has Navionics, as do the chart plotters. But the most important thing which is on my laptop, iPad and iPhone is PredictWind Iridium Go. Most importantly of all, it gives me regular up to date grib maps. I can be tracked by friends and family. I can email, text and though I rarely used it ... make telephone calls with my iPhone. So no special sat phone required. I'm sorry I've beens do slow to answer your comment. All the very best James
@@samingosailing Dear James, Thanks a lot for this detailled answer. I really appreciate your help, and please no need to apologies for the delay, It's already amazing that you always take from your time to answer every single comment people are posting. Dear James wish you all the best and fair winds for the coming season :) Alex
Another excellent video - thank you so much. I have a question, when moving from 2nd to 3rd reef did you round up into the wind or how did you execute that task with those sizeable seas? I have a Sadler 25 and it would require me to round up and take a walk to the mast which would not be ideal in such conditions.
Hi Greg. First of all thank you for watching. Secondly ... you own just about my favourite boat. Sadler got it right when they made the 25, the 26 and the 32. I found a 25 for a friend of mine two years ago. A proper sea boat. I owned a lovely Sadler 32 before 'Talisker 1'. Reefing! You don't need to round up. I have single line reefing for reefs 1 and 2. Two line reefing for the 3rd reef. They all lead back to the cockpit. I simply released the tension on the rod kicker (no tension on the leach end of the sail) and then gently eased the sail up or down. It does work. Apart from a daily inspection round the decks I try to avoid leaving the cockpit. Setting up the pole is a fairly well oiled exercise now. Fair winds and stay safe - James
Thanks James, they're great little ships with a beautiful look about them too. Re reefing. It sounds like you have a good set up. I have a feeling my sliders would produce too much friction to lower the main from second to third reef with the wind from that direction. I suspect it might be easier than reducing from full to #1 reef given the amount of canvass, but the next time I am in that situation I shall try it and let you know the outcome! Best Greg
I suppose if your reefing early enough its possible on all reefs. I have an especially deep reef for the third. Enjoy your Sadler 25. Proper little ship :-)))
Hi Norman. Probably! Was I whispering? I am happy being alone and I like the quiet while the ship battles with the elements and does all the work. Thank you for watching the video. ATB James
A breath of fresh air! Finally a true mariner sharing the seas with us less the annoying music and background chatter. Providing just enough commentary to keep us informed. Beautiful sailing just beautiful. Thank you!
Hello Nicholas. Thank you for your very kind comment. I try to make the film simple. I only point the camera if I'm not busy with the boat and try to edit the footage to show what it was like. Quite difficult ... as you don't film when your working hard. Thank you for watching the videos. ATB James
Like your videos. You aren't afraid to show long uninterrupted shots of the ocean. No need for constant bantering either. The focus is on the sail. Love it. Keep it up - maybe throw in a couple of different camera angles as you progress -
I must have missed your very kind comment. I'm so sorry. Thank you very much for watching.
James - I'm impressed by your ship husbandry. Every thing looks well organised and structured for single-handed, great example.
Hi Mark. Very kind ... thank you. A great deal of thought goes in to it. ATB James
I felt as if I was riding along and a couple times I thought the waves were going to catch up and come overboard. 👀🌊👏
Thankfully the boat is pretty dry. There was hardly a drop of water in the cockpit. ATB James
That was awesome. You let the wind and waves tell the story and it was totally hypnotic. No need for music when you have the power of nature to hear and see. Many thanks, that made my evening. I'm off to install solar on my small yacht in the Solent tomorrow and needed some inspiration.
Thank you for your very kind comment. We ran before the Portuguese Trades all the way to Porto Santo. A wonderful experience. My solar panels have worked very well on 'Talisker 1'. Have a great week end. Stay safe - James
James,
It was absolutely incredible to watch those following sea's and watching as the conditions grew worse as the days went by... I truly enjoy your film work without all the nonsense of constant chatter and music... It truly gave the audience the real sense of being there with you... although I am sure it was tough to grab any sleep in those conditions rolling from side to side in that sea state.
Robert
North Star
Hi Robert. Thank you so much for your kind comment and for taking the trouble to watch the video. However, the leg to Madeira was the easiest. 800 miles in five days and two hours just about all down wind. Once the boat was set up she did all the work. I hardly did anything for sixty hours. Virtually not a drop of water in the cockpit. The self steering behaved superbly. It was hard work at the beginning clearing North West Spain and the TSS's so there was not much rest for the first 25-30 hours but once clear of land and traffic the Portuguese Trades kicked in beautifully. I have very good lee cloths in the main saloon of the boat so for my 15 minute naps every hour I was very secure. Again, many thanks for watching. ATB James
Hello James. I love this clip of downwind sailing and often return here to watch it. There are no distractions with music or commentary, just the pure essence of the ocean and the boat. It's about as close as one can get to the experience without actually being there. The rhythmic rolling motion of the yacht is very well conveyed with the horizon kept steady. May I ask if you used a camera gimbal with your Panasonic camera in order to keep the horizon level? Best wishes for your future voyages
Hello. Thank you for your very kind comment and for watching the video. It seems like such a long time ago. I'm afraid I spend money on the boat and filming comes second. I have a very simple small camera that is hand held or wedged by a rubber ball tripod. It's amazing how good the images are on such a simple device these days. Many thanks again James
@@samingosailing Ah, I see. You did a wonderful job. By stripping away everything that is unnecessary and allowing the camera to linger on the shot you've captured the atmosphere of of blue water sailing. Something few channels manage to do. Thank you for your reply
@@saturday7 Thank you
A wonderful ocean sailing video for sailors, just ocean sounds and many thanks.
Pete. Thank you for your very kind comment. I have just tried to show how it was. Fair winds and stay safe. James
Nice video! Just pure sailing and no nonsense, love it!💪👌
Hi Cliff. Thank you very much for watching the video and for your very kind comment. It was very enjoyable taking the Portuguese Trades down to Madeira. It was harder work making our way home to the UK via the Azores in Parts 4 and 5. ATB James
Hello James. Excellent video and ditto the other comments about the stern views of the high seas. You’re very brave to do that alone!
On the contrary. I'm not brave at all. I'm actually rather scared. I did have confidence in my ship. All I had to do was look after myself. A disabled sailor will disable the boat. If I was fit and well then I could look after the boat. Managing myself was key. The 2018 voyages were unremarkable which meant they were safe. That's how I like them to be. Thank you so much for your kind comment and for watching the video. ATB James
Good stuff! well photographed and produced high seas adventure.
Thank you Mike. Very kind of you to watch the videos. ATB James
if you haven't already, watch Christian Williams' excellent LA-Hawaii 50-day solo sail, youtube titled "Alone Together" cheers
Yup! It's a wonderful video. Read 'Orca', John Pennington available on Amazon. Reviewed in September Yachting World. ATB James
Good lord I’ve watched all kind of sailing videos. I had to subscribe. And now I’m buying a sailboat are you happy lol. Great video uninterrupted footage of sailing Great job just wonderful channel thank you so much
Thank you Rick. Very very kind. ATB James
Thanks a lot for sharing those videos. I keep in a corner of my head the plan to do the same one day and be also able to see « many stars in the sky » during beautiful night at sea. Fair winds and stay safe.
Alex
Hi Alex. Indeed! Nothing will prepare a sailor for the ocean until he or she has been there. Light pollution on land does not allow one to see the heavens at night. You need to find land far from people or be deep in the ocean to see the stars. Thank you very much for watching the videos. Fair winds and stay safe. James
great photography thx
Nigel. Thank you. And thank you for watching the video. ATB James
SAILING!!!!
Thank you.
That is what we call a sailman! Very enjoyable I’m sure
Eric. Thank you very much. ATB James
Love your style no music when shooting the sea just the sea subbed and I hit the Bell. 👍🏾⛵🌊🙂
Thank you very much and thank you for watching the video. Stay safe. ATB James
This is a fantastic REAL sailing vid.... brilliant.!⛵️ Do you have you autopilot on wind or course.? It (as well as you Typhoon) copes so well with the motion of the sea, I’m impressed.
Was it hard for you to cook, sleep and move about in that motion.?
Brilliant shots you got.!
Warren
s/y Legend
I prefer to have the pilot on course. You get used to motion. The first 24 to 48 hours of any voyage is the hard bit until you get in to sea mode. It's just vital to sleep, eat and drink and keep yourself tip top to manage the boat so self management is very important. Like climbing you keep three parts attached to the boat at all times. Never let yourself be thrown across the cabin or in the cockpit. Hardly a drop of water in the cockpit! Warren! Really good of you to comment. Thank you so much. ATB James
Another great video James. The definition of the video is very good. What do you film on?
I always find your videos interesting and instructive as you film from a sailors perspective.
As the relatively recent owner of TN21 I am also looking closely at how you have set the boat up. The Typhoon is a great boat and you certainly get the best out of her. I do admire you single handing on such long passages and if you were to find time to do show us less experieced sailors how you handle say docking and manoeuvring at close quarters that woild be very interesting as well. I know there is lots of stuff out there including some great videos from Patrick Lane but everybody has their own preferred techniques based on their own experience,
Hi Richard. That is a very kind comment. I regard myself more as a sailor than a camera man. But no more than a competent sailor who tries to sail safely and look after the ship. My camera is a simple one. A Lumix Panasonic DMC-FT5. I also use my iPhone SE occasionally. Only the mast remains of the original rig I bought. I changed most of it to suit me. I have friends (better sailors than me) who would hate to sail alone. It is what you are used to. I have about 30,000 + offshore NM alone and I feel its an attitude thing really. No cleverer than those sailors who sail as part of a crew. You just have to make sure you are 100%. An injury to a single hander would disable the boat so I tend to move about as if I were twenty years older! Although I've worked professionally as a sailor I am not an instructor. I'm happy explaining what works for me but I would never tell someone what they should do. I would have very definite ideas about don'ts. I'm in touch with Patrick Laine and I had the pleasure of meeting him in Suffolk earlier this year. Every boat manoeuvres differently. Some are very tricky indeed. My boat will behave differently in the same place with a different wind and tide direction. I think I was asked to show someone how to dock their boat and I was able to show them how to do it THAT afternoon. The following day it would be different. I'm lucky to have a very manoeuvrable boat. Patrick the same. I've never had any problems docking 'Talisker 1'. Thinking it through thoroughly before hand, plenty of fenders and mooring lines fore, aft and amidships on BOTH sides is my method. And not being bullied in to docking in a difficult or impossible place by harbour staff. A thoroughly helpful but inexperienced individual on the dock can mess up your best laid plan!! Fair winds and stay safe James
Hello James
Thanks for taking the time to give such a full reply. I totally appreciate that every boat behaves differently and that you can approach the same pontoon several times in the same boat and need to react differently due to conditions. I have sailed on two Typhoons, both have different props and engines and each has its own quirks. I guess I am always interested in another sailors perspective and experience hence my question.
Keep sailing, keep safe and continue to enjoy Talisker 1!
Richard! I'm so sorry .. I missed it! You have TN21 and I have TN20. What is her name? Yes please to exchanging notes on our boats. My email address is samingosailing@icloud.com ATB James
thx for this beautiful video. It looks so easy and you are always relaxed. I mean it is not a Swiss lake.
Hi Sreter Zot. It is very kind of you to watch the video and thank you for your very kind comment. ATB James
I've done this trip a fair few times.....however its been on a 90,000 ton cruise ship..
Oh gosh! Peoples!! The big ships are invariably kind to us. ATB James
Spectacular view. Good luck!
Hello from Ukraine.
Hi Lobster in the Ukraine. Thank you very much for watching the video. ATB from the east coast of the UK. James
That self steering gizmo is top notch; making lots of fine adjustments. Wish I was out there. If the boat did get swamped by a huge wave in the rear would it somehow empty itself? Thanks
Your absolutely right. The self steering is state of the art from Raymarine. A phenomenal bit of kit. There was also barely a drop of water in the cockpit for the 800 nautical miles to Madeira from NW Spain. It can get wetter if sailing to windward! I keep the companionway washboards in most of the time. Certainly the lower washboard is in just about all the time. The cockpit IS self draining. But I'll try to avoid a wave in the cockpit if at all possible. Thank you so much for watching. ATB James
Samingo Sailing good answer 👏🏻
Hi James,
I've watched your adventures from episodes one to three. You really are an excellent sailor. Can I ask at what radius do you have AIS and radar guards set at? Thank you for sharing. All the best. Kind regards. Daryl.
Hi Daryl. That's very kind but I would describe myself as an ordinary sailor who endeavours to sail unremarkable passages. That means they have been safe passages. Guard zone settings vary a little. For coastal sailing probably no guards set at all unless visibility is poor. In the Ocean I had about 5 to 10 NM on radar. On AIS I set a radius of 5.4 NM, a CPA of 8 NM and a TCPA of 60 minutes. Thank you so much for watching. Kind regards - James
Nice! What kind of an autopilot you were using? Did you run the engine for power or were the solar panels enough?
Hi Timo. I have state of the art Raymarine Evolution self steering with Linear Drive. An amazing bit of kit. The solar panels were enough most of the time. If money was no object I would also have wind vane steering. Thank you so much for watching the video. Stay safe. ATB James
@@samingosailing Thank you - I have the same pilot, but have not used it for extended periods of time. It seems to cope the conditions pretty well. I wonder if you carry a replacement work unit on board? Agree on wind pilot, is one of those nice to haves. Stay safe you too.
Hi Timo. I've used the pilot non stop for long periods of time and in some quite lively conditions from all directions. The boat and the pilot have handled all conditions very well. My spare is the old ST6000. The installation is such that I can change the drive and then just flick a switch and use the old control unit. Changing the drive unit over is comfortable in harbour but would be difficult but manageable in a seaway. ATB James
Hi - you’re always using your autopilot. How much battery capacity do you have and how often do you have to run your engine to charge your batteries? Happy sailing!
Thank you so much for watching. I do have solar. Domestic batteries 300AH. The days are shorter down south. Normally the batteries will be full at sunset. If the steering has had to work particularly hard overnight I might need to run the engine at first light but this is not too often. Single handed I do run radar (latest Raymarine so not using the juice of older models) and AIS 24/7. Sailing in higher latitudes with sometimes nearly 24 hours of daylight the solar panels have pretty much kept the batteries full all the time. ATB James
Fabulous shots of the Ocean. One question, if you come across another vessel and need to speak to them. To alter course etc. How do hou know which RF frequency to be on? Thanks
Hi Micky. Channel 16 is what we all use at sea. Once contact is made you agree to switch to a working channel. Ships tend to like 06 once contact has been made. Wiki describes 16 very well .. "Primarily intended for distress, urgency and safety priority calls, the frequency may also carry routine calls used to establish communication before switching to another working channel". Thank you for watching. ATB James
I'm very much enjoying watching your videos again, as I did the 1st time I saw them. Questions: What is you autopilot and do you have a backup? Also, how come you don't have a wind vane? Thank you for your responses.
Hello Ron. I'm sorry for the late reply. I'm anchored in the River Swale on my way home from Belgium. The weather is very unpredictable. There is a simple answer to the wind vane. I could not afford one. But I really really want one and with a possibility of sailing far again next year it will be something to revisit. As a solo sailor you do need a very good autohelm, when close to land and traffic. I spoke with the CEO Raymarine UK and he told me that their Evolution with Linear Drive, provided I had power, would take me round the world. I have found it to be fabulous. It is without doubt, state of the art and steers the boat, in all the conditions I've experienced, superbly. But having something, purely mechanical, has to be a good idea for very long offshore passages. My back up is the original Autohelm ST6000. It is wired in such a way that it is fairly easy to swap over though I've only practised switching the drives in harbour. Not something that would be enjoyable in a seaway. Thank you so much for watching the videos again. I did not steer the boat at all from NW Spain to Madeira. Just occasionally touched the buttons to alter course a couple of degrees. The Portuguese Trades were blowing 5 to 7's, mostly 6's and 7's and the steering was incredible as you saw in this video. Stay safe James
@@samingosailing Hi James; Sorry to my late reply to your reply. Do you have the ACU-200 or the ACU-400, or perhaps some other Raymarine unit? A friend and I had a Raymarine 6000 unit fail sailing Newport to Bermuda a few years ago, and he replaced it with an ACU-400 unit. (His boat is a mid-70s S&S Swan 44 displacing 30K pounds.) The unit is incredible. I have a Raymarine 6000 on my 37 foot Tartan, displacing 21K pounds fully loaded, and it works fine. But as a back up I bought a Pelagic tiller pilot that can be attached to the emergency tiller, in the event the 6000 dies. But I also have a WindPilot Pacific wind vane. My sailing friends say that I'm like a man that wears both a belt and suspenders. I'm sure that my pants won't fall down. Here in the USA one can buy a used wind vane for about $2000; usually a Monitor which most owners like very much, although it worth being sure that one buys one made withing the last 20 years which used 316 steel, not 304 steel which is more subject to corrosion. Keep posting your great videos. I really enjoy then particularly as my single handing days are numbered, as I will be 80 in a bit more than a year and I don't bounce back as quickly as I did a decade ago. Regards, Ron
@@roncanizares9966 Hi Ron. I have the Raypilot Tip 1 Lin Short Stroke (MB1130) Linear Drive for vessels up to 22,000lb (10,000kg). The ST6000 pales in comparison but it is a good back up. Your Windpilot is terrific. With one of those I might not need the sophistication of my state of the art Raymarine steering. Ideally, I would like wind van steering and the electronic steering that I have. Belt and braces in the UK :-)) I do like belt and suspenders though. I'm not far behind you on the age stakes. I'm 66 and suffered a total heart block last November and now have a pace maker. This year I've been recovering and a recent MRI has been very encouraging, which I celebrated with a southern north sea cruise to Belgium. So its not all over for me yet after all. I can now work on my fitness and perhaps do a long cruise next year. Stay safe and thank you for your messages. Regards James
@@samingosailing Hi James; I am glad your health issues are now under control, and I am looking forward to your future videos. Best regards, Ron (a fellow OCC member)
@@roncanizares9966 Thank you so much Ron. Yes! Getting there ... I hope. Stay safe James
New subscriber here. Thanks for sharing.
Fair winds.
Thank you for watching and subscribing to the channel. Fair winds and stay safe James
Fantastic video! Just one question: what's the model (length producer ecc.)
of the boat?
Thank you Valerio. Very kind of you to comment and thank you for watching. Here is a link to my boat www.samingosailing.com/my-boat-westerly-typhoon-talisker-1/ ATB James
Wow, must be an incredible feeling to be out there, just you, your boat and the ocean.
I guess you sail since your childhood, am I correct?
Hi Oliver. Thank you very much for watching the video. Yes! It is incredible. No coastal sailing prepares you for the ocean. It is a different world. I have boated all my life but did not buy my first cruising sail boat until 1998. But I have packed an awful lot of sea miles in to my life ever since then. I enjoy most completing a passage knowing that it's been a safe voyage. That I've looked after myself which in turn will allow me to look after my ship. I don't want to let her down. The most anxious moments are before departure. That settles down once you put to sea. ATB James
@@samingosailing tha ks for sharing your sailing experience (Turkey, med).
I have very little experience and didn't dail since 2011. But I will get back to it asap and hopefully get my own boat sooner than later.
Fair winds
Expert help & tuition + there is no substitute for experience. Have fun on the water. Stay safe.
On the longer legs, how do manage sleep versus safety? Do you have any alarms set on your systems to alert you to nearby vessels getting into the danger zone?
Hello George. In your first comment you asked why Madeira and not the Azores. In Part 4, the next video, I do sail to the Azores as I always intended to do. But I also wanted to sail to Porto Santo, Madeira. The easiest route (way round) is Madeira first, as the Portuguese Trades should be helpful on that leg and indeed they were. Although a windward passage the Azores was easier from Madeira. Once I knew there was a week of easterly winds to get me down Channel in early June the plan was very much Madeira, then the Azores, then Falmouth and home. A single hander can't rest close to land and traffic and it's imperative to know ones limits AND to look after oneself. If I look after myself I can look after the ship. It is highly unlikely a well found boat will let the crew down. Out in the ocean there is very little traffic. Sleep is imperative and my method is 15 minutes every hour. I scan the horizon and then set an audible alarm on AIS and Radar. I also set an alarm clock to wake me. If tired I'd check the horizon and lie down again for 15 minutes, alarm (s) set. Many thanks for watching. ATB James
@@samingosailing Thanks James. Originally I was expecting you were crossing the Atlantic so the Madeira-Azores -Porto loop made sense once I realised you weren't going right across. 15 mins every hour is pretty tough so you must sleep like a baby when you berth. What type of boat/size do you have?
I always thought I'd sail further but as a single-hander and with a lovely wife at home I try to sail for no longer than three months. Its lovely to get home. I also don't want to leave the boat anywhere. East coast of the UK, Madeira, Azores and back ended up being 4,000 nautical miles so 1,000 more than an Atlantic crossing I did on someone else's boat. I love higher latitudes. I've managed to get above Shetland a couple of times and across to Norway in the summer months. I was hoping to make Faroe and perhaps Iceland this year. The 15 minute thing if followed properly really does work for me. I lie down if me and the boat are not busy. I worked out I was getting nine hours in 24. I might have an hours sleep in one go with a quick check round every 15 minutes. I did get woken by the boat. A slight change in the way she was working would have me up. There is rarely any quiet and one becomes very very tuned to the sounds she makes. "Talisker 1' is a much modified Westerly Typhoon. She is just over 37 feet, stable and quite fast. She sails well in light airs and can be reefed right down in a blow... Thank you so much for taking the trouble to comment. ATB James
James, thanks again for sharing those videos. Could you please let me know which navigation App are you using on your tablet? It’s seems to be really efficient. Thanks a lot and fair winds. Alex
Hi Alex. My primary source for navigation is paper charts and traditional navigation which is then backed up by a number of GPS units on board. What paper charts show. for example, are sea mounts. A sea mount close to the surface in the ocean can create some disturbed seas in rough conditions. These are not shown on say Navionics when well offshore. My iPad has Navionics, as do the chart plotters. But the most important thing which is on my laptop, iPad and iPhone is PredictWind Iridium Go. Most importantly of all, it gives me regular up to date grib maps. I can be tracked by friends and family. I can email, text and though I rarely used it ... make telephone calls with my iPhone. So no special sat phone required. I'm sorry I've beens do slow to answer your comment. All the very best James
@@samingosailing Dear James, Thanks a lot for this detailled answer. I really appreciate your help, and please no need to apologies for the delay, It's already amazing that you always take from your time to answer every single comment people are posting. Dear James wish you all the best and fair winds for the coming season :)
Alex
And to you Alex. Fair winds and most of all ... stay safe. An uneventful passage is a safe passage and should not be an accident. ATB James
Another excellent video - thank you so much. I have a question, when moving from 2nd to 3rd reef did you round up into the wind or how did you execute that task with those sizeable seas? I have a Sadler 25 and it would require me to round up and take a walk to the mast which would not be ideal in such conditions.
Hi Greg. First of all thank you for watching. Secondly ... you own just about my favourite boat. Sadler got it right when they made the 25, the 26 and the 32. I found a 25 for a friend of mine two years ago. A proper sea boat. I owned a lovely Sadler 32 before 'Talisker 1'. Reefing! You don't need to round up. I have single line reefing for reefs 1 and 2. Two line reefing for the 3rd reef. They all lead back to the cockpit. I simply released the tension on the rod kicker (no tension on the leach end of the sail) and then gently eased the sail up or down. It does work. Apart from a daily inspection round the decks I try to avoid leaving the cockpit. Setting up the pole is a fairly well oiled exercise now. Fair winds and stay safe - James
Thanks James, they're great little ships with a beautiful look about them too. Re reefing. It sounds like you have a good set up. I have a feeling my sliders would produce too much friction to lower the main from second to third reef with the wind from that direction. I suspect it might be easier than reducing from full to #1 reef given the amount of canvass, but the next time I am in that situation I shall try it and let you know the outcome! Best Greg
I suppose if your reefing early enough its possible on all reefs. I have an especially deep reef for the third. Enjoy your Sadler 25. Proper little ship :-)))
Touché :)
If your on your own why are you whispering at night? Afraid of waking up the sea monsters. Lol
Hi Norman. Probably! Was I whispering? I am happy being alone and I like the quiet while the ship battles with the elements and does all the work. Thank you for watching the video. ATB James
It’s a bit like people watching, just no people 👍
What boat do you have 😁
A Westerly Typhoon 1991 but with rig modified for me ...