the most dangerous thing is a tired skipper

While singlehanding an engineless Folkboat from Pittwater to Port Stephens in calm conditions I experienced hallucinations. (In ideal conditions this 80 mile hop can be sailed overnight, but in a calm with no engine it took us four days.) I saw something larger than the Captain of the Pinta, a whole island. As an obedient and prudent skipper I avoided the island, even though I knew it didn't exist. At times I berated myself for being stupid, but all the while tried to avoid running aground. Weird! Luckily I was able to develop a resolution that was agreeable to both sides of my brain: I would steer around the imaginary island, only a little off course, just in case. 
From this experience I learned a valuable lesson; that fatigue due to lack of  sleep and sun exposure, can steal away your judgemt st sea. Its odd that although singlehanders experience hallucinations, its rarely offered up to explain mysterious events and disappearances at sea. 

I'm definitely taking steps to avoid fatigie in future. My number one tool umber will be  the windvane curremtly under cpnstruction) and secondly, thr intention to sleep as often as I can while at sea.


So, this morning I was surprised to learn that fatigue had almost claimed one of the most courageous singlehanders. Aanders of NBJS ( No Bullshit Just Sailing) on YouTube had fallen asleep and run aground. Fortunately, he survived, but received a $US40 000 bill for repairs to his boat's keel and hull structure.  
He had only been at sea for a few hours and conditions were calm, he had worn himself out fitting his boat with various types of high tech gadgetry. His boat literally bristles with electronics; radar, infrared camera on the mast head, wind speed and direction indicators,  autopilot, electric amd wind ppwered steering, AIS and so on. Despite all his skills and expensive fit out, he ran aground due to fatigue. Just shows, we're human, and we're vulnerable.  


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