No Sleep Til Brooklyn, I mean, Kaneohe

How do ocean racers sleep? Every boat is different.

As Bequia is a racer/cruiser, things are quite a bit more comfortable than an Open 60. We have three places to sleep on board: the master cabin, the salon setee, and an air mattress on the floor of the forward cabin that we fondly call "the magic carpet ride (due to location on the carpet and the floating sensation you feel due to the movement of the boat). All are quite comfortable, but there is incessant movement and noise(rigging, the beeping of boat electronics, on watch talking, the wind, the ocean rushing along the hull, ...). Of course, we are all so exhausted that we really could sleep anywhere.

We generally sleep about 2-3 hours at a time due to the watch schedule and allowing time to eat and put on weather appropriate midlayer, foulies, and safety gear.

Yesterday, after an epic day of 11 and 12 knots of boatspeed, we had a rough night due to increased swells, baby squalls (with schizophrenic changes in wind direction and speed), and an unknown object that enveloped our rudder (causing loss of precious boatspeed and guerilla removal tactics). In turn, we all stayed up well passed our watches to pitch in. I only had 2 hours of sleep yesterday. A good 3 hour kip at 0800 and a giant mug of coffee this morning, and I was back on track.

Sleep deprivation interferes with simple cognitive skills and can cause hallucinations. In fact at about 0500, I saw a very bright pink and black party hat floating by. We all know it was not there, but I swear to you that I saw it.

Of course, sometime during my second night shift tonight, I hope we will pull over at the Hallucinatory HalfWay Starbuck's Barge ...

PeaceOut, Bagley
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At 7/14/2012 12:11 AM (utc) our position was 38°06.27'N 122°16.02'W

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