tips on sleeping on boat

[smallboatlover]

I was wondering about some tips i am make my boat so i can sleep on overnight. just one thing it's 16' sailboat. i made board that come out so i can sleep on. and then a boom tent. any tips what to have on the boat for a over nighting adventure? how to make sure the anchor won't drag? any thing don't play on doing this till next spring but would like advice in what to do and add to the boat.

[DRFerron]

Huck,

Dave said to just turn out the light and go to sleep, but you'll need 15 anchors.

[ArcherBowman]

Huck - if you can figure out how to keep your anchor from dragging, let us know. Worry over a dragging anchor is what keeps all skippers from sleeping soundly. From the smallest sailing dingy, to the biggest super-freighter, the question of "will the anchor hold" is always open to consideration.

The first step to anchoring securely is to have enough rope. The idea is that your anchor line should lie flat on the bottom, so that when wind, tide, and current pull on your boat,the anchor is pulled along the bottom, instead of "up". This makes the flukes dig in more, rather than come loose.

The second step is to have the right anchor for bottom conditions. Like you, my boat is a dingy with delusions of grandeur: a West Wight Potter - 19. I use a 10 pound danforth with ten feet of chain rode (again, to help keep the line on the bottom) and two hundred feet of rope. I try to let out 7 times the depth of the water in scope. (So if the water on my inland lake is 10 feet deep, I let out 70' of anchor line.) Sadly, I never have remotely that much swing room in the inlets where I have to anchor on these crowded lakes. So I have to make do with between 3 and 5 times the depth, depending on the available swing room.

I set my anchor via a simple process. I go forward and drop the scope I can get away with. Then I go aft and start my outboard at a slow speed. I gently back up until I quit moving. Then I goose the throttle for a second to set the flukes, and call it done.

After that, I prepare dinner, read a book, and otherwise occupy myself watching the shore to make sure that I'm not dragging.

[ArcherBowman]

Now - as to what else you need. Those of us who camp on tiny boats are doing just that: camping. Take what you would for a camping trip on land. Make sure you have multiple layers of blankets in cold weather, and remember that at night the temperature on the water is significantly cooler than on land.

Insect repellant. In the South I need this at anchor far more than I would like, although if you can manage to anchor out far enough from shore and not get run over by a drunken power plow, you can avoid the worst of the critters.

Dinner should be simple. For short trips I do sandwiches, chunky soup over rice, or other one-pan meals. Look for alternatives that don't have to be refrigerated. It really simplifies your logistics to not have to worry about your ice melting.

[zz4gta]

Ear plugs. Hull slap can ruine a good nights sleep.
Ventillation.
Good foam to sleep on.

[Tempest]

One of the thoughts that came up on your anchoring thread was why not just beach the boat and camp on shore?.. I forget if you answered that. Other than that, it's camping but just on the boat as others have said.

[captflood]

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS , Inflatable matress pillow a good sleeping bag and a good brekfast a braord necked plastic botle for the night call and a bucket with air tight lid for solids old paint buckets are the best for this, dispose of on land . hand held transister radio for weather forecasts plenty of fluids and high energy foods oats or oatmeal biscits (slow release of energy) remembember the seven P's rule Planning Preperation Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance Go Safe and Enjoy

[Minnewaska]

Do you have an iphone, Ipad, or droid, etc? An anchor watch app is serious comfort while sleeping. The device needs gps capability, which needs to be added to some.

For Ipad, I highly recommend Anchor Watch.

[CapnSantiago]

ALCOHOL...sleep like a baby and worry about it in the morning

[CorvetteGuy]

For sure a nice bottle of rum,, try it with a coke its sweet