NUMBER of CREW ABOARD
Why is it not a solo – circumnavigation?
Unless it is non-stop, even if you have modified your boat as much as possible according to your needs, a solo circumnavigation of a paraplegic person including all the virgin nature of the ocean and without the help of an outboarder is simply physically impossible.
Hats off to Vinny LAUWERS who became the first paraplegic who sailed around the world solo in 2000, I still think it is more than the greatest risk of your life. All by yourself with all the limitations you have in the open ocean, a single physical, technical or medical problem may lead you to such conditions that you will beg death come earliest as possible.
In addition, since you have to rest, sleep, cook, repair and take care of other obligations, you will be having more then 10h/day without watch, so sailing solo makes it impossible to sail actively 24h/day. Hence unless it is trans ocean, 24h/day passages are impossible due to the shipping lanes, traffic etc. resulting in dependence to coastline. Even in the open ocean, if you are crossing ship lanes, you can not %100 rely on radar, sonar or AIS technology and go to sleep.
So I am not after a record or trying to prove something to myself, but to people what they all are actually capable of.
Why is it not a duo – circumnavigation?
Circumnavigators are mostly duos of woman and man.
Being two on the boat solves most of the problems of solo-sailing stated above and who needs a third if you two are just enough for the boat?
But still, especially in cases of;
- Shift /watch
Being two on board, you will have the opportunity to sail 24/h day since you will have one everytime on watch.
But socially for both of you it means that you both are alone 16h/day, which makes it psycologically difficult.
From the security pow, during night watches it is higly prefered to have one (2+1) to accompany the one on the watch, to keep awake or in case of MOB.
- MOB
When sailing in tough conditions, in case of MOB with a fainted, it is almost impossible that only one can release the MOB marker, mark the position on GPS, keeping the eye on the MOB, lowering the sails and/or make the required maneuvers and powerfull enough to pull the fainted onboard.
- Technical Problems
Problems mostly ocur due to tough conditions meaning you have problems to solve under tough conditions which makes it double complicated. Most of these problems can not wait until you dock into a calm and comfartable marina, but you need to solve them most of the time asap and keeping on sailing in these tough conditions. And if those ocur, belive me most of them needs to be handeled at least by two when the boat must be controlled by the 2+1.
- Docking and Mooring Safely
When sailing around the world you have to prepare yourself and your boat according to the most virgin conditions. You can not make your calculations as if somebody will give you a hand whenever help is needed.
Even if your boat has a bow thruster, if you want to be able to dock safely under any circumstances, you have to have one solid on the steering and gear, one on the bow and one on the stern boat both able to intervene the sides of the boat if needed.
Or if you want to moor, again you have to have one solid on the steering and gear, one on the control of the anchor and chain and one on the mooring ropes.
- Security Issues
When you moor or dock your boat, you may have to go to shore for your needs like shopping which often requires more than one to carry. But on the other hand if you can not risk the security of your boat or dinghy you need to have somebody on watch.
In contribution to all these arguments, having one as handicapped of these two would make the scenario much more difficult than it is.
Why is it a trio – circumnavigation?
We posted quite a list of facts above which makes it mean to have a crew number of 3 aboard.
Moreover, to guarantee that the project does not fail at any step due to human resources but keeps on going continuously, the number 3 gives the opportunity to continue even for a certain time pedriod when one of three has to be sacrificed due to unforseen or unexpected issues.
Less is always more and since it is important that each member of the crew has some privacy in the boat, it is crucial to keep the number as low as possible.
Namely, the boat will be sailing with a crew of 3 unless we do not have any guests on board.
In this project the positions of the 3 solid crews will be;
- Captain / Master (Okan AKDAG)
- Chief / Able / 1st Mate (male/female)
- 2nd Mate (female/male)
Not a naval hierarchy will be obeyed, but a certain order should be applied.
Even so, each one will always get involved in an equal share in all the tasks planned such as repairs, cooking, maintenance, cleaning, painting, restoring, shopping, logbook keeping, blogging, filming, editing etc. regarding it’s ability and expertise.
All together it will give us the chance to sail comfortable, secure and adequate.