How well do you sleep

On a recent charter we spent most nights on the hook near the ICW. We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation and definitely are convinced this will be our retirement dream, living aboard and cruising up and down the eastern seaboard and the Caribbean.

But back to the subject I woke up most nights every few hours to check the anchor, check the weather and make sure things were ok around us. It was not intentional just either heard a noise, probably wake on the side, change of light or wind direction, motion of wake or just nerves. I'm a light sleeper but do like my beauty rest.

For the full time live aboard out there do you get a full night sleep? Is this something I need to get used to, I mean not sleeping a full night or after a while you get use to it.

How often do you check your anchor?

Reefspotter

Sleep depends on situations at hand.

Some times up only once during night.

Some times up plenty.

Sometimes in worst conditions, sleep... what's that.

Occasionally in very secure location full night sleep.

Tied to dock... nighty night... see you in the morning!

It got better the more nights I experienced out at anchor, but I still wake up when I hear noises. Just not as often.

I generally do sleep a lot lighter on the boat, even though I love the rocking or even wave slap on the hull. Change in wind direction, odd noise, odd creak of a mooring line, usually wakes me up. I remember one night in Mark Bay near Nanaimo with a lot of swinging boats in the mooring field and the anchor watch alarm set with a pretty small circle, hardly slept at all. Really depends on the circumstances.

Most of us have a built-in anchor watch alarm anyway. It's called a prostate. The main thing is to not worry about getting up several times a night - if you can get back to sleep quite quickly, then no biggie. Anyway, it makes a nice nap in the warmth of the day even more delicious in my experience.

PS. it helps to have a really good anchor you have great faith in.

A good nights sleep?
You put the lime in the coconut, not forgetting the rum.
Call me in the morning.

Art said:

Sleep depends on situations at hand.

Some times up only once during night.

Some times up plenty.

Sometimes in worst conditions, sleep... what's that.

Occasionally in very secure location full night sleep.

Tied to dock... nighty night... see you in the morning!

Click to expand...

Exactly.

I don't sleep easy in an anchorage with strong reversing currents four times a day. One advantage of an enlarged prostrate is waking up every couple of hours.

We normally stay at marinas and sleep great.

At anchor sleep varies with most based on circumstances.

Great sleep-someone on watch.

Good sleep-a good anchor alarm system that you know will wake you combined with experience and confidence in your anchoring skills. That includes selection of locations you're confident you can anchor securely in. The more you believe in your anchoring and your alarm or alarms, the better you'll sleep.

Poor sleep-Not confident in anchoring. No alarm one trusts. Exposed anchorage or poor bottom. Exceptionally bad conditions.

I do better the more we stay on the hook I allso got an anchor app for my phone that I like works well

I sleep better on my boat than at home. It's a shorter walk to the bathroom.

Not every night of course, sometimes the noise and rocking keeps me awake for a while but 90% of the time I get a great night's sleep.

I have good ground tackle and I know how to use it. I have an anchor drag alarm on my GPS.

Anchored or in a slip, I sleep well.

I did spend some bucks on real mattresses for the V berth.

I am with you reefspotter, I am a light sleeper as well and I must admit I do not sleep as soundly on the boat as I do at home. Just too many movements and noises and just my nature I think. BUT, I must admit to having a power nap or two during the day while sitting and relaxing. Feels so good and makes up for the lack of sleep at night.

Very well given my arsenal..

kthoennes said:

I generally do sleep a lot lighter on the boat, even though I love the rocking or even wave slap on the hull. Change in wind direction, odd noise, odd creak of a mooring line, usually wakes me up. I remember one night in Mark Bay near Nanaimo with a lot of swinging boats in the mooring field and the anchor watch alarm set with a pretty small circle, hardly slept at all. Really depends on the circumstances.

Click to expand...

Exactly.

Have not had good luck with reliable anchor alarm.
The more still and quiet the boat is, the better I sleep.

I sleep much better at the dock.

Off a lee shore, i don't sleep well.

My best nights of sleep occur on the boat, and at anchor. Love the slight rolling motion.




A couple years ago we were anchored about 200 ft. off a rocky beach on the east side of Catalina. It is one of the few areas where the water is not deep (private anchorage we were visiting as guests), and we were in about 20 ft. of water. The wind shifted, and came out of the east (Santa Ana) which can result in a bad situation as people who boat down here know. There were with other boats near us, and the club requires a stern anchor. The small stern anchor popped in the middle of the night but our main Ultra anchor held us well. If it had popped, we would have been on the rocks in a matter of minutes.

Big Anchor.
Recheck the weather & tides/currents at bed time if possible.
Lot of rode (chain) if room available.

Go to bed and subconsciously listen.

I too haven't found a phone app for anchoring that I consider good or reliable.

The more you anchor with your equipment the more comfortable you become, the better you sleep--just not Every night.

Ken

WesK said:

Not every night of course, sometimes the noise and rocking keeps me awake for a while but 90% of the time I get a great night's sleep.

.

Click to expand...

Wifey B: We've probably done that a few times to those on our boat.

I sleep like a log whether on a hook or a mooring. The Sicilian however, is a light sleeper, and reacts to every noise. We were on a mooring at the Isthmus on Catalina Island when a Santa Ana wind came up and started rockin' the boat. The Sicilian was up all night watchin' the harbor police recover boats that had broken loose from their moorin' balls.

I took the 44 lb. Bruce off my 44' sailboat before I sold her & am using it on my Atlantic/Prarie 30. Had to enlarge the pulpit hole for it to fit, but I sleep very well with it and the 30' of chain before the plaited rhode.

The more nights you spend at anchor, the more comfortable and confident you are with your boat. Sleep is easier then. Having robust ground tackle really helps wth the confidence.

We have both position and depth alarms, with a loud buzzer in my cabin. Sometimes if its really windy I’ll go topside to look. Not out of worry, more out of curiosity.

But then again we have spent several hundred nights at anchor, over almost two decades of time.

Depends on if I get some nookie before shut-eye or not.

I sleep well until something changes. If it gets noisier or quieter or motion changes I wake up and go have a look. there have been some surprises.

Wifey B: Other boats worry me. I can be comfy in moderate winds anchored alone, but if other boats are close, no. I look at each and wonder which ones know what they're doing and which ones don't. It doesn't matter how well you anchor if your neighbor does a lousy job.

First few nights anchored on Bassey I did awaken to look. After a year of my overnights it came normal and I sleep better then on my bed. Windy nights on the Aquarius I did not sleep at all.

Peter B, LOL
Boy howdy that prostate alarm works far better than an out of position or drag alarm.... while I am up, check the anchor, start a pot of coffee and go back to bed.

Whoever saiid growing old is fun, never grew old. SMIRK

I don't sleep through the night while at home, even worse on the boat. Not having an anchor I have confidence in isn't helping either.

I will tell you, during Irma, once I was satisfied with the lines and fenders, I went to bed and slept very well both nights.
I am a bit north of Miami, near Gulf Stream race track in a pretty semi-protected marina. 80knts+ wind gusts.

Everyone has their sleeping habits and comfort zones.

I sleep very well on the boat, but just like at home, I'm up a few times regardless.

I sleep like a baby on the boat. I set an anchor alarm and am gently rocked to sleep or drift off to sleep to the sounds of a gentle wave slap against the hull. Either way, it works like a charm.

Yup - I sleep very well at anchor, although I sleep lightly if I need to. I'll wake up every hour or two if conditions require frequent checks (such as a lee shore with a big surf and a tidal change.) Most of the time there are no other boats in the anchorage and conditions are benign, so we can have a few wines with dinner and sleep like a baby.

I've only dragged anchor once, luckily with the current and wind taking me out to sea, but I've since learned when I can trust my anchor and when I can't.