Great Lakes Singlehanded Society

For quite a few years, I was in a "tough-man" contest with my doctor. I am proud to say that I won the contest every year. The rules were simple: I avoided my doctor. My doctor didn't call me. I saved a lot of money. Poor ol' doc lost by forfeit every year. Man I was tough. My wake-up call arrived when a close friend (that I had not seen in a while) told me that he had survived prostate cancer. I was shocked & amazed. This guy is my age. When I asked him, "How did you survive it?" He told me that he caught it in time through a routine exam. All of a sudden, the rules had changed in my "tough-man" contest. I realized that I was the one chalking up the forfeit every year...

I know that everyone has their own story. And everyone has their reasons. But think about this for a minute: One of the most cost-effective gifts you can give to yourself is to get a good lab-work analysis. This is a great starting point. Call your doc and ask to have the lab-work set up, and then follow through with a check-up. When you do the Mac-Solo in June, I can guarantee you that your system will be pushed to its limits. Your sleep will be non-routine. Your eating will be non-routine. You will be physically and mentally exhausted. With all of those guarantees, you'll need some assurance that your "internal factory" is working the way it should. You don't want to find yourself 40-miles offshore to discover that you have some type of chemical imbalance that's ready to "kick in" because everything else is so stressed.

If all of the above sounds like a bunch of baloney, and you're ready to say, "Hey Nuge! Stick to solo sailing topics!!" I'll respond by saying, "I am right smack on the rhumb line with this one." Within our GLSS Mission Statement, it says that we are organized "...to encourage the development of suitable techniques, equipment and gear for shorthanded passage under sail..." The most important "piece of equipment" on the boat for a safe solo passage is the skipper. As skipper, it is our responsibility to make sure that we operate and function the way we were designed.

Look out the window. There's still some snow on the ground. You have plenty of time to get this one crossed off your list. If you're still in doubt, and you can't decide if you want to get this check-up or not, get a second opinion from your spouse or significant-other! Then, let me know who wins the tough-man contest!!

Step #17 - Review the GLSS Equipment List
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Get a copy of the GLSS Equipment List. You can find it on the web: Equipment List

Oddly enough, one of the frequent comments that I hear as a reason for not doing the Mac-Solo is: "I took a look at the equipment list, and I don't have a lot of that stuff." I know exactly what you mean. But let's face it, solo sailing carries a higher level of risk, consequently it is not unreasonable to have a few added layers of protection to help manage that risk. Your initial review of this list may be an instant turn-off because of its apparent financial impact. But... Not so fast... You've got some options here....

The big-ticket item on the equipment list is the life raft. One option to meet this requirement is to pull out your favorite marine equipment catalog and to order a new one right out of the box! This is the most effective but also the most expensive. Another option is to borrow a life raft from a trusted friend who may own it for the crewed Mac Race in July or possibly the Doublehanded Race since the dates of these races do not conflict with each other. This option has its risks since life raft owners may not allow this key safety equipment out of their sight! By keeping tight control, the owner knows that its integrity has not been compromised. You might also consider posting a "Liferaft Wanted" note on your yacht club bulletin board. You may be surprised of the results! That's how I got my life raft! In fact, I had two responses. There is a surprising turnover of Mac Racers each year, and those retiring from the race are often anxious to "liquidate" their big-ticket items.

If you take the time to go through each line in the equipment list (similar to the above option analysis with the life raft) you will find that the list is very manageable. Hacksaw? You've probably got one. Spare VHF antenna? You've probably got one - a handheld VHF meets this requirement. Spare navigation lights? Borrow from a Mac racer. Extra ground tackle? Borrow from a buddy who doesn't have his boat launched yet. At first glance, the list could look like a monster. My advice is to go through it line-by-line and consider your options for the more difficult items. Yup - it is very manageable.

So... That doesn't seem so difficult now, does it? You're getting pretty good at this equipment list, eh? So... Did you happen to notice what might be missing? How about the man-overboard pole? Fact: It is not on the list AND it is not required. Whoa! Think about that for a minute. That's a sobering thought... Singlehanded sailing has its unique requirements - and a MOB pole is not needed. Give yourself some quality time for studying the GLSS equipment list. It's important.

I'll be back with another RODE SHOW in two weeks. Stay tuned...

Respectfully yours,
Patrick Nugent

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