AdventuremanDan sparks debate over how he sleeps on his yacht: Solo travel on a boat – Daily Mail

A young sailor has sparked debate after sharing a snap of the ‘shocking’ way he manages to sleep while travelling alone on his yacht.

Dan, from New York, has been embarking on solo adventures since 2014 and has travelled through the likes of the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

He refuses to use autopilot on his yacht and only sleeps for 15 minutes at a time when he’s sailing alone.

The man sets up his sails and helm, then lays down for 15 minutes of shut-eye before his alarm goes off.

Once awake, Dan inspects his surroundings for other boats and waterborne debris, checks that his sailing progress is on the right track, and eats a snack before lying down for another few minutes.

The self-titled ‘adventure man’ is presently sailing through the Bahamas in the Caribbean. 

He openly spoke about the highs and lows of travelling alone, especially when it came to finding a safe way to sleep. 

‘It can be pretty boring out at sea for extended periods of time,’ he wrote in a post. ‘Especially when I’ve been sailing through the night and gotten beaten around.’ 

‘So, both for rest and blissful enjoyment, I usually find a comfortable way to sleep while sailing – which certainly took a while to master.’

Dan was especially concerned about hitting objects while he slumbers due to the high risk involved.

‘The thought of hitting something could well be the end of my home, every worldly possession [I own], and myself.’

The traveller’s pre-routine rarely changes when he’s in for a long journey.

Dan first lays the course, trims his sails and balances them to a close haul, and then locks the helm down wind. 

‘I can lay down for a comfy cosy rest … for at least 15 minutes,’ he said. ‘Then my alarm goes off, I check my surroundings for other boats and waterborne debris, my sailing progress and current heading, snack a little, reset the alarm, and repeat.’

The man revealed that his process recently got him through an 18-hour passage to Saint Martin in the Caribbean.

‘This is how I sail often when I’m solo,’ Dan added after his explanation. 

A woman was concerned about the sailor’s lack of a visible life jacket in the photo, and wondered if he had a way to secure himself to the boat.

‘Tell me you have a little tie down or tied on for yourself?’ she asked him. ‘Clipped in somehow, somewhere, just in case a rogue wave comes.’

Another man admitted that he might not want one for safety reasons.

‘In the situation [Dan] put himself in, I’d rather not be tied and sink with the boat if a rogue wave hit.’ 

Dan claimed that his ‘cat naps’ were preferable to autopilot because his method did not use electricity or strain the autopilot motor and prevented a ‘creaking noise’ from the helm moving.

The man also shared that his bedding has never gotten wet despite several waves crashing only a few feet from his face.

‘It’s a thrilling feeling: being warm and cosy under [fleece] blankets, out of the wind, only inches from the water.’

‘There’s no nap like it on Earth!’

Many were wowed by Dan and his sailing adventures.

‘If you have a wind vane steering which I see you are kitted for, and an AIS (automatic identification system)/Radar alert, you’d be safe as.’

‘When the sails are trimmed and everything is balanced, you are set! People die on the couch, too – life is for the living.’

‘Way to go! 15 minutes is just about the time limit. A fast container ship will be right on top of you in 20 minutes from just beyond your view of the horizon.’

‘I could almost taste the salt spray. You’re truly living the dream. The fact that you know your machine and your process this well is deserving of those blissful power naps.’ 

But others advised him to take more safety precautions.

‘One of the first things that you get taught as a professional mariner is that a good lookout through sight and sound must be kept at all times,’ a man said.  

‘Single-handed sailing is dangerous for this very reason. You cannot maintain a lookout when underway.’

‘Wow! As a professional mariner, I hope we never meet. Failure to maintain a proper watch is criminal.’