I wrote this as part of discussion with John Harries about the sinking of the yacht Solution on the way back from Bermuda.
What interests me is the mindfulness component of seaworthiness. Mindfulness is a concept from cognitive behavioral therapy in which the attention is brought to focus on the here and now. From the mindfulness perspective, once you are in a wind and wave situation, cognitive performance will be best if we can focus on the present and how the decisions we make now affect our fate. This is not the time worry about whether we properly interpreted the SST and altimetry data or to vow that next time we are going to polish the fuel.
There was a moment before the boat fell off the wave when he was in the storm. but it had not yet caused him to sink. At this point he was making decisions. Since these decisions could have changed the outcome, we cannot blame the loss on the wind and waves. What becomes a factor is the mindset of the skipper and did that lead to the best decisions.
I have been intrigued by my own reaction to intense situations at sea. It has seemed that time slows and I just sit on the settee, walking thru the steps I could take, the risks and the consequences. I’ve heard others describe similar experiences. I suspect intensity of preparation, knowing your weather and studying your systems, prepares one to enter this mindset. I would be like to hear more discussion on that.
It is not a fast form of decision-making like we think about when athletes are in the zone, but there is an element of being in a zone. Maybe it is a cognitive zone. I think there is a bit of Tim Gallwey’s Inner Game but it is not the same as the automatic action of self 2.
I am not trying to find fault in this skipper. But how do we truly understand the experience of things going wrong at sea and how do we prepare for our adventures so that we can respond to situations appropriately? How do we learn from this skipper’s experience more than finding fault.
I also let John know that I have been across the Stream 15 times, six as a Bermuda 1-2 skipper, two singlehanded in the context of passage to and from the Caribbean. I joined the 1-2 as a means to learn how to singlehanded safely. I purchased my boat with the 1-2 in mind, but also as a boat to live aboard with wife and 2 kids which we accomplished 2019-20. I consider my experience as a study in how to do this all safely.
