Judging seasickness, wave height and crew fitness
Judging crew fitness starts with the waves:
from about one metre of significant wave height seasickness affects anyone prone to it,
and from two metres most people who are not used to being at sea.
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Significant wave height is the average of the highest third of the waves, and individual waves run almost twice as high. Whether you feel sick depends not so much on the height as on the period: short, steep seas are more unpleasant than a long swell of the same height.
A seasick crew is a safety problem, not a comfort problem. Anyone who can no longer steer, navigate or handle a line is out of action as a watchkeeper, and with a crew of two that means singlehanded sailing under difficult conditions.
Singlehanded sailing is not excluded in every policy, including when it is unplanned because the crew is out of action; check the wording. If it contains no exclusion for singlehanded passages, an accident while sailing alone is treated like any other. Other wordings do contain one.
Frequently asked questions
At what wave height does it become critical?
From about one metre for anyone prone to it,
and from two metres for most people who are not used to being at sea.
Is singlehanded sailing insured?
Yes, unless your wording excludes singlehanded passages; it is worth checking.
Worked out for your type of boat
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