Adding Stern Controls on Hatteras

My fire experience was similar to Capt. J's, one where I knocked down a small ER fire with an extinguisher while I had a 2nd guy calling the fire dept. and standing ready to get the boat off the dock and away from other boats if I couldn't control it. In the 2nd I was the one calling and prepared to move out while a 2nd monitored the situation and took charge of clearing the dock of looky-lous so the Fire Dept. could get through faster. In neither did the fire suppression system activate. I'll always run with a 2nd if possible. Most times these days I make it another captain. More expensive but still worth it.

You are comparing apples to oranges here, in both cases you were at the dock so single handling is irrelevant

The point i m trying to make is that it s not clear cut / black or white but it depends on the conditions. For instance In Bill's case, he is running is own boat not somebedy else's

How much you know the boat and how is the boat equipped plays a big role in the decision as well as where you are operating. Would I do a charter without crew? Never... If I have paying pax. on board I run with a crew... Would i take a boat I have never run across to the banana alone? Nope...

But if I am running a boat I m familiar with, near shore or inland, with full time ER cams, and I have personally prepped the boat and secured everything incl cushions, water toys, etc... I m comfortable with it. Stopping the boat and hitting the windlass control to dump the preset amount of chain will take a few seconds, not 5 minutes

Again it comes down to the specifics, but i dont think blanket statements like "You should never be operating a yacht that size single handed. Period" are accurate

And by the way there are small airlines flying regularly schduled flights with a single pilot...

Thanks Pascal, I should have realized that owner/operators and commerical operators would be jumbled up and that everyone would be whipping out their, um, "experience," for measurement. In my commerical days, a full crew was de riguer, but nowdays, when the missus can't join me, I don't shy away from getting out on my own. Ah, the pleasures of pleasure boating, the only second guessing is when I do it to myself!

Not really meaning to hijack the thread but this is too good to pass on:

Very few? Tell that to the folks who bought nearly 11,000 over the past 10 years. Compared to the world airliner fleet of around 13,000 I would say your description of the bizjet category to be rather inaccurate.

And by the way, Pilatus doesn't build a jet.

Hawker 200 Business Jet: Overview

Citation CJ2+

Embraer reveals vision for single-pilot airliners

What I meant to say are private jets that can be flown by 1 pilot are few and far between and most private jets are mandated to fly with 2 pilots.

question

can you ever get around to admitting that just for once you may be mistaken, apologize and move on or do you think you are never wrong and always have to have the the last word.

Amazing.

Private "light" jets are mostly flown by owners while business "light" jets are often flown by 2 crew as required by the insurance company.

Simple.