Dumped mine on a 25 footer in Tampa Bay last month, same deal, flat calm, clear water, no boats around for miles. The tender sat on the dock scrolling his phone and I finished the whole hull in half the time without him hovering. Honestly the only risk I ever see is if something stupid happens like a line wrap, but that can happen with a tender too. I think the rule was written for offshore guys in current, not for us poking around in a harbor on a Tuesday morning. Youre not the only one who thinks it's overkill, most tenders are just paying deck crew who'd rather be doing literally anything else.

...then I did the same thing in Vietnam last year and it clicked. I dropped from a 65L monster to a 28L and the only thing I refused to cut was my Kindle. Everything else is just stuff, but having that with me keeps me from buying paperbacks and wasting space. And honestly, doing laundry every few days is way easier than I thought, those sink washes dry overnight if you roll them in a towel first. Now I look at big backpacks and just feel tired for the person carrying it.