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Old 03-12-2015, 07:51   #16
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Please excuse my sarcasm. Assuming this thread is not a quiz, if you need to ask what is missing, or what is needed, you probably shouldn't be considering single-handed sailing. My three requirements for anyone considering single-handed sailing are experience, experience, and experience (all with someone else who knows what they are doing). When you have the experience, you will know what is missing in your photo. Every time, I go offshore I tell myself, no one is there to turn the boat around when I fall overboard. No one is there to help when the mainsail disintegrates. No one is there to sail the boat when I get seasick.
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Old 03-12-2015, 07:53   #17
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

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Originally Posted by Kokanee View Post
My personal opinion would be no.

As a minimum, I would want:
- autopilot and/or wind vane, .
- cockpit access to main/mizen sheets,
- a good jackline/harness setup
- lazyjacks

Optional:
- All lines to cockpit
- Remote windlass
- self tacking jib
- Furling mainsail/mizzen

Plus various safety bits such as portable waterproof radio etc.
It might be cheaper to hire crew for the solo passages. And if you can't afford to hire someone, maybe marry them instead and then they go for free.
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Old 03-12-2015, 07:57   #18
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

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Originally Posted by Wallaby View Post
Please excuse my sarcasm. Assuming this thread is not a quiz, if you need to ask what is missing, or what is needed, you probably shouldn't be considering single-handed sailing. My three requirements for anyone considering single-handed sailing are experience, experience, and experience (all with someone else who knows what they are doing). When you have the experience, you will know what is missing in your photo. Every time, I go offshore I tell myself, no one is there to turn the boat around when I fall overboard. No one is there to help when the mainsail disintegrates. No one is there to sail the boat when I get seasick.
I once injured (minor) one eye while on a 3 day solo trip. Fortunately I had a backup. But being down to one eyeball made me very careful of protecting my eyes ever since. I'm not sure what I would do if I was suddenly blind while sailing alone. That would be an interesting thread.
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Old 03-12-2015, 08:03   #19
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

I just have to add something here. Years ago small light race boats started running halyards back to the cockpit. Shorthanded crews liked it because it kept the weight aft and you could do more than one thing at a time. But they did not have dodgers so they could easily see what they were doing, and rigging was light so you could hand over hand a halyard most of the way.

Somehow people got the idea this was good for single handed sailing so that they did not have to go on deck. A number of people just do not like to get out of the “safety” of the cockpit when offshore.

Having halyards and reeflines run back to the cockpit when you have a dodger is not good. You cannot see what is going on with the sail, the winches are not in a good position to crank, and extra resistance on lines going through blocks makes you have to crank most of the line in. Just not a lot of positives for having lines led to the cockpit no matter how much crew you have if you are cruising.

At the base of the mast, you have good footing, you can see the entire sail, and the winches are usually in a position to crank them easily. Yes you have to leave the “safety” of the cockpit, but you should be doing that anyway, checking your gear, looking for chafe etc. You are on the vane or autopilot so no need to be near the tiller. It is just much easier, and to me safer to work at the base of the mast.

The above is from experience, not conjecture.

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Old 03-12-2015, 08:08   #20
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

As a minimum I would want a sexy companion who would do all the maintenance, cooking, steering and reefing duties.
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Old 03-12-2015, 08:15   #21
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Good morning boxertwinjeff. (any relation to an old BMW Motorcycle) Are there winches on the mast? Are the winches in the cockpit self tailing
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Old 03-12-2015, 08:23   #22
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

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Originally Posted by Boxertwinjeff View Post
Hi, am new to cruising, can you tell if this yacht appears to be set up for Single handing from what you can see in the photo? only has these 2 winches.
I can't really tell that much from the image, but I have done a lot of singlehanding, and I would like to challenge the need to "run everything back to the cockpit". This approach does allow you to spend more time in the cockpit, but also has some engineering negatives associated with it.

First, all lines are longer, and therefore more subject to stretch.

Second, the tension(s) on the lines puts stress on your deck (pulling upwards and elsewhere) that must be corrected. Actually leaving halyards on the mast so that the deck is not being pulled upward simplifies things quite a bit.

Third, there's substantially more friction.

What lines would you have to run to the cockpit? Obviously the sheets, furling lines, and "performance" lines that need to be handy or they won't be adjusted. I'd put the boom vang and the traveler controls, if fitted, in that category.

Having to go forward for some operations puts you at greater risk, but as long as the operation can be entirely done at the mast (reefing, in particular) then I think it's reasonable to do it outside of the cockpit.

For autopilots, having a bulletproof, below-decks autopilot that might be slightly too big for your boat is a great convenience. I have a linear-hydraulic actuator that is simple and has tons of oomph. That, and a very good heading sensor, are a must for shorthanded sailors.

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Old 03-12-2015, 08:39   #23
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

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Originally Posted by El Pinguino View Post
You haven't said where you plan to singlehand...

However... leading any lines back to the cockpit will involve holes in the deck... removing headlinings...labour intensive... better to find something ready to go.

Granny bars? They are for... how you say.... grannies.....
Grannies or anybody else that likes to maybe be able to work with 2 hands every once in a while and not feel like they are going overboard, I certainly think they are a good idea and have considered them.
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Old 03-12-2015, 08:52   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jheldatksuedu View Post
Grannies or anybody else that likes to maybe be able to work with 2 hands every once in a while and not feel like they are going overboard, I certainly think they are a good idea and have considered them.
Great for hanging ones fenders and lines as well.. free up locker space..
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Old 03-12-2015, 08:54   #25
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Boxertwin:

As you see, "the old hands" are of divided opinion. So let me add a slightly different perspective: NO boat, and ALL boats are set up for single-handed sailing. What matters is not really the particular kind of gear, and quantity of gear, that a vessel sports, but rather what her (single-handing) skipper KNOWS. A great deal depends on the skippers personal temperament and "style"

Temperament, at the age we "run away to sea", is largely already fixed, and we know, or should know, our strengths and weaknesses. Best that we also pay attention to that knowledge ;-)

"Knowledge", drawn from many, many disciplines coalesces into what we call "seamanship". Seamanship is only learned satisfactorily through personal, actual seagoing experience, and until you have acquired it, and integrated it with your given temperament, you cannot determine satisfactorily whether a vessel is "rigged for single-nanding" or in broader terms is "in all respects fit for sea and for her intended trade".

Far less can anyone who doesn't know you, and doesn't know the vessel, render an unambiguous "yes" or "no" to your question, and IMO making a "buy/don't buy" decision on such a basis is folly.

Now, from what I see on the Broker's page and from what I see in the photographs, my opinion is that she is as good a value for money as you are likely to find, and she is, indeed, a little ship that I, myself, would enjoy, and a little ship that would, in fact, be a wonderful "classroom" for you while you work up the compendium of knowledge that any skipper must have.

Hang around this forum and osmose. You will then, over a year or two, by serendipity, become aware of many aspects of boat ownership and skippering that are not immediately obvious to the novice. While you do that, there is no reason whatever that you shouldn't sail this boat locally, and by combining your own experience in her with opinions formed by following forums such as this, begin to conform her gear to the preferences you will evolve as you grow in seamanship.

Oh, in these parts ships such as this tend to sell for 60% of the listing price. Bear that in mind :-)

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Old 03-12-2015, 09:20   #26
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

IMO the following would be simple basic single handling items which make life easier and In keeping with your original question;

1- Autopilot if not already with the boat, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I don't think wind vane steering is necessary unless planning off shore at some point, I have it and only used it couple times in 4 years.

2-Jack lines and PFD with harness

3-chartplotter/charts

4-rigged for reefing

5-Experiance, most important, will answer the rest of what you feel you need!

By the way Trentepieds, 30 footer, summed it up nicely!!
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Old 03-12-2015, 09:26   #27
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Keep looking. Otherwise, buy the boat and then tow it to the nearest dump.
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Old 03-12-2015, 09:32   #28
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

I'm not a fan of running halyards to the cockpit but sheets are a good idea. The headsail & mizzen are already there so it's just the mainsheet you have to deal with & it's already close. No autopilot so you'll need to install one. The standing riggings is only 6 years old so it should be ok. Full complement of sails including a roller furling Jenny so if there in good shape that's done. Looks like a decent blue water boat at a decent price. However, pictures can be very deceiving. Boats often look much better in pics than in person. If you are serious you'll need a good survey & I'd have a mechanic check out the Yanmar. If you get it & run jack lines make sure your harness tether is short enough to keep you on deck. Being drug alongside the boat is a bad way to go.
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Old 03-12-2015, 10:43   #29
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Have run the main halyard, outhaul, and double line reefing back to the cockpit. Best thing I've done to the boat. Can reef in a minute under the protection fo the dodger. Can see just fine to reef. Marked the halyard so I lower the main to preset positions for each reef point. Can see the tack reef points just fine looking through the dodger. The clew reef points are easily seen looking out the side or aft from under the dodger. Can't see how I'd need any better view to reef the main.

It's way easier to crank the winches for reefing and halyard from the companionway. I can brace myself and use both hands to crank if necessary. At the mast, always had to use one hand for me and only the other availavle for everything else. That made reefing without self tailing winches a total pain. Really don't need to use the winches that much. Have used good quality ball bearing blocks so friction isn't much of an issue. Can hoist the main by hand to a few feet of the mast head. Actually about the same as when the halyard was at the mast. Once again, with the ease of bracing myself in the cockpit, way easeir to crank on the winches.

The real plus is with double line reefing and the security of the cockpit, can reef in a minute. It's so easy I don't wait hoping the wind will decrease like often happened with reefing at the mast. Sometimes will reef at the hint of need just for the fun of it because it's so easy to tie in and shake out a reef. Release the main to a preset mark, pull the tack reefing line and secure by hand, haul in the clew reefing line by hand and then winch in the last foot or two. Easy Peasy. The halyard and tack reefing lines are low stretch high tech line so no issue with stretch. Used ordinary double braid for the clew lines as I want the stretch to relieve sudden shock loads. Stretch hasn't been an issue any of the lines.

Running the halyards aft hasn't been cheap however. Probably around a boat unit by the time you buy all the blocks, clutches and winches. I used a dedicated winch for the main halyard which could be done away with by moving the main halyard to the same side as the clew lines and adding a clutch. Going with a single winch would save nearly half the cost.

No problem with upward pull on the mast from the turning blocks at the mast base. Mast is deck stepped and it takes care of any upward pull. If you have a keel stepped mast, you should have a tie rod to keep the deck in place no matter how you run your lines.

Have not run the headsail halyards back to the cockpit. Headsails usually require some presence on the foredeck for other than roller reefing. Want to be able to handle the halyard while dealing with the sail. Have fond it impossible to change a sail on the roller furling without constantly unkinking the luff cord as it feeds into the furling extrusion as an example. If I was only going to sail with a crew, having the halyards led aft might work but I often don't have the luxury of additional hands.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley View Post
I can't really tell that much from the image, but I have done a lot of singlehanding, and I would like to challenge the need to "run everything back to the cockpit". This approach does allow you to spend more time in the cockpit, but also has some engineering negatives associated with it.

First, all lines are longer, and therefore more subject to stretch.

Second, the tension(s) on the lines puts stress on your deck (pulling upwards and elsewhere) that must be corrected. Actually leaving halyards on the mast so that the deck is not being pulled upward simplifies things quite a bit.

Third, there's substantially more friction.

What lines would you have to run to the cockpit? Obviously the sheets, furling lines, and "performance" lines that need to be handy or they won't be adjusted. I'd put the boom vang and the traveler controls, if fitted, in that category.

Having to go forward for some operations puts you at greater risk, but as long as the operation can be entirely done at the mast (reefing, in particular) then I think it's reasonable to do it outside of the cockpit.

For autopilots, having a bulletproof, below-decks autopilot that might be slightly too big for your boat is a great convenience. I have a linear-hydraulic actuator that is simple and has tons of oomph. That, and a very good heading sensor, are a must for shorthanded sailors.

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Old 03-12-2015, 11:03   #30
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Re: Set up for Singlehanding

Will second the "down below" hydraulic autopilot setup. We had both an Aries vane and a Robertson autopilot setup. Hardly used the Aries. Our prop driven battery charger more than offset the power requirements of the Robertson, even in heavy weather. Plus with a remote, you can helm from the bow or just about anywhere else on the boat.

Furling/reefing systems make sail management a cake walk for solo sailing. If you keep them clean, they will be more reliable than anything else on the boat.
We did jib, main, and mizzen with no problems for three years of constant cruising.

Would also help to have a trained monkey aboard to stand watch while your asleep.
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