Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 11-09-2006, 23:32   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Airlie beach (for the moment)
Boat: newport30, Blues Traveler
Posts: 141
what is you favourite piece of equipment for solo cruising?

just wondering what piece of equipment solo cruisers could not do without????

For me i love my autopilot as it keeps me on course while having time to do other tasks.
viking69 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 00:21   #2
Registered User
 
Talbot's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Brighton, UK
Boat: Privilege 37
Posts: 3,734
Images: 32
autopilot or some other means of assisted steering is essential. I also like having a chartplotter visible from the helm.
__________________
"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors - and miss."
Robert A Heinlein
Talbot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 08:03   #3
Registered User
 
markpj23's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Bradenton FL
Boat: Med Yachts 62 Trawler
Posts: 1,180
Images: 47
Solo or otherwise - autopilot / wind vane gets my vote.
__________________
Mark
markpj23 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 12:21   #4
Registered User
 
Sunspot Baby's Avatar

Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Prout Manta 38' Catamaran - Sunspot Baby
Posts: 1,521
Images: 14
Autopilot.

George
__________________
She took my address and my name
Put my credit to shame
Sunspot Baby, sure had a real good time
Bob Seger
Sunspot Baby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 12:21   #5
Registered User
 
Sunspot Baby's Avatar

Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Prout Manta 38' Catamaran - Sunspot Baby
Posts: 1,521
Images: 14
Autopilot.

George
__________________
She took my address and my name
Put my credit to shame
Sunspot Baby, sure had a real good time
Bob Seger
Sunspot Baby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 15:12   #6
Senior Cruiser

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Macatawa Michigan
Boat: Amanda Faye 61' Custom Irwin aftcockpit ketch
Posts: 1,415
Images: 106
I love my autopilot!
__________________
Gunner
irwinsailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 17:25   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: presently gallivanting back across the Pacific... Pago Pago at the moment
Boat: Hylas 49 - GALLIVANTER
Posts: 201
Singlehanded Cruising Wish List?

Autopilot
GPS
Electric Anchor Windlass
Radar
SSB
Solar Panels
and...
when I find her... a Bunk long enough to stretch out on with My Sweetie.

but not in that particular order.

Love to Live - Live to Love,

Kirk
Gallivanters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 18:04   #8
Moderator Emeritus
 
Pblais's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hayes, VA
Boat: Gozzard 36
Posts: 8,700
Images: 15
Send a message via Skype™ to Pblais
Auto Pilot hands down. You put the boat in circles as you go out on deck to rig the fenders and lines doing the work just so that you can get in and tie up eay and efficent.

On the water you have to pee some time.
__________________
Paul Blais
s/v Bright Eyes Gozzard 36
37 15.7 N 76 28.9 W
Pblais is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 20:02   #9
Kai Nui
Guest

Posts: n/a
Hot thermos! I have to admit auto pilot is number one on my list too, but I had to be different
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-09-2006, 20:40   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2006
Boat: MacGregor 26M Lynx
Posts: 352
Well - the boat
sails
motor
bunk
head
galley
and what the others said
Lynx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-10-2006, 07:52   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,594
1. Roller furling headsail.
2. autopilot (It's #2 because there are several ways to self steer a boat, but only one way to deal with your headsail given the way it's currently rigged.

randy
rtbates is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-10-2006, 08:46   #12
Registered User
 
swagman's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Winter land based UK New Forest. Summer months away. Making the transition from sail to power this year - scary stuff.
Boat: Super Van Craft 1320 Power Yacht
Posts: 2,175
Images: 10
Send a message via Skype™ to swagman
1. Autopilot
2. Lazy Jacks
3. GPS / Chartplotter
4. Radar / MARPA
5. Watermaker

Cheers
JOHN
__________________
Don't take life too seriously. No ones going to make it out alive......Go see our blog at https://www.sailblogs.com/member/yachtswagman/
swagman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-10-2006, 09:18   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida
Boat: O-Day 32 CC Slow Ride
Posts: 201
Ok, as to autppilots, I am in the market for one for my catalina 27 with a tiller. What's your experiences? I was looking at the autohelm 800, I think it was, used it comes up on ebay rather economically. Any advice?
exranger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-10-2006, 09:43   #14
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,413
This is an unfair question! As a singlehander most of the time I rely most on the autopilot hands down. But a close second is the windlass and followed by the chartplotter.

Unless you have a very ballanced boat you are forced to streer and that really limits everything else.. including navigation and plotting your course.

Shiva has chain and anchoring without a windlass and chain is pretty tough. I could do rope rode, but that is still pretty hard ... especially in a blow when no one is at the helm motoring slowly forward. So the windlass is #2.

With the autopilot one can trim, cook, use the head and plot your course etc. The plotter is a pretty quick way to get the big picture. For nightime the radar becomes essential so it is #4 and mine shows on the plotter (MFD). That's my my line up for single handed do dads. I love em!

Roller furling head sail is there too, but this seems to be almost universal except for racers. Don't consider this single handed gear, but doing sail changes solo is a "process".. I prefer to leace to the furling system.

Jef
sv Shiva
Contest 36s
Sandero is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-10-2006, 03:48   #15
Senior Cruiser
 
GordMay's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,082
Images: 241
Solo Voyaging - How to equip your boat for the wild blue yonder
by Louk Wijsen

Good Old Boat magazine (Issue 46 - Jan/Feb 06, pages 29-34 )
< www.goodoldboat.com >
"...I have met these happy and self-reliant sailors in ports around the globe, and I know that every day brings them a new experience or achievement. Satisfactory voyaging depends to a great extent on mindset, but the second most vital ingredient is proper equipment. There must be the proper tools as well as an energetic interest to make a cruise possible. Here is my list of what equipment makes singlehanded and shorthanded sailing safer and less exhausting."
Read More: http://www.sailnet.com/forms/gear-ma...ue-yonder.html
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"



GordMay is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:11.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.