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
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