Short hand sailing

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Really?

Attachment 146280

You clearly don't know what you are doing when it comes to a boat like that. I certainly don't.

[hoppy]

Now that the answer for "solo" has been determined, the OP is best to find the boat that appeals to them, ask how well it suits their planned journey (wading through the BS arguments posted in that thread) and then once they have bought or at least selected the boat, ask for advice on how best to set it up for solo sailing.

[GrowleyMonster]

Safety safety safety. The worst part about singlehanding is there is nobody to got your back. Go overbboard, and you are just overboard. Forever. Boat doesn't care. Doesn't need you. It just keeps sailing onward. Staying clipped in to something all the time, even in relatively calm conditions, is awkward, a PITA, and many sailors don't bother, but I think it is a good habit to fall into. It would be a terrible, stupid, lonely feeling, to be bobbing around in the ocean and watching your boat's stern receding in the distance.

Even if you "always" clip in, stuff happens. A personal epirb is a smart investment. So is an inflatable PFD. If it's not inflatable, you probably won't wear it very much. If it is, it's not such a big hassle to put it on when going topside.

Leading all lines aft is not just easier... it is safer, too.

There is a lot of good singlehand sailing in the Caribbean. When you are only making day passages between islands, it is fairly easy to be alert and watchful from anchorage to anchorage, mooring to mooring. A long, multi day ocean passage is another thing altogether. It has been done, and in the past I have done it, but dozing for 10 minute catnaps in the cockpit is NOT keeping a proper lookout as defined in the Rules and is NOT safe. I don't think I would ever do that again, myself. Others will. Personal choice, but as a general rule it is irresponsible.

Keeping your headsail down to a reasonable size will save many many trips forward. A couple of spare blocks at the masthead with spare halyards reeved will save your bacon sooner or later. You don't want to be going aloft alone. Certainly it has been done, but a little foresight and planning could possibly avoid this. DO go aloft and check your masthead at every safe opportunity! Catch wear before it becomes a problem that you can't easily fix at sea. A boat with a tiller instead of wheel steering can be made to sail itself very effectively without an autopilot. A small "lunch anchor" back aft for short term anchoring in protected anchorages can be a real labor saver if you don't have a windlass anyhow. Just chunk it in the water from the cockpit and do what you gotta do, and if you can't muscle it back up, you have your sheet winches right there to help. Learn to like eating out of a can or pouch. Cooking? Yeah, right... Roller furling/reefing works great but don't let your jib furler get overfilled with line or birdnested.

Well I don't want to write a book here. As others have pointed out, almost any sailing yacht can be singlehanded, some more easily than others, and all a bit easier when properly rigged for singlehanding. The real component in the equation that makes the biggest difference is the skipper. There is no substitute for experience, and even some very experienced boat drivers will cheerfully admit that singlehanding is beyond the scope of their talents and abilities. It isn't for everyone, and it ISN'T for the inexperienced. If you are just getting started sailing, try to make the bulk of your beginner mistakes where you can get help and near to home. You WILL make them. We all did, and sometimes still do. As we become more experienced, we learn and put into practice ways to prevent things from going wrong, as well as ways to recover from them when they do anyway. What will you do if your rudder mysteriously turns up missing? Hit a floating tree and knock a hole in your boat? Boat fills up with water, source unknown? Well, the source is the ocean but you know what I mean. Batteries go flat, engine won't start, electronics inoperable? Lightning strike? Aground on a reef? Compass suddenly doesn't point where it ought to, or has no fluid in it due to a crack or leak? FIRE? Out of Charmin? A catastrophe can be hard enough to handle when you have help. Two heads are less likely to go into panic lock than one. Three, even less, and extra hands can make damage control a lot easier. So develop your abilities and experience gradually and don't jump in with both feet too soon, especially singlehanded. We have seen this happen, and USUALLY everything works out alright, but the payoff when it doesn't, can really suck. So give the learning process time to work its magic before you go solo voyaging. Do some crewing. Maybe take some courses. Get some sail time in. Have fun. When you are by yourself, things can get serious.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Safety safety safety. The worst part about singlehanding is there is nobody to got your back. Go overbboard, and you are just overboard. Forever. Boat doesn't care. Doesn't need you. It just keeps sailing onward. Staying clipped in to something all the time, even in relatively calm conditions, is awkward, a PITA, and many sailors don't bother, but I think it is a good habit to fall into. It would be a terrible, stupid, lonely feeling, to be bobbing around in the ocean and watching your boat's stern receding in the distance.

Even if you "always" clip in, stuff happens. A personal epirb is a smart investment. So is an inflatable PFD. If it's not inflatable, you probably won't wear it very much. If it is, it's not such a big hassle to put it on when going topside.

Leading all lines aft is not just easier... it is safer, too.
NOT. You can't hoist, nor douse any headsail on a foil when the halyard's back in the cockpit. Ditto spinnakers. And it's quite a challenge to do it even on sails with hanks. Plus even then you have to go forward to hank them on, or unhank & stow them.

There is a lot of good singlehand sailing in the Caribbean. When you are only making day passages between islands, it is fairly easy to be alert and watchful from anchorage to anchorage, mooring to mooring. A long, multi day ocean passage is another thing altogether. It has been done, and in the past I have done it, but dozing for 10 minute catnaps in the cockpit is NOT keeping a proper lookout as defined in the Rules and is NOT safe. I don't think I would ever do that again, myself. Others will. Personal choice, but as a general rule it is irresponsible.

Keeping your headsail down to a reasonable size will save many many trips forward. A couple of spare blocks at the masthead with spare halyards reeved will save your bacon sooner or later. You don't want to be going aloft alone. Certainly it has been done, but a little foresight and planning could possibly avoid this. DO go aloft and check your masthead at every safe opportunity! Catch wear before it becomes a problem that you can't easily fix at sea. A boat with a tiller instead of wheel steering can be made to sail itself very effectively without an autopilot. A small "lunch anchor" back aft for short term anchoring in protected anchorages can be a real labor saver if you don't have a windlass anyhow. Just chunk it in the water from the cockpit and do what you gotta do, and if you can't muscle it back up, you have your sheet winches right there to help. Learn to like eating out of a can or pouch. Cooking? Yeah, right... Roller furling/reefing works great but don't let your jib furler get overfilled with line or birdnested.

Well I don't want to write a book here. As others have pointed out, almost any sailing yacht can be singlehanded, some more easily than others, and all a bit easier when properly rigged for singlehanding. The real component in the equation that makes the biggest difference is the skipper. There is no substitute for experience, and even some very experienced boat drivers will cheerfully admit that singlehanding is beyond the scope of their talents and abilities. It isn't for everyone, and it ISN'T for the inexperienced. If you are just getting started sailing, try to make the bulk of your beginner mistakes where you can get help and near to home. You WILL make them. We all did, and sometimes still do. As we become more experienced, we learn and put into practice ways to prevent things from going wrong, as well as ways to recover from them when they do anyway. What will you do if your rudder mysteriously turns up missing? Hit a floating tree and knock a hole in your boat? Boat fills up with water, source unknown? Well, the source is the ocean but you know what I mean. Batteries go flat, engine won't start, electronics inoperable? Lightning strike? Aground on a reef? Compass suddenly doesn't point where it ought to, or has no fluid in it due to a crack or leak? FIRE? Out of Charmin? A catastrophe can be hard enough to handle when you have help. Two heads are less likely to go into panic lock than one. Three, even less, and extra hands can make damage control a lot easier. So develop your abilities and experience gradually and don't jump in with both feet too soon, especially singlehanded. We have seen this happen, and USUALLY everything works out alright, but the payoff when it doesn't, can really suck. So give the learning process time to work its magic before you go solo voyaging. Do some crewing. Maybe take some courses. Get some sail time in. Have fun. When you are by yourself, things can get serious.

Crew on the Titanic much?
Planning ahead is one thing, & wise. But focusing on, & planning for emergencies too much will get you into a state where you never leave the dock. And tens of thousands of folks have done millions of miles solo, safely.

You're average sailing speed's comparable to a slow jog, so rarely do things happen fast. And as I was tought, the safe water is that which you just came through, so if in doubt, do a 180, & then come up with a new plan.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Not purely a single handing issue, but learning how to use prop walk to your advantage, or at least how to handle its affect, can sure help when single handing a mono in close quarters (like docking in a tight slip).

Prop walk?

The guy has zero boating experience and you want to discuss prop walk?

We all do this with these new guys that plan to suddenly sail single handed across an ocean or two but have yet to sail across the local pond!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Prop walk?

The guy has zero boating experience and you want to discuss prop walk?

We all do this with these new guys that plan to suddenly sail single handed across an ocean or two but have yet to sail across the local pond!

....or handle a boat in close quarters, but...they can worry about that after the cross the pond and need to dock. [emoji6]

I agree that using prop walk might be bit advanced for a newbie, but then again so is suddenly crossing an ocean.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by hoppy

You clearly don't know what you are doing when it comes to a boat like that. I certainly don't.

Love that boat...used to be a member of her crew...so I do have a bit of a clew. [emoji41]

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Suijin

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I would say if there was one thing that I think makes the biggest difference it's being able to manage as many aspects of controlling the boat as possible from the cockpit, and close at hand as well. Standing in front of my helm I can reach the wheel, engine controls, the primaries, the halyards, reefing lines, traveller all while viewing the instruments and without taking a step. There are certain circumstances and situations where that is extremely helpful. Is it mandatory? No, but when dealing with unexpected or pressing situations it can make things a lot easier.

Very good observations.

Here are some tips from our C34 skippers:

Docking 101 DOCKING 101 -- Mid Ship Cleat and Aft Spring [includes a link in Reply #1 to a very good single handed topic]

Single Handing 101 single handing

Single Handing 101.1 Midship Cleats Pictures Midship cleat PHOTOS / Flix

Single Handing 101.2 HOPPING OFF THE BOAT IS UNNECESSARY
single handing

Leading all lines aft is not just easier... it is safer, too.
NOT. You can't hoist, nor douse any headsail on a foil when the halyard's back in the cockpit. Ditto spinnakers. And it's quite a challenge to do it even on sails with hanks. Plus even then you have to go forward to hank them on, or unhank & stow them.

We have "split the difference." All lines are led aft EXCEPT for the jib halyard, which sits at the mast. There is no reason to run it aft with a furler, because luff tension on my boat at least is managed by a rope (not wire) pendant at the tack of the jib. My ProFurl furler works great and is almost as easy to drop the jib as my old hank-on sails were. I say ALMOST, so a foil does make a difference. But I agree that jib halyuards need not be run aft.

Main halyards run aft are a necessity with our double line reefing. I can also deal with it at the mast if need be with a separate cleat on the mast if I tie off and then open the sheetstopper/clutch on the cabintop under the dodger.

Your boat, your choice.

Best advice I ever got was from this very forum:

for singlehanding [and for everything boating] simply treat the edge of your deck as a 500 foot cliff

Good luck and happy hunting and learning.

[sck5]

that last comment about the 500 ft. cliff is so true. I dont care how many people are on the boat, my rule is that if you are out in the middle and you go overboard the chances of a happy ending are very very small. Simply put, if you go overboard you are fked. So do everything possible to not go over.

[GrowleyMonster]

Point taken on the roller furled headsail halyard. But a spinnaker? For a single handed newbie? REALLY! I have never flown a spinnaker singlehanded. Not that it can't be done, but wow that can be handful especially for a beginner.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Safety safety safety. The worst part about singlehanding is there is nobody to got your back. Go overbboard, and you are just overboard. ...

When single handing I am more conservative and safety concious. Slow, deliberate, clipped in, more forward planning...

Sailing with non sailing guests only, even more so because now you are single handing + have responsibility for them.

Im least concerned, when sailing with very experienced crew...this is not necessarily a good attitude.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Guys, please don't make sailing into a sport where "there's padding on all of the playground equipment", & you have to dress up in hockey style protective gear in order to participate.
By it's very nature there are semi-dangerous aspects to it which are unavoidable. But constanty focusing on them takes much of the fun out of things.

Much of the safety gear that's "mandatory" now, hadn't even been developed 20yrs ago. And it's not as if there were a lot of causalties on the water back then.
The biggest factors for keeping things safe are common sense, & knowing where your limits are. Then as time progresses, pushing those limits out a bit further each time. And quite honestly, the biggest & best piece of safety equipment onboard is a good crewman. Period. They're light years beyond any sort of gear that you can purchase in terms of risk management, & avoiding truly dangerous situations. Or sorting them out should they transpire.

You know, the guy who when he steps on the boat, everyone's stress level drops by 50% or more. As you know that petty much regardless of what happens onboard, including emergencies, he'll calmly delegate the proper corrective tasks to the appropriate crew. And everything will get sorted with a minimum of fuss. Such as perhaps someone getting a bit of deck rash from the nonskid. But without suffering torn sails, or broken gear, etc.

When it comes time to spend money for "safety", the best investment is in good training, & coaching. Meaning Safety at Sea seminars of the sort where you try out all of the gear in (mostly) controlled environments. As well as hiring, or borrowing a good coach/expert sailor to help you with X, or Y.
Be it via a class, or something more informal, such as where you bribe one of the local rock stars with beer, & a nice meal afterwards for him & his lady. And where even at the table after the meal, you're engaging in live after action reports, Q&A sessions, etc.

That's how it works in some semi-pro/pro circles anyway. At least it does short of hiring Paul Cayard, or Stan Honey to come out & train or race with you for a week. Which, if you have the coin, pays off BIG.

PS: Take notes on the tips that experienced guys mention, as well as what did & didn't work when you were out sailing, & why. Ditto on buying books on the various aspects of sailing, studying them, practicing technique X, & Y from them until you've got it down. And then re-reading the book(s), taking notes in the margins, & using different color highlighters, etc.

If you go at it like you did when studying important things in High School, & College, you'll learn a f**k of a lot more, & a lot quicker, than by looking to be spoon fed safety tips from a West Marine catalog, or buy buying safety item, X, or Y.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hurrikane

I am new to the boating world and I was wondering what kind of boat I would be able to sail by myself with ought the need of a crew. I plan to live aboard this ship and sail from island to island in the Caribbean for a few years and then take it across the North Atlantic to Italy and Spain and then up to England and the Netherlands so any tips and advice would be really appreciated

I am not sailing single handedly too much, but many of my racing (and some cruising) friends do. So this is my observations:

- deck / hardware layout:

You may want to look at how easy it is to run all basic tasks (sail hoisting and reefing, sheets trimming, steering, engine control, navigation) from one area. Many single-handers opt for the cockpit to be their 'base'. But not many boats are optimised for most operations to be done from the cockpit. So either find a boat with the 'right' layout or else modify to get there.

- size:

Many single-handers avoid very big boats. 60ft boats are sailed short handedly basically by very competent and physically very fit individuals. Small boats are also bad as they will tire you due to their lively movement in anything but flat seas. So you may want to limit your search to a size bracket that is commonly sailed in this scenario. I would guess that to an experienced sailor a 40' light displacement boat is very manageable while already offering some amount of protection from excess movement in the seaway.

- repairability:

If you are short handed or solo, the same may apply to the amount of skills and means at hand to manage any emergency repair as well as any extended boatyard time. In my book, this implies some form of simplicity - choose light strong materials and when they are high-tech - make sure a realistic temporary fix can be made with more common materials.

So, this is my 2 cents: keep it simple, avoid small and big and concentrate on deck layout.

You can look up many small boats that were in fact designed for solo sailors and see how the ideas got implemented there. Many are racers, but you can strip the racy suit and find that the ergonomics is there - easy and safe to manage by one person, from (preferably) the relatively safe haven of the cockpit floor.

Look up Webb Chiles blog. He sails solo. Various boats.

Look up boats like Figaro. They are mid size and designed for solo sailing.

I have found boats like e.g. Victoire 1044 nearly perfect for short handed sailing (after conversion of her reefing arrangement) and nearly perfect to sail solo (or intimate two).

http://newimages.yachtworld.com/resi...=1474633257000

Have fun searching, buying and sailing!
b.

[Arthur Garfield]

Something I read here a few years ago has always stayed with me regarding short handed sailing.- Whether motoring or sailing-trail a "knotted line" for MOB. Additionally,rig a short line off the grabline to pull engine key for shutdown and also to tiller/wheel to force come about.I ALWAYS do this now whether solo or with crew/guests!


All the Best

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Arthur Garfield

Something I read here a few years ago has always stayed with me regarding short handed sailing.- Whether motoring or sailing-trail a "knotted line" for MOB. Additionally,rig a short line off the grabline to pull engine key for shutdown and also to tiller/wheel to force come about.I ALWAYS do this now whether solo or with crew/guests!


All the Best

If you are going to trail the knotted line, you may want to give it a shot pulling yourself back to the boat!

I'm thinking a short tether might be better so you don't go in at all.

I rarely use one but need to start. I'm only 10-12 miles offshore when I cross the bay but if I go in........?

I always sail single handed and have only been separated from my boat two times.

Once when I missed the hook on my harness when I was trapping out on a beach cat and another time when I pitchpoled on a beach cat with the spinnaker up in protected waters