Any one here ever singlehand when they don't want to?

[northoceanbeach]

I just posted my troubles singlehanded docking a full keeled boat, so yeah, I do. I had a lot of trouble last night, but it won't stop me from going out again today, and the next ad infinitum.

Out on the water it can be hard raising and lowering the sails or reeding, trying to get the boat to stay the direction you want it to, but docking is really the worst.

I guess the good news is people get good at it. Imhave watched many people on bigger hosts pull into their slip like it was nothing,

[charliehows]

single handed is my normal. I dont like putting other people at risk so when the going gets tough i go solo. I've gotten to the age where i quite enjoy a shitfight with mother nature - dont have much to lose really.

[P30Dude]

I've become proficient at docking, sailing (always learning) even fixing equipment underweigh. I guess I'm lazy, one of my dock mates was insisting that I go out I just didn't want to go.....


Vince
S/V Flatline
P-30 No. 280

[Pelagic]

Strange philosophy Charlie....
Never thought of sailing as a fight with Mother Nature.... More like a dance, where she takes the lead.
Good luck with whatever demons you are fighting:thumbup:

[charliehows]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Strange philosophy Charlie....
Never thought of sailing as a fight with Mother Nature.... More like a dance, where she takes the lead.
Good luck with whatever demons you are fighting:thumbup:

see, that leaves me wondering. Most often I'd agree but every so often, because I'm out there and theres no getting away from the weather, big mama tries to kill me. Maybe you're even more blase than me, ya dont even notice...Dont get me wrong though - i quite enjoy the occasional challenge, keeps me on my toes. The truth is, its more dangerous crossing a busy road, but at least when the sea gets up at you, and stuff starts breaking, you really feel the power.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by P30Dude

Any one here ever get forced to singled hand? I will not do it. (Non-emergency),


Vince
S/V Flatline
P-30 No. 280

What? You would prefer wasting your life waiting for someone to come hold your hand?

Good for you.

I go live life.

[Foolish]

When I'm giving a talk on my book I have a section of the talk titled:
Half Way to Hawaii and You've Shot Your Entire Crew With a Spear Gun. What do You Do Now!

The only equipment that you need to sail around the world singlehanded is a 6' long piece of surgical tubing. You can watch the companion video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY1qx3PfUS0

[tommyh]

All I ever do is single hand.
Didn't realize it was so special.
If you cannot handle what you have you shouldn't have it.

[Don C L]

I am not sure we MUST be able to singlehand our boats. I dream of having a Gloucester schooner and that is definitely a group activity.

[farm sail]

Originally Posted by tommyh

All I ever do is single hand.
Didn't realize it was so special.
If you cannot handle what you have you shouldn't have it.

Says the guy with a 28 footer...lol

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by tommyh

All I ever do is single hand.
Didn't realize it was so special.
If you cannot handle what you have you shouldn't have it.

I've been doing it so long now that it no longer feels special, just normal.

[MarkSF]

I believe that one of the courses taught by the local USCG Auxiliary is "Suddenly In Command". It's aimed at spouses who normally just steer or whatever, and might find themselves suddenly needing to do more.

[P30Dude]

Well, now that the roller Furler is aligned properly and no longer tangles in a rats nest, single handing is no longer an issue. I do however still prefer someone to chat with.

Most that go sailing with me don't know anything about sailing anyway so the mechanics are the same with differing dynamics.

Thanks to all for the feed back.


Vince
S/V Flatline
P-30 No. 280

[Capt Phil]

Don't know if this counts but having singlehanded for years, when wifey #2 decided she wanted to sail, out we went and she spent the entire first day with her head in the head. When I finally dropped anchor, she felt better but swore she would never go to sea again... so I kept going and she got the House! Single handing is much cheaper in the long run! Phil

[Dauntlessny]

When we first got our boat, it was in Florida.
I had some friends with me for the first half, but then they left and my wife could not leave work. so it was a slow boring trek up the ICW.

But once I got to Norfolk, it looked best to go off chore to Cape May and then again to NYC.

That was hard. I discovered i really couldn't stop before Cape May, but I got there.
then the next day, i stopped in Barnegat Bay, OK so far.

Next morning I had to leave at 5:00 a.m. to make the currents at the Verranzano Narrows and Hell's Gate.
It was foggy. Very foggy. Vsby was about 100 feet, 30m.

I was concerned, but never thought of not going. I would follow my previous track and I had the radar which I had a good idea of what it showed or did not show.

Leaving the Inlet, the winds had built seas of 6 to 10 feet.

I'm bouncing up and down, but not really concerned until I look at the depth finder and see it going to zero in the troughs of the waves.

It was a shallow inlet.

Now I was worried. Terrified. I have never been more scared, knowing that the boat would not survive being slammed into the hard sand.

I didn't know what to do. I was sure i was on the same track as I had taken the day before, but I had not had to deal with any waves.

Seeing the depth sounder go to zero, I knew I only had two feet of offset extra and the next 12 ft wave would destroy us.

I looked around, hoping to see an answer. Right, left or straight? I had remembered only that the inlet was deeper on the north side or so I thought.

I look up; look around and 100 feet to the right I see a fishing boat thru the fog passing on my beam.

I swung the wheel hard right, got behind that fishing boat as he disappeared into the fog. the depth went back to normal, maybe 10 feet.

i followed the fishing boat on the radar staying directly behind him for 20 minutes until we were out of the inlet and I turned north to home.

Since then, 12,000 miles later, this was still the worst time I have eve had, I've had worse weather, winds and seas. I have been miserable for hours and days, BUT the boat has never been at risk like that morning.

I always think that the worst part of being alone is not having a mind mate.
Someone to bounce ideas off of or suggest something l did not think of such as, why don't we just call the USCG and ask them what side of the inlet to be on???