Rig for Singlehanded Sailing

[mrohr]

Agree with all the above and have all installed except any windlass on my 32' contessa.
I mounted a small folding seat that sits in the companionway under the dodger...great at night and in poor weather;warm ,safe and cozy and it bolts down so I can even take short naps in it.I use a large poncho over any other required gear that can be thrown off in a hurry but funnels the engine heat below me and makes cold watches comfortable.
If sailing,a cup of tea on the gimballed stove underneath allows sailing in your underwear.
A bunge will pull the tiller to port and a 1/8 line through a small block leads to a camcleat under the dodger that a tug will get Houdini going to starboard. Total cost for this setup including seat ,fittings ,poncho and tea bags under $100.
If you are considering something like this spend some time figuring out where your feet will go as you will need them to to keep yourself from being pitched down below if you are slamming into any seas;Mine rest comfortably on a corner of the chart table and the other on the galley countertop.I suppose one could rig some sort of rope stirrups or quick release seatbelt to keep the nodding sailor from waking up with a broken nose at o'dark thirty.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Autopilot, windvane, electric windlass? Why would he need all that (expensive!) stuff on a 26 footer?

I made a "autopilot" out of a 40" length of 3/16" cording and two bungie cords. Attach the cord to the tiller with a clove hitch, and attach each end to a bungie cord lead from the aft deck cleats. I could turn into the wind with the outboard on slow, set the tiller by slacking, then tightening the clove hitch, and walk to the mast to raise or lower the main. It worked pretty well under sail, too.

Fair point on the "Autopilot" (I was presuming a tiller and at 26' only needing a cheapish (s/h) Tiller Pilot.......that could also go to the next boat (rather than anything underdeck)........but if the boat will balance up easily with a few bits of string and a bungee, then all the better

The only caution I would add is that the smaller the boat the more sensitive she is to waves and wind nudging her into a different direction (the wrong one ). One boat I had the answer was simply to let her go around in circles (me on foredeck) and wait for the "right moment" to raise the sails......in my defence, that was a long time ago

A roller furling jib is essential for single-handing. Lines led to the cockpit and lazy jacks are a "convenience". All that other stuff isn't really needed. Spend the money on a good handheld GPS and electronic charts.

I disagree on the furling jib being essential just damned conveniant . But having said that I would always be looking for a boat with one fitted (mainly for the cost to install and that later buyers would expect it)........

I will concede that lazy jacks are a conveniance rather than essential, but a cheap and very useful conveniance Obviously a Mainsail can be dropped without spilling all over the decks, but sometimes that happens at an awkward time - and even on deck a mainsail can catch some wind (the answer to that mostly being drop the mainsail earlier / with a bit more searoom ).

[alan_za]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I disagree on the furling jib being essential just damned conveniant .

Convenience for a furler is when you go out sailing and launch your jib with one tug on a sheet. Essential for a furler is when you find yourself overpowered in big seas. Going forward singlehanded then becomes quite a dangerous and difficult task I imagine.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by alan_za

Convenience for a furler is when you go out sailing and launch your jib with one tug on a sheet. Essential for a furler is when you find yourself overpowered in big seas. Going forward singlehanded then becomes quite a dangerous and difficult task I imagine.

If the boat can be controlled (autopilot or bungee ) would say it's more about being unpleasant than unsafe (obviously there is more risk of falling overboard from a bouncing foredeck than sitting in the cockpit - but it ain't a one way mission )..........You certainly pay a bit more attention to wind speed for sail changes ......in practice most folk (certainly those shorthanded) are only changing between a genoa, a jib. and nothing).