Singlehanded on a 49' Ketch

[Capt Phil]

You are probably right alan _za... I spent a fair bit of time singlehanding, but it was more enjoyable and less stressful if I had company even though my partner was inexperienced offshore.
Sailing alone does have a particular magic and a real sense of accomplishment when you make landfall after several weeks.
As I got older, my ability to handle a fifty footer alone became more of a safety issue so quit doing it.
Weather challenges you but with planning and a well found boat, the risk is minimized and a blow can actually be fun! You always tend to measure the conditions you are in to the last really bad storm which you obviously survived and what would scare one sailor to death is just a walk in the park for you.
It is the habits you develop over the years that keep you alive, I think... Capt Phil

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I think a helmet for bad conditions is a good idea. One bad fall or sudden jibe could leave you dead or incapacitated. A helmet might just turn that into a headache. The first time I saw a sailor wearing a helmet was a guy who sailed non stop around the world from Victoria, BC. He had a picture of himself in the cockpit in the southern ocean in a storm and I immediately recognized the helmet as a good idea.
The World's First Sailing Helmet
I have seen better ones and we had a discussion about it a short while ago.

That looks like a colander and you would look like a complete dork wearing it

The more I look at it the more I think it is really a colander and created as a joke. There is no space at the forehead for padding so it could not offer much protection from some angles.

If you wanted a helmet, a windsurfing helmet would be the way to go.

[DeepFrz]

Here is a link to the helmet that Evans Starzinger wears.

GATHSPORTS - MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

That looks like a colander and you would look like a complete dork wearing it

hoppy, have you ever seen a dead body with its head bashed in?

Here is a link to the thread where the helmets were discussed, although it was mostly about eye protection.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ain-66037.html

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

hoppy, have you ever seen a dead body with its head bashed in?

Nope.

But it does not change the fact that you would look like a complete dork wearing a colander on your head. If that is for real, then only dorks would order it. Anyone with a remote amount of taste, self respect and eyesight that works would order a Gathsports or similar, or even a bicycle helmet and not a colander

The visor looks like a great idea.

[markpierce]

Anyone up to single-handling this?:

[boasun]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Anyone up to single-handling this?:

Maybe Captain Jack Sparrow could...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Anyone up to single-handling this?:

Not sure about single-handling this one but sure wouldn't want to maintain her single handed.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Not sure about single-handling this one but sure wouldn't want to maintain her single handed.

I think you'd be kept busy loading and lighting the cannons. There looks to be about 20 at least!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by hummingway

I think you'd be kept busy loading and lighting the cannons. There looks to be about 20 at least!

How did that happen, I totally missed the whole point of sailing this fine vessel; I am going weak at the knees just contemplating the smoke, the big booms, the complete procedure of re-loading. Imagine setting up 20 long fuses so that they could be fired at once.

Opps, better hold back a bit, otherwise this will become the latest gun thread; already off topic enough.

[zeehag]

i would single hand her--with about 20 of my finest friends lol

[capnorv]

Though my boats a lot smaller than what your thinking (27 gross tons), and only had it a year in inland waters, this is what I've figured out. I have either singled or with 6&7 year old about 250km. We've run over 1500km and my wife watches the kids most of the time. The main is impossible to stow alone with the current setup and I have ordered a Mack Pack today for that reason. It's really only needed in light air, which abound in the PNW. My rig is a Staysail Ketch and any combination of the other 3 sails is easily handled by one. I have hydraulic steering (7 turn) and a very adjustable CPT autopilot which I have only used motoring and when reducing sail, I'm a hands on kind of guy. Catching moorings is a slow drift or staysail only function, since I catch it from the front quarter. Anchoring I rig for a quick run forward and one hook release when in proximity. Windlass is manual so if my better half is aboard, she womans the helm while I'm raising...pure singlehanding an electric would be very handy with a cockpit control. We have lifeline nets for the kids, and I would recommend them for solo sailing. FYI, when I leave the cockpit in snotty weather, I wear an old bicycle helmet...I don't want anymore concussions, I've had enough. I stash it under my homemade helm seat

[stillbuilding]

Not a huge difference between 30', 50' and 60' if they are set up for single handing. I have had all sizes which were manageable with forethought and appropriate systems. More power aids in bigger sizes. Hardest boat was a 38' ex racer with little concessions to light crew. Easiest prob the 60' but needed thinking all the time.

[TassieBloke]

But it does not change the fact that you would look like a complete dork wearing a colander on your head. If that is for real, then only dorks would order it. Anyone with a remote amount of taste, self respect and eyesight that works would order a Gathsports or similar, or even a bicycle helmet and not a colander

Looks like I am going to wear a Canoe Helmet then

There have been some good inputs here so far. Agree fully with having up to date weather inof at hand. Separate GPS/Plotter with its dedicated power source for redundancy is another. I do have an iPad 2, and am checking out the most practical software. Interestingly, Jeppesen's Plan2Nav does not currently have detailed charts for Aus...only NZ and Fiji etc...what is with that anyway? What makes the NZer's so special?

One of the main concerns with the yacht I have in mind, is that there are only 2 primary winches (Lewmar 48ST's) either side of the cockpit. I can see that eventually I am going to have to put some secondaries somewhere with a bank of rope clutches. I guess the traditional positioning is a cabintop arrangement, however I have seen on a few other yachts, a single secondary winch mounted at the rear of the cockpit, with slightly to starboard of the centreline.

Thanks again for all the tips so far

Bloke

[Weyalan]

Southeastern Tasmania isn't such a bad place to be planning on cruising short handed, really. There are loads and loads of sheltered anchorages where you can be safe from practically any conditions and wind directions. There are also plenty of marinas where there is reasonable access to come alongside a jetty (as opposed to trying to manouver your way into a berth).

Most of my cruising is with my partner, so I don't have much experience single handing, but I have a mate who was quite happy taking his 62 foot sloop away single handed. We met a guy down at Cockle Creek who was a single-handed liveaboard on a 50 something foot ketch and had been for years. So it certainly can be done.

[dohenyboy]

I singlehand a 60' ketch but I have a bow thruster and I am very mindful of the weather.
Most of the time, however, I half hand.
That is my term when you are accompanied only by children or other people who not only cannot help you sail but you need to tend to