Single handed encouragement needed

[Dr. D]

When we bought our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 two years ago my wife and I were planning to be sailing together. She was new to sailing and I was returning. After two years our proficiency is going up; we even feel comfortable leaving and returning to the slip.



Early this year my wife has been afflicted with some physical issues. She will likely overcome them, but not for some time. She told me after the last time out she was in pain most of the time. No more sailing for her until she is well, though she can sit in the cockpit and enjoy the time on the water.


That leaves me to single hand the boat. I've done that with smaller boats, ones easier to handle by myself. My reaction was to put the boat up for sale with the plan to purchase a boat more suitable to single handing. But we like this boat so much!



I need encouragement to help me get over the barrier and comfortable sailing on my own.

[Tillsbury]

What you need to do is look around the boat for little things that need changing to allow you to single-hand. I had not single-handed a boat over 41' before and initially didn't look at the boat I ended up buying just because it looked so enormous. But everything else panned out and this is what we ended up with. A bowthruster was in the budget first up.

However, I remember thinking how big the 41' was when it was first launched, and yet that was never a problem. I used to get accused of having a bowthruster, it was so easy to manoeuvre. So I figured I'd very soon get used to a longer boat, like you get used to a bigger computer screen.

The most important things I need to single-hand are controls for almost everything back to the cockpit (certainly halyards, all reefing, traveller, preventer, topping lift, outhaul, vang), and a good and easily accessible autopilot. The (perfectly good) ST7000+ on the boat was tucked away, so I mounted it front and centre between the wheels. Just being able to hit Auto on your way to picking up a rope makes everything easier. Auto-tack makes light work of upwind sailing and all you need to grab are the jib sheets. Decently organised lazyjacks make raising and lowering the main stress-free. I thought I'd need to get an in-boom furler, but it turns out I don't.

There's an electric halyard winch, which I couldn't do without. With foot controls it allows me to raise and reef the main easily (leaving two hands to deal with the other ropes). It also lets me reef and unfurl the genoa easily, leading one line to the electric winch and easing the other under control.

I'm in the process of installing a Reflex top-down furler to see whether I can easily handle a gennaker/cruising chute single-handed. That should really help in light winds.

The trickiest thing by far is mooring. Although I haven't found a need for a bowthruster yet (a lot of expense and a dirty great big hole in the hull) as the boat handles so easily, it is certainly not easy coming alongside when there's anything odd going on in terms of wind or current. My main mooring is stern-to and the wrong side for me on the controls, so I have to get the bum in hard and stop, then step off with a stern line and jump back on to go forward against it. I'll probably end up getting some dock fenders to make life a little less hairy.

Remote windlass means single-handed anchoring is a breeze. Picking up a buoy isn't quite so easy, but I can usually manage to stop upwind of the buoy and then grab it with a boat hook once we float back down to it.

Can't think of much else I needed initially. Although I rarely single-hand, my wife's illness means that I am effectively doing so until the kids get a bit older.

Setting off single-handed the first time is a very strange feeling. You should definitely do it, even if it's just to go round in circles and come back. Then spend a day practising the mooring bit, and you should be good to go.

I'd have thought a Jeanneau 37 would be very suitable for single-handing.

[sailorchic34]

My little Islander 34, is two feet less beamier and three feet shorted, but only 2000 pounds less then the 37. I've single handed it pretty much 99% of the time for the last 11 years.

I think the Jeanneau 37 would be easier to singlehand as it's not full keel, so the spade rudder will give you much better direction control during low speed docking.

I might suggest if you don't already have one, to have a down wind slip. That is a slip where the prevaling winds blow toward the finger rather then away. I've done it both ways and a downwind finger is tons easier with docking single handed. Of course if you have a slip with fingers on both sides then your good to go, er, stop.. Just have your dock lines located for easy reach when you hop off the boat.

BTW I don't have lines led to the cockpit. Many times there is too much resistance in the lines to make it easy reefing or lowering the main., and really you have to go forward to flake the main anyway. Unless you have a furling main then your good to go.

[gamayun]

Where are you located? There are some long-established and some more recent short-handed sailing groups that you could learn from and get some inspiration. I single-hand because I don't have a partner and don't want to be limited. I also had a strong desire to learn so I could be confident about managing the boat with complete newbies on board. Just take baby steps. For example, pull the boat out of the slip, take it to the fuel dock or some where nearby and then back in the slip. Do this when it's absolutely calm and you don't need to mess with sails. Then another baby step on another day when it's calm and you can practice hoisting and dropping the sails by yourself. Then practice docking again. You'll find that each time is easier and you are less nervous. For reference, my boat is 39 feet long (it's documented as a 36-footer) and 12.5' wide with fin keel and 3-blade max prop. For singlehand docking, I find it easier to control everything if we come in stern first.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

When we bought our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 two years ago my wife and I were planning to be sailing together. She was new to sailing and I was returning. After two years our proficiency is going up; we even feel comfortable leaving and returning to the slip.



Early this year my wife has been afflicted with some physical issues. She will likely overcome them, but not for some time. She told me after the last time out she was in pain most of the time. No more sailing for her until she is well, though she can sit in the cockpit and enjoy the time on the water.


That leaves me to single hand the boat. I've done that with smaller boats, ones easier to handle by myself. My reaction was to put the boat up for sale with the plan to purchase a boat more suitable to single handing. But we like this boat so much!



I need encouragement to help me get over the barrier and comfortable sailing on my own.

Hi, Dr. D,

What does your wife want? If she can regain her mobility and strength, she might prefer to stay with the boat you both selected.

Another thought that comes to me is that she can dock the boat, and you be the one to take the lines ashore. One can be pretty careful from the aft of the wheel position.

I am sorry she reported being in pain most of the time. That's a really hard place to be. It is possible she is in pain most of the time whatever she's doing, wherever she is located. She could have personal reasons to prefer to be on the boat, seated in the cockpit. Perhaps she should consult her own physician relative to pain medication.

If your good lady is on board with keeping the boat, take it off the market, and give it a go. The two of you working together to make it as comfortable as possible for her.

Finally, as long as she's coming with you at all, you're not entirely singlehanding, and imho, it's up to both of you, working together, to figure out what she can do to feel like she's still a help. It will help her to discover joy in it, even when there is also pain present.

Good luck with it, and I wish your wife a speedy recovery from what must be a very difficult situation.

Ann

[akprb]

I kind of grimised at “we even feel comfortable leaving and returning to the slip.”

Your age? Your mobility? A 37 is easy to handle under power without a bowthruster, especially the Sun Odyssey. As far as docking and maneuvering go practice, practice, practice.

So few people do this. The only time they practice is when “leaving or returning.”

A good start is resolving to cast off the lines EVERY TIME you go to the boat for any reason, motor over to the fuel dock in forward then motor back to your slip in reverse. Enter and exit your berth twice then find a different berth and hit that one twice (not literally) :-)

Set up for single handed docking is a mindset.

Methodical.

Organize, decide not to rush, remember you can abort, have an exit plan.

As to sailing, same. Get to know your systems and practice. If you have an autopilot you need little else. That will afford you all the time you need to set sails and tidy up. Leave a reef or even two in all the time for starters. I’ll assume you have roller furling. Half a genoa is fine or if off the wind leave the damn main in the bag.

Do this often as a workout. Over the course of a few weeks your fitness will improve dramatically.

Go to the gym.

Final thought on safety. Wear closed toed shoes and take each step when maneuvering INTENTIONALLY.

Solo sailing is one of the most satisfying pastimes. Enjoy it, own it........ confidence.

[Stu Jackson]

You can do it.


I did.


20 years on now.

[daletournier]

Repetition is the master if skill. Just got to get out and start doing it.

[DEAN2140]

If there is a sailing school in your area, you might consider taking on an instructor for one or two days to teach you some single-handed sailing techniques. He or she will certainly make you more comfortable with docking. Money well spent.

[MJH]

Regardless of how your boat is equipped or rigged staying AHEAD of the boat is the key. The only way of learning how to do this is to do it. Always be aware of where the boat is, where it is going, and what the present and forecasted weather conditions are.

Good Luck,

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[roland stockham]

The difference between single handing and a crewed boat is 50% setup and 50% approach. You need a good autopilot and the ability to monitor you position easily while doing other things including sails,deck work and things like cooking. You need electronics that enablr you to monitor traffic frombelow deck. AIS transponder is one exellent development.
You then need to change the way you sail. Someone mentioned 'keeping up with the boat'. I suggest the reverse, sow the boat to give you time. For example stop the boat before you try to enter a marina, clear the deck,stow sails, set up lines and fenders then motor in. Anther example is hoving to when you need to do stuff on passage, whether to kook a meal or do some sail changes.
As to leading everything to the cockpit. The essential point is to be able to adjust each sail from one point. Whether tat is at themast or in the cockpit is less imortant than ensuring you dont need to keep moving from on to the other.
If your wife is going to maintain here interest you also need a role for her, youst sitting in the cockpit cane get pretty tediouse

[thinwater]

Practice is right. Singlehanding is the one thing that got easier every single year, for 30 years. And the reason is...


Planning. A skilled singlehander has learned to break everything down into steps where no two things need to be done at the same time.


And don't stress too much over dock rash. It's going to happen. When you go over night, anchor out and avoid the problem all together; some docking situations just arn't safe for the singlehander.


I'd stay with the boat you have. It's not too big (through perhaps bigger than optimal) and your reasons were good. A 34' cat is not that different from a 38' mono, and it felt right to me.

[Roniszoro]

You can do it!

On my previously owner Wauguiez Pretorien 35 I did the following:

-located primary winches near the wheel so I could tack and jibe and handle the head sail easily
-sailed with a head sail of 120% or preferably smaller for ease of handling

For off shore or longer trips:
-a good below decks autopilot
-I had all reefing at the mast so no chance of lines fouling


For picking up your mooring, a good mooring buoy pick up stick on the mooring lines


For a slip a catching bridle: see photo. Just motor in and stop the boat when you a 1/2 the way into the slip & then put the boat in forward at idle speed. The bridle will stop the boat before it hits the dock. Calmly walk forward and attach your bow lines but a bit looser than normal. Put the boat in reverse at idle and it will slowly go backwards until the bow lines stop it. Calmly attach your stern lines. Put engine in neutral or shut it off. Go forward and adjust your bow lines to where you want them. (Cleating locations on your lines should be marked.) I docked single handed in 20+ knots with this method without effort.


As to age, I've done this all with ease and I'm in my 70s

[Dr. D]

This group is the greatest!


As for me, I'm 62 and in good health. I have no physical issue from stopping me handling the boat myself, just lacking experience.



I will follow several suggestions, such as the one of hiring an instructor. As I mentioned, my wife was new to sailing so she took a weekend "Intro to Sailing" course. A few weeks after that we took a "Sailing a Cruiser" course on the school's boat. A while after we bought our boat we hired an instructor to go out with us for guidance on sailing our boat. Parts of single handling I can work out on my own, but some aspects it would be better to get some insight from someone who knows.

[elandra65]

Physically a modern 37 foot boat should be easy to single hand. I have been essentially single handing my 50 footer for years and I am on the wrong side of 50. Key is to make tasks able to be done by one person as other posts have said. I think you have a very suitable boat for one person. Good luck.