What Is The Big Deal About Single Handling?

[RTB]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I personally see nothing wrong with a singlehander taking a nap. It's done all the time and so far, I've not heard any issues with that from single handers.

Well, sometimes maybe - http://yachtpals.com/jessica-watson-collision-7050

Ralph

[JAD46]

ok, I may regret this. I have sailed single handed and with crew. I enjoy both - there is a time and a place. I know many folks who single handed sail and they are among the most modest, helpful folks I know. Have yet to run into the braggart (single handed, that is.)
Generally, I find those who brag the most, do the least.


My question is: why is it important to tout a smoking hot lady?

[eyschulman]

People who single hand are not a homogeneous group any more than people who are driving by alone. In my case I single hand in protected local waters and am gland to have company when it is available, but I refuse to miss out on a good sailing day because there is no crew available. I started single handing in the mid 1960s when my work hours were erratic and my wife and friends were not around to help sail my boat. I spent lots of time racing with my wife as crew but when she could not be there single handing was the answer. SH became a challenge and also a source of relaxation to balance a tense daily and sometimes nightly work load. Now long since retired with my wife a dressage queen I still find myself SH if I want to get out on the water. My day sails are shorter down to about 2-3 hours on boats that are shrinking in size. I have gone from a J/44 to J/35 to a J/100 and now a Sanderling Marshall gaff cat boat at 18 feet. I can be found on Lake Washington or Lake Union 3 or 4 times a week single handing, and I consider it a great retirement perk. If I had not developed the skills and confidence to SH when I was younger I would have missed out on a lot of sailing and on water time. May I also point out that a good SH sailor is one who really understands his or her craft and the elements that come into play sailing. Please note that many of the best youth sailing programs begin with SH to build knowledge and confidence. I have also had occasion to be suspect of the abilities of skippers who are not fully capable of single handing their vessels. I think the ultimate bonding of a skipper with his little ship and understanding of the ships interplay with the elements is fostered by single handing. I do not hold it against someone who does not have this background but I do have more respect for those who do. I include a picture of my simple 200 year old technology cat boat. Interesting because it can be a challenge to SH and reef particularly when the wind is up. MY boat name K.I.S.S.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by RTB

Well, sometimes maybe - Jessica Watson Collision Report Released | YachtPals.com

Ralph

True, but in that case both vessels did not keep a proper watch. Myself I would not have been sleeping with a ship 6 miles dead astern.

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

You must have also offended Rustic Charm...

Is it good judgement to purposely put yourself in this situation?

Like sailing into a storm because you are so good, you can handle it.
Or is it better to avoid it or not leave at all.

Having no watch, no way to call for help when you get injured.

This is an interesting philosophy, I see nothing wrong with people who prefer not to single hand. It doesn't work for me though. There is absolutely nothing wrong with heading out for an 8 hour sail on your own. Provided you manage your risks.

I also enjoy mountain climbing, not the Appalachian trail- but in the Himalayas. I also ride a Harley Davidson, some times fast. Risky. I duck hunt on my own some times- now that is dangerous stuff, being out in ice at 5 am in a canoe on one of Canada's big rivers with a shotgun and your dog.

Some people will have higher risk tolerances then others based on their experience in the outdoors. That doesn't make them irresponsible though. Not in my opinion.

I spent 11 years as a Search and Rescue Specialist in the CCG, I know exactly what the risks are and what happens when you fail to manage them. A bank manager that retires at 60 and takes an CYA boating course, then buys a 45' hunter might be irresponsible heading out on their own, but their are lots of people on this forum that would likely be able to single hand their boats more safely, then other individuals could skipper their boats with a crew of 5.

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[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Is it good judgement to purposely put yourself in this situation?

Like sailing into a storm because you are so good, you can handle it.
Or is it better to avoid it or not leave at all.

Having no watch, no way to call for help when you get injured.

It might be good judgement or it might not.

It depends if you are aware and prepare for the risk and willing to take the consequences if things go badly.

Taking extra risk in return for extra accomplishment and reward is a common trade-off - from mountain climbing to finance. Some people are able to do it intelligently and prudently and some people are not.

If you want to live a life of minimum risk there are a lot of things you should not do, like take a bath (slip and fall) or drive a car or go fishing in a small boat or fly a small private plane.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by caradow

well it didn't go so well for Donald Crowhurst

Nor, did it go so well for the fully-crewed TEAM VESTAS WIND, either... :-)

I disagree with the premise of the OP, that there is a noticeable degree of posturing or 'bragging' by solo sailors around here, or out there... I'm just not seeing that, and many of the singlehanders I cross paths with tend to be rather modest and self-effacing about their 'accomplishments'... How many folks know that estarzinger soloed HAWK from the Chesapeake to Greenland and back last summer, for instance? I agree, however, in that I've never quite understood the "Big Deal" about solo sailing in general, either... At least, for those of us who sail boats comparatively modest in size. The guys racing Open 60s in the Vendee, or the big tris in something like the Route du Rhum, that's something else entirely. Guys like Robin Knox-Johnston @ 75, Loick Peyron, Francis Joyon and all the rest, what they do is completely off the charts, simply superhuman, in my estimation... And yet, as far as I can tell, most of those guys are pretty matter-of-fact about what they do, as well...

I've done a fair bit of singlehanding on both sail and power over the years, and I don't see anything exceptional about it, and I'm always a bit surprised when people seem 'impressed' by the fact I might be sailing alone... The most consistent and strenuous expression of this 'surprise' I've seen in a long time, came last summer during my cruise up to northern Labrador...

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, ever ventures out on the water alone up there, or even rarely not in company with another boat :-) You're well and truly on your own in places like that, of course, so that practice among the natives up there is quite sensible, and understandable...

As a result, they probably all thought i was nuts :-)

However, the only other boat I ran into up there was being sailed by another singlehander, Dennison Berwick on KUAN YIN... Go figure :-)

https://dennisonberwick.wordpress.com/sailing/kuan-yin/

[FamilyVan]

Here is an interesting thing to consider. I recently did a crossing of Lake Ontario, as mentioned previously in this thread. I know, Lake Ontario isn't the north Atlantic. But leaving Port Dalhousie for a 200 mile slog into 25 knots in May isn't as easy as you might guess.

I had to move my boat, I was on a schedule. I asked my wife and son to meet me in Kingston by train, some 200 miles away because I felt much much safer singlehanding the boat then having them on board as "crew". They insisted on coming any way.

My point here is, there may be times when you are much safer single handed, especially when dealing with unpleasant conditions and there is an immeasurably large disparity in the skipper and crews experience and skills.

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[Formosa46AK]

Attached is a quick read about one single-handed sailor and how he thinks. There is no bragging here ... IMHO. I think it will be enjoyed by all.

Articles about sailing by junk-rigged Corribee Mingming's skipper Roger Taylor

He also discusses the Jordan Series Drone. I'm about to order a DIY kit or in various stage of ready made from someone.

This has been a most interesting read.

[hamburking]

Lately, I have been sailing alone more and more.

Sailing relies on the weather. I go when the wind and waves are right. Most people I would invite want to know an actual date and time. I've learned the hard way, if I say a date and time its going to be blowing a gale. Then I'm faced with cancelling the sail, or taking guests out in a gale. I've tried both, with bad results every time.

As others have said above...you are very lucky to have a lady who will sail with you. Cherish her.

Kids get older, get their own interests. No time to go slow anymore. Definitely not interested in the work involved with boat ownership, which is mostly cleaning and grunt work.

I can't blame anyone for not wanting to sail with me. My boat is 40 years old. I'm the only one who knows where everything is. There is no one place you can sit to be out of the way. We go slow. When we get there the food is pretty bad and the bunks uncomfortable. Most people I know would rather stay in a nice hotel, or their comfortable homes. Roughing it on a sailboat is not something most people want to do anymore. Most of my guests want to get off as soon as they realize the boat "tips over" when the sails are up.

Also, I agree with other comments above...sailing alone is the apex of the sport. Tasks easily accomplished with a crew require planning, strength and skills. Sailing alone is pushing myself to be a better sailor.

And finally, there is a mental element of sailing alone. You are alone. No one to bounce ideas off. No one to bring you that important thing you need right now. No one to steer clear of the island while you pull up the anchor. Its just you and your boat. When the wind is blowing, I've tucked a reef in the main, rolled up half the jib, the lee rail is down, and the water is boiling under my bow as I approach hull speed....the sensation is wonderful...I'm alive...I'm part of nature, harnessing the wind, and holding on with white knuckles. Yes, I'm often scared sh*tless when I'm saling alone. I know the engine can quit at any time. I know a storm can come out of nowhere. I know sails tear, masts fall, and human flesh is so very fragile. And yet I go anyway. Instead of waiting for the storm to pass, I've learned to dance in the rain. Sailing keeps me alive. I would love to have company, but if I have to go alone, thats fine with me.

[aitch]

Sparrowhawk1 in his reply to Saleem411 go it right.
So, in a more detailed way did Jim Cate.
As a commercial pilot, Saleem would have flown in controlled airspace with controllers keeping watch over him, and he would not have been allowed to fly beyond his authorised shift hours, and then with a specified break between shifts. Some what an artificial environment compared to sailing single-handed in good weather and bad,on a severely extended "shift", with no or limited ability to control, a manage or adjust the craft from a seated and "wired in" position.
In my view, references to sailing single-handed are generally intended to explain a problem or question in context.
Saleem411 should try it on an extended passage, then comment again.

[captain58sailin]

I would be perfectly content to single hand sail an outrigger canoe for a few days of fishing on the reef. There would be many dangers that might befall me while doing it and if I die during the experience, I would be content, that I was doing what I loved.

[TomLewis]

I think you finally hit it Saleen, we mention it because it is germane to our discussion. JD1 had the best answer, we don't have anyone to sail with, but our love in life is sailing so we will sail no matter what. That drives our discussion abit skewed toward singlehanding.

[Sailor42]

Jim,

G'Day from another old liveaboard sailor in Tasmania -looking forward to meeting you soon as we wander happily . People seem to be getting agitated over what seemed to me to be a perfectly innocent and sensible question from our aviating mate. As an aviator in a previous ( naval) life, I have always felt more comfortable with a second crew member, even if he only grumbled at my hard landings, but that was for me -my single seat brothers had their noses high in the air and didn't see the need for any extra input or brain-power. Come on, you lot, we are one family of cruising folk, most people think us slightly mad anyway, whilst envying us at the same time, and there is more than one way of enjoying/experiencing it, no right oor wrong way surely?

Sailor42.

[brookiesailor]

When I started reading this thread I thought that I would have nothing to add as I am not a single hander. But recently we have been looking at boats and one of my key questions is whether the boat can easily be sailed by ME, a middle aged woman, should my husband become incompassitated... In that sense I think every sailor should be prepared to be a single hander crew or no crew.


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