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

[mousenik]

Good story! I like having a soul on board to try ideas on, its comforting, but it does make me dumber.

~A~

[s/v Beth]

Everybody ought to be able to singlehand their boat. I go just about everywhere with crew but they are often sick, or sleeping which makes it singlehanded.
Getting into a dock is often much easier after you have done it solo, because you don't have to depend on someone else to make a critical action, you can just do it with or without them.
For those that feel like you will never sail solo, so why learn, are you going to sail with less than 4? Because often you have one or two crew down. What are you going to do then?

[Panope]

I would prefer to sail with family or friends as I enjoy their company and shared experiences. Since my people are not as passionate about sailing as I am, I single hand more often than not.

I would probably not begin a multi day passage alone.

I have not sailed on a great variety of sailboat types. However, it appears to me that some boats would be more suited to single-handing than others for a novice sailor.

Here is a clip from a recent single-hand day-sail. Helm was locked amidships.

Steve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4z_...U#action=share

[Don C L]

So I was thinking about this thread yesterday when I went out on my boat alone because, after taking a quarreling family out for the afternoon, I needed to get out on my own to relax! I was thinking of folks who write in here who are buying their first boat that is 35 or 40 or 45 feet and thinking that it is a real shame that they will miss out on all those fun hours of being out on a small boat, alone, really learning how to make a boat go, or stop. In fact I will go out on a not-very-long limb and propose that being able to singlehand your own boat should be a requirement (that you hold for yourself.) I am not sure you can really know your boat, know how to sail and know yourself without sailing your own boat by yourself, can you?
Thinking of this reminded me of a time many years ago when I watched a guy tack his Valiant 40 into Santa Barbara harbor and to his upwind slip, with no roller furling and no one else on board. It was a real inspiration and opened my eyes to what is possible.

[P30Dude]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

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



Good for you.



I go live life.

NOT the intent of the post at all.


Vince
S/V Flatline
P-30 No. 280

[tommyh]

Originally Posted by farm sail

Says the guy with a 28 footer...lol

Yea my boat is 28' but i i find sailing larger boats a bit eaiser to sail, they track better and don't bounce around as much.
Sailing across the SF bay on a summer day with it blowing in the high 20's in a boat 7,000 pounds alone is sometimes a challenge.
When the time comes to obtain a larger boat i will continue single handing.



..

[admiralslater]

Originally Posted by 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:

Andrew,I just watched your video .That was pretty bloody impressive . Is the storm sail on a second stay or is it set slightly aft to keep the luff of the genni full 👍

[Foolish]

Sorry, I just got back to this forum. The storm jib has its own wire stay inside the luff. So I can hank it to the normal forestay, or I can just haul it up on its own which is what I've done in the video.

I set it about 8" back from the forestay, but there is no real reason to. You could actualy hank it directly to the forestay, interwoven with the jib hanks.

In light winds and when sailing downwind, it is even possible to use a jib rather than the storm jib with the pole on the sheets. Once again just interweave the hanks between the jib and the genny.

This is all described in my free book on singlehanded sailing. Download it from the Sanfrancisco Singlehanded Society website, in the resources section.

[rancher44]

I singlehand my 40'leopard a lot . I have a great auto pilot . I don't sail in winds over 25 unless I have a crew. Sail a lot in 15 plus. Also don't sail over night [yet] with out a crew.
Just set your boat up and it's not that difficult. Just plan every thing out and be safe
Oh yeah Iam 68