Singlehanded sailing
- Thread starter RichardW43
- Start date
You could start with this one as the pdf version is at no cost. New edition Oct 2014
http://sfbaysss.org/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition2.pdf
http://sfbaysss.org/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition2.pdf
That's a great reference.
More here:
http://sfbaysss.org/main/resources/
Richard Henderson's Single Handed Sailing is a very good book.
Frank Mulville wrote one, too, kinda dated, but good basic material.
Also links like these:
Docking 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6379.0.html [includes a link in Reply #1 to a very good single handed topic]
Single Handing 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.0.html
Single Handing 101.1 Midship Cleats Pictures http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4921.0.html
Searches on any boating forum on the topic will bring up good discussions.
Good luck, it's fun.
More here:
http://sfbaysss.org/main/resources/
Richard Henderson's Single Handed Sailing is a very good book.
Frank Mulville wrote one, too, kinda dated, but good basic material.
Also links like these:
Docking 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6379.0.html [includes a link in Reply #1 to a very good single handed topic]
Single Handing 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.0.html
Single Handing 101.1 Midship Cleats Pictures http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4921.0.html
Searches on any boating forum on the topic will bring up good discussions.
Good luck, it's fun.
Here are some things I do:
1. hoist the main at the dock if possible.
2. Rig a jib downhaul if you have a hanked on headsail, It will keep the sail stable on the fore deck until time to hoist, it will allow you to easily control the drop.
3. Always have the boat hook handy... if you have fenders out you can retrieve them on to the deck with the boat hook after leaving dock area....
4. A tiller is much easier for single handing... straddle the thing and steer with your knees... freeing your hands to handle the sheets during a turn.
5. Invest in an auto pilot... do not put this off...
6. Keep your air horn, hand held vhf, hand held gps, water bottle, pee bottle, and your sack lunch... in the cockpit.. close at hand.
7. If you have a tiller, buy a comfortable folding sports chair with a back rest, it will allow you to face forward while driving the boat...
8. Always start out with the smaller headsail... the one with the best visibility and the easiest to handle. If you need to change... it's easier to go to a larger sail because the wind is dropping, than it is to haul down the 150 genny because the wind is building.
9. BUY A HARNESS AND TETHER.... and..... WEAR IT!!!! Stay clipped on always.
1. hoist the main at the dock if possible.
2. Rig a jib downhaul if you have a hanked on headsail, It will keep the sail stable on the fore deck until time to hoist, it will allow you to easily control the drop.
3. Always have the boat hook handy... if you have fenders out you can retrieve them on to the deck with the boat hook after leaving dock area....
4. A tiller is much easier for single handing... straddle the thing and steer with your knees... freeing your hands to handle the sheets during a turn.
5. Invest in an auto pilot... do not put this off...
6. Keep your air horn, hand held vhf, hand held gps, water bottle, pee bottle, and your sack lunch... in the cockpit.. close at hand.
7. If you have a tiller, buy a comfortable folding sports chair with a back rest, it will allow you to face forward while driving the boat...
8. Always start out with the smaller headsail... the one with the best visibility and the easiest to handle. If you need to change... it's easier to go to a larger sail because the wind is dropping, than it is to haul down the 150 genny because the wind is building.
9. BUY A HARNESS AND TETHER.... and..... WEAR IT!!!! Stay clipped on always.
Thanks for the link Lee, really enjoyed his book. It is thorough and well written.
When I sailed a tiller boat I would connect a bungee from the end of the boom to the tiller. With mainsail up it kept the bow into the wind when I was single handing the boat. My friend Ben on Brainwaves taught me this trick.
Bob
Bob
Richard, the guys and gals on here have much more experience than me but I will just offer this. In the primer that Hello Below offered, the author states in the very first paragraph that he started single handing 4 days after buying his first boat. That's the key.
There are many techniques to learn and master but most importantly, screw up your confidence and get out there on your own and try it. Nothing teaches like experience. Pick your days and destinations to minimize risk. I waited until there was light wind for my first time so it would be a gentle sail and docking wouldn't be too hairy. If docking does look tougher than you thought, don't hesitate to ask for help.
If you're nervous to strike out on your own right away, take a friend and specifically ask him/her not to assist unless you ask. That way you can try things like raising/lowering the sails, tacking, etc, by yourself but you have a helping hand if you need it.
Lastly, buy an autopilot. You will NOT regret it.
There are many techniques to learn and master but most importantly, screw up your confidence and get out there on your own and try it. Nothing teaches like experience. Pick your days and destinations to minimize risk. I waited until there was light wind for my first time so it would be a gentle sail and docking wouldn't be too hairy. If docking does look tougher than you thought, don't hesitate to ask for help.
If you're nervous to strike out on your own right away, take a friend and specifically ask him/her not to assist unless you ask. That way you can try things like raising/lowering the sails, tacking, etc, by yourself but you have a helping hand if you need it.
Lastly, buy an autopilot. You will NOT regret it.
YVRguy gives you good insights. I singlehand my 34 almost all the time and have put on more than 20,000 miles under the keel, ocean and inland in the last 15 years. 3 words are key to successful single handling: anticipation, planification, execution. As in 1: think ahead about what will need to be done or what you want to do
2: plan how you will do it and prepare what is needed if anything
3: do it following your plan
It will become second nature and you'll get experienced to the point where having company somewhats slows you down. Have fun. Claude
2: plan how you will do it and prepare what is needed if anything
3: do it following your plan
It will become second nature and you'll get experienced to the point where having company somewhats slows you down. Have fun. Claude
And I'll add one more to this- DON'T be afraid to bail out of a situation that is not what you expected- back off , look things over again, then give it another shot.
Regarding "bailing out"? (from a self-professed noob)
My biggest hurdle is knowing what to do when. I've run across few situations where conditions went sideways right quick and the pucker factor was increasing proportionally .
Question is; are there any "hard and fast". rules for reactions to. a given situation?
I "single" most of the time, even with the Commodore (or others) aboard, as I'mthe only one that. actually controls (trys to
) the boat . So far, running "home" when it gets to be a bit much has worked. Planning and communication is . key; aswell as having a "B"and "C" plan
My biggest hurdle is knowing what to do when. I've run across few situations where conditions went sideways right quick and the pucker factor was increasing proportionally .
Question is; are there any "hard and fast". rules for reactions to. a given situation?
I "single" most of the time, even with the Commodore (or others) aboard, as I'mthe only one that. actually controls (trys to
) the boat . So far, running "home" when it gets to be a bit much has worked. Planning and communication is . key; aswell as having a "B"and "C" plan 
Deltaten, as a starting point, perhaps you could intimate to your crew that it's in their best interest to at least know how to "stop" the boat?
Start by never leaving the cockpit. Food, pee bottle, water suntan lotion, hat, coat, binoculars, horn.Regarding "bailing out"? (from a self-professed noob) My biggest hurdle is knowing what to do when. I've run across few situations where conditions went sideways right quick and the pucker factor was increasing proportionally . Question is; are there any "hard and fast". rules for reactions to. a given situation? I "single" most of the time, even with the Commodore (or others) aboard, as I'mthe only one that. actually controls (trys to
General rule, if you aren't sure you can handle it. Don't. Return to the dock.
If you think you'll need to reef later in the day, reef NOW!
Don't worry about trashed sails. They are cheaper than a trashed boat.
Your motor is like your anchor and your mother-in-law. Regular assistance and attention pay BIG dividends.
Keep a maintenance log. Add an hour meter to the motor if it doesn't have one. Go by a private airport and ask a pilot to show you his log, if you've never seen one.
Jeff
A couple who were friends of my Dad's, had a large power boat. She never learned how to do a single thing aboard- NADA. She rode along, and read, or knitted, whatever.I "single" most of the time, even with the Commodore (or others) aboard, as I'mthe only one that. actually controls (trys to
One day they were way out, anchored, fishing in the gulf, and he died from a heart attack. She did not know how to use the radio, didn't know how to get the anchor up, didn't know how to start the engine OR make the boat go.
She sat with his dead body for THREE days until some other boat passed close by enough she could get their attention.
On the other side of the coin, I had some friends on a 45 foot catamaran out of South Africa. They were anchored in some islands way off the coast, somewhere off South America, and he suffered a head injury. Laid him virtually comatose. The wife and two young teenaged daughters brought the boat some 150 miles across to the mainland and got him medical attention, with ZERO assistance from him.
Make SURE someone else aboard knows how to run the boat. If you are single hand and have an accident, that's one thing-it's YOUR choice, and your business. But if some one else is with you, it's YOUR responsibility to have then know how to at least make the boat go.
I know this comment is well-meaning but for anyone who may be considering single handing and following this thread it's pretty limiting. Many boats (mine for one) necessitate the need to be on deck at certain points. If you're so concerned about falling in the water that you can't ever go on deck I would suggest you don't bother. Sailing, and particularly single handing, isn't for the risk averse.
I think a more practical suggestion would be to take sufficient safety measures to mitigate the risk. IE: Rig a tether and jack line. ALWAYS wear your pfd. Also clip a portable waterproof VHF radio to your belt so if you do fall in you can call for help.
I suspect he was more referring to having to go below to find things. But you make good points on the tethers.
He mentioned he's a novice. Please keep my comments in mind towards a novice sailor. I wasn't writing an all encompassing response.
Since you brought it up, when was the last time you were swimming in a pfd, while attached by tether to a moving boat?
When was the last time any of us practiced swimming in full foul weather gear and learned how hard it is to get in a life raft?
My questions aren't meant to be snarky. But if you want to add on tethers etc, also explain how and why sailors drown while attached to one. Or mention how a radio presumes you can be rescued prior to hypothermia.
When sailing alone, all time spent out of the cockpit increases the probability of a problem. I stand by that statement.
Jeff
Since you brought it up, when was the last time you were swimming in a pfd, while attached by tether to a moving boat?
When was the last time any of us practiced swimming in full foul weather gear and learned how hard it is to get in a life raft?
My questions aren't meant to be snarky. But if you want to add on tethers etc, also explain how and why sailors drown while attached to one. Or mention how a radio presumes you can be rescued prior to hypothermia.
When sailing alone, all time spent out of the cockpit increases the probability of a problem. I stand by that statement.
Jeff
Understood that and didn't mean snark myself. Understand also that he's a novice and many of us are not.
Personally I have a hard point right by the compainioway that allows my tether to get me to the mast, and below., With the cage my boat has around the cockpit (life lines, bimini supports, etc), you just plain CAN"T go overboard, but of course from the mast you could. And single hand, in the Gulf of Mexico, several hundred miles off shore, the radio would do zero good, nor would the PFD. In fact the PFD would just prolong dying. But I wear an auto inflate with harness built in anyway.
Plain fact is, DON'T fall off the boat. If you do,single hand, chances are you are dead
Personally I have a hard point right by the compainioway that allows my tether to get me to the mast, and below., With the cage my boat has around the cockpit (life lines, bimini supports, etc), you just plain CAN"T go overboard, but of course from the mast you could. And single hand, in the Gulf of Mexico, several hundred miles off shore, the radio would do zero good, nor would the PFD. In fact the PFD would just prolong dying. But I wear an auto inflate with harness built in anyway.
Plain fact is, DON'T fall off the boat. If you do,single hand, chances are you are dead