Advice for a Solo Sailor?

jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I've single handed my boats before, a Catalina 36, and now a Tartan 3800. But now I'm a solo sailor for the foreseeable future, and I would like to think I know what to do, but I'm not foolish enough to rush off without asking for the advice of experience solo sailors.

I'm thinking, for one, I'll rig jacklines and tether-on when I leave the cockpit while underway.

I was also thinking of a personal locator beacon, a satellite and gps based one.

Besides sailing and navigating there will be living - cooking, eating, recreating, sleeping.

Any and all advice is welcome!

Thanks!

jv
 
jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I'm looking into float plan apps for Android. Any recommendations? The USCG has an app with a float plan feature, but with mixed reviews.
 
smokey73

smokey73

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Oct 26, 2010
2,105
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I always wear an auto inflating life jacket when I am solo sailing, even in calm weather. I don't always use jacklines unless I am offshore but I do use them if bay sailing and the weather is brisk. Probably should use them every time. I follow an old Navy rule - one hand for the man, one hand for the ship.

I enjoy the peace of solo sailing.
 
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
smokey73 said:
I always wear an auto inflating life jacket when I am solo sailing, even in calm weather. I don't always use jacklines unless I am offshore but I do use them if bay sailing and the weather is brisk. Probably should use them every time. I follow an old Navy rule - one hand for the man, one hand for the ship.

I enjoy the peace of solo sailing.
Click to expand
Good idea, I have a couple of those combo self-inflating harness/life jacket things. I should test, refresh/renew them. I think I just saw the rearming kits a few days ago - I moved, and I'm still "finding" things.
 
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D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,720
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
jviss said:
I'm thinking, for one, I'll rig jacklines and tether-on when I leave the cockpit while underway.
Click to expand
If you have the standard harness/PFD & Harness and go over while tethered, your life expectancy will see a rapid decrease.


And this:

www.pbo.co.uk

Is it safe to use a tether? - Practical Boat Owner

Perceived wisdom is that if you fall overboard, staying tethered to the boat will keep you safe. But is that the case? PBO’s test team conduct some trials… with sobering results
www.pbo.co.uk www.pbo.co.uk
 
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
dlochner said:
If you have the standard harness/PFD & Harness and go over while tethered, your life expectancy will see a rapid decrease.


And this:

www.pbo.co.uk

Is it safe to use a tether? - Practical Boat Owner

Perceived wisdom is that if you fall overboard, staying tethered to the boat will keep you safe. But is that the case? PBO’s test team conduct some trials… with sobering results
www.pbo.co.uk www.pbo.co.uk
Click to expand
Thanks, I'll have to read that....
 
dLj

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
4,245
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
jviss said:
I've single handed my boats before, a Catalina 36, and now a Tartan 3800. But now I'm a solo sailor for the foreseeable future, and I would like to think I know what to do, but I'm not foolish enough to rush off without asking for the advice of experience solo sailors.

I'm thinking, for one, I'll rig jacklines and tether-on when I leave the cockpit while underway.

I was also thinking of a personal locator beacon, a satellite and gps based one.

Besides sailing and navigating there will be living - cooking, eating, recreating, sleeping.

Any and all advice is welcome!

Thanks!

jv
Click to expand
Where will you be sailing? Are you coastal cruising? Doing some passages? Sounds like you'll be living on the boat? Full time? Part time?

I've solo sailed for the majority of my sailing. Although currently I'm going to be picking up crew for offshore passage making. I'll install jack lines and be tethered in - all tethers will be set up to not permit anyone to go overboard. As @dlochner pointed out above, that is a formula for bad outcomes. On night watches especially tethered into the cockpit is also required. Again, the tethers will be set up so you can't fall off the boat at all.

Do you have an AIS transponder? Have you heard of polyphasic sleep?

dj
 
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Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,548
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I wear an inflatable PFD but I don’t routinely tether in. I’ve considered it, and if I did I’d make every effort to ensure the tether wasn’t long enough to leave me hanging over the side.

One key aspect of single handling is thinking ahead more. Even simple things like making sure to rewrap the lazy sheet on the winch after a tack help distribute the workload so you’re not in a crunch to multitask and rush.
 
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smokey73

smokey73

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Oct 26, 2010
2,105
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Scary :yikes:. I use a short "double line" tether with the jackline down the center of the boat or as close to it as I can. With the double line I can "transfer" the attachment to the jackline around where it is attached along the centerline. The goal is to make sure the tether keeps you on the boat. If it's really rough I try not to go up to the bow or shorten it up even more if I absolutely have to go up there in brisk winds. If you go overboard solo you are probably better off without a tether as there is no one go get you aboard anyway. At that point if you aren't tethered you can at least drift free and hope for recovery or if you are close enough, make it to shore with your lifejacket on. If you are offshore you would do well to have some sort of "personal locator beacon" too.
 
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Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,986
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
KISS. Jut consider the edge of your boat a 500 foot cliff. If you go over, tied on or not, PFD or not, you're dead. It really is that simple. I've been doing this since I started sailing in the 1950s and owned my own boats since 1983. All the rest is BS, pure & simple.
 
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Richard19068

Richard19068

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Jun 11, 2004
1,733
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
If not going to far offshore I like to have a GPS/DSC enabled handheld VHF clipped on to my life vest. I figure if I do go over I might be able to ping a local boat or, if not, have a decent chance of reaching the coast guard since their towers are usually pretty high for good line of sight transmission. I feel with that I would likely have faster response than with a PLB or AIS device.
 
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Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

.
Mar 20, 2015
3,199
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
smokey73 said:
If you are offshore you would do well to have some sort of "personal locator beacon" too.
Click to expand
Always good for possible body recovery. give some closure to your loved ones.

The odds of survival if you go over alone, are so small that as @Stu Jackson says.. you're basically done. The only solution is to not go overboard.

@jviss is that why you are sailing solo now ?.:laugh:

"They were on deck when I went to take a nap"
 
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
dLj said:
Where will you be sailing? Are you coastal cruising? Doing some passages? Sounds like you'll be living on the boat? Full time? Part time?

I've solo sailed for the majority of my sailing. Although currently I'm going to be picking up crew for offshore passage making. I'll install jack lines and be tethered in - all tethers will be set up to not permit anyone to go overboard. As @dlochner pointed out above, that is a formula for bad outcomes. On night watches especially tethered into the cockpit is also required. Again, the tethers will be set up so you can't fall off the boat at all.

Do you have an AIS transponder? Have you heard of polyphasic sleep?

dj
Click to expand
Thanks, I should have been more precise. I will be doing day sails, and coastal cruising weekends and at times a week or two at a shot. I won't be going too far, I don't think, and not offshore, pretty much keeping to Rhode Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and maybe Long Island Sound. Not living on the boat.

I have and AIS transponder, which I love!

I'm looking into a PLB and a small, waterproof VHF with GPS to clip on my vest/harness.
 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,720
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
jviss said:
'm looking into a PLB and a small, waterproof VHF with GPS to clip on my vest/harness.
Click to expand
If you are going to be in near shore waters and in a crowded area, a PLB is not a good choice. The boat that will rescue you is the boat nearest you. Most (all) boats near you will not have the ability to receive the signal. A far better choice is the Ocean Signal MOB1 or their new PLB3. Both of these devices have AIS and DSC which will send out distress signals on VHF and AIS. The PLB3 includes a SARSAT distress signal.

oceansignal.com

RescueME MOB1

The Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1 AIS Man Overboard Beacon is the ultimate solution for marine safety, specifically designed to aid in SOS situations.
oceansignal.com oceansignal.com

 
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
dlochner said:
If you are going to be in near shore waters and in a crowded area, a PLB is not a good choice. The boat that will rescue you is the boat nearest you. Most (all) boats near you will not have the ability to receive the signal. A far better choice is the Ocean Signal MOB1 or their new PLB3. Both of these devices have AIS and DSC which will send out distress signals on VHF and AIS. The PLB3 includes a SARSAT distress signal.

oceansignal.com

RescueME MOB1

The Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1 AIS Man Overboard Beacon is the ultimate solution for marine safety, specifically designed to aid in SOS situations.
oceansignal.com oceansignal.com

Click to expand
Oh, nice, thank you!
 
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