Advice for a Solo Sailor?

Dec 28, 2015
1,897
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
I always carry my cellphone in a zippered pocket. I have a dive knife on all of my PFDs and they have build in harnesses on them. My PFD also has a strobe and PLB. I also carry a newer Learherman. This minimizes the need to “go get a tool” which decreases potential of slip/fall.
make sure your ground tackle is easily deployed to buy time if you loose your engine or have rigging issues and your drifting.
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,272
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
I start hoisting on the winch fast speed low torque. As the main nears the mast head the drill is reversed and thus turns the winch in slow but higher torque to top out the hoist..
 
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JBP-PA

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Apr 29, 2022
578
Jeanneau Tonic 23 Erie, PA
Of course, many singlehanders go alone, in part, because they don't want to syncronize their plans to any location or state their plans. Or as the Hogarth in the "Iron Giant" said, "I'm GOING OUT!"

People singlehand for many different reasons, and each of them feels differently about how to manage it.
I think "I'm going out. " is a perfectly reasonable float plan for many people. When I'm single handed, I text my wife exactly that. She knows where we sail. She has a pretty good idea of when I'll check in again.
 
Oct 26, 2010
2,105
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Yes ... but I would say it is better to base you plans expectations on a worst case. For example, if you went over because you got clocked by the boom, or you tagged a stanchion hard on the way, you are also injured. The weather is probably bad (which is why you fell off) and there are not many boats out. Plan for the worst and assume your survival odds are minimal.
@thinwater I absolutely agree with you. Plan for the worst. The purpose of my point was misunderstood and I should have been clearer on my thoughts. If someone TRUELY BELIEVES that if you fall overboard solo YOU ARE DEAD, PERIOD, then there are some (not many I sincerely hope) that will take this thought to to a conclusion that they would be better off when solo to not wear PFDs, locating devices, VHF radios, strobes or anything else. The illogical conclustion is that you are going to die and that is the end of it so why prolong the misery? I don't believe that and I don't advocate not taking appopriate safety precautions when solo or whenever sailing for that matter. It was the "YOU ARE DEAD PERIOD" that I am taking issue with.

As @Tally Ho pointed out, getting someone back on board is very very difficult. Every sailor should practice it with a real person as Tally Ho has. I have to admit I have not and that will be on my priority to-do list. Getting yourself back on board when solo is probably nearly impossible, even if you could somehow magically stop the boat (one in a million chance) and get to it and were fully mobile in the water. Case in point. I fell overboard at the pier (long stupid story). I have a sugar scoop but could not possibly pull myself onto the scoop no matter how hard I tried. I had to swim over to the end of the pier where there was a ladder down into the water. From that point on I tied a short piece of line from the flip down ladder on my sugar scoop to where I could reach it from the water. Won't do me any good when sailing but at least if I fall overboard again when anchored or at a pier I stand a chance of getting back on the boat.
 
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ShawnL

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Jul 29, 2020
146
Catalina 22 3603 Calumet Mi
There are also times where you get tangled in the jack lines, life lines, etc. and have to cut free and take your chances.
I watched this about a year ago
 
Jul 27, 2011
5,134
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I’ve mentioned this book in a few posts of recent years, Suddenly Overboard (True Stories of Sailors in Fatal Trouble) by Tom Lochhaas, 2013, McGraw-Hill. Much of it has to do with not wearing the PFD when going overboard, but the general message of the peril of finding oneself over the side under any circumstances comes through!

KG

P.S. But yes, there are accounts of sailors being rescued from the water several hours to even a day after going overboard in warm waters, such as those of the Gulf of Mexico in late summer when the surface temp is 80 deg F.
 
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Apr 25, 2013
86
Oday 28 Toledo Beach
I solo sail a LOT. A game changer for me was adding an AIS for sure! Look into the Garmin InReach device too (it's tiny and you can put it on your life jacket) so you can send messages and SOS, I love mine. I also have a tiny portable VHF in a pocket in my lifejacket.

Tiny suggestions are: have your ladder down and when out away from traffic, and trail a floating poly line with a fender on it out behind ... just in case. Good luck, I absolutely love solo sailing :)
 
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jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I solo sail a LOT. A game changer for me was adding an AIS for sure! Look into the Garmin InReach device too (it's tiny and you can put it on your life jacket) so you can send messages and SOS, I love mine. I also have a tiny portable VHF in a pocket in my lifejacket.

Tiny suggestions are: have your ladder down and when out away from traffic, and trail a floating poly line with a fender on it out behind ... just in case. Good luck, I absolutely love solo sailing :)
I like both of those. Just drag the transom boarding ladder, and trail a line with a small float.
 
Apr 25, 2013
86
Oday 28 Toledo Beach
A poly line is great because it floats and won't get into your prop if you accidentally forget it's there.....
 
Apr 5, 2009
3,081
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
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.
If you have AIS, you can let shore contacts know how to access your tracker. I do not have AIS but use Boat Beacon with subscriptions so I can provide a link to shore crew to allow them to follow my trail. That way you have real-time data provided to someone.

As for jack lines and tethers, they are very handy for keeping you with the boat but only somewhat helpful with keeping you ON the boat. Make sure that your tether has the ability to allow you to quick disconnect under load because if you go over the side solo, you will quickly be drowned by being towed even at relatively slow speed. You would have a greater chance of survival to be free floating with the personal AIS DCS beacon.

I run my jacklines from the stern cleat forward past the dodger and then inside all of the shrouds which forces anyone going forward to go over the cabin top and not along the side deck. This also provides a shorter tether to give you a better change of not going over the side in the first place
 
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dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
4,248
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
I like both of those. Just drag the transom boarding ladder, and trail a line with a small float.
My transom ladder is set-up do you can reach the bottom rung from the water, Then you can use that to pull yourself up high enough to reach the latch to drop it into the water and then climb aboard.

The trailing line with a float is good, we used to do that years back, but I'd forgotten about it... Thanks for the reminder...

dj
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
4,248
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
You would have a greater chance of survival to be free floating with the personal AIS DCS beacon.
Clearly a near shore statement, which the OP was asking questions about.

For off-shore you really need to set up your jack lines so that you can't fall, or be swept, off the boat.

dj
 
Apr 5, 2009
3,081
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Clearly a near shore statement, which the OP was asking questions about.

For off-shore you really need to set up your jack lines so that you can't fall, or be swept, off the boat.

dj
I agree which is why I described how a run my jacklines to keep them as far from the edge as possible and to support them midway along their length.
 

Johann

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Jun 3, 2004
477
Leopard 39 Pensacola
Clearly a near shore statement, which the OP was asking questions about.

For off-shore you really need to set up your jack lines so that you can't fall, or be swept, off the boat.

dj
I agree about the jackline setup, but the MOB AIS w/DSC could be beneficial even far offshore. Assuming you had a PLB or other device (inReach mini) that could get a rescue headed your way, the coordinates may be stale by the time they arrive. The MOB AIS would give a more updated location, which could be especially useful at night. If I went overboard solo I believe I would deactivate the MOB1 after an hour or so, and reactivate it when I saw/heard a ship or search aircraft.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,672
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
FWIW, a jackline that keeps you on the boat is one word. A jack line on the luff of a sail, near the foot, for example (a utility line) is two words. I find it jarring and confusing when some says they "got tangle in a jack line," because it could mean two different things.

There are two reason jacklines for the solo sailor should not run from stern cleat to bow cleat:
  • Jacklines are rigged permanently for frequent singlehanders (you don't want to be frogging around with rigging them when a storm is approaching, or on a nice day decide "oh, why bother"), so if they are rigged to cleats that may interfere with other uses of the cleats, including (but not limited to) docking and anchoring. I've used a cleat for some manner of jury rig while underway a good few times. There is also the whole argument over whether down the side decks is the right location.
  • Jacklines should not be rigged to the far ends of the boat. In fact, unless you want to go off the front of the back, they should end about 4-5 feet from the ends. Do the trig, and you will see that will get you to the extreme ends, where you should then clip short to a railing.
Two more thoughts, just for fun:
  • It is absolutly possible to rig jacklines so that falling off is impossible. For example, on my trimaran they run allong the hull, not near the bow and not to the transom. There is a tether length of net between me and the side decks at all times.
  • Quick release is not universally accepted. For example, it is not an ISO or World Sailing Offshore Rule requirement. The reason is a fair many tales of them releasing accidentally when they were not intended to let go. Who has not had a spin shackle release inadvertanatly? Sure, it might have been poor maintenance or failure to lock it properly, but that happens with tethers also. You would never find a rock climber with a spin shackle in his gear, and spotted just once, no one would ever climb with him again. I thank many, if not most singlehanders would judge that this risk outweighs the risk of drowning in the bow wave (which they can figure ways to avoid). In fact, the standard permits the harness end to be luggage tagged to the harness, though a Kong Tango would be a much better choice IMO.
Another supplement/alternative is to run high lifelines. Starting at the forward stanchion, go up to the shouds and to other fittings as available (varies with the boat). No one said you can't add a tall stanchion or other fittings to support this. I had high lifelines on my cruising cat to protect the passage beside the cabin. Very nice.

But mostly singlehanding is about planning ahead. You aren't racing, so reef early. If something exciting happened, it was because you did not plan. Take pride in uneventful passages; they are a sign of experience. I singlehand most of the time, and a good day is always uneventful. If it was exciting, I did something wrong, which I immediately pledge not to do again.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
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.


I just ordered the MOB1. I found it for $303 w/free shipping from a store in Connecticut. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Servicing my auto-inflating, vest/harness PFDs. I will install the MOB1 on one of them, and clip the HX890 VHF radio to it. I will set the DSC nature of distress on the radio to MOB. I was thinking of getting the remote speaker/mic and rigging that to the shoulder strap, too. Thoughts?
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I just read this in the MOB1 manual:

Screen Shot 2023-08-09 at 6.05.09 PM.png


Does this mean other vessels really won't see my AIS position and hear my DSC call from this device?

I mean, I'm solo sailing, there's no one on my vessel when I fall over. :(
 
May 17, 2004
5,548
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I just read this in the MOB1 manual:

View attachment 218660

Does this mean other vessels really won't see my AIS position and hear my DSC call from this device?

I mean, I'm solo sailing, there's no one on my vessel when I fall over. :(
That would be a weird limitation. From their website - “The MOB1 communicates with the vessel you have been separated from and other vessels in the vicinity (up to 5 miles range dependent on conditions).”

Maybe the line in the manual meansit can communicate with your own boat because it should certainly be close enough (but others might too)?
 
Jan 11, 2014
12,721
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
The DSC signal from the MOB1 is a VHF signal from a low powered device. As such it is limited by line of sight. Since it will be at 0 feet above the water, the line of sight distance will be short.

The USCG Rescue 21 system is designed to receive any signal that is up to 20 miles off shore transmitted from sea level by a 1 watt transmitter. The MOB1 has a .5 watt transmitter. Thus, the closer you are to shore, the more likely the signal will be received by the CG.

The DSC function is designed to notify your boat. The AIS distress signal will be sent to all vessels and will set off a AIS alarm on nearby vessels including your own boat.