Alone again, naturally

[Jaqualine Roussin]

What a surprise. I love it!

Thankyou for bringing up the subject of solo sailing. When I bought my 21 foot Islander last year, it was more an emotional moment based on the colour of the sky and the blue heron dipping. Sailing was something one did into the sunset. It was not until a few days later that the truth set in: I was a boat owner with not one friend who would venture out with me, thinking me insane.(Except one, but she never came back). I had no choice if I was to save face but to head out alone, even if it was in complete terror. That one journey changed my life. I now relate to Mike from San Diego "I'm a single handed sailor". There is no poetry greater than the sea, and the difficulties I endure while connected to the ocean are more of a tittilating adventure than the catastrophies that I imagine every time I haul anchor. I am now looking at going offshore. I would appreciate input as to a female single handling a mercator 32 (I know the design is obsolete, but it looks so pretty in the rain...)

 

[Ralph]

Crew optional

I prefer sailing with a small crew on my Beneteau First 345, but it seems crew I can tolerate cant tolerate me or maybe it is I cant tolerate crew who can tolerate me??? Either way....??? I never wanted to "depend" on crew to sail, so I make sure I can sail alone. Either way, I would rather be sailing.... As far as the question "the biggest challenge?" I would say, backing into a slip with opposing wind and current abeam. I usually try to return if single handing, at a time when conditions are favorable.

 

[Wally]

my solo sailing

I single hand for lack of crew, at my age, 83, I'M NOT AS AGILE as I used to be so I really prefer to have a crew.Wally

 

[Ben]

Only once

I generally have friends available who like to sail when I go out, and I prefer having three people on board (one to drive, one for the main sheet, and one for the jib sheets), but there was one weekend this summer when my wife and almost everyone I knew was either out of town, or working. I'm relatively new to sailing, and wasn't really comfortable single handing, but deep down I knew I could do it. Besides, I had now choice in the matter. The weather was perfect. So I went out for a couple hours, and had a blast. The boat handled perfectly, and the weather cooperated. I even had fun racing upwind against a Cat 22.But my final verdict, even though I had fun? I prefer having friends with me. I saw so many beautiful things, and had no one to share them with. Couldn't even take any pictures, as my hands were busy sailing.And besides, doing everything myself was a lot of work. I'm happy that I challenged myself and was successful, but I will still try to bring like-minded people with me.But that does bring up another issue. There are always lots of jobs to be done on a boat, sails to be trimmed etc., and sometimes the people I've brought along just didn't want to touch any of it. Sometimes the conditions scare people, and other first-time sailors have decided that it was time to head back the first time the boat heeled. I guess my point is that as much as I enjoy having company, I understand why so many of the people posting on this thread love single-handing so much.

 

[Andy D'Angelo]

If You Want It Done Right- - -

I'm not much in to team sports.My life has revolved around activities that test me alone,running marathons,long distance biking and sailing singlehanded.My wife is along most of the time BUT for all peactical purposes it's still single handed.It's not so much the challange as the satifaction (if all went well) of passing a self imposed test.If you do it your self you continiously increase your understanding of your boat and your self.It doesn't hurt to have some help from tecnology so I'll have to admit that my in-mast furling,autopilot and GPS make singlehanded adventures less adventurious.

 

[Steve Watson]

Returning to slip is an adventure

Sailing alone at times can be very comforting and relaxing. I would not like a steady diet of it because I enjoy the company and help of a crew. All would note that some passengers are like having no crew and you are single handed at best. My only real problem is returning to my slip with wind and no dock help which usually is present any way. With dock help no problem. Working on ideas of having lines available on dock to pick up with out having to "leap" to dock and leave my 38 foot boat all alone to the wind. Sometimes the "leap is more than I care to chance which requires another run into the slip with no bow thrusters.

 

[Bill Spradley]

Yes If I want to sail.

I single hand because I have time to sail during the week and the rest of my family is working. I am retired and the midweek sailing is relaxed and quiet. There are seldom more than 5 or 10 other boats on the lake. I enjoy the quiet and like the idea that it improves my skills as a sailor. It can sometimes be a problem docking the boat but on the whole it has been without incident. I think everyone should be able to handle their craft alone.

 

[Rick Ellis]

On my own at last

When I was 15 (1969) or so my Dad had a 25’ Westerly Windrush, that had a Vovo Penta 7.5 horse for the auxiliary engine. He decided to take the risk and let me go out alone. I had been sailing since I was knee high to a toad stool and he felt I could handle it okay.Well to make a long story short as I backed out of the slip I somehow managed to get one of the dock lines wrapped around the prop. One would think that the engine would stop and all you would have to do is take a quick plunge, unwind the line and climb aboard and continue on the way. Wrong! Seems the engine did stop but on further inspection I found the engine laying on it side in the bilge. Tore itself off its mounts. Lots of torque.Uh! Dad you won’t believe this.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Docking

Great subject and wonderful responses.I note a number of "fear of flying" comments about docking alone, and jumping off boats.Using a spring line from midships to the aft dock cleat is an easy way to dock when alone.Of course, there are modifications required if you have pilings.The related link goes to a recent series of posts on the subject that some may have missed and could find useful. Also try forum archive searches on spring lines, docking, etc.Stu

 

[Lauraine]

My husband and I double hand all the time

but each of us can handle all aspects of the boat alone if we have to. We have practiced this in the event that something were to happen to either one of us. She is set up to be singlehanded. The hardest part for me is getting the main raised by myself. All lines are led to the cockpit, the boat will be on autopilot heading into the wind but if there's chop it may throw her offwind a bit and then sometimes the battens get hung up in the lazyjacks requiring some gymnastics to get them loose again. We're solving that problem by getting rid of the current PO's homemade lazy jacks and replacing them with a retractable system.

 

[Craig McDow]

Coming out of a stiff dead down wind!

I really enjoy sailing my Santana 22' by myself (it's a lot of fun to be with crew as well of course). The last time I was out on S.F. Bay I was going dead down wind and the jib and main were flat wide open 'wing on wing'. Because it was blowing so hard I thought coming into the wind was going to be very difficult. I had to drop the jib, turn (keeping the tiller positioned from rounding up violently) and keep the boat from heeling extremely. I wished that I'd had a crew then!

 

[J]

Alone even with guests

It seems my family and even friends like their cruises "skippered", probably because of my lazy tendency to do everything nautical while enthusiastically encouraging them to pitch in with food, beverage and KP duty. I often take my vessel out alone, I'm on a protected mooring, I can sail her practically in my sleep, but I am so inept at the duties of cooler and galley management I can't stand more then two hours.

 

[the Pirate of Sha-lin]

I used to single-hand, too...

I used to single hand all of the time on my Catalina 22. I used to love the peace and the sound of the wind and water. I loved relying on myself. I had a stereo aboard, but hardly ever turned it on. Now I have a Pearson 33, and a new first mate. The Pearson can be single-handed, and all of the above would apply, but the truth is that it wouldn't be as much fun without my other half/first mate.

 

[LeeC]

What a response

I haven't tried single-hand sailing yet but anticipate that I will next summer. I have really enjoyed the variety of comments on the subject.

 

[Rich]

A great learning experince

I have been soloing for the last year for day and evening sails. I enjoy the peace and relaxing felling of sailing 5 to 10 miles of the coast. knowing it's just you and mother nature bonding, but still knowing and respecting mother nature and the furry she can throw at you. Next is going out for night sails. I learn so much about the boat, A Hunter 37.5, and my sailing ablities every time I go out. The hardest part of soloing is fixing lunch, with no autopiolit or someone to hold the wheel. There for it's usally a bag of chips and a beverage. OOPs I forgot about hauling the anchor after a night on the hook.  I find that even with crew I will end up doing everything my self due to there lack of intrest in sailing or willingness to help. I do enjoy a good seasoned crew, I will drive the boat harder and faster with good crew..  Everyone should be able to handle there boat solo, you never know when you will have to sail the boat solo.Safe sailing to all.........

 

[Rick Macdonald]

I enjoy single handing so much that...

I enjoy single-handing so much that every time I'm out I find myself wishing that there was somebody with me to share it with.

 

[John Quirk]

Not thru the Cape Cod Canal again!

Drifted, motored and drifted to the Sagamore end of the Canal this August. A 3-5 knot breeze became 25+ knots as soon as I hit the middle of the canal. Main and Jib up, wind directly at the bow, oncoming and passing Love Boats, canal patrol boat circling while crossing the infamous whirlpools - sails had to come down.Was it worth it? Well, lets put it this way - I felt like having a cigarette afterwards.

 

[Paul Akers]

Cape Cod Canal

Regulations prohibit sailing thru the canal. That's probably why the canal patrol stopped by to check. They have cameras that monitor the full length of the canal looking for problems. They were checking to see if your motor was running.Use just your main when motoring thru and always go with the current. Even on calm days you will get wind funneling about half way thru the canal. Last year I was passing to the east end (Sagamore) and a puff of wind sent me to 11 knots with the current behind me. I have a Legend 37. I always find the canal a joy ride. But I have never done it alone as you have.

 

[Larry]

Necessity is the mother of invention

I purchased a Cal 24 this summer. Initially I beat the bushes looking for crew (Wife and child interested only in horses) but everyone is so "scheduled" that I was forced to sail alone. My first trips were rife with errors - main halyard hung up on the lazyjack, foresail furling lines wrapped around furler, winch jams, topping lift confusion and clumsy docking, either coming in too fast and hitting the bow, or coming in too slow and not reaching the dock. I have gradually gotten things more or less under control and try to limit myself to one dumb mistake per sail. I have enjoyed reading the responses and have picked up a good deal of useful information. I will definitely look into a tiller tamer which might allow me to dart into the cabin for a second to retrieve potato chips or binoculars, and be going in the same direction when I return to the stern.

 

[Thom Hoffman]

Whatever it Takes

for me to be on the water when time and weather allow is the way I go. I enjoy having company aboard and helping them experience movement with the wind; we've had some great days and weekends with guests aboard. The weather seems to often obstruct planned outings with company aboard; hence, many of my sails are then done on relatively short notice and that's not when I want to spend much time calling possible crew, awaiting call backs, coordinating meeting times/places, etc. As noted in other responses, there are many rewards to be had in solo sailing, and while I'd not want to do that all the time, I really enjoy the freedom of not being land-bound when I can't get someone on such short notice to venture out with me.