First Single Handed Journey

[YVRguy]

For the sake of anyone who may be interested or considering single handing for the first time, I just came back from a four day trip solo to the Gulf Islands and had a blast. This was my first attempt at solo sailing. The new Raymarine autopilot has made this possible and I can't say enough how many new possibilities this has opened up for me. It's like I'm back to my first days with the boat!

If you're interested, check out my blog post about it at http://dougsnewboat.blogspot.ca/2014/06/single-handing.html

I am very interested in hearing about others early experiences single handing - humorous anecdotes, tips, etc...

 

[Brian D]

Well done! I basically single hand all the time but no extended trips yet. I agree with the autopilot. But now that I have solar on board my battery concerns are lessen. The panels provide enough juice to keep the autopilot running during the day without taking away from the battery.

 

[justsomeguy]

Nicely written, Mr. Burton!

I couldn't help but think of Ken Kesey's The Electric Koolaid Acid Test when you described the Hummingbird Pub bus ride.

Congratulations on your first!

 

[Chris Patterson]

That was a super cool account. What a trip.

 

[Mark Maulden]

We always enjoy Montague Hbr. You might look at going through Active Pass with the wind on the stern quarter. Assuming wind is from the north. Don't worry about ferries. There's plenty of room! Enjoyed the blog!

 

[YVRguy]

Thanks very much, all. Mark I will definitely be using Active Pass soon. I didn't use it this time because I would have had to motor into the wind all the way home. Or at least very tough beating.

 

[Jalepeno]

You should post this on:

http://www.bcboatnet.org/boattalk/index.php

 

[Doc_holiday]

Great story! I am living vicariously through folks like you until I can someday retire and leave the world behind for a short while.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

YVR,

And, they say there are no explorers left. Way to do it brother.

My autopilot I lovingly refer to my firstmate as "OTTO", is the best crewmate/helmsman I have.
He never argues or takes bathroom breaks. He can out steer me in most conditions and never speaks a disparaging word. From time to time, he might beep once, but is was my fault he did.

Your Otto can free you up from trapped behind the wheel. This comes in real handy for underway fixits, sprucing up, eating, sailsets and/or entertaining.

And the best of all, he saves you alot of time & energy. Way to go pal.

CR

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Nice story. I brought my boat from the Chesapeake, around to south Texas as my first long single hand trip. 2600 miles. Without my tiller pilot, it would NOT have been doable.

 

[Doc_holiday]

I have the old autohelm 1000 with the dial on top and it is a little temperamental and needs to be replaced. Every once in a while I have to give it a smack or spit on it to wake it up. The relationship is a lot like Humphrey Bogart had with the boiler on the African Queen.

I suspect it also uses more power than a newer one but I am just assuming. I added a second battery so i don't worry as much now.

If I can work it out, I would love to solo from Deltaville, VA to Havre De Grace, MD the week prior to the cup but it may be hard to get the admirals approval for that.

 

[YVRguy]

YVR,

And, they say there are no explorers left. Way to do it brother.

My autopilot I lovingly refer to my firstmate as "OTTO", is the best crewmate/helmsman I have.
He never argues or takes bathroom breaks. He can out steer me in most conditions and never speaks a disparaging word. From time to time, he might beep once, but is was my fault he did.

Your Otto can free you up from trapped behind the wheel. This comes in real handy for underway fixits, sprucing up, eating, sailsets and/or entertaining.

And the best of all, he saves you alot of time & energy. Way to go pal.

CR

Thanks CR;

Compared to some of the trips you and other members have taken it was just a small jaunt but one step at a time. By the end of this summer I'll need to get back to working so I am giving serious thought about taking full advantage of my summer off and how far afield I will go.

I too refer to my autopilot as Otto, but I must say I am discovering limitations. Under sail he will allow the boat to swing 30 degrees either way when taking waves on the beam or stern quarter. Is that normal? Contrary to your experience, if I want to make "best time" I need to handle the wheel myself as I can respond to wave action more effectively than Otto.

 

[justsomeguy]

Thanks CR;

Compared to some of the trips you and other members have taken it was just a small jaunt but one step at a time. By the end of this summer I'll need to get back to working so I am giving serious thought about taking full advantage of my summer off and how far afield I will go.

I too refer to my autopilot as Otto, but I must say I am discovering limitations. Under sail he will allow the boat to swing 30 degrees either way when taking waves on the beam or stern quarter. Is that normal? Contrary to your experience, if I want to make "best time" I need to handle the wheel myself as I can respond to wave action more effectively than Otto.

I believe you are actually anticipating the wave action effects, whereas Otto is responding only.

Ya, normal.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Most tiller and autopilots have a "sea state" adjustment you can make to help with that course oscillation

 

[Anonymous 121765]

YVR,

TSBB2 mentioned sea state adjustment. Kudos to him for mentioning this. Don't let this "Seastate" title fool you, as sea state really in my definition refers to steering ratios. All boats can have different steering ratios, a lower setting moves your rudder more, a higher setting less.

This simply means how many times do you have to turn the wheel for your rudder to move 180° or otherwise turn from far right to far left before it stops. If the seastate setting is too high, your autopilot is working too hard with quick adjustments & using unnecessary power. I find that equating this to steering ratio works best in most conditions

Seastate was supposed to mean the autopilot's electronics would average the current seas & adjust accordantly. I never believed that, what I did see was with my autopilot, was tied into my steering ratio.

Different boats have different ratios of steering (mine is 1 2/3 : 1 ratio). It all has to do with your steering quadrant diameter size & top gearing reduction relative to your rudder.

To find what ratio you have, first turn your wheel fully to STBD. Take two pieces of masking tape. Place one piece on your first wheel spoke when fully turned past the center of your pedestal. Place the other piece of tape at a 12:00 position behind the wheel on your pedestal.

Now carefully turn your wheel in the opposite direction to PORT. As you do this, take note of how many full turns (360°) you make past the tape mark on your pedestal. What was it, 1 or 2 turns? If the spoke tape moves past this 12:00 position, calculate what percentage past this angle the spoke is at. Say, 1/3 of 360°, 1/2 of 360° and so on.

So, if it takes 1 1/2 turns, you have a setting of 1.5 : 1 ratio steering. If you go two turns or more, you have a 2:1 ratio or more depending on how far the spoke is past 12:00. All Otto's react differently to "seastate ratios." If it's a little more, try to go to the next setting. Mine is set at the third setting (3/7%) of my seastate. This works well for me under most conditions. You can always adjust this setting up or down as seas are always different. But, I find my fixed setting does well 97% of the time. Play with these settings in varying conditions & you will find the mark that works best for you. If seas are quicker, turn it up a notch.

The final test is knowing that you are sailing in a liquid medium. Weather, waves & current are always in flux & ever changing. The secret for me is keeping Otto happy. The best way to do this is to always BALANCE your boat to the conditions you find yourself sailing in. If you can adapt, you & your firstmate will get along just fine.

CR

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Doc,

I like the way you think pal. I feel we are just not the yacht club member types.

As one gunslinger to another.......

CR

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

YVR,

TSBB2 mentioned sea state adjustment. Kudos to him for mentioning this. Don't let this "Seastate" title fool you, as sea state really in my definition refers to steering ratios. All boats can have different steering ratios, a lower setting moves your rudder more, a higher setting less.

This simply means how many times do you have to turn the wheel for your rudder to move 180° or otherwise turn from far right to far left before it stops. If the seastate setting is too high, your autopilot is working too hard with quick adjustments & using unnecessary power. I find that equating this to steering ratio works best in most conditions

Seastate was supposed to mean the autopilot's electronics would average the current seas & adjust accordantly. I never believed that, what I did see was with my autopilot, was tied into my steering ratio.

Different boats have different ratios of steering (mine is 1 2/3 : 1 ratio). It all has to do with your steering quadrant diameter size & top gearing reduction relative to your rudder.

To find what ratio you have, first turn your wheel fully to STBD. Take two pieces of masking tape. Place one piece on your first wheel spoke when fully turned past the center of your pedestal. Place the other piece of tape at a 12:00 position behind the wheel on your pedestal.

Now carefully turn your wheel in the opposite direction to PORT. As you do this, take note of how many full turns (360°) you make past the tape mark on your pedestal. What was it, 1 or 2 turns? If the spoke tape moves past this 12:00 position, calculate what percentage past this angle the spoke is at. Say, 1/3 of 360°, 1/2 of 360° and so on.

So, if it takes 1 1/2 turns, you have a setting of 1.5 : 1 ratio steering. If you go two turns or more, you have a 2:1 ratio or more depending on how far the spoke is past 12:00. All Otto's react differently to "seastate ratios." If it's a little more, try to go to the next setting. Mine is set at the third setting (3/7%) of my seastate. This works well for me under most conditions. You can always adjust this setting up or down as seas are always different. But, I find my fixed setting does well 97% of the time. Play with these settings in varying conditions & you will find the mark that works best for you. If seas are quicker, turn it up a notch.

The final test is knowing that you are sailing in a liquid medium. Weather, waves & current are always in flux & ever changing. The secret for me is keeping Otto happy. The best way to do this is to always BALANCE your boat to the conditions you find yourself sailing in. If you can adapt, you & your firstmate will get along just fine.

CR

But-but-but-- I have a tiller

Nice write up though

 

[YVRguy]

YVR,

TSBB2 mentioned sea state adjustment. Kudos to him for mentioning this. Don't let this "Seastate" title fool you, as sea state really in my definition refers to steering ratios. All boats can have different steering ratios, a lower setting moves your rudder more, a higher setting less.

This simply means how many times do you have to turn the wheel for your rudder to move 180° or otherwise turn from far right to far left before it stops. If the seastate setting is too high, your autopilot is working too hard with quick adjustments & using unnecessary power. I find that equating this to steering ratio works best in most conditions

Seastate was supposed to mean the autopilot's electronics would average the current seas & adjust accordantly. I never believed that, what I did see was with my autopilot, was tied into my steering ratio.

Different boats have different ratios of steering (mine is 1 2/3 : 1 ratio). It all has to do with your steering quadrant diameter size & top gearing reduction relative to your rudder.

To find what ratio you have, first turn your wheel fully to STBD. Take two pieces of masking tape. Place one piece on your first wheel spoke when fully turned past the center of your pedestal. Place the other piece of tape at a 12:00 position behind the wheel on your pedestal.

Now carefully turn your wheel in the opposite direction to PORT. As you do this, take note of how many full turns (360°) you make past the tape mark on your pedestal. What was it, 1 or 2 turns? If the spoke tape moves past this 12:00 position, calculate what percentage past this angle the spoke is at. Say, 1/3 of 360°, 1/2 of 360° and so on.

So, if it takes 1 1/2 turns, you have a setting of 1.5 : 1 ratio steering. If you go two turns or more, you have a 2:1 ratio or more depending on how far the spoke is past 12:00. All Otto's react differently to "seastate ratios." If it's a little more, try to go to the next setting. Mine is set at the third setting (3/7%) of my seastate. This works well for me under most conditions. You can always adjust this setting up or down as seas are always different. But, I find my fixed setting does well 97% of the time. Play with these settings in varying conditions & you will find the mark that works best for you. If seas are quicker, turn it up a notch.

The final test is knowing that you are sailing in a liquid medium. Weather, waves & current are always in flux & ever changing. The secret for me is keeping Otto happy. The best way to do this is to always BALANCE your boat to the conditions you find yourself sailing in. If you can adapt, you & your firstmate will get along just fine.

CR

Thanks CR, I'll head down to the boat this aft and try to make the adjustment.

 

[Joe]

"Otto".... are people still using that? I just call it the AP. I actually have a friend named otto.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Yes, Joe, it would be confusing if he sailed with you. We found Otto to, well, overdone, by most. We call ours Graeme, 'cuz it's an old Raymarine made in England.