have been learning howto sail my 23.5 this year and picking up on things each time out , every time Ive had my wife with me to help with rudder/jib ect I dont have roller furler system so its been easy to this point to drop the sails with both us of aboard, BUT question is how difficult is it for one person to drop the sails alone and what steps are takin in which order? thanks for any input."lastly should rudder be tied with line while going to bow to grab job?"
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If I am single handing my 26, which I only do in moderate winds BTW, I go forward to the mast and raise the jib. Some boats have clutches that run the halyard to the cockpit, I choose to tie it off at the mast. Try and tension the sheets enough before hand so the jib will not flip around the forestay and cause more problems. Then I raise the main. Un cleat the main sheet so the boom swings free. Often the boat will pirouette so make sure you have lots of room. Each time the boat heads into the wind, raise the main a little further. To strike the sails, uncleat the main sheet, and lower the main. Then lower the jib.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
On our 23.5, I generally turn into the wind, with the motor idling in gear and the tiller tied off to keep the boat into the wind. Raise the main, then the jib. Push the tiller slightly to fall off the wind, trim the jib, then the main. put the motor in neutral, shut it off, and I'm sailing.
Dowsing, I start the motor, put it in gear at idle, turn into the wind, and tie off the tiller. After flaking out the jib halyard, I release the jib halyard and go forward to pull down the jib, bundle it up and secure it to the pulpit with a bungee cord. Then back to the cockpit and adjust the tiller if needed to stay into the wind, make sure the topping lift is fast, flake out the main halyard and release it, move to the mast to pull down the main and secure it with the stops. Back to the cockpit to untie the tiller, and I'm motoring.
It is important that you have enough maneuvering room to windward, and while you are doing all of this, you need to keep an eye out for other boats and your heading.
It is possible to run a light line from the cockpit, through the shackle at the jib tack to the head of the jib. When it's time to dowse the jib, you can pull it down using this line, without leaving the cockpit, and secure the jib when you get back to the dock.
Rob
S/V Kinship
Lorain, OH
Dowsing, I start the motor, put it in gear at idle, turn into the wind, and tie off the tiller. After flaking out the jib halyard, I release the jib halyard and go forward to pull down the jib, bundle it up and secure it to the pulpit with a bungee cord. Then back to the cockpit and adjust the tiller if needed to stay into the wind, make sure the topping lift is fast, flake out the main halyard and release it, move to the mast to pull down the main and secure it with the stops. Back to the cockpit to untie the tiller, and I'm motoring.
It is important that you have enough maneuvering room to windward, and while you are doing all of this, you need to keep an eye out for other boats and your heading.
It is possible to run a light line from the cockpit, through the shackle at the jib tack to the head of the jib. When it's time to dowse the jib, you can pull it down using this line, without leaving the cockpit, and secure the jib when you get back to the dock.
Rob
S/V Kinship
Lorain, OH
Get a Tiller Pilot. They are not too expensive, will hold course into the wind for you while you can put up and douse the sails safely. With my 23.5, I would get the jib ready and tie it off with a sail tie to the lifelines or pulpit until I was ready to hoist. Remember to release your toppping lift before leaving the dock and make sure the vang is loose as well, otherwise it will make it ahrd to raise the main.
On my 26, we went with a roller furler and I installed harken lazy jacks. This makes sngle handing easier.
On my 26, we went with a roller furler and I installed harken lazy jacks. This makes sngle handing easier.
One last thing. When single handing, make sure you have a life vest and harness and tie yourself off to the boat with a quality jackline and lanyard. At least once a summer, they will find an empty boat on Lake Michicgan, and it turns out a single hander fell overboard and the boat sailed away!
I've single handed boats of all sizes. I often have guests, but rarely have crew.
Some very good advice above.
I always raise the main first because it requires attention to wind and course. Once the boat is stable on the main, I shut down the motor and than raise the jib. Reverse when dowsing.
If I own the boat, I always rig the sheets and haulyards back to the cockpit for easy single handling.
Some very good advice above.
I always raise the main first because it requires attention to wind and course. Once the boat is stable on the main, I shut down the motor and than raise the jib. Reverse when dowsing.
If I own the boat, I always rig the sheets and haulyards back to the cockpit for easy single handling.
Lots of good advice but here's a simpler technique.
If you have not learned how to heave to, this is the easiest way to lower the main singlehanded. Once this is accomplished it is a simple matter to lower the jib and motor home.
Ideally, you want to heave-to about 45-60 degrees off the wind. This is more like "parking" the boat. In moderate winds you should be making little or no headway and drifting leeward about 2 knots. It's necessary to practice this technique to see what works for you.
Each boat heaves to differently but your boat is very much like my H260 and I'm confident this technique will work well for you.
Go to: http://h260.com/heavingto/heaving-to5.html
If you have not learned how to heave to, this is the easiest way to lower the main singlehanded. Once this is accomplished it is a simple matter to lower the jib and motor home.
Ideally, you want to heave-to about 45-60 degrees off the wind. This is more like "parking" the boat. In moderate winds you should be making little or no headway and drifting leeward about 2 knots. It's necessary to practice this technique to see what works for you.
Each boat heaves to differently but your boat is very much like my H260 and I'm confident this technique will work well for you.
Go to: http://h260.com/heavingto/heaving-to5.html
One additional note. I spend as little time as possible on the bow when single handing. I don't try to unbend or bag the jib while under way. I get it down fast and secure it in place. A couple of sail stops and the slack removed from the sheets will keep it on deck.
Heaving To
Here's a diagram and description. Suggest you take a keelboat sailing course where they teach this and other valuable techniques.
Go to: http://h260.com/heavingto/heaving-to5.html
Since the tiller is tied off to leeward, with the main and jib down you'll just drift in a lazy circle until you can get back to the cockpit.
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An easy way to test this technique is:
1. Motor out and stop with plenty of searoom.
2. Tie the tiller off to leeward.
3. Raise the jib and cleat it off.
The wind will push the boat around so that the jib is backwinded. Eventually the boat will settle down at about 45 degrees to the wind. Play with the tiller a little so that the tiller and jib are equally balanced.
Once you have the feel of it, you can then head up into the wind and raise the main and sail away.
Here's a diagram and description. Suggest you take a keelboat sailing course where they teach this and other valuable techniques.
Go to: http://h260.com/heavingto/heaving-to5.html
Since the tiller is tied off to leeward, with the main and jib down you'll just drift in a lazy circle until you can get back to the cockpit.
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An easy way to test this technique is:
1. Motor out and stop with plenty of searoom.
2. Tie the tiller off to leeward.
3. Raise the jib and cleat it off.
The wind will push the boat around so that the jib is backwinded. Eventually the boat will settle down at about 45 degrees to the wind. Play with the tiller a little so that the tiller and jib are equally balanced.
Once you have the feel of it, you can then head up into the wind and raise the main and sail away.
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