Single Handed

[Scott T-Bird]

Honest question here based on this ^^^^ paragraph:

WHY???

If one is the skipper, shouldn't this be the natural way of things ALL THE TIME, no more or less with anyone else on board? And as others have said --- with "passengers" does not the skipper have a heightened level of responsibility? Or the same?

What do you folks think?

That's a fair point and it would be argued that it should be the case, but I think human nature interferes. I find myself often more disorganized as we leave the slip and raise sails when I sail with Sue than when I'm alone. I probably put more thought into accommodating her and subconsciously think that I can more easily address problems when I have help. I think I tend to be more organized when I set sail alone. Common issues used to be that I would have the headsail hanked and ready to raise prior to leaving the dock when going single, as opposed to going with Sue or somebody else (not an issue now with furling). More importantly, I would think about the need to reef and be prepared before leaving the dock when going single. When I have headed out with Sue, I have been unprepared to reef, leading to a little more difficulty when the need arises. She doesn't find it amusing when I'm trying to feed a reefing line thru a grommet while the sail is flogging and I'm cursing my lack of preparation! Although, I think that lack of preparation is also linked to familiarity with the area we sail. If we are preparing to go someplace unfamiliar, I would assume that a sense of preparation would also be heightened.

 

[Gunni]

Having a good and competent crew makes for easy sailing, having an inexperienced and anxious crew means you are single-handing while baby sitting. I don't think there is any connections between head-count and safer sailing. Likely less.

 

[Parsons]

I've also found it more difficult to sail with crew after a while sailing solo. I forget to give instructions, and just reach around people to setup for tacks or raise sail. Experienced sailors sometimes get annoyed at me -- "If you'd told me where the halyard clutch was, I would have gotten that for you." Think about trying to drive if you had to give verbal instructions about pressing the accelerator.

 

[jssailem]

Sailing solo means never having to say, "Sorry", as you reach in front of a crew member to adjust the sail trim.

Scott has identified his own challenge. Sailing solo means you only have yourself to blame. Sailing with others is work while at the same time can be used as an excuse for less preparation.

I enjoy the crew discussions as we cruise, but I feel like a solo sailor and take all the precautions as if I was a solo sailor. Never sure if crew can come back and get me if I fell over. So I wear the PFD and use the jack lines, carry VHF w DSC, and even put on the dry suit should the weather conditions dictate it's use.

Sailing solo enhances your skills so you can be better at sailing with others.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Think about trying to drive if you had to give verbal instructions about pressing the accelerator.

That's easy. Try it with a stick shift (!!!) then all bets are out the window, since I tried it once with my son years ago.

Many thanks to those who responded to my question. Scott & John nailed it, too.

 

[Foolish]

Thanks for mentioning my Singlehanded Tips book. You can still download the earlier free version here;
http://sfbaysss.org/main/resources/

As to an earlier question of WHY? The answer is because sailing alone is truly a mystical/spiritual experience. There is a whole chapter in my book about this very topic.

 

[SFS]

Very generous, Andrew. Thank you for posting the link.

 

[Tally Ho]

I use to single hand 95% of the time. Why?
When the Admiral comes, we can't heel more than 5 degrees, and have to be back in 2 hours.
When experienced crew comes along, I feel like I need to share the helm duties. Maybe I am antisocial.

This season, the Admiral graduated to first mate...can now stand 15 degree heel without white knuckles, will stay out more than 2 hours (but still no overnights), and has been a big help docking. We moved into a new slip this year, and I am still struggling to find the right approach (but haven't hit anything yet).

Biggest reason is that if the weather is OK, and I have the time, I am going sailing...not going to worry about finding someone to go with me.

Greg

 

[dLj]

Recently finished an ASA 106 class through the Maryland School of Sailing. The topic of single handing came up in conversation. A fellow classmate stated that he did not like single handing and avoided sailing that way at all cost. My comment to him was that he would become a stronger sailor by spending some time on a small keel boat single handing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of single handing as a way to gain sailing skills?

You've specifically asked what are the advantages and disadvantages of single handing as a way to gain sailing skills.

Some of the answers have talked about the advantages. But mostly aimed at the generic 'why' many prefer to single hand.

To gain sailing skills, I think the single handing advantages have been talked about already.

The big advantage of not single handing, comes when you sail with someone that really knows about sailing. They can teach you a lot in a very short amount of time that way.

From my perspective, the best way to gain sailing skills is a combination: Sail some alone, having to figure things out and then sail with someone that knows a lot about sailing and have them teach you a lot. Kind of the best of both worlds..

dj

 

[Tally Ho]

The big advantage of not single handing, comes when you sail with someone that really knows about sailing. They can teach you a lot in a very short amount of time that way.

From my perspective, the best way to gain sailing skills is a combination: Sail some alone, having to figure things out and then sail with someone that knows a lot about sailing and have them teach you a lot. Kind of the best of both worlds..

dj

Some very good points. My wife suggested I sail with some other experienced guys when I bought my first boat. Usually Wednesday nights. First few weeks were good experience, especially if we had a lot of wind or high seas. Learned a lot.

Soon after though, all I was really getting out of the "lesson" was how drink a beer without spilling it.

So I started single handing and following the other boat around. Boats were close enough in speed to make it interesting, and I would watch their point of sail, sail trim, etc. And I got to helm the whole time .

If they beat me, I said it was because I was single-handed and they had crew.

Only down side was that my wife started questing why I was still going to the marina on Wednesday nights when I was no longer "learning" from the other guys. I just tell her any time on the water is a learning experience....getting away with it so far

Greg

 

[Zephyr-Jeffer]

Coincidentally, today I had my first solo sail with my Hunter 25.5 on Seneca Lake. Winds only about 8; enough to fill two sails and keep a straight course.
A confidence building two hours.
Marina docking went smoothly, too.
Wonderful feeling.

 

[bawlmer]

Best way to start.

 

[thinwater]

Honest question here based on this ^^^^ paragraph:

WHY???

If one is the skipper, shouldn't this be the natural way of things ALL THE TIME, no more or less with anyone else on board? And as others have said --- with "passengers" does not the skipper have a heightened level of responsibility? Or the same?

What do you folks think?

I think Balmer is right and that you have baited him. Of course you should always be aware.

Perhaps another way of looking at it is that without crew you can focus purely on the sailing and the boat, without attention to the needs and wants of the crew (are we there yet, I don't feel good, can we go to X instead, the head won't flush, what do I have to do to turn this light on, and of course, move, I need to use that winch.) And never forget "I need to use the head--please call out if we're about to hit something (crab pots are the relevant hazard in this scenario, not other boats of shore).

It's different. Frankly, solo is probably safer if the crew is completely unskilled, since they distract in several ways.

 

[DayDreamer41]

Single handing, I have yet to attempt this although the thought has been in the forefront of my mind, I love sailing and it is not possible on many occasions to have a crew (experienced or otherwise), I do have a fear of docking alone after the sail, there is a fair amount of current in the river where I dock which has a tendency to rotate the bow rather quickly, the goal would be to get the upstream spring line on quick enough to allow me to gently drive the boat forward to hold the bow against the current. I guess the only way I will know is to go with the ole Nike adage and, "Just do it".

 

[Ned Ludd]

Being that I learned to sail single handed I have never actually thought about it. I stepped up from a 14' boat which could only handle me to a 24' boat, now I have a 28' boat and prefer to single hand. When the Admiral joins me she does a bit but she is not really into the sailing aspect of boating, she enjoys being on the water, the scenery and the relaxation of a quite anchorage.

I am the personality type who needs alone time and being on the boat sailing along without any interruptions is bliss. The only change I have made to the original setup is to add a roller furler to the genoa which simplifies things immensely. No self tailing winches, main halyard is on the mast, I guess I am just kind of old school.

 

[uncledom]

My first sail boat was an 1985 Hunter 25.5. It was a good boat, perhaps a little tender. I single handed it all the time. The next one was a Bene 35s5. Awesome boat. Hard to dock with a two blade Gori folding prop and no bow thruster but managable. The Hunter 41 is a breeze. Having the bow thruster and a virtual no wind, no current marina makes backing it in and stopping a foot from the main dock a cinch. It depends upon the boat and the dock as to how easy but I've always felt that was the only thing that caused me to want crew, docking. Sailing is sailing. It doesn't matter who you bring, just enjoy sailing and enjoy trying to share the experience.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

My ex frequently single handed our 25. In fact, she did a 3 week trip from our slip in Port Lavaca to the Texas line in 2009. I was finishing a customers boat an she was ready to GO!!
Sure miss that

 

[thinwater]

The only problem I have with singlehanding is that I'm not very good company after a few nights.

 

[jssailem]

It must be difficult to live with yourself.

 

[Sumner]

The only problem I have with singlehanding is that I'm not very good company after a few nights.

I learned how to carry on some good two sided conversations in the 3 months I was singlehanding to the Bahamas and back. I later figured that in that time I spent less than 2 hours total talking to anyone else once I left Florida. I still had a great time,

Sumner
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