Single-handing a Catalina 310?

[Monheganlover]

I am looking at doing some single handing of my 2002 Catalina 310 this summer. I have an auto-pilot which has the tacking feature and the lines are led aft and the winches for the jib sheets, as with all Catalina 310s I think, are pretty near at hand. The previous owner also installed a bow thruster for ease of docking. I have extensive single-handing experience on my previous, though smaller, sailboat, a Seaward 25. But the 310 is a good bit bigger.

While I realize there is a lot that goes into the question, and it is pretty subjective, I am interested in the experience of other Catalina 310 owners who single-hand their boats. Easy? Hard? Things to do to make it simpler? Thanks in advance!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

lots of sailors intentionally learn to single-hand every boat they have had regardless of size as it provides a level of safety to all aboard should anyone/everyone else be incapable, seasick, etc...
Should be pretty easy to do with a 31 ft boat rigged as you describe.

Sailing is the easy part. To state the obvious, the two more challenging things you should practice are picking up a mooring single-handed and obviously docking.

 

[leo310]

Picking up a mooring on a 310 is easy just revers to the ball, pick up the line then walk to the bow. What I find is docking into a tight slip with X wind @ 15 kts

 

[jssailem]

Congrats for your new to you boat.
Lots of learning fun as you jump on a new boat. It is a lot like riding a bigger bike. Al the steps are similar, but perhaps a little slower.

Solo sailing any boat is all about being prepared for what is about to happen. Being familiar with the gear is important. Raising and lowering the sails are great if you have an AP. Aim into the wind and quickly manage the sail.

I find that tacking can be an issue with an AP. Mine will execute the 90 degree turn but can try to turn back. It is a practiced activity.

You will need to find a simple way of docking that will work for you. I use a spring line to my mid cleat.
This Vimeo video shows how the technique is executed.

Enjoy the sailing.

 

[Siamese]

I had a 309, and now have a 315. Close enough? Aside from docking, I don't see it as being any more difficult to single hand than a Seaward 25.

An improvement I made to my 309 and will likely make on my 315 is to bypass the cleat for the Genoa furling line, and add...I'll do my best to explain it....a block and a cam cleat gizmo that can be attached low on your Portside stern rail down low to the deck. I hope that makes sense. Garhauer Marine sells one for about $70. This makes it MUCH easier to make adjustments or roll up your Genoa from behind the wheel.

I guess one other thing I did on both boats, is to have a winch handle mounted about a foot from the Genoa winches and the mainsheet winch. I get PVC plumbing pipe large enough to accommodate the handle, cut it down to the appropriated length, and attach it to the stern rail and the support for the dodger. They seem to hold up to UV, they're cheap, and they look fine. I drill small holes in them and thread some light double braid line through the holes to make the attachments. Having the winch handles exactly where you need them makes a noticeable difference. Oh...the lettering that's on the PVC pipe comes off with acetone.

Everything else on these boats is single-hand ready. Have fun!

P.S.
The one thing that's a little inconvenient on these boats is the traveler. Located forward of the companionway hatch, it's not exactly handy from the wheel. Unless you have ten foot arms. Generally, what I do is before I come about, I release the car for the traveler and let it slide down the track to where I'll want it to be after I come about. That screws up the set of mainsail, but not enough to make as real difference, as I immediately return to the wheel and turn the wheel to come about.

I've used the auto tack feature on my autopilot just to try it, but I prefer to turn the wheel myself when tacking. Not saying one or the other is better, but I prefer to do it myself. Turn wheel, wait for the right time to release the windward Genoa sheet, and once the bow crosses the wind, I lock the clutch on the wheel and rapidly pull in the Genoa sheet on the new windward side. Once I re-engage the auto pilot I can fine tune the Genoa. Of course, the main takes care of itself.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Don't be a slave behind your wheel and your traveler control lines will begin to make sense. Get midships cleats if you don't have them and learn how to use a midship springline.

Here are some other observations. I had a C22 & a C25 before this boat, not an issue.
Single Handing 101 Single handing & Bull Rails

Single Handing 101.1 Midship Cleats Pictures Midship cleat PHOTOS / Flix

Single Handing 101.2 HOPPING OFF THE BOAT IS UNNECESSARY
Single handing & Bull Rails

Single Handing 101.3 Mainsail Cam Cleat photo (thx to Noah) In Boom furling and WinchRite

 

[rpwillia]

Single handed sailing on a 310 is easy. The hardest thing is docking in a breeze. Since just about everything is led aft it is no problem.

Siamese had a good suggestion which is getting rid of the block and cleat for your furling line and getting a Garhauer block like this (they have one with a clamp to go on your stern railing); I did and never looked back. Single Block with Cam Cleat | Garhauer It in general just makes letting out and bringing in the jib so much easier.

You will find that once you develop a routine you can get on course and then tweak the traveler and the jib sheets as you need. I have this on my jib tracks which have been a great upgrade. E-Z Glide Adjustable Genoa Cars EZ G 2UB | Garhauer You can adjust these under load from the cockpit.

 

[marchem]

Not a great phot, but my rigger led both traveler control lines aft, inside of all the other control lines and halyards. Makes it much easier to use the traveler, single or multi handed. If you’re interested I can try to remember to take a picture of the rigging at the traveler.

 

[rpwillia]

If you have the Garhauer traveler, I had Guido (who passed this past year) make me up a new set of blocks on the port side so my traveler control lines are both on the port side. It was $100.

 

[PlaneTom]

As others have said, sailing the 310 single handed is not difficult, and some have suggested modifications to make it even easier. I sail solo most often, but after my wife retires this month we'll doublehand more often.
Docking in much of a crosswind is the interesting part. My usual tendency to approach very slowly doesn't always help, the boat is still making leeway, messing with my alignment going into the slip. Getting that balance right is a constant adjustment for me.
This seems like a good place for this short video of post-graduate level docking. Sure, it was originally a Norwegian PSA on not drinking and boating, but still good for a chuckle.

Video: Norwegian anti-drinking PSA shows how to dock your boat like a boss

A Norwegian organisation has released a PSA showing how to dock your boat like a ‘boss’ while sober in an effort to promote safe drinking and boating practices.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

 

[JRT]

I'm still not there for Single handing either, but will be trying soon, so good feedback. Out of curiosity what bow thruster is on your 310?

 

[marchem]

As others have said, sailing the 310 single handed is not difficult, and some have suggested modifications to make it even easier. I sail solo most often, but after my wife retires this month we'll doublehand more often.
Docking in much of a crosswind is the interesting part. My usual tendency to approach very slowly doesn't always help, the boat is still making leeway, messing with my alignment going into the slip. Getting that balance right is a constant adjustment for me.
This seems like a good place for this short video of post-graduate level docking. Sure, it was originally a Norwegian PSA on not drinking and boating, but still good for a chuckle.

Video: Norwegian anti-drinking PSA shows how to dock your boat like a boss

A Norwegian organisation has released a PSA showing how to dock your boat like a ‘boss’ while sober in an effort to promote safe drinking and boating practices.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Tom, my wife and I have been using a mid ship spring line led from a cleat on the jib track for docking. It lets me come in with a bit of speed, which gives control, while she slips the end of a large loop over the dock cleat. Once it’s on I use reverse to slow until the line is taught then forward to keep pressure on the line while the boat settles against the dock. I turn the wheel to starboard and the boat just sits there. We casually step off the boat and put on the bow and stern lines. No jumping, no throwing lines, very easy.

The trick is figuring out where the cleat on the jib track goes, how long the spring line needs to be, and where the wheel goes to balance the boat against the dock. Also, puttIng the loop thru a section of vinyl tubing keeps the loop wide open and makes it easy to catch the dock cleat. We’ve also got fenders (covered in trailer bunk material, so no marking) attached to our dock, so no need to fuss with them on the boat.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Docking gets my vote for the trickiest part. As someone's tagline reads "don't approach the dock any faster than you would hit it", or something like that.
Wearing a PFD would be wise when singlehanding. And let someone know you are out alone.

 

[PlaneTom]

Tom, my wife and I have been using a mid ship spring line led from a cleat on the jib track for docking. It lets me come in with a bit of speed, which gives control, while she slips the end of a large loop over the dock cleat. Once it’s on I use reverse to slow until the line is taught then forward to keep pressure on the line while the boat settles against the dock. I turn the wheel to starboard and the boat just sits there. We casually step off the boat and put on the bow and stern lines. No jumping, no throwing lines, very easy.

The trick is figuring out where the cleat on the jib track goes, how long the spring line needs to be, and where the wheel goes to balance the boat against the dock. Also, puttIng the loop thru a section of vinyl tubing keeps the loop wide open and makes it easy to catch the dock cleat. We’ve also got fenders (covered in trailer bunk material, so no marking) attached to our dock, so no need to fuss with them on the boat.

I like the ideas. The only time it is any issue at all is coming into the slip in a good crosswind while solo. Other than that I can get it into the slip and stopped pretty easily, even solo, and just step off the stopped boat.
But I will likely set up that midship spring line anyway and give it a try.
We just ordered new sails, they will probably arrive in June, just after we retire, really looking forward to both events.

 

[PlaneTom]

Docking gets my vote for the trickiest part. As someone's tagline reads "don't approach the dock any faster than you would hit it", or something like that.
Wearing a PFD would be wise when singlehanding. And let someone know you are out alone.

+1 on the PFD. Taken from a friends boat while I was out solo and we crossed paths in the bay.

 

[jssailem]

She be looks pretty.
Key is to find your way of docking with her. Then practice. Only come into the docks at a speed your are willing to hit the dock if something goes wrong.

 

[PlaneTom]

She be looks pretty.
Key is to find your way of docking with her. Then practice. Only come into the docks at a speed your are willing to hit the dock if something goes wrong.

Thanks, I get that. Like I said in post #10, I usually come in very slowly, and that's what causes part of the issue in a good crosswind. In light to moderate winds, no problem, easy and smooth.
It really isn't a big deal, just not as smooth an arrival when solo and the crosswind more than usual. If the crosswind is more than I like, I try to shanghai a friend to come along.
Nowhere near the difficulty we had docking a friends boat when I was learning to sail in the 70's. He was an older guy who liked wood hulled race boats. When I met him he had a 53 foot wood sloop with no functioning engine, so we sailed everywhere. Then a few years later he bought the last wood 12 meter, which we took to Catalina most weekends. It had been modified from original and did have an engine. But it was never designed for low speed handling under power. Long and skinny, but weighed 70,000 lbs, a lot of inertia. Coming into a slip, if it was moving fast enough to steer, it was going too fast to stop with the engine. It was a real fire drill of folks jumping off with lines and trying to get around a cleat and stop it.

 

[jssailem]

Your boat has much more freeboard and a lot less mass. It can play havoc at times.

Sometimes when the marina is tight and the wind is howling I think there should be a class for boaters called “Crash Docking for Small Boats”. Perhaps fashioned after the skill set developed for Navy Pilots. After all that’s what they do to land a plane on a carrier. Crash Land. Every one they walk away from is a good one.

Now if we could design an arresting hook and cables for sailboats..

 

[PlaneTom]

Your boat has much more freeboard and a lot less mass. It can play havoc at times.

Sometimes when the marina is tight and the wind is howling I think there should be a class for boaters called “Crash Docking for Small Boats”. Perhaps fashioned after the skill set developed for Navy Pilots. After all that’s what they do to land a plane on a carrier. Crash Land. Every one they walk away from is a good one.

Now if we could design an arresting hook and cables for sailboats..

A LOT more freeboard and a fraction of the mass. If the swells were more than 4 or 5 feet, that 12 meter was like sailing a submarine, if you were on deck, you were wet. Sailing the 310 is way more pleasant in "lively" weather.
This was the 12 my friend had. The history in the article isn't quite right, Charlie Kern owned her earlier than that, he was the one I sailed with. Just a bit more beam than my 310, but 64.5 feet long and over 70,000 lbs. You can see the low freeboard in the pictures.

Valiant, US-24

Built in 1970 according to the International Third Rule- America’s Cup.

12mrclass.com

A class that would also help is a newish concept in aircraft operations is doing a formalized risk assessment before each trip. Evaluate weather, terrain, crew, passenger comfort, etc and decide if the risk level is OK.
The Navy pilots don't have to pay for repairs out of pocket, so I'm more cautious in the plane and on the boat.
The idea of arresting gear for boats is part of that funny Norwegian PSA I linked to in post 10. Obviously staged and impractical, they were trying to make a point about drinking and boating.

 

[Tally Ho]

I don’t have a C310, but I single-hand my 32 foot O’Day 322 all the time. Once out on the water, and sails are up, it should be no problem for you…

Docking may be the trickiest part, but if you are returning to the same slip every day, you can use this idea to make leaving and returning to the dock (almost) idiot proof. With a bow thruster, I think it could be idiot proof ;-)

Docking with a loop

There was a recent thread talking about docking methods, and I commented on my loop method of docking. I may not be very good at describing it, so thought I would try a video...I am not a good video guy either, but here is a video explain how I do it. This method does 2 things for...

forums.sailboatowners.com

You still have to practice good seamanship (maybe more important than normal)…
-Stay in the boat
-stay alert
- reef early
etc
etc

Get out there and do it !

Greg