Having never had a cabin boat I am quite intimidated about single handling. The Wet Dog does not have a roller furling jib and going forward is a slow procedure for me with having to climb on top of the cabin and work my way forward. I am a lot slower than I used to be even on a 24 foot boat.
Following advice on this thread, I rigged a down haul for my jib. It worked great. It pulls the jib right down to the deck and then pulling either jib sheet tight, the jib stays flat on the deck and does not go into the water.
I took three ladies sailing yesterday and had no issues. Jessie and Marlaina hanked on the jib and ran the sheets. I fiddled with the propane tank supports I had fabricated and Lee Ann provided moral support. The Georgia weather was warm for November but there was very little wind. We stayed out about and hour and a half. I am a great deal more comfortable with the boat than last time.
Visibility from the cockpit is not good when docking. The main sail falls below the boom and blocks my vision. I also need to get more comfortable with the outboard. I like to cut the power and let the momentum of the boat bring her into the dock. I share the slip with a Sea Ray which is much larger than my H240 and I worry about banging in to her or the dock. I have found that tying the stern cleat to the dock first allows the bow to drift to the right and into the Sea Ray.The next time I think that I will bring her abeam the stern dock cleat and secure a breast line to it, then disembark and pull the boat forward from the dock. This will keep me from needing a person up forward with a boat hook.