Singlehanding

[PotomacDaysailer]

Yes, I avoid leaving the cockpit with the motor on.

Well, I reread my OP and see that I give myself the lie. I did actually leave the cockpit with the motor running, to take down the jib, every time out solo until the last time, when I did lower the jib and go up to pull it all the way down before starting the motor. I shouldn't normally need to leave the cockpit at all for the jib takedown once I have the jib downhaul rigged, but I'm not there yet so it was pretty much boasting to write what I did.

 

[Joe]

After falling off untethered, well, everything's a crapshoot.

Amen to that, my brother.

 

[Tally Ho]

Dragging a line is a total crapshoot. I'd like to hear from anyone who has actually been able to grab the thing first time through. The handle would cause the line to skip and bounce... so you'd have to get it well before you got to the handle itself. If you're moving a 4.5 knots.... the boat travels 100 feet in 12.5 seconds... so you might have 6 or 7 seconds to recover your senses, look for the line and hope you can reach it.. much less grab and hold.... NOT AT MY AGE.... no way, do I put my faith in that..

I single hand all of the time, and use an autopilot whenever I need to leave the helm. My biggest fear was falling off the boat, and watching her sail across Lake Michigan without me. I started using a floating rope, and trailed it when my kids were on board to man the helm. We took turns "falling off", and recovering by the rope. It can certainly be done.

All of the posters gave great advice, the most important being "stay on the boat", but as an extra precaution, I do use a drag line.

Greg

 

[Joe]

......... It can certainly be done..........


Greg

Not saying it can't be done...just saying it's a crap shoot and I wouldn't bet my life on it.

You and your kids made a game of it... anticipated it... etc. but, I'm 68.... it sounds reasonable but in cold bumpy water, heavy clothing and an inflating pfd with the boat moving 8 feet per second..... I don't like the odds.

 

[Doc_holiday]

I've contemplated dragging 50' of rope with a few knots in it too, funny to see others have thought of it. Your own personal safety ultimately is a risk you are entitled to take, I hate life jackets too, seat belts and helmets but that's my choice.

When you have novice passengers, that's a game changer. You are responsible for their safety which isn't negotiable. A safety discussion needs to take place, talk about scenarios that may involve MOB, including you, or other possible emergencies. what if you are incapacitated? Non swimmers and children will wear life jackets or they can hang out at the dock till we get back.

I tell my passengers that in the event someone goes overboard, they are to throw every thing that floats in while I manage the boat. If I am the one that goes overboard, toss me the anchor and beach the boat on its current course.

 

[weinie]

I'd love to see what happens when a 60 foot sport fisher runs full throttle over one of those lines you guys are talking about hanging off your stern.

 

[Rick Webb]

What are You Going to do After You Grab the Line?

Next time you go out thro out a 50' line grab ahold of it and let someone drag you around at even 3 knots forget about 5 or even 6.

 

[justsomeguy]

Sounds like fun!
But seriously, when it's your last chance, you might be surprised at what you can do.

 

[Doc_holiday]

What if the drag line were attached to the tiller? When you grab it, it would go all the way over?

 

[justsomeguy]

What if the drag line were attached to the tiller? When you grab it, it would go all the way over?

And stay hard over. Could send the boat tearing off briefly, jibe or possibly knock it down.
Again, something to test out in safe conditions.

 

[Davidasailor26]

And stay hard over. Could send the boat tearing off briefly, jibe or possibly knock it down. Again, something to test out in safe conditions.

Or bring it around headed right at you at 5 kts, which brings its own challenges.

 

[Bill Roosa]

If conditions are that bad that you are worried about going overboard why not just use your jack lines and safety strop. Kinda hard to go overboard when you are attached to the boat.
This really only is an issue when single handing the boat. MOB with crew is just a drill in nice conditions and, again, if the conditions are bad you should consider using the safety strop

 

[Mark Maulden]

I've always wondered about jack lines. Normally, they go down the deck on each side right? A lot are from bow cleat to stern cleat. My boats beam is 12'. So my tether should be around 6' so one could work in the boom area if needed. A person on a 6' tether on the deck could go overboard quite easily. I've been thinking about a jack line down the centerline...

 

[Joe]

I've always wondered about jack lines. Normally, they go down the deck on each side right? A lot are from bow cleat to stern cleat. My boats beam is 12'. So my tether should be around 6' so one could work in the boom area if needed. A person on a 6' tether on the deck could go overboard quite easily. I've been thinking about a jack line down the centerline...

First of all... you clip on the uphill, or windward side jack line. If you fall, you're going down hill.... across the deck.

Second... jack lines are not tight, they lay on the deck and can be lifted up a foot or two... allowing the clip to slide as you move about. This means that there will be considerable lateral movement of the line.... if you have to work on the leeward side of the boat that the windward side jackline won't allow you to reach you can fashion an extension out of a piece of rope or webbing... or clip on to a fixed point near the mast.

 

[Bill Roosa]

which is why you have 6' of tether connecting you to the windward jack line. You can reach the leeword rail with out a problem but you can't fall over the lifelines or slide under them.
You guys scare me some times

 

[Bill Roosa]

Davidsalor26
I've been in that situation, fell overboard trying to get to the dingy to bail her out while underway. Did have the presence of mind to be wearing my PFD. Got wrapped up in the painter and had to lean on the dingy which immediately went under. I fell in then out as it tipped over 3/4 full of water. The first mate (best a guy could have) did as she was trained and turned into the wind then decided to "come get me". waves where 1-2 feet and wind was 12-15 knots, Bardi Sea was hauling A$$ as she bore down on me. A lot goes through your mind when you see a 40' boat bearing down on you, will i get sucked under and caught on something, will I get knocked out, how the heck am I going to get back on with the deck 5' above me and going 6 knots,..... I was thinking that I might get a boat hook as she passed but you have to drive the boat....... I grabbed the dingy gunnel and slid to the stern then pulled myself aboard. To my surprise the dingy was pretty empty of water. the first mate turned back to the original course hit the AP then threw be a baler.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

On tethers.

I have a hard point right beside the companionway that I clip to normally. From there I can go below, stretch out on the settee, go to the mast to work sail or reef, or anywhere in the cockpit, but the way my bimini and life lines are set up, can't go over board on the side , and can't go off the stern. So when offshore I can cook, do chart work, take a nap, hoist, drop or reef the main, whatever, without ever unclipping.

You can see it in this picture. It's a 3/8 inch trailering bow eye, back with a stainless steel backing. The bulkhead right there is 3/8 inch thick

I rig a jack line (a flat webbing is best- doesn't roll underfoot) from just outside the cockpit coaming, up to the bow cleat. clip to that on the high side while still in the cockpit.


I think falling off the boat would tend to ruin your whole day while single hand

 

[Doc_holiday]

When we talk about the drag line, I'm not sure if it's been done in practice but I do find not funny more than a few people have thought about it as a last ditch means to not loose your boat. Maybe later this year we'll do a MOB drill with this method. I wouldn't want to try the tiller thing tho. Now I just need to find a worthy skipper or convince my son he's going to get pushed out of the boat. Well see if he can hang on at 4 knots and pull himself back to the boat with no assistance and then try to figure out how to climb up under way. He's almost 17 so if anyone has the strength it's him.

If I have to be the puppet, we'll have to do it with the sails down under motor but that adds a new dimension. Again I'm not saying is going to work, I just find it ironic that several people invision the same thing.

 

[Chris Patterson]

I GOTTA say something, I do. Trailing a line? Is that serious? For anyone new looking for advice here, I URGE you to disregard anything like this for safety. Besides a prop entanglement just waiting to happen, there's no damn way in hell anybody is going to accidentally fall off of a boat and like James Bond or something, climb back up this line........and into the boat.

I'll tell ya, I have huge upper body strength. Can climb over forty feet straight up a rope without using my legs. And if this was my only recourse of re entering boat, or being keel-hauled all OVER the bay, I would just watch it leave. It would be ten times more humiliating to later recover the boat, with a line trailing out the back. I wouldn't tell that if I were being interrogated.

C'mon folks, this cannot, cannot be serious!

 

[slaume]

While I applaud the safety concerns that many express, I'll remind everybody that the poster singlehands on a small lake. The thought of harnesses and tethers while sailing on a lake that measures approx. 4 miles long by a mile wide is just plain silly. It reminds me of the cartoon about a guy who coats his entire body in latex to practice safe sex! It's just going a bit overboard don't you think? Sure, a life jacket is nice to have on if it provides that sense of security if that is necessary. Sure, make sure that you have a hand on or ready to grab the hand holds. It's great to be conscience about safety and taking the prudent steps but a sense of proportion is also appropriate.

Scott, I usually agree with what you have to say but I think you about 170* off course on this one.

I single hand most of the time and have a few off shore trips, safely behind me. I don't have my lines lead aft. I want to get comfortable with going forward on a regular basis. Sooner or later you are going to have to do it in the worst of conditions, so you might as well get used to it in better ones. If something does hang up with your lines lead aft it will probably require multipal trips back and forth to get things straightened out.

Make sure you have good hand holds and you don't have a buch of stuff tied to them that renders them less than effective. I also have butt boards between my lower shrouds so I can lean back against them while I am at the mast. I never wear a PFD. I do wear a harness with jack lines rigged to move along the boat. I have a long and short tether. When I get to where I need to be, I clip in the short one and there is no way I could go overboard. I think this is where most people have miss conceptions about wearing a harness. Don't think of it as a set up to drag you along behind the boat. A good system should keep you from ever going over the side in the first place. That is why I think it is a realistic choice for even a small lake. Far better to be thrown off balance and caught by your tether than to be tossed overboard and be safely floating in your PFD while you watch your boat sail off into the rocks or mud, Steve.