Singlehanding

[Bob Nicholson]

Single-Handing ... Yeah, Baby!!

For all the reasons mentioned, YES, I LOVE to go solo!! The greatest single contributor to the ability to solo is auto-helm. With that, I can get u/w, raise and lower sail, go below for a quick drink, etc. Have read Joshua Slocum twice and the idea of around the world in a home-built boat with nearly no instrumentation makes my little jaunts from Baltimore to Solomoms seems like nothing. But there's nothing quite like the thrill of coming alongside ALONE to the amazement of Marinia Crew, anchoring in proximity to other boats ALONE, etc to fulfill the old ego! Got u/w from a marina at Solomon's with a PERFECT off-setting wind that was the dream of a lifetime! I just LOVE This stuff! If nothing else, one MUST at least have the ABILITY to do it alone!!

 

[Fred Scott]

Sailing Single Handed

I like to sail single handed as I get the real feel of the wind and solitude due to my hearing disability. I wear a floater or a lifejacket depends on our northern area weather. I do not have any other problem sailing my Macgregor 26X as all my controls are from the cockpit complete with jib downhaul.Sailin couldn't be better.Fred Scott

 

[Dan]

Singlehanded

I do singlehand the boat periodically. sometimes out of necessity. I agree with the comments that you need to be able to do this anyway. I've been outside the Golden Gate when 5 of 7 on the boat were to sick to help out.Docking is the most difficult single handed process. that has more to do with local prevailing winds than anything else. In a quiet marina, docking is quite simple.I do wear a PFD when on the boat alone or not. Harnessed always outside the gate alone or not. Sometimes inside when the wind is high.Dan Jonas (S/V Feije)

 

[Kenneth Pfaff]

Sailing alone it is very quite

I singlehand quite a bit, because neither my wife or the kids what to go out. When I am out by myself what I really notice is the quite, no one talking. You can sit back and just relax.

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Way to go!

I take a lot of clients out and let them run the boat (29.5 Hunter), so single-handed is the only chance I get to run the boat myself. The advantage is that I can really tweak the boat alone without distraction, enabling me to determine the best points of sail under certain conditions. All-weather all the time is good practice. I tether with a flat line from bow to wheel, using the West Marine harness that hooks up under the life preserver. I find reefing damn near impossible, and should always know better than to wait until it's too late. Novices take note: reef now at the dock and you can always loosen it if the wind turns out light. A lot harder to do under heavy wind. Yesterday I was out in 20-25 mph under one reef and with jib out. It was so invigorating that my eyes got burned from sweat, wind, spray and sun. So I'm going to start wearing goggles. Single-handed builds confidence as well, which is important when things go wrong while others are on board. Already I've been out six times in three weeks, even though the Chesapeake Bay waters of the York are still pretty nippy.

 

[Fred Scott]

Single Handed Sailing

I like sailing single handed to get the real feel of the wind and solitude because of my hearing dissability. I have no trouble sailing like this, as I have all my controls at the cockpit including the jib downhaul. Sailing alone I wear a floater or lifejacket which depends on our northern climate.Sailing couldn't be better.Fred Scott

 

[Rex Good]

All of the above also

Biggest challenge is docking (lateral dock in my back yard) with incoming tide and crosswind.My boat (Sabre 402)is rigged for single-handing--i.e., furling boom and headsail.I usually wear inflatable safety harness when alone, although I don't clip it in unless conditions are rough and I need to go forward.

 

[Bill Hawkis]

It has it's place and time

I single habd because of a lack of crew. It odes give me time to think and meditate, though. All things considered, I think it's easier to single hand in moderate to light conditions on my 22' due to the size of the cockpit and cramped conditions with several people there. The worst part is coming back into the slip. I'm right on the river so I have the current and wind to contend with. The combination never seems to be the same, and with only 12' to place her in, it can be sort of hair raising. I think it might be a little easier with a inboard, but then again, when I set the outboard hard over in conjunction with the tiller, even with the full keel, she can turn in one boat length. All in all, single handing is not so bad.

 

[Dana Smith]

The docking

We all seem to share the docking aspect, no surprise.I use my jack line as the first line used for docking. I just make it a little longer and lay it on the port side. When I come to the dock, I jump off, hook the over the uprights and wala, I'm there.Than proceed to tie the rest of the boat off. This usaully keeps me with in a foot or so of the dock.Hope this makes sense.Dana

 

[Mark Brunner]

I single handle it all the time

That's why I called her "Solo".

 

[W. Bell]

YES to singlehanding

I single hand my catalina 22 all the time. I have a safety harness and a tiller lock for going forward to haul up the sails. I have a down haul for the jib/jenny but need to run more lines to the cockpit. I am not sure if i would want to sail anything much larger by myself though. The biggest problem would be in docking in adverse conditions.

 

[Roger]

Singlhanding Undocking

I thought you all might like this snippet of a report I wrote on my sailing adventures during a sabbatical leave last year."When I got to the yacht club, I parked the car, gassed up the little outboard on Mabeleen, (the dinghy) and putted out a mile or so to

 

[Tim McCarty]

A bridle when docking

I singlehand sail probably 90% of my time on the water. Over the years, I've learned various tricks of the trade. One of the tricks(in addition to the autopilot), which, I am sure a lot of sailors may know, is to fashion a bridle from an anchor line. It looks like a large "V" shape. When I'm docked it stays down. When I go off to sail, I can raise it, so, when I come into dock, the bridle, literally, catches the boat and stops it at the dock. I can simply grab the docklines at my leisure. For what it's worth...

 

[Tray Till]

SOLITUDE IS OFTEN BLISS!!!

While I prefer the company of my family or friends when sailing, I find that sailing alone provides many benefits. It allows one to focus attention to the task at hand thus removing one's thoughts from the usual daily distractions. Its compares to a massage, you just get lost in it. While I frequently daysail Charleston Harbor and the surrounding area, once or twice yearly I sail the Intracoastal Waterway between Charleston and Savannah, sometimes solo. My family will usually meet me at my final destination. While this course is inland and relatively protected, ultimate concentration is required for navigation and foul weather which is common in the spring and summer. I have sailed my C22 hull 10928, since I purchased as a new boat in 1982. We have sailed (weathered) through many 40-50 mph storms, nearby lightning strikes, and yes, many groundings (swing keel-no problem). It's even been to Key West (via trailer) as a solo excursion. It has provided many memorable experiences (i.e. in my college fraternity days), but that is material for other stories. SAIL ON.!!

 

[Ted Bergner]

Bigger can be harder

I recently purchased a 320 and 4 out of the first 6 cruises were single handed. Compared to my previous craft, a much lighter Tanzer 28, it was actually much easier underway and more difficult at the dock. I also found advance thoughts on the lines are helpful. I normally make sure the outboard stern line is poised and hanging on a hook waiting for my arrival as well as a spring line that I use as a modified brake. Never needed the brake on the Tanzer, but with 10K of weight, well it surprised me abit. None of this is painful however, as a day on the lake alone or not beats anyday with a roomfull of workmates toiling on the job.

 

[Jack Page]

singling new but a breeze

Last season was my learning curve but by the end of the season things were going great!!!. In the beginning the hardest things were changeing, droping sails by myself. Picking up the mooring pendant alone at night was also pretty fun in the begining, but all is well now .  Kepp sailin' Jack

 

[Jack Page]

great article

Hey Dave, Cool scribbles!! see you 5 miles out. ( usually i go about 2-3 miles and morre toward Ludington than G.H.  Jack

 

[Al S]

No Crew...no problem!

"Do you singlehand your boat?"Frequently with the old boat, but I always had crew on the new one. Not nervious about the new boat just haven't had the chance."Do you singlehand because of difficulty getting crew, because you like the challenge and satisfaction of handling the boat by yourself, or because you like the solitude and intimacy of being out on the water, just you and your boat?"YES! I work a rotating shift so sometimes there just isn't anyone around to crew. However, I've grown to love the solitude of sailing by myself."What's the hardest aspect of sailing singlehanded for you? Docking, reefing, flaking the main?"Getting down below to use the head! :^)Seriously, I'm at a great marina and can usually get a hand with dock lines if necessary and wit the auto-pilot handling the main etc... is not the problem it was on hte old boat (just a wheel break)."How do you overcome these challenges? Do you wear a harness and clip in when you're singlehanding, or take other safety precautions?"No, nothing special.

 

[Ron Searcy]

Gives me confidence

I just like to be alone on my boat sometimes . Docking

 

[Alan Ross]

solo sail

I frequently single sail for lack of crew. My wife hates sailing. Since Eagle Creek Reservoir is fairly small, there isn't much difficulty in soloing unless the air is heavy, and I don't go out in wind over 15 mph. I enjoy rare instances when I have someone aboard who knows how to sail. I just turn the helm over to him/her.