dansaskip
Well-Known Member
With about 20,000 solo miles under my keel I'd say the most important thing to have was self reliance.
Absolute Essential Must-haves for Single-handed Sailing
- Thread starter awol
- Start date
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Perhaps I should add a device for detecting pots as they always pop up just as you are about to do something, tack, gybe, have a drink or go for a pee.
srm
Well-Known Member
As someone who used to try to beat CPA plots etc into OOW candidates and has radar on his own boats I would suggest that the usefulness and necessity of RADAR for leisure sailors depends on both the area you are sailing in and what other aids to navigation you carry.
I used to use RADAR a lot around unlit Scottish islands at night and in fog as I maintain a healthy scepticism of GPS and associated chart plotters. Here in the Azores I have only used RADAR once to check on a visual target at night that had not shown up on AIS.
If you have RADAR its a good idea to practice relating what is on the screen to the real world around you in good visibility. Some basic yacht RADAR sets are capable of generating an interesting range of false or potentially misleading returns as well as not seeing other yachts.
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LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
There is one, it's called a prop ?
Kukri
Well-Known Member
An advance on the Thermos is what East Asians call an “air pot”. Get a Japanese stainless steel one - I’ve had mine for twenty years. It lives in the galley, securely, and you can operate it with one hand.
Fill it with boiling water from the kettle and it is good for up to 24 hours:
Tiger Non-Electric Stainless Steel Thermal Air Pot Beverage Dispenser with Swivel Base 3.0L
Fill it with boiling water from the kettle and it is good for up to 24 hours:
Tiger Non-Electric Stainless Steel Thermal Air Pot Beverage Dispenser with Swivel Base 3.0L
boomerangben
Well-Known Member
Apart from a boat the only essential thing is a weather forecast
Poignard
Well-Known Member
"Absolute Essential Must-haves for Single-handed Sailing"
Nobody with you?
Nobody with you?
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I do the same as Koeketiene & stock up from BeWell with Exhibition foods at the start of the season. Be-WellThey are all much the same & I often have one prior to a trip as I do not normally have time to prepare much at 05.00 hours. Just boil some water, pour on & leave for 6 minutes. Eat it out of the pouch with a spoon, if a bowl is not handy. The link is useful, however, to compare prices, if nothing else.
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LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Tiger Non-Electric Stainless Steel Thermal Air Pot Beverage Dispenser
£81 ?
£81 ?
Wing Mark
Well-Known Member
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Air pots are all very useful but they are not all the same! Mine is a made-in-Japan Nissan one; I am not sure that Nissan still make them in Japan. Before I got this one I had a much cheaper one, made in China, but it didn’t hold the temperature at all well.
So I advise looking for the heat retention performance data before buying.
I don’t recommend putting anything except boiling water in it unless you really enjoy cleaning through small bore stainless pipes.?
So I advise looking for the heat retention performance data before buying.
I don’t recommend putting anything except boiling water in it unless you really enjoy cleaning through small bore stainless pipes.?
adwuk
Well-Known Member
Thelwell drew a figurehead on a single hander many years ago. I think she was called Mavis. Something along those lines seems like an essential item 
. Now I need to go and find the book. "Three sheets in the wind" I think it was called.
. Now I need to go and find the book. "Three sheets in the wind" I think it was called.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
I use one of these: a stainless steel dog bowl with anti-slip rim.
No chance of spilling food and easy to wash up too.
Concerto
Well-Known Member
You old dog.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
More like it, but it only takes a couple of minutes to put the kettle on and prep a mug with coffee etc, then a minute to pour and add milk.
I've never had an issue with leaving the helm for a few minutes, even in the Solent, let alone open water to prepare a drink.
I wouldn't expect to prepare a meal in confined waters, but in open water it isn't an issue.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
You could get yourself a squeaky ball to chase round the cockpit when you are bored as well ?
steve yates
Well-Known Member
beer
srm
Well-Known Member
Having done a fair bit of singlehanded sailing in my Prout catamaran, (including around Lands End to well past John o'Groats twice), I got to like being able to keep a lookout from the living area below. That influenced the choice of my current monhull with the main cabin having all round visibility (deck salon, pilot house or whatever you want to call it)
dunedin
Well-Known Member
With so many boats (but not mine) having a wide screen TV on the cabin bulkhead, I sometimes wonder if there would be a cheap eBay camera solution to provide full forward view on the screen panel for when need to nip below for a few moments
Poignard
Well-Known Member
A simpler solution might be a periscope!