How to start single handing

[Mei Mac]

If you look at the pic below, it is of my coffin roll over and pitchpole proof skippers berth, that is designed for single bedding, that's where you control the boat from your bed! So when it's finished, I should be able to reach the switches, no 2 VHF, no 2 GPS, (I always like 2 of everything), 2 battery selectors, small chart table, (If I sit up), and finally, the bottle of rum!

Looks like a hospital intensive care unit.

 

[TNLI]

Looks like a hospital intensive care unit.

How dare you slag off the NHS intensive care MRI and CAT scan management, who always select the very best equipment!

Nah, I've always thought that once all the radio gear is fitted, and ships stores are onboard, that he situation will be so tight in the aft cabin, that it will look like a U boat captains berth in the German film, "Das Boot". Achtung, Alarm, Alarm !!

PS: Good looking yacht, and what is the thingy dangling or fitted to the transom. It looks like a doubled up line of some sort ??

 

[TNLI]

Whether or not it's an autopilot, what's essential is to have some way of fixing the tiller while you do the other stuff like hauling up sails, tacking, making tea, etc. A wheel steered boat shouldn't wander off too much, but a slight gust or a bit of wake can send a tiller over with, err, interesting consequences.

Edit: Snap! Must type faster

Nearly every serious single hander with a tiller has either bungee cords or one of the tiller lash systems that they bought or in a few cases made. Two cleats or eye bolts on either side if the stanchion bases are not inline, linked to a pair of cam jams or similar on the tiller.

 

[srm]

Nearly every serious single hander with a tiller has either bungee cords or one of the tiller lash systems that they bought or in a few cases made.

Likewise with a wheel. My catamaran had hydraulic steering, so the wheel stayed put. On my other wheel steered boats I kept a bungee cord lashed to the guard rail. When the wheel needed holding the end of the bungee was passsed through the wheel and hooked back on the guard rail. It allowed a little movement and worked better than a wheel brake as they tended to slip, but without making it obvious the wheel had moved .