SimonFa
Well-known member
I did my first single handed sail yesterday (what did you expect the title to mean on a sailing forum 
) and it was a bit more challenging than I'd wanted, but immensely satisfying nonetheless.
I've taken Venezia backwards and forwards between Portland and Weymouth on my own a few times but that was engine only and only when conditions were benign. As Venezia had to go to Portland yesterday for some work and SWMBO was away I thought it would be a good time to start single handed sailing, something I want to do anyway.
All week the wind forecasts were quite favourable, 10kt gusting 12kt in the morning and mid day then dying in the late afternoon. Ideal I thought, no stress even if I have to drop the sails and motor back at least I'll get some sailing done.
The reality was quite different. As I motored across Weymouth Bay looking for somewhere quiet and away from lobster pots I noticed gusts around 16/17kt. As I have a large Main relative to the Genoa she starts to get a bit of a handful at that wind speed, which is OK for 2 of us as my mate is quite experienced but I wasn't sure about being on my own, so I popped a reef in before hoisting. The thought of putting one in on the hoof didn't excite me and I'm a greater believer in the old adage about live cowards and dead heroes.
As it turned out this was a wise move as about 15 minutes after I started out on a close reach, almost close hauled, towards Lulworth the wind started building and gusting at just over 20kts and the auto pilot was struggling. I took over but she was a bit of a fight in the gusts and heeling dramatically, good fun for a short while normally but not on this occasion. I dumped the traveller but unusually that didn't help much with the heeling on this occasion.
I had to decide if this was going to continue or add another reef. Discretion took over and I put the second reef in under engine power, after a bit of a scare when it looked the the furling line/drum had jammed - all I needed I cursed as one final heave got the drum moving.
This was a bit more like it and although still heeled more than was comfortable for long periods and with a fair bit of weather helm in the gusts she clipped along nicely for about an hour as I enjoyed the scenery of Durdle Door and Lulworth slipping past, even though its well known to me I always enjoy that stretch of coast. Then the wind started to drop and I wondered about shaking the reefs out; so that meant time for a cup of tea and the sandwiches I had brought for lunch. By the time I had finished them I was past Kimmeridge and and it was time to turn back. I've tacked and gybed on my own a number of times with SWMBO on board so that was no problem. Although the wind had dropped to the promised 10kt gusting 12kt I decided to leave the reefs in for a bit longer as I was going on to a beam reach and I really didn't want to start messing with a building wind on a beam reach.
After the tack the wind continued to drop and I eventually shook the reefs out. By this time the the wind had been shifting and I had ended up a bit further south than I wanted, not far from the Shambles Cardinal. I continued trying to sail but by now it was closer to a run but the wind was getting very light and flukey and the main was banging in and out and I worried about an involuntary gybe. As the wind had almost disappeared and it was getting late I decided rather than messing about with a preventer that I would drop the sails and motor back.
Going along Portland and Portland Harbour I heard the low growl of an engine, looking round I couldn't see anything but at that time of day it could only mean one thing, the Condor was behind me somewhere. I switched on my iPhone and connected to my iAIS and picked up the Condor and discovered it was behind my doing 30kts. Apart form the noise spoiling the calm it shouldn't have been a problem but then the AIS screen calculated that it was heading straight at me. Hmm, this shouldn't be a problem on a clear day like this, I thought, but I tucked in a bit closer to the land to be on the safe side. When it did eventually pass, about 3 cables to starboard, the bow wave was horrendous and I was glad I had kept my harness connected and regretted having dropped the main as there was no dampening of the roll.
The next problem was that I was going along the harbour wall a sailing vessel on my starboard beam started getting got a bit close and his course was to get get even closer. Although there was no immediate problem this didn't bode well as they didn't seem to be paying attention. Also fresh in my mind was that there had been an earlier incident with a vessel going aground at Overcome and needing an RNLI call out and what looked like from my distance a Coastguard helicopter lift off for someone. Eventually they woke up on the other vessel and eased out, so no problem.
The rest was uneventful, I know the more experienced would say it had all been uneventful but it had been adventurous enough for my first single handed sail.
I then had the joy of a 6km run back to Weymouth to get my car. That wouldn't have been a problem as I run 8km 2-3 times a week anyway, but I was so tired after all that effort and nervous energy being expended it turned in to a run and walk and this morning I've got stiff muscles where I had forgotten I had muscles. But more importantly I have a great sense of achievement and now look forward to more single handed sailing with over night stays in Lulworth Cove and Studland before taking on my goal of doing a single handed channel crossing next year.
) and it was a bit more challenging than I'd wanted, but immensely satisfying nonetheless.I've taken Venezia backwards and forwards between Portland and Weymouth on my own a few times but that was engine only and only when conditions were benign. As Venezia had to go to Portland yesterday for some work and SWMBO was away I thought it would be a good time to start single handed sailing, something I want to do anyway.
All week the wind forecasts were quite favourable, 10kt gusting 12kt in the morning and mid day then dying in the late afternoon. Ideal I thought, no stress even if I have to drop the sails and motor back at least I'll get some sailing done.
The reality was quite different. As I motored across Weymouth Bay looking for somewhere quiet and away from lobster pots I noticed gusts around 16/17kt. As I have a large Main relative to the Genoa she starts to get a bit of a handful at that wind speed, which is OK for 2 of us as my mate is quite experienced but I wasn't sure about being on my own, so I popped a reef in before hoisting. The thought of putting one in on the hoof didn't excite me and I'm a greater believer in the old adage about live cowards and dead heroes.
As it turned out this was a wise move as about 15 minutes after I started out on a close reach, almost close hauled, towards Lulworth the wind started building and gusting at just over 20kts and the auto pilot was struggling. I took over but she was a bit of a fight in the gusts and heeling dramatically, good fun for a short while normally but not on this occasion. I dumped the traveller but unusually that didn't help much with the heeling on this occasion.
I had to decide if this was going to continue or add another reef. Discretion took over and I put the second reef in under engine power, after a bit of a scare when it looked the the furling line/drum had jammed - all I needed I cursed as one final heave got the drum moving.
This was a bit more like it and although still heeled more than was comfortable for long periods and with a fair bit of weather helm in the gusts she clipped along nicely for about an hour as I enjoyed the scenery of Durdle Door and Lulworth slipping past, even though its well known to me I always enjoy that stretch of coast. Then the wind started to drop and I wondered about shaking the reefs out; so that meant time for a cup of tea and the sandwiches I had brought for lunch. By the time I had finished them I was past Kimmeridge and and it was time to turn back. I've tacked and gybed on my own a number of times with SWMBO on board so that was no problem. Although the wind had dropped to the promised 10kt gusting 12kt I decided to leave the reefs in for a bit longer as I was going on to a beam reach and I really didn't want to start messing with a building wind on a beam reach.
After the tack the wind continued to drop and I eventually shook the reefs out. By this time the the wind had been shifting and I had ended up a bit further south than I wanted, not far from the Shambles Cardinal. I continued trying to sail but by now it was closer to a run but the wind was getting very light and flukey and the main was banging in and out and I worried about an involuntary gybe. As the wind had almost disappeared and it was getting late I decided rather than messing about with a preventer that I would drop the sails and motor back.
Going along Portland and Portland Harbour I heard the low growl of an engine, looking round I couldn't see anything but at that time of day it could only mean one thing, the Condor was behind me somewhere. I switched on my iPhone and connected to my iAIS and picked up the Condor and discovered it was behind my doing 30kts. Apart form the noise spoiling the calm it shouldn't have been a problem but then the AIS screen calculated that it was heading straight at me. Hmm, this shouldn't be a problem on a clear day like this, I thought, but I tucked in a bit closer to the land to be on the safe side. When it did eventually pass, about 3 cables to starboard, the bow wave was horrendous and I was glad I had kept my harness connected and regretted having dropped the main as there was no dampening of the roll.
The next problem was that I was going along the harbour wall a sailing vessel on my starboard beam started getting got a bit close and his course was to get get even closer. Although there was no immediate problem this didn't bode well as they didn't seem to be paying attention. Also fresh in my mind was that there had been an earlier incident with a vessel going aground at Overcome and needing an RNLI call out and what looked like from my distance a Coastguard helicopter lift off for someone. Eventually they woke up on the other vessel and eased out, so no problem.
The rest was uneventful, I know the more experienced would say it had all been uneventful
but it had been adventurous enough for my first single handed sail.I then had the joy of a 6km run back to Weymouth to get my car. That wouldn't have been a problem as I run 8km 2-3 times a week anyway, but I was so tired after all that effort and nervous energy being expended it turned in to a run and walk and this morning I've got stiff muscles where I had forgotten I had muscles. But more importantly I have a great sense of achievement and now look forward to more single handed sailing with over night stays in Lulworth Cove and Studland before taking on my goal of doing a single handed channel crossing next year.
