Setting up for single handed sailing

[NigelCraig]

Having to take a pause from searching for a new (old) boat gives me an opportunity to get some advice on rig suitability for single handing. My main concern is accomplishing “gear changes” single handed whilst also keeping the boat under control. I have toyed with the idea of a Cornish yawl which in some ways is perfect but might be a bit small for future plans. So likelihood is ending up with a masthead rig with large 130-150% genoa. (e.g Nic 31 or 32, Co32, Sadler 32, Rival 32). Clearly a heavily reefed foresail like that isn’t going to be very good upwind, so what are best options for “changing down” that can be accomplished with lashed helm or tiller pilot?

As suggested in recent issue of YM, bin the big genoa and replace with smaller more efficient one with foam luff.

Have a twin grooved roller spar that takes a smaller headsail – that might have disadvantage of throwing away expensive existing piece of kit. How does it work – do you have a halyard independent of the reefing spar so that you can drop one and raise the other?

Have a detachable solent stay that takes a smaller sail.

The problem is that I just don’t know how these last two options operate in practice and what is involved in fitting them, not to mention cost.

All advice welcomed

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

Cutter rig ... that's what you need.

 

[zikzik]

You will probably only know what you need once you have bought a boat and tried it.

I now sail a Contessa 26 solo most of the time and find my small main and big genoa (with foam luff incidentally) on a masthead rig works well enough. Either my tiller pilot or Sea Feather wind vane looks after the steering if I need to leave the cockpit. My problem is more the opposite, getting her moving in a light wind!

 

[macd]

You're focussing on rig, which is understandable, but on most yachts the single biggest aid to single-handing by far is a dependable autopilot, which probably means a tiller pilot in the size of boats you mention. It also means either avoiding the cheaper ones if possible, or at least having a spare. Apart from making reefing easier, not the least of a tiller-pilot's assets for a single-hander is its ability to auto-tack. I'd also make the point that on long passages, having two crew is, much of the time, not all that different from being solo: mostly there's just one of you on watch.

For very long passages wind vane steering would often be preferred, partly because they're great, partly because sufficient power generation for a good electronic system isn't always easy on a smallish boat. I did tens of thousands of miles solo in a Rival 32 with conventional rig (140% genny plus demountable inner forestay for a small jib which was very rarely used) and saw no compelling reason to change. I did, however, run a Twistle rig in the Trades, which is perhaps not what you're contemplating yet.

 

[Tranona]

Older masthead rigs with large genoas were never intended for easy sail reduction using furling sails. The proportions were dictated by racing rules and the expectation that you would have a large crew and a bow cabin full of alternate sails. So its never going to be easy to adapt them to a system that adjusts sail area from the cockpit. Foam luffs help maintain shape when reefed, but once you get significant reductions in area shape suffers compared with a fixed area sail. So the best you can do unless you are prepared to change sails on the go is to accept the compromise - perhaps starting with a smaller genoa and recognising the loss in light airs for the benefit of a sail that works over a wider range.

Boats of the type you are looking at are often now sailed shorthanded and perhaps you have to work out for yourself what sort of arrangements suits you. Mainsail reefing from the cockpit is usually easy to arrange and a good autopilot is a must. As suggested a cutter has some advantages in giving you more choice of fixed sail areas but few boats are built using that rig which suggests that ways can be found of using a single headsail effectively.

An alternative approach is to look for a boat with a more mainsail orientated rig as it is generally easy to adjust mainsail area than foresail, but in the size of boat you are looking at not sure it makes a huge amount of difference. It is more about exploring what your own limits are and adapting your boat to work within those limits.

 

[Zagato]

Cutter rig ... that's what you need.

I'm still playing with mine but it all seems to be a good arrangement, easy to tack and avoids the possible problems with huge genoas. Reefing the mainsail has been more problematic (slab reefing pulled dwon at either end by blocks) but having done it a few times now the lines/blocks etc seemed to be more aligned, better tensioned and easier to use since the whole rig was all put up from scratch. I really miss my mizzen in this respect, so easy to just drop the main and fly along on jib and mizzen. The main on a gaff rig seems to stand more wind than a bermudan - less height at the top apparently...

 

[oldvarnish]

Cutter rig ... that's what you need.

Best advice so far. It's the singlehander's best friend. I'm only sorry it's taken me so long to discover it.

If you make the staysail self-tacking, and lose the yankee (when sailing into a harbour or up a river, for example) then you can tack up and down merely by turning the wheel - no sheets to bother about.

 

[Kukri]

Yes; cutter rig - running backstays are a small price to pay.

 

[NigelCraig]

Well thanks for quick replies. I agree on cutter rig it's just that I can't think of any boats in my price range and fit other criteria that are cutter rigged- I don't think you could adapt an existing sloop! Yes I understand the point about needing self steering - my questions was really about the nuts and bolts of combining a furling genoa with smaller heavy weather sails. I am concerned that fitting a 100% high cut genoa with foam luff to a Nic 32 would turn it into a motor sailer - but maybe that's what it is already!

 

[cagey]

Not really thread drift just the way I solved the S/H prob.
Boat is Sigma 362 bit of a handful S/H so I put an electric capstan in cockpit, transformed everything from raising main to sheeting genny couple of turns around capstan press floor button with foot and adjust tension on sheet by hand pressure, can really play with sheets. Auto tacking wheel pilot and towable cars has made single handing fun as I get older. Still got original winches as reserve if electrical failure. Wind generator keeps batteries topped up.
Keith

 

[Seajet]

For singlehanding; tie the jib sheet ends together, so one can sheet in or out easily from the windward side of the cockpit.

Fit the most efficient mainsail slab reefing possible, kit like Harken is expensive but you only fit it once and you'll bless it.

As well as an autopilot ( the most powerful, fast acting job you can afford ! ) a tiller lock such as a ' Tillermate ' is very handy, much quicker to set up when comiing in to a mooring etc.


Failing that, have a line athwartships from one aft mooring cleat to the other, with a clove hitch around the tiller; it can be shoved side to side for steering adjustment but is only a short term aid.

On a 30+ foot boat ( I tried this on a masthead rigged cruiser racer Carter 30 ) for cruising a roller headsail is worth it's weight in gold, go for the best you can; but have a well organised storm jib & stay backup.

 

[TQA]

I single hand my 44 ft cutter much of the time. Admittedly I dont do much tacking. If I know I am going to be doing lots of tacks I either furl the genoa and just use the staysail and main or if the winds are light I remove the staysail stay which makes tacking the genoa much easier.

I have slab reefing on the main.

But as others have a said a reliable autopilot is essential. IMHO forget about just locking the tiller unless you have all lines led aft.

Single handing is not that big a deal but reef early, the best piece of advice I had was " Reef the FIRST time you think about it. "

 

[Pye_End]

Well thanks for quick replies. I agree on cutter rig it's just that I can't think of any boats in my price range and fit other criteria that are cutter rigged

What sort of price range are yo looking at?

 

[dunedin]

IMHO
- best autopilot you can buy
- good foam luff genoa (works for me pointing high and overtaking others upwind even in 30+ knots - not going to phaff with changing)
- mainsail controls accessible from the helm
- efficient reefing system with 3 reefs (I don't like single line reeling so tack hooks are fine)
- if on a pontoon a pole on the end of the finger to hold pre-sized mooring ropes to lift off pole and attach

 

[A1Sailor]

Jackstays - singlehanded sailing in mind

On a (almost) related topic, where do folk have their jackstays running? Inside or outside of the shrouds? (By jackstays I mean the wire or webbing running fore & aft, to which one attaches a harness lifeline before leaving the cockpit.)
I have always had these inside the shrouds, to avoid having to walk outside the shrouds - crawling along the deck inside is much more practical. However, if jackstays are inside the shrouds should I have the misfortune to go overboard forward of the shrouds I would end up attached level with them. If they are fitted outside the shrouds the lifeline might allow me to get to the back of the boat, where the ladder is, and get back on board. Realistically that is the only chance of getting back on board...
Otherwise it's "activate PLB time"!

 

[Babylon]

Yes; cutter rig - running backstays are a small price to pay.

A very small price really. There is no need (on my heavily-rigged 27 footer at least) to set them up in anything less than F5.

Even if one does find oneself short-tacking in a stiff breeze, there's not a lot of extra work involved:
- let off old foresail sheet, tension new one
- let off old staysail sheet, tension new one
- let off old running backstay, tension new one

I actually find it quicker and smoother to do all this on my own than having a crew get in the way.

 

[James_Calvert]

My Sadler 32 has a140% genoa and a No 3 genoa, both with padded luffs. If I know I'll be close hauled against a F5 or above, I'll set the No3 up before setting off, otherwise the 140% stays up.

I've found that it's best to take a reef, sometimes two, in the main before rolling up the genoa to any extent, but if a quick reduction is needed, obviously the headsail will be reefed first.

All easily done with the autohelm steering, but the Sadler can be persuaded to jog along for a short while with just the tiller lashed if necessary.

 

[Daydream believer]

If the budget would extend to a boat with a self tacking jib then you should find you rarely need to reef the jib
If the boat has genoa tracks you can always change to a bigger sail on lighter days
Add single line reefing to the mainsail worked from the cockpit & handling becomes a doddle

 

[Zagato]

A very small price really. There is no need (on my heavily-rigged 27 footer at least) to set them up in anything less than F5.

Even if one does find oneself short-tacking in a stiff breeze, there's not a lot of extra work involved:
- let off old foresail sheet, tension new one
- let off old staysail sheet, tension new one
- let off old running backstay, tension new one

I actually find it quicker and smoother to do all this on my own than having a crew get in the way.

"Originally Posted by Minn
Yes; cutter rig - running backstays are a small price to pay".

Why would you have running backstays if you have a cutter rig, you would think a big genoa would put put more strain on the rigging. I've only heard of them on some Gaff main masts - PITA - I wouldn't have them... I don't have them on my Bermuden Cutter!

 

[oldvarnish]

Why would you have running backstays if you have a cutter rig, you would think a big genoa would put put more strain on the rigging.

Cos the inner forestay is not attached to the top of the mast and therefore not totally supported by the backstay, unlike the outer forestay. Less than F5 won't matter, but if going to windward in anything stronger, and in a lumpy sea, the mast will start to 'pump' where the inner forestay is attached.