Setting up your boat for single/short handed sailing.

Paul_S123

Paul_S123

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OK, following on from the Pegasus v Dinghy thread, I have decided to try to just set my Pegasus up for single handed sailing.

I am sure this topic has been beat to death already....and for that, I apologise :D

I have a Pegasus 700, fractional rig boat. Diesel inboard, 7 m long.

Complete novice and I guess I must be an unsociable b8sturd, as always find myself with no one (other than my faithful dog Noggins) to sail with.

That said, I am going to try to set up my boat to single hand. Short day trips from Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute, just sailing around in the Clyde and back to Port Bannatyne.

I have a tiller pilot, just fitted a stack pack with lazy jacks, roller furling jib.

My Pegasus is fractional rigged, so I was thinking of a self tacking jib set up. Anyone have any experience with this? Any comments about it are appreciated.

What else would anyone recommend.
 
Are all the important control lines accessible from the cockpit? If so it sounds like you have everything you need there. The tiller pilot is the most important thing - that frees you up to do everything else. On a 7m yacht you shouldn't need a self tacking jib - just use the tiller pilot to tack (mine has a "tack" button) and handle the jib sheets yourself. Use the engine to get in and out of port and then get settled and sailing once you have some sea room.
 
Quite possibly the single most useful device I fitted to my boat to aid single handed sailing was a tiller tamer. It allows you to lock the tiller in any particular location instantly, and release it just as quickly. Tiller pilots are great for longer periods but the ability to keep the boat on a heading just long enough to retrieve a line, adjust something, or even grab something from down below is a real boon.
 
Paul_S123 said:
OK, following on from the Pegasus v Dinghy thread, I have decided to try to just set my Pegasus up for single handed sailing.

I am sure this topic has been beat to death already....and for that, I apologise :D

I have a Pegasus 700, fractional rig boat. Diesel inboard, 7 m long.

Complete novice and I guess I must be an unsociable b8sturd, as always find myself with no one (other than my faithful dog Noggins) to sail with.

That said, I am going to try to set up my boat to single hand. Short day trips from Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute, just sailing around in the Clyde and back to Port Bannatyne.

I have a tiller pilot, just fitted a stack pack with lazy jacks, roller furling jib.

My Pegasus is fractional rigged, so I was thinking of a self tacking jib set up. Anyone have any experience with this? Any comments about it are appreciated.

What else would anyone recommend.
Click to expand...

Get a copy of F.B. Cooke's "Weekend Yachting" (1933) - he'll explain why its okay to be anti-social
to go single handed.
 
You do not need autopilots, self-tacking jibs, lines led back to the cockpit. By all means have them if you like them but don't regard them as essentials.

You can learn a lot reading the old sailing books by Francis Cooke, MacMullen, Cowper, E.F Knight etc. These men, and some notable women, were able to single-hand with a minimum of gadgets and usually with no engine. In fact Knight only had one hand but he managed ok!

One thing those people didn't have to face was berthing in marinas, something that is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid in the popular cruising areas. If you can master that, the other aspects of single-handing will sem easy to cope with
 
parsifal said:
You do not need.....
Click to expand...

How many times have I used that line to my children! It would however unfortunately seem that the

"Dad I need ...."

opener is entirely immune to reason. Feel free to swing by and see for yourself should you find yourself passing through Surrey ;)
 
parsifal said:
You do not need autopilots, self-tacking jibs, lines led back to the cockpit. By all means have them if you like them but don't regard them as essentials.

You can learn a lot reading the old sailing books by Francis Cooke, MacMullen, Cowper, E.F Knight etc. These men, and some notable women, were able to single-hand with a minimum of gadgets and usually with no engine. In fact Knight only had one hand but he managed ok!
[snipped... /QUOTE]

One thing the old boats did usually have was a long keel - much steadier motion, almost guaranteed to heave to perfectly with minimal slewing about and leeway.

Nevertheless a Pegasus 700 is really just a mid-sized keelboat with a lid: sheet loads are low, enough keel to be reasonably steady while you hoist and lower sails. A line across the cockpit to lash the tiller is all you really need, though a tiller pilot is nice.
Click to expand...
 
A waterproof sleeve for your tiller pilot is a good idea.

Otherwise you do not need anything special. Just be conservative with the amount of sail you carry to begin with.

A rollerfurling jib is good but not essential. On a boat your size I don't see the need for a self tacking jib. A good pull on the jib sheet will see it almost all the way in.

I am an old fart and single hand my 44 ft cutter out here in the Carib where 20 25 knots is normal when reinforced trades are blowing. Like I said be conservative with how much sail you have up and reef the FIRST time you think about it.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
This bloke cruises and races single handed, has done for many years, he has written down his knowledge and made it available as a free pdf: -

Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics For Singlehanded Sailing, Andrew Evans, Third Edition


http://sfbaysss.net/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition.pdf
Click to expand...
Good of Andrew Evans to put out this free book but, like other single-handing books I've seen, it doesn't have much to say about marina 'evolutions'; mainly advising how to set up one's home pontoon for easy berthing when, in fact, that's not usually where the problems arise. You get to know your home berth, its foibles and your neighbours very quickly and probably don't really need any aids. It's when you are allocated some awkward corner of a strange marina in less than ideal wind and tide conditions that the fun (if nail-biting anxiety can be called fun!) starts. :o
 
parsifal said:
... It's when you are allocated some awkward corner of a strange marina in less than ideal wind and tide conditions that the fun (if nail-biting anxiety can be called fun!) starts. :o
Click to expand...

So true, but the OP didn't really state that as the concern and usually as one gains experience then the 'awkward corner' has a solution. However, we have a book for that as well, although the OP will have to pay for this one: -

Stress Free Sailing, Single and Short Handed Tips, Duncan Wells, Bloomsbury

Perhaps the OP will find the tools in the referenced books to make his single handed learning experience fruitful.
 
parsifal said:
Good of Andrew Evans to put out this free book but, like other single-handing books I've seen, it doesn't have much to say about marina 'evolutions'; mainly advising how to set up one's home pontoon for easy berthing when, in fact, that's not usually where the problems arise. You get to know your home berth, its foibles and your neighbours very quickly and probably don't really need any aids. It's when you are allocated some awkward corner of a strange marina in less than ideal wind and tide conditions that the fun (if nail-biting anxiety can be called fun!) starts. :o
Click to expand...

Re: unfamiliar marinas/inconvenient berths:
I find it helps to get on the VHF and tell them you are coming in short-handed and ask for an easy berth. It is in their interest to avoid making your life difficult! In tricky conditions i.e. windy, or if currents are a factor (or where vacant pontoons are few and far between) rig fenders and warps so as to be ready to come in either side-to and go for the first convenient place you can find. If you need to move, at least you can have a recon before casting off/approaching your allocated berth...
 
Paul, I'm a beginner and am just learning as I go. So far I've done 600 miles, 500 singlehanded, from Cumbria to plockton via man and Ireland.
The one single thing I have realised that makes my life easier and safer, ( as I need to go to the mast to reef and raise/drop sail), is to heave to anytime I need to do either of those things.

Oh, and set up mooring lines on both midships cleats plus two from the bow, running back each side, before entering harbour, then it doesn't matter which way you face on berthing, you have lines ready.
Chuck a mid over a cleat to stop her, turn her nose slightly in with engine running low, grab the bow line and chuck that over and there's no drama. Turn off engine and sort lines at your leisure.
Cos truth is, entering and leaving port is where it all goes tits up, out at sea it's pretty simple.
 
I was going to say 'miships cleats'...

The other thing I was going to say was: single-handing is all about preparing things in advance. Pilotage plans, lines and fenders both sides, pre-made sarnies and soups/teas in thermos flasks, etc.

Above all: clip on at all times. Period.
 
Triassic said:
Quite possibly the single most useful device I fitted to my boat to aid single handed sailing was a tiller tamer. It allows you to lock the tiller in any particular location instantly, and release it just as quickly. Tiller pilots are great for longer periods but the ability to keep the boat on a heading just long enough to retrieve a line, adjust something, or even grab something from down below is a real boon.
Click to expand...

I have one too bit I found that i could never seem to lock the tiller in exactly the right position.

While I would use my tiller pilot for such fiddly things if I already had it set up, I would often not bother - if it was a quick job, I'd just let go for a second or two.
 
You may not want to fly coloured sails, even if you have them. My tip is to have permanently available gybe preventers, mine also serve as spinnaker pole downhauls. You can then sail deep in safety and comfort.

Poling out the genoa works exceptionally well as a added refinement, as you gain confidence. Though I wish I had a light carbon pole longer than the standard alloy item.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
This bloke cruises and races single handed, has done for many years, he has written down his knowledge and made it available as a free pdf: -

Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics For Singlehanded Sailing, Andrew Evans, Third Edition


http://sfbaysss.net/resource/doc/SinglehandedTipsThirdEdition.pdf
Click to expand...

I just love this extract from the book;-
"From this group, it seems the
overriding qualification for solo
sailing is advanced age, being a
paid up member of the ‘Last
Chance’ brigade. Time is running
out as the years of procras-
tination accumulate towards a
crisis. Grandpa, casting off ..."

So, for you BBs, just wait!!!
 
parsifal said:
Good of Andrew Evans to put out this free book but, like other single-handing books I've seen, it doesn't have much to say about marina 'evolutions'; mainly advising how to set up one's home pontoon for easy berthing when, in fact, that's not usually where the problems arise. You get to know your home berth, its foibles and your neighbours very quickly and probably don't really need any aids. It's when you are allocated some awkward corner of a strange marina in less than ideal wind and tide conditions that the fun (if nail-biting anxiety can be called fun!) starts. :o
Click to expand...

Anchor more.
Faced with the choice of marina or anchor, I'll always take the latter. Especially when it's bows-to with no lazy-line.
 
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