Single-handed tacking

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JimC

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Any tips for single-handedly tacking a boat that has a blade jib sheeted inside the shrouds, with the winches on the rear of the coach roof - not reachable from the tiller?
 
What boat & how quick does it turn- Long keel fin keel, bilge keel, how big ?
Do you have an auto pilot, wind steering such as monitor etc is it tiller or wheel steered.
Can you get to the winches quickly or do you have to jump over a mainsheet traveller
how is the mainsheet tensioned? How many M2 is the blade
We need the full info first otherwise you will get so much tosh you will lose the will to live
But by #95 you will know how to tack a 40 ton gaffer in 40 kts on a lee shore whilst changing the impellor on volvo md2020 ?
 
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Daydream believer said:
What boat & how quick does it turn- Long keel fin keel, bilge keel, how big ?
Do you have an auto pilot, wind steering such as monitor etc is it tiller or wheel steered.
Can you get to the winches quickly or do you have to jump over a mainsheet traveller
how is the mainsheet tensioned? How many M2 is the blade
Click to expand...

Hunter Channel 31 twin keeler, originally ST jib but didn't like so now have the optional 110% blade jib of approx 19 sq metres. Boat is very quick to turn, No traveller to jump over, 6 part tackle on mainsheet with jammer on bottom block. I have a tiller pilot and can use this to tack with no probs - just press the button, leave the tiller and go forward to the bulkhead to handle the jib sheets as the boat comes round, but I still feel that I ought to be able to tack the boat without electronic assistance.
 
Surely the Channel 31 has 2 spare bases in the GRP for genoa winches in the cockpit. Does it not?
If so then you need a couple of winches set there & you should be able to reach them easily whilst still holding the tiller
 
Have a couple of turns of the lazy sheet already on the relevant winch, with the tail to hand. Initiate the turn. When the jib collapses leap forward and throw off (by pulling it upwards), (hope this is not a sucking eggs situation :) ), leap back to the helm pulling in the sheet on the new side. Get the boat back on track while keeping tension on the sheet, then make off on a convenient cleat. Thats how I would do it, anyway, given my lack of knowledge of the Channel31 .
Do you have a tiller extension?
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
Have a couple of turns of the lazy sheet already on the relevant winch, with the tail to hand. Initiate the turn. When the jib collapses leap forward and throw off (by pulling it upwards), (hope this is not a sucking eggs situation :) ), leap back to the helm pulling in the sheet on the new side. Get the boat back on track while keeping tension on the sheet, then make off on a convenient cleat. Thats how I would do it, anyway, given my lack of knowledge of the Channel31 .
Do you have a tiller extension?
Click to expand...
If a blade is anything like an ST then it will need a fair bit of tension on the sheet, so will require a turn or two with the handle . That takes time, so I suspect that in a sea way, it is not quite so slick as you might like to make out. Hopefully the winches are self tailing, otherwise having to use 2 hands will slow things down a lot, at the last bit
I asked about the mainsheet because if it is forward of the tiller & sheeted to the centre of the cockpit floor, it renders the tiller extension difficult to use.
 
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post#7 has the answer. The winches are on the coachroof because it had a self tacker. The designer made provision for an alternative non selftacker with winches further aft. so you have to change your boat to suit - OK for the coachroof winches if you have a crew, fit the optional winches to single hand. Exactly what I did when I specified my Bavaria which had standard winches forward and optional aft which also served the ceuising chute.
 
You could maybe extend the tiller with a slip on length of plastic pipe from a plumbing shop. Control the tiller between your legs or with one hand behind you, you can then reach the winches. It works on my yacht. Slip the pipe off after you have trackedm to keep it out the way. Or use the auto tack on the tiller pilot, which sort of works ok in light air conditions.

use a 45 degree pipe fitting in the middle of the pipe if the tiller extension ends up too high. Also you could use a reducer fitting if you need a larger pipe size over the tiller end.
 
On my Fulmar the winches were originally on the end of the coachroof. Useless for singlehanded sailing. I now have winches mounted on the cockpit coaming and I can reach them whilst holding the tiller. For tacking in smooth water and moderate conditions, the windward self tailing winch is prepared with 3 turns round the drum and then the turn in the self tailing channel and have the handle fitted. Then I push the helm to lee and as the genoa starts to back I release the old sheet and start pull as much of the new sheet in before the sail fills. Leaning over the winch facing forward, I wind with one hand, the other is holding the lifeline to steady me and my windward foot is on the tiller. This arrangement usually give me a snappy tack without too much winching. Frequently I can out tack other boats because I am quick to pull the sheet in and have over sized winches meaning I can use just one hand for almost all conditions.
 
Channel Sailor said:
You could maybe extend the tiller with a slip on length of plastic pipe from a plumbing shop. Control the tiller between your legs or with one hand behind you, you can then reach the winches. It works on my yacht. Slip the pipe off after you have trackedm to keep it out the way. Or use the auto tack on the tiller pilot, which sort of works ok in light air conditions.
use a 45 degree pipe fitting in the middle of the pipe if the tiller extension ends up too high. Also you could use a reducer fitting if you need a larger pipe size over the tiller end.
Click to expand...
Agree
However on my little boat it has a tiller extension set back from tip of tiller by about 15cms. If I lash bun der cord or rope around the tiller tip and extension I have a much longer tiller. Just right to reach sheets etc. However added winches in side deck seems like an elegant (expensive) solution. ol'will
 
Personally, a tiller clutch is a prerequisite for single handed sailing a tiller steered boat. Helm over, lock clutch, leave tiller and sort out sheets through tack, then back to tiller and unlock clutch and steer for new course. It has to be a Tiller Clutch mind, I’ve tried all the others but they’re not nearly as effective. Tiller Clutch (get the ‘X’ model) is instantly on/ instantly off with the flick of a lever. A wonderful piece of design.
 
I am pretty sure that the Channel 31 is designed with the mainsheet fixed to the centre of the cockpit floor. The OP can confirm this. If this is the case then all the theories about extended tillers, are void because the mainsheet has to pass across the centre of the boat.
As I pointed out in #10
 
Daydream believer said:
Did not the OP say in #5 that he would prefer an alternative option if at all possible
Click to expand...


So he may .... but auto-tack IMHO is the ideal solution .... its one of the best functions and I find my old AH800 and AH1000 - despite being antiques - cope very well in light to even serious moderate conditions.

As to locking tiller over .... my tiller is long enough that I can push hard over, drop the end behind a mooring cleat at the side .. hands off to do necessary ... then back on tiller. Makes berthing magic.
 
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