STOL71
Well-Known Member
Buy yourself a long keel boat with a transom hung rudder. The rest is just thinking ahead and talking to as many sailors as possible.
Single/short handed tips
- Thread starter daverebbettes
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Not if you have a berth that requires accurate reversing - nor indeed is an old long keel boat better overall. I have owned both - the long keel for over 30 years (and love it for what it is), but for single handing in comfort my modern fin keel boat despite 7' longer and weighing nearly twice as much is far superior.
As said by many the secret is equipping the boat appropriately, planning ahead and staying within your own boundaries. The type of boat is of secondary importance.
Last edited:
steve yates
Well-Known Member
rig lines and fenders on both sides of the boat when docking, always. Then it doesn't matter which side you go in, or if you get blown off, or something goes wrong and you have to change where you intended to go in a hurry.
elton
Well-Known Member
Maintain the ability to report your position at all times. Keep a watch on VHF channel 16.
Seashoreman
Well-Known Member
Apart from all the obviously useful and stated ideas don't forget to have a pee receptacle to hand for that time when you are just about to enter a harbour and you suddenly remember you are bursting for a jimmy. I have a black plastic bicycle drinks bottle nearby with a large letter P stuck on it. Just a thought.
Ruffles
Well-Known Member
Never hurry
Never go anywhere without the main ready to go.
When it all goes wrong either make sure no one sees you or pretend you meant it to happen that way.
Use all your fenders.
Don't forget you've put the kettle on.
Untie the tiller/wheel before you cast off.
Have a pee before you cast off!
If you're coming in somewhere at night keep a transit behind you. When it all gets a bit scary do a U turn and motor slowly back out the way you came in. That way is definitely safe and chances are you'll start to work out your surroundings ready for a second try.
Never go anywhere without the main ready to go.
When it all goes wrong either make sure no one sees you or pretend you meant it to happen that way.
Use all your fenders.
Don't forget you've put the kettle on.
Untie the tiller/wheel before you cast off.
Have a pee before you cast off!
If you're coming in somewhere at night keep a transit behind you. When it all gets a bit scary do a U turn and motor slowly back out the way you came in. That way is definitely safe and chances are you'll start to work out your surroundings ready for a second try.
RupertW
Well-Known Member
That is brilliant. I would just add that I find doing anything at sea quite easy as there is time, but well worth taking lots of time learning to make your boat spin on a sixpence under motor using whatever combination of techniques works for you. That makes parking (the difficult bit) so very much easier.
alant
Well-Known Member
Blimey, you must have at the back of the queue if you can get your todger into the plastic drinking straw.
mattonthesea
Well-Known Member
Only thing to add here is that I have a long keel so I plan manoeuvres well x3: A, B & C.
A: what I would like to happen.
B: what I would like others to think I wanted to happen
C: face up to the new 'learning opportunity' I have created. (I have practised going backwards for hours and still don't know what she will do. However, I now recognise what she is about to do as she starts to do it and can react accordingly.)
Re lines: I have most lines at the mast; less line, easier to manage, means that I am used to going forward and so it is not a worry. Got the Orangutan walk off to a T!
prv
Well-Known Member
+1
This is the most important enabler of singlehanded sailing, anything else is just details dependent on the type of boat and type of sailing. A lot of the standard domestic and navigational pre-preparation advice (thermoses of tea, pre-marked-up charts in plastic bags, etc) is based on the old world of being tied to the tiller. If the boat can reliably sail itself, why shouldn't you (traffic permitting) go below and put the kettle on, have a pee, look at the chart, etc, just like anyone else?
I find a wireless remote for the autopilot somewhat useful (though not essential) to adjust my course up the river while putting out fenders, without having to run back and forth to the cockpit.
Pete
GHA
Well-Known Member
And lets not forget......
rudolph_hart
Well-Known Member
I'd reply to this thread if only the ~@{*""!!ing site would stop saying 'upload failed' each time I select a .jpeg on the computer, then select upload image(s) Grrrrr
daverebbettes
Well-Known Member
I highly recommend this series of videos. Patrick is a great example of a normal bloke, an adventurous spirit and a good communicator.
Roberto
Well-Known Member
A few more, should you plan to sail a bit farther/longer, meaning passages longer than the 24-36hours one can usually manage without sleep:
1. Falling overboard offshore means 99% chance of death; btw it can also happen while being towed alongside by the tether;
2. See and be seen: ais transponder, rte, radar watch, etc, anything which can help reduce the probability of a collision while you are not complying with ColReg 5 deserves to be seriously considered;
3. Learn/know your sleep patterns, and adapt your sleep to suit the differences in navigation moments: arriving dead tired at a high traffic area is asking for trouble.
As a curiosity, as one has to spend days trying to do something
I made a daily track of a sort of POMS, Dalda questionnaire results, there are various versions it's a list of qualitative questions which can suggest how much stress one is accumulating, often without knowning, I had a basically flat graph with a spike around the 10-11th day; more of a joke probably, though interesting.
1. Falling overboard offshore means 99% chance of death; btw it can also happen while being towed alongside by the tether;
2. See and be seen: ais transponder, rte, radar watch, etc, anything which can help reduce the probability of a collision while you are not complying with ColReg 5 deserves to be seriously considered;
3. Learn/know your sleep patterns, and adapt your sleep to suit the differences in navigation moments: arriving dead tired at a high traffic area is asking for trouble.
As a curiosity, as one has to spend days trying to do something
I made a daily track of a sort of POMS, Dalda questionnaire results, there are various versions it's a list of qualitative questions which can suggest how much stress one is accumulating, often without knowning, I had a basically flat graph with a spike around the 10-11th day; more of a joke probably, though interesting.yimkin
Well-Known Member
Here are a few small points i have found help singlehanders:
- a piece of light chain across the tiller and secured between pushpit stanchions can be instantly dropped over the autohelm pin to hold the helm. Very useful when tacking.
- for boats with all lines led aft a rubber bung with a hole in the middle (home brew kit) placed over reefing horn stops the reefing spectacle from falling off whilst returning to the cockpit to tighten the halyard.
-thread a robust stainless ring onto the jackstays and hook onto it. I feel it runs more freely along the jackstay than a safety line hook.
- tie a loop of bungy chord round the midships lifelines stanchion. Before coming alongside bring lines outboard from bow and stern and tuck the ends in bights under the bungy chord so that you can step onto a pontoon without ropes in your hands but the lines are readily to hand.
-a 'pump' flask of boiling water strapped to a bulkhead speeds up making coffee
-why would anyone want to swing precariously from shrouds when they can sit by the helm and pee into a jar?
For me, the best piece of equipment for a single hander is a wind vane (in my case a Seafeather). It really is like having a crew. I have an Autohelm I use for entering and leaving harbours/marinas. It is fine (most of the time) whilst motoring but is not good when sailing in more than a light breeze and it uses power.
- a piece of light chain across the tiller and secured between pushpit stanchions can be instantly dropped over the autohelm pin to hold the helm. Very useful when tacking.
- for boats with all lines led aft a rubber bung with a hole in the middle (home brew kit) placed over reefing horn stops the reefing spectacle from falling off whilst returning to the cockpit to tighten the halyard.
-thread a robust stainless ring onto the jackstays and hook onto it. I feel it runs more freely along the jackstay than a safety line hook.
- tie a loop of bungy chord round the midships lifelines stanchion. Before coming alongside bring lines outboard from bow and stern and tuck the ends in bights under the bungy chord so that you can step onto a pontoon without ropes in your hands but the lines are readily to hand.
-a 'pump' flask of boiling water strapped to a bulkhead speeds up making coffee
-why would anyone want to swing precariously from shrouds when they can sit by the helm and pee into a jar?
For me, the best piece of equipment for a single hander is a wind vane (in my case a Seafeather). It really is like having a crew. I have an Autohelm I use for entering and leaving harbours/marinas. It is fine (most of the time) whilst motoring but is not good when sailing in more than a light breeze and it uses power.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
And lets not forget......
Agree. And that looks a particularly suitable one, too,
doug748
Well-Known Member
In this context, It's difficult to see many advantages in modern style bulky boats but there is one trick they have which is invaluable for singlehanding; the ability to steer in reverse.
With the breeze against your bow, reversing out of a pontoon slot, the burning question is: "can I get it through the wind?" With a thin keel you know, even if the bow blows right off, it is an easy matter to reverse up the exit. The long keeler can get tangled in the arcs of despair, inevitably ending pinned across the bows and sterns of downwind pontoons.
In this situation you know you are stuffed, there are echoes of Bob Hoskins, reconciling himself to his fate, in the Long Good Friday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9SG-zYvPjk&t=1s
Now't you can do.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Yes there is. Warp her out. Done it a few times when the wind looked iffy. Mind you, a kink in the warp stopping it from running free can also spoil your day.
doug748
Well-Known Member
True.
I was thinking all hope was gone - when you have actually taken the risk of getting through the wind, and lost.
The other method is to drop a gert weight, or anchor, from the bow and swing on that. One forum member sent me details of how he does this singlehanded but it needs a pretty heavy weight and I have not been brave enough yet.
I think your method has the edge though, as you say, if you hit a snag and go too far through the wind you could end up at 90deg to the fairway and in a right pickle.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Hardly good advice for single handers when it is best to stay on the boat. Despite claims to the contrary modern boats are superior for coastal cruising. They are easy to handle and generally go where you point them this is particularly true in larger sizes. As I said earlier I am far more comfortable with my 33' modern boat than my much smaller long keel.
However one adapts strategy to reflect the boat you have and how it behaves and both types can be used singlehanded successfully.
One rule I have is to stay on the boat when berthing until firmly tied up. While you. Might get away with jumping off with a smaller low freeboard boat, leaving a 6 ton high windage boat that is not fully attached is not a good idea. Having a remote for the bow thruster may help, but still a risky exercise.
However one adapts strategy to reflect the boat you have and how it behaves and both types can be used singlehanded successfully.
One rule I have is to stay on the boat when berthing until firmly tied up. While you. Might get away with jumping off with a smaller low freeboard boat, leaving a 6 ton high windage boat that is not fully attached is not a good idea. Having a remote for the bow thruster may help, but still a risky exercise.