Set Up Ideas wanted for Singlehandling

[karl010203]

Hey All

I am on an absolute high... I sailed singlehanded from Tin Can Bay yesterday to Mooloolabah... about 60nm...

For most of it I had 15 - 20 knots NW/NE - right on the stern quarters and a never ending broadreach -- Solitude - and with a NE swell, Solitude put a bone between her teeth and we had an amazing sail... with surges forwards on the swell seeing consistent averages in the low to Mid 6's! Top speed for the day was over 8 with near surfing... Yahoo.

Scenery was terrible with whales, at one point under the boat, and breaching alongside etc... and magic weather...

Anyhow, rambling aside... I have decided that Solitude whilst user friendly is not ideally set up for singlehanding... apart from the furling headsail - nothing else runs back to the cockpit and I would really like:

1. Info photos on what sets up others are using:
- Especially if anyone has a mainsail downhaul, or back to cockpit reefing lines...!!

2. Any hints or tips

I have decided that my jacklines are crap and did not give me much confidence, they need to be up higher... there needs to be handholds on cabin roof (external) as in a swell you are launching self from stuanchion to stay, or mast with nothing in between...

Would really really love info on any projects others have done that have made shorthanding easy.

*Winner of best submission - wins a couple of rums... and a sail on a Tophat* Must come to Sunshine Coast QLD, to collect!!!

[SeaLady]

Hi I have been sailing single handedly for about a year now.
Not gone as far as you in the ocean yet. Just Sydney to Pittwater.

I will take some photos next time I am out. Hopefully next weekend.
Lazy Jacks help heaps with the main.

Keith and a few others on here do it a lot so they may have some good ideas as well.

I have everything coming back to the cockpit and can steer with my knees and handle all lines.
Have even done the trip without the Autopilot.

Am in the process of reading Jessica Watson's book. Her boat was well equipped for solo sailing obviously.
Still think she was mad.

Do have grab rails on the roof of the cabin.

Being a girly, I have things so that muscles are not required. A bit like Jessica.


Have fun

Diana
Sea Lady

[karl010203]

Hi Diana

Thanks for the reply!

I have also just finished the Jessica Watson read... bloody good on her, just heading off knowing that at some stage you would have to deal with some pretty extreme conditions would take nerves.

I have basic lazy jacks - I set them up a week or so ago but not sure they are quite right - a work in progress... would love to see how you run your lines.

Thanks so much - if anyone is interested I will post pics of project as I go.

Cheers

Karl

[Shaun]

Nice one Karl!!

Sounds like you had a 'whale' of a time(sorry about the pun ).

Any boat time i get now, i am focusing 100% on setting up for singlehanded sailing.
Ive just finished reading Richard henderson's book, Singlehanded Sailing 2nd Ed (thanks Peter, Marinka!), i highly recommend it for anyone interested in singlehanding & its history. Inspiring reading.
While its much harder to sail singlehanded, i believe its much more rewarding, & am convinced its just as safe, except of course if you fall overboard(but that can be prevented), also not having to worry about the safety(or wants/needs) of crew, which is a big responsibility.
Preparation & prevention is the key, imo. Preparing takes much longer & having the foresightness(is that a word??) to anticipate problems is very important, if not the most important factor, imo. Both 'works in progress' for me.

Fortuneatly(for me) the junk rig is ideal for singlehanding, most my lines run back to the cockpit, to cleats where the traveller is on a standard rig.
Currently ive got a lot of little projects going(or thinking about) on the boat, one of which is also installing handrails for the cabintop, dont know wheter to go timber or SS?? Thoughts anyone? will also put them on roof inside too.
Also i need to improve my jacklines & thought i'd run them down the centreline, either side of the mast.
And securing all items below, including locking down lids for the storage areas under the bunks, i think seat-belt webbing will be good, over the top of the cushions too.(cant send crew below to fix up the mess ).
Installing a lee-cloth for the seaberth.

Have all items at reach from the helm, chart, binoculars etc.
Pre-prepare foods & drinks for the voyage.

Top of the list is self-steering....what do you have?, i'll be installing a ST2000.

Im definitly interested in your pics, thoughts, & ideas for your project as you go.

cheers
Shaun

[karl010203]

Hey Shuan

Thanks - book sounds great I will have to hunt down a copy...

Currently I have a st1000 - which has been good but as the recent trip showed is really not quick enough to respond to the boat rounding up or running with a swell... which is something I suspected from earlier experiences... so I did 95% of the helming by hand, except for motoring out of port initially.... not the easiest with 13 hours of sailing. Very funny quick dashes to galley for food... don't even ask how I got the mainsail down...

I have a windvane, which I was intending to trail, a plastimo navik, but the big pain in the proverbial is the fact that it is not happy sitting in the water with the outboard going, even with unlocked and trailing out back... and was too hard to put back in when outboard off... I will try again when I either have crew or less testing conditions...

With a reliable autopilot the rest life certainly is a lot easier.

Find your comments re mess below hilarious - I never set off with a thing out of place but at the end of this trip contents of at least three boats seemed to have emptied themselves on the cabin floor


You are absolutely on the money with the jacklines - mine have been set up as per traditional yachts with lines along the inside of the staunchions each side... but really not much use... I had also though across the centreline and definitely handles also.

Yes certainly a high level of satisfaction completing solo...

Stay tuned

[storm petrel]

Hi All,

I admire your desire to set your boats up and sail single handed. I have also tried to set up Storm Petrel to enable her to sailed 'one-up' but I must admit that I generally have more fun sailing with a pal or two. Funny as I prefer to surf alone. I guess I just like sharing a few laughs and having someone to have an ale with when we make port.

Cheers,
Mark

[rob.lovelace]

self tailing winches are next, have ST1000, would like vane, looking at self steer from genny sheet system.

[rob.lovelace]

soory snkt back stay is the topping lift

[karl010203]

Thanks Rob!!! That is a huge help.

Excellent photo thank you... what winches do you use with this?

Where is your mainsheet and traveller - on the compainway roof also?

Thanks soo much

[rob.lovelace]

Yes mainsheet traveler on companionway roof, 3x barlow #16's one in front of the traveler and one at each end.