tacking a sailboat single handed

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Singlehanded sailing for the first time

• Toby Heppell
• August 31, 2020

Toby Heppell looks at the art of singlehanded sailing and considers what constitutes good seamanship when it’s only you on board

Sailing alone gives you freedom to set off when you want, but requires a different approach. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Singlehanded sailing is often something we associate with feats of adventure and endurance, bringing forward ideas of the lone sailor heading off across oceans.

Setting off on a significant offshore voyage on your own is a truly specialist activity.

You are likely to experience sleep deprivation, the stresses of being alone for long periods of time and the possibility of facing inclement weather by yourself.

That may well not be for all of us.

Editor Theo Stocker headed out on his Sadler 29 to put the advice into practice. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

But closer to home, many of us are likely to go singlehanded sailing – be it regularly or just the odd occasion, a short coastal trip or a longer voyage, or when a crew member is laid low by seasickness or other ailment.

You might end up without a crew and face the choice of leaving the boat in a distant port or taking a fair wind home alone.

You may be a couple sailing with a young child that needs constant attention, leaving the skipper to handle the boat alone.

Understanding the skills and kit necessary to successfully and safely sail by yourself is, if not an essential skill, certainly a useful string to the bow.

Freedom and responsibility of singlehanded sailing

‘Sailing solo there is the dependence on oneself that is really appealing,’ say Mervyn Wheatley, veteran of many solo ocean races and trips.

Toby Heppell got his first boat aged four and grew up sailing on the East Coast. He has been a sailing journalist for over 15 years. Credit: Richard Langdon

‘A great deal of that appeal is that you know if something goes wrong then you are going to have to sort it out yourself.

As a solo skipper, you are master of your own destiny, entirely free to run the boat exactly as you wish.

With that comes total responsibility for everything on board: food, maintenance, sail choice, pilotage – it’s all up to you.

‘There’s an unmistakable excitement in slipping the lines and knowing that success or failure is entirely down to your resourcefulness and seamanship,’ says Wheatley.

‘Completing a solo passage satisfies like nothing else. But with that responsibility comes a significant reliance on making sure everything onboard and yourself are up to the challenge.’

In this article, I’m going to look at the various aspects you should consider to make sure you’re ready for solo coastal daysails, rather than long-distance offshore singlehanded sailing, when considerations around sleep management become more vital.

Is your boat up to singlehanded sailing?

Though the recent trend has been for ever-bigger boats, you need to be fairly agile to singlehand a boat much over 35ft, or have invested some serious money into automation.

Typically at about 35ft you are reaching the point where sail size is a big factor in terms of managing reefing and winching.

Setting up your boat so that you have to leave the helm as little as possible is important.

If you do have to leave the helm when sailing, doing so on starboard tack, keeping a good lookout and setting an autopilot will keep you in control.

Clip on: Make sure your jackstays are in good condition, and let you work on deck effectively. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

A furling headsail saves foredeck work and in-mast or in-boom furling makes mainsail reefing simpler, and the slight loss of performance may not be important to you.

A slab-reefed main can take longer to reef but lines led aft make it easier.

Crucially, if you drop it as you are coming in to harbour, the main will block your vision forward unless you have lazy jacks.

Fortunately, these are easy to add if you don’t have them already, and a stack-pack sail bag makes stowing the sail even easier.

Leaving the cockpit for any reason is among the highest risks for solo sailors, particularly as handling sails at the start and end of your passage is likely to be close to harbour with more traffic around.

Lines aft: Leading lines aft helps avoid trips forward out of the cockpit. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Leading lines back to the cockpit will make life easier, with the caveat that any friction points, particularly in single-line reefing systems, need addressing.

Taking the main halyard back to the cockpit at the very least is a must.

When it comes to mooring by yourself, ‘midships cleats are often underrated and underused, but they are invaluable,’ says ex-Navy navigator and cruising author Andy du Port.

‘With only two of us on board, we have become adept at lassoing pontoon cleats from amidships and hauling in reasonably firmly before the boat has a chance to start drifting off.’

In terms of safety, eliminating risk of going overboard is key and staying clipped on is a good way to do that.

Make sure your jackstays can be reached from inside the cockpit, and let you get to the mast or other working areas on deck.

Webbing rather than wire won’t roll underfoot.

Sensible cockpit strong points should let you move from helm to winches, halyards, instruments, and companionway without unclipping.

Optimal cockpit layout for singlehanded sailing

Whether you have a wheel or tiller, the layout of the cockpit is important as to whether it works well for singlehanded sailing.

It is worth noting, however, that a tiller can be slotted between your legs when hoisting sails or handling lines.

The ability to see a chartplotter on deck is important, as you will need to do much of your navigation from the helm and modern chart plotters make this easier.

Particularly in coastal waters, you will want to spend as little time as possible down below at the chart table so you can keep a proper lookout.

Navigation: A setup that works on deck reduces time spent below. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Effective self-steering is essential for singlehanded sailing.

An autopilot is excellent under power as the engine keeps the batteries topped up but under sail, if you haven’t trimmed correctly for a neutral helm, the autopilot has to work hard and will draw more power.

Modern units draw 2-3A but older models can draw double that.

For this reason, an easily visible battery monitor will help.

Some autopilots include a remote control you can wear on your wrist or on a lanyard to alter course.

For smaller boats or longer passages, a windvane is effective on every point of sail and draws no power.

Midships: A midships cleat is a big help if you don’t have crew to help. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

However, they are vulnerable in port, and struggle under motor as prop wash confuses the servo blade.

‘If I am in coastal waters then I use an autopilot as it’s easier,’ says Wheatley.

‘If I’m nipping across the Channel then I know I can plug into the mains on the other side. I use a windvane on ocean passages.’

Ensure essentials such as handbearing compass, sunscreen and water are in place before you slip lines. Finally, get to know your boat well. A refresher on the key parts of each of your main systems might be a good idea before a singlehanded passage.

Physical limitations

Singlehanded sailing requires a reasonable level of physical fitness.

Every manoeuvre is slower and more arduous when sailing alone, so you’ll need the endurance to handle longer passages.

It’s really easy to become dehydrated, so keep a bottle of water in the cockpit, preferably in a pocket along with a few biscuits to keep your energy up and help you deal with tiredness.

The demands of helming, sail handling, manoeuvring, navigation and other tasks on board while singlehanded sailing should not be underestimated. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

‘If you’re feeling a bit tired to begin with, if you’re going to sail a long way that is only going to get worse and will probably guarantee seasickness,’ explains ocean sailing legend, Pete Goss.

‘Sometimes if you just take it a bit easy at the start of a longer passage that makes things easier for the rest of the trip.

‘Plan to only go a short distance before possibly anchoring up for some hours, to make sure you get some rest and you have properly got your sea legs.

‘That can be the difference between a great solo passage and a terrible one where you are tired and sick from the off.

‘No-one functions well in that sort of condition.’

Nutrition: Keep yourself rested and fuelled. Heave to and put the kettle on for a break. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

‘Eating is a really important thing to focus on too,’ says record breaking skipper Dee Caffari.

‘It is really just getting the balance right and realising the effect hunger has on your body and mind.

‘I did a lot of work with sports psychologists before doing big races to understand myself a lot more.

‘Much of it was focused on understanding when I am tired and when I am hungry.

‘There are moments now when I realise I just need to eat and take a 10-minute break, and then I am a totally different person.

‘Clearly not everyone has access to a psychologist, but taking the time to notice the signs of sleep deprivation and hunger and what they mean in terms of how you function is crucial.’

Solo safety

Singlehanded sailing should be approached much like sailing at night in terms of safety.

You want everything you might need ready to hand, and to take a much more cautious approach.

Make sure you can navigate from the cockpit, whether on a plotter or paper chart in a plastic wallet. Time below is time not keeping a look out. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Going overboard is not a good idea at the best of times and becomes even more serious when solo.

Everything should be done to minimise this risk.

While much of this is a matter of attitude, and planning each manoeuvre to predict the main dangers, having the right equipment in the right place will also help.

Navigation and communication

Being able to manage your boat, and all of the key navigation and safety systems from the cockpit is the key.

Think through your navigation and communications equipment.

A chart plotter and a VHF radio handset on deck will save the need to go below.

Shore contact: Register your vessel details with the Coastguard on the SafeTrx app, then let a shore contact know your ETA. This can also be done with the app. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Should you need to make a distress call, having a radio that is set up with a DSC button will make things easier.

Modern handheld VHF radios are capable of this, as are command microphones for fixed VHF sets, which also have the advantage of a longer range.

It is worth having binoculars, flares, and a grab bag easily to hand too.

AIS and radar

Making your boat more visible to others will help make up some of the potential shortfall of only having one set of eyes to keep lookout.

A properly working AIS unit, radar reflector, and potentially a radar enhancer and alarm, will help alert you to approaching vessels and you to them.

On board equipment

Though they are key bits of safety kit on any yacht, the lifebelt and danbuoy aren’t so important for singlehanded sailing, as there will be no-one left to throw them after you if you did go overboard.

But the rest of the boat’s standard equipment should be located, inspected and brought up to spec before a solo passage if they aren’t already.

These include the liferaft, fire extinguishers, bilge pump, flares, first aid kit and so on.

Man overboard

Falling overboard, serious enough with a fully-crewed boat, becomes even more unpalatable solo.

Everything should be done to avoid this possibility.

Clearly, a mindset that is consistently aware of the risk is your biggest asset, and will help you avoid doing things that could leave you exposed.

MOB: You’re most likely to fall overboard when mooring. Make sure your bathing ladder can be operated from the water or rig an emergency one. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Keeping clipped can serve as a reminder of this, and goes some way to keeping you connected to the boat, though being overboard on the end of the tether may be little better than being overboard without one.

‘I do wear a tether often,’ says Wheatley.

‘But the thing to remember about going over the side is that a tether does keep you there, but if you go over by yourself and you are tethered on, then you are not going to get back onboard.

‘However, it is much easier to find a boat than a body so I take the view that I wear one to make it easier for my family should I go over.’

Emergency ladder

Often the biggest risk of going overboard for a singlehander is actually in harbour.

Picking up the mooring buoy, or even stepping across from pontoon to boat has often led to an unexpected dunking.

This can rapidly become serious if you are wearing heavy clothing or the water is anything less than balmy, and do not have an easy means of climbing out.

For this reason many solo sailors carry an emergency ladder with a line that can be reached from the water.

In this scenario, a lifejacket will help you float during the initial phase of cold shock, and should therefore be worn, not just when things start to get ‘a bit lively’ out at sea.

Modern lifejackets are far more impressive than their early counterparts.

Lightweight, slimline, and comfortable to wear, the hood helps prevent secondary drowning and the bright colour and light makes it easier to locate you by day and night.

Crucially, technology has moved on so that it is possible to carry AIS and satellite distress beacons in or on the lifejacket.

Along with a VHF radio in your pocket, this is likely to be your only chance of calling for help at sea should the worst happen.

It should therefore be a serious consideration for anyone sailing solo, however far they venture.

Passage plan

As a solo sailor, it is a good idea to have a shore contact who you keep updated with your plans and your estimated time of arrival, and who knows to call the Coastguard with the details of your boat if you become overdue.

Cockpit kit: Gear close to hand should include binoculars, compass, knife and PLB, as well as grab bag, food and drink. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

This can be supplemented by having your details up to date on the RYA SafeTrx app , which the Coastguard now uses as its leisure vessel registry, as well as being an active passage-tracking tool.

Even if the alarm is raised, hopefully a phone or VHF radio call will quickly establish all is well.

Tangled ropes

It’s easy for piles of rope to mount up when there’s no second pair of hands to help.

Keep up with tidying lines away, so you don’t end up with a tangled mess that could jam just when you need a halyard to run free.

With a little patience, singlehanded sailing is rarely more difficult than sailing two- or three-up for the experienced skipper.

Manoeuvres take longer to complete and you are likely to spend more time in the cockpit than you otherwise might, but your approach to most situations will be broadly the same.

Where things can get tricky is in slipping the lines and mooring.

Springing the stern out is fine with crew, but springing the bow out means you can handle lines without leaving the cockpit. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The latter being all the worse for coming at the end of your passage and so your decision making is likely to be impaired through weariness.

Slipping the lines is clearly much easier if the wind is blowing you off the pontoon.

Here your midships cleat will come in handy as you can get yourself tight to the pontoon with this and then drop the bow line, before heading back to remove the stern line and finally slipping the midships line.

Do remember to have plenty of fenders fore and aft as the boat may pivot around the midships cleat, depending on wind and tide direction.

Multi-tasking: Tiller boats can be steered with your knees while coiling lines, but don’t get distracted. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

As ever, the process for leaving a windward berth can be trickier.

It is easier to spring off the bow first as you have cockpit access to your sternline.

So this is your best option if there is little to no tide, or the tide is coming from ahead.

If there is no tide running and the wind is blowing to onto your pontoon, then you will probably need to motor astern with the stern line firm to help bring the bow out.

Midships cleat: If you can get a midships line on, it will hold the boat to the pontoon while you sort the other lines. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Once it moves clear of the pontoon you can motor ahead as you slip the sternline.

With the tide from astern, use a slipped bow spring.

With sufficient tide the engine does not have to be engaged; simply slip all the lines bar the bow spring, go to the foredeck, watch the stern come away from the pontoon, slip the spring and return to the cockpit.

Once you are in open water, set the engine slow ahead and engage the autopilot while you recover lines and fenders.

Lines can be coiled and fenders tidied away in the cockpit.

On the water

Before taking on any planned singlehanded sailing, your boat handling should be up to scratch, but even the best sailors will find their skills improving quickly from a bit of time on the water alone.

Thinking through manoeuvring into and out of marinas berths and moorings, and then practising this a few times can take away some of the stress of a solo trip.

Heaving to: Lash the helm and back the jib to give yourself a break, but get the boat balanced first. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

At sea you need to be able to heave-to or stop comfortably, as this will give you time to boil the kettle, tend to any problems, or even have a quick break.

Manoeuvres such as tacking or reefing can also be rehearsed: which lines are eased or hauled in first, and when to put the helm down will be particular to your boat, but can be practised.

Once you’re at sea, it is worth keeping manoeuvres to a minimum when possible, as they take time and energy, and incur an element of risk.

As beating will involve a heeled boat and some tacking, it is, by its very nature, the toughest point of sail.

Self-steering

Vane steering systems or an autopilot that can adjust the course to the wind shifts, will keep the boat steering effectively.

Some newer autopilots also have tacking and gybing functions, leaving you free to concentrate on trimming the sails.

An autopilot or self-steering is vital. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

An autopilot remote is also an option, giving you access to control from anywhere on the boat (usually worn on the wrist).

It’s also worth spending time on your passage planning and general theory.

Going below for five minutes to check when the tide turns or to find out what a specific light means will be five minutes that you’re not on deck keeping a lookout.

When coming in to harbour, start the engine relatively far out from your destination to give you time to douse sail and prepare yourself.

Lazyjacks prevent a dropped mainsail blowing off the boom and restricting visibility forward.

Rig your fenders and lines in open water where you have space to drift or motor slowly under autopilot.

If you do not yet know where you will be going it is well worth fendering port and starboard with stern and midships lines on both sides.

Rig fenders and lines once you’re out of the waves, but before you enter confined waters. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Most marinas will send someone to help you if you radio ahead and let them know that you are on your own, or others on the pontoon will normally be happy to catch a line, but you should be prepared to do things alone if needed.

Coming alongside a pontoon, the midships line is critical.

Position the tail so that it is easily picked up when you move forward from the helm.

Prepare bow and stern lines and bring the ends amidships so you can reach them from the pontoon.

Boat handling: Without someone to take the lines ashore, being able to get your boat stopped where you want it makes life much easier. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Stop the boat dead with your midships cleat as close as possible to your selected pontoon cleat, and throw a lasso of rope over it – a skill well worth practising.

Sweat the line to bring the boat as close as you can.

You are then secure and have more time to take bow and stern lines across and adjust your position.

You can also use the midships line as a spring.

Stern line: Throw a coil of line from each hand to lasso a cleat at the stern. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Once the line is made off, put the engine ahead with the helm towards the pontoon.

This will hold the boat snug alongside while you sort the other lines.

Lazy jacks: When dropping the main, lazyjacks help prevent the sail blocking the view and let you delay a trip on deck. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

This is harder if the wind is blowing off the pontoon; your boat handling has to be positive and accurate.

If coming alongside isn’t working, getting a line onto a cleat from the bow or stern will get you secure and give you time to warp the boat in.

Which line first? If the wind is offshore, the midships line is useful to get on first. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

If you don’t fancy it, consider picking up a swinging mooring or dropping the anchor until help is available or the conditions change.

The key to mooring alone is to be ready beforehand, in open water, and to have planned what order you will do things in.

Midships spring: Helm to the pontoon and forward gear will hold you alongside. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

This can be practised while you have crew by getting the boat to stop in her berth without relying on lines to take the boat’s way off.

It looks much better too!

Don’t get overpowered

Managing the amount of sail you have set before you become overpowered is more important when you are singlehanded sailing as it takes longer to reduce sail and you will have no extra pairs of hands if things get exciting.

If you know it’s going to be a windy sail, reef before you leave your mooring.

If you have a ramshorn for the tack reefing point, you may need a small piece of bungee to hold the cringle in place until you have hoisted the sail.

Reef earlier than you would with crew. It’ll save energy, reduce risk and reflect a more conservative approach. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

If you are already out on the water, reef early, before the wind increases too much.

Be conservative with how early you reef.

Before you tackle reefing the mainsail, furl away some of the headsail.

This will slow the boat, making the motion easier and reducing heel, so making reefing the main easier.

Having a more heavily reefed main, and using the genoa to fine-tune the sailing area with the furling line also makes changing gears singlehanded less arduous and avoids trips on deck before needing to shake out or take in the next reef.

Going forward to the mast, make sure you are clipped on. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

‘For short-handed crews, mainsails need to be quick to drop in an emergency and require no feeding when hoisting, to avoid unnecessary trips out of the cockpit,’ says Pip Hare .

‘Avoid using a main with a bolt rope, because when the sail is dropped it will not remain captive at the mast and can quickly become uncontrollable.’

Downwind, keeping the rig under control requires some forethought.

A main boom preventer should be used if you’re sailing deep downwind, but is precarious to rig at sea, so have this ready before you set off, or even rig one on each side.

Most singlehanders are likely to be reluctant to set coloured sails off the wind in all but the best conditions and using a headsail, poled out, is more likely.

Keep rope tails tidy when singlehanded sailing to prevent a dangerous tangle in the cockpit. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

To set your poled-out headsail, begin by furling it away while you ready a pole on the windward side with uphaul, downhaul and guy.

This will give you full control of the sail from the cockpit.

Once you are set up it is simply a case of unfurling the sail and trimming from the helm.

It’s an easy and easily manageable solution and can be furled away without dropping the pole.

If your reefing system has ramshorns, a piece of bungee can hold it in place while you go aft. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

It will be easiest to furl the sail before you gybe, then attend to changing over the pole before again unfurling.

Setting a spinnaker or cruising chute is a more long-winded process solo so should only be taken on if you have a long leg ahead of you and you are sailing in relatively traffic-free waters.

A cruising chute is simpler to set up than a spinnaker.

Rigging can be done with the headsail furled and hoisted in its snuffer.

You’ll probably need to be on the foredeck to raise the snuffer, so make sure you are secure before doing so.

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Set the boat on a course deep downwind until you can get back to the cockpit to trim the sail.

Hoisting a spinnaker takes more planning and more time both to set and douse.

For gybing either of them, you would be best to snuff or drop the sail and reset on the new side.

Singlehanded sailing checklist

• Boat well maintained with all known faults rectified
• Sail handling arrangement set up with lines back to cockpit if possible
• Autopilot or self-steering set up, calibrated and working, with remote if available
• Hove-to practised and balanced sail plan checked
• Furling headsail and mainsail lazyjacks set up and working
• Enough fenders and mooring lines to rig both sides, and means of getting midships line onto a pontoon cleat
• Confident you can handle the boat for the given forecast
• Practised mooring, manoeuvring and sail handling alone
• Well rested ahead of passage
• Food and drink prepared in advance and available on deck
• Familiar with boat’s key systems and how to troubleshoot each of them
• Short passages and daysailing in coastal waters are better
• Avoid overnight passages initially
• Full passage plan completed with necessary notes available on deck
• Passage plan and ETA shared with shore contact, coastguard or RYA SafeTrx app
• Boat details registered on RYA SafeTrx app or website

Safety and kit

• Adopt conservative approach to risk and safety
• VHF radio on deck
• Chartplotter or paper chart on deck
• Wearing lifejacket at all times, particularly start and end of passage recommended
• Carry personal safety equipment, including VHF, knife, torch, and PLB or AIS beacon
• Jackstays rigged, tether clipped on
• Emergency ladder in reach from water
• Have easily available: wet weather gear, binoculars, handbearing compass, knife, sunscreen, snacks, and water.

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Single Handed Sailboats: The Ultimate Guide for Solo Sailing

by Emma Sullivan | Aug 22, 2023 | Sailboat Gear and Equipment

Short answer single handed sailboats:

Single handed sailboats, also known as dinghies or small keelboats, are sailing vessels designed for easy handling by a single person. They typically feature smaller sizes, efficient rigging systems, and self-tacking jibs to facilitate solo sailing. Popular examples include the Laser, Solo, and Sunfish.

Exploring the World of Single Handed Sailboats: A Comprehensive Guide

Exploring the World of Single-Handed Sailboats: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

Ah, the allure of sailing – the freedom, the wind in your hair, and the sense of adventure as you glide through pristine waters . While sailing with a crew can be a fantastic experience, there is something uniquely special about single-handing a sailboat. It’s just you and the elements, testing your skills and resourcefulness. If you’re ready to embark on this incredible journey, then keep reading as we dive deep into the world of single-handed sailboats .

Getting Started:

Before setting sail on your own, it’s crucial to become familiar with the basics. Single-handed sailing requires heightened awareness and expertise compared to traditional sailing. Begin by understanding how to handle different types of sails and rigging systems. Mastering reefing techniques – reducing sail area during strong winds – is an essential skill that ensures safety.

Moreover, make sure you’re well-informed about navigational tools such as charts, compasses, and electronic navigation systems like GPS. Familiarize yourself with weather patterns specific to your chosen sailing grounds so that you can plan journeys accordingly.

Selecting Your Vessel:

Choosing the right boat for single-handed sailing is paramount. Sailors often opt for smaller vessels due to their maneuverability and ease of handling without crew assistance. Cats, dinghies, pocket cruisers or some cleverly designed keelboats are popular choices among solo sailors.

Determine whether you prefer a monohull or catamaran; both have distinct advantages depending on your desired cruising style. Monohulls offer stability in rough seas while catamarans provide greater living space for extended voyages.

Downsizing to Minimize Hassles:

Sailing alone means taking on multiple roles simultaneously – helmsman, navigator, cook – leaving little time for relaxation if everything feels cluttered onboard. Downsizing becomes crucial in ensuring efficiency and smooth sailing. Opt for compact navigation and communication equipment, such as multifunction displays that combine multiple tools into one device.

Similarly, embrace minimalism in your provisioning strategy; smart food choices that require minimum preparation will save you valuable time onboard. Utilize clever storage solutions to maximize the use of limited space without compromising on essential items.

Safety Measures:

When it comes to solo sailing, safety should always be a top priority. Ensure your vessel is equipped with all necessary safety features including life jackets, fire extinguishers, rescue flares, VHF radios, and an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). Regularly check and maintain these devices to ensure their reliability during emergencies.

Don’t forget about personal safety equipment as well. Consider investing in a personal locator beacon (PLB), which broadcasts your location in case of man-overboard situations. Stay vigilant by practicing regular drills for emergency scenarios like heavy weather conditions or medical emergencies.

Navigating Challenges:

Single-handed sailing isn’t without its challenges – rough seas, unpredictable weather patterns, mechanical failures – they can all add extra pressure when you’re alone on the water. Mitigate risks by keeping a close eye on changing conditions and take preventive measures such as paying attention to weather forecasts before heading out.

Maintain a well-stocked toolkit onboard with essential spare parts and tools for minor repairs or adjustments. Additionally, familiarize yourself with a pre-determined inspection routine to identify potential issues before they become serious problems at sea.

Embrace Technology:

Technology has revolutionized single-handed sailing over the years. Embrace the digital era by incorporating innovative gadgets like autopilots or windvanes that aid in self-steering while you concentrate on other tasks aboard. High-quality electronic chart plotters can help track your progress accurately while reducing navigational stress.

Online communities are also a valuable resource for connecting with experienced sailors who share invaluable tips and advice on single-handed sailing techniques . Engaging with these communities can provide you with a support network and endless inspiration.

Conclusion:

Single-handed sailboats open up a world of adventure, freedom, and self-reliance that is uniquely rewarding. By understanding the fundamentals, making strategic vessel choices, prioritizing safety measures, and embracing technology, aspiring solo sailors can confidently embark on an unforgettable journey.

So hoist those sails, chart your course, and set out to explore the mesmerizing vastness of the ocean – all on your own terms. Single-handed sailing awaits; prepare yourself for an experience like no other!

Sources: 1. “The Modern Cruising Sailboat” by Charles Doane 2. “Practical Freedom – The Minimalist’s Guide to Sailing & Adventuring” by Heidi Nielsen 3. “Complete Ocean Navigator: Using Celestial Navigation & Electronics Together” by Bob Sweet

How to Master the Art of Sailing Alone: Single Handed Sailboats 101

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey filled with adventure, solitude, and the thrill of sailing alone? If so, then mastering the art of single-handed sailing is an essential skill you must acquire. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the world of single-handed sailboats, providing you with invaluable tips and insights to ensure a smooth and successful voyage. So hoist your sails, grab your compass, and let’s dive into “How to Master the Art of Sailing Alone: Single Handed Sailboats 101.”

1. Understanding Single-Handed Sailboats: Single-handed sailboats are specially designed vessels that allow one person to navigate through open waters effortlessly. With their streamlined hulls and efficient rigging systems, these boats offer enhanced maneuverability while ensuring minimal physical effort.

2. Preparing for Solo Sailing: Before embarking on any solo sailing adventure, it is crucial to be thoroughly prepared. Start by meticulously inspecting your boat and its equipment; check for any signs of damage or wear. Ensure that your safety gear is up-to-date and in good condition – life jackets, flares, first aid kit – never leave anything to chance.

3. Knowledge is Key: To conquer the art of solo sailing, equip yourself with extensive knowledge about navigation techniques like chart reading, buoyage systems, pilotage planning, tide calculations – the more adept you become at handling these skills on your own, the smoother your journeys will be.

4. Harnessing the Power of Technology: With advancements in technology, sailors now have access to an array of gadgets that can simplify their voyages significantly. GPS navigational systems allow for precise positioning while autopilot functions provide temporary relief from steering duties during longer trips.

5. Seamanship Essentials: Developing competent seamanship skills is crucial for navigating alone effectively. Improve your understanding of wind patterns and currents; practice reefing maneuvers (reducing sail area) for varying wind strengths. Knowledge of anchoring techniques and man overboard procedures is essential to ensure your safety in adverse conditions.

6. Optimizing Your Boat’s Setup: Single-handed sailboats are designed with ergonomics in mind, but optimizing the setup according to your preferences is highly recommended. Familiarize yourself with winch mechanisms, ropes, and lines to ensure smooth operation singlehandedly – make adjustments that facilitate ease of use.

7. Safety First: Solo sailing entails a certain level of risk; therefore, prioritizing safety precautions is non-negotiable. Always inform someone ashore about your plans and anticipated return time. Maintain regular check-ins via radio or satellite communication devices to provide updates on your progress. Carry backup essentials like extra food, water, and emergency supplies.

8. Developing Self-Reliance: Becoming self-reliant at sea involves honing skills in all aspects of boat handling. Practicing docking maneuvers solo will boost confidence when facing potential challenges in crowded marinas or unpredictable weather conditions.

9. Enjoy the Solitude: Sailing alone offers a unique opportunity for introspection and personal growth beyond the nautical realm. Embrace the solitude as you connect with nature, appreciating breathtaking sunsets, stargazing under clear skies, and experiencing the freedom that accompanies this lifestyle.

10: Learn from Seasoned Solo Sailors: Lastly, never forget that learning from those who have mastered single-handed sailing before you can be immensely valuable. Seek out books written by experienced solo sailors, join online forums or attend seminars conducted by yachting associations – their wisdom will guide you towards success on your solitary adventures.

Mastering the art of sailing alone aboard a single-handed sailboat requires dedication, knowledge, and experience – but it is an exhilarating pursuit worth undertaking for those seeking solitude amidst nature’s most beautiful expanse: the open ocean. So start preparing today – your solo voyage awaits!

Step-by-Step: Navigating the Waters with Single Handed Sailboats

Sailing, with its romantic allure and sense of freedom, has been captivating adventurers for centuries. However, sailing solo brings a whole new level of excitement and challenge to the table. Enter single handed sailboats – vessels specially designed to be operated by just one person.

In this blog post, we will take you on a journey through the intricacies of handling single handed sailboats step-by-step. From preparation to mastering sailing techniques, we’ll cover it all with a professional touch and sprinkle of wit.

1. Choosing the Right Single Handed Sailboat: Just like finding your soulmate, selecting the perfect boat that matches your skills and preferences is essential. Factors such as size, stability, maneuverability, and equipment options should be thoroughly considered. We will guide you through this critical decision-making process so that you can find your ideal vessel.

2. Planning and Preparation: Before venturing into the majestic waters alone, thorough planning is crucial for safety and success . We will discuss everything from selecting suitable sailing routes to checking weather conditions and tides. Our expert advice will help you prepare both mentally and physically for your solitary voyage.

3. Safety First: Being alone at sea requires extra precautions to ensure your well-being throughout your sailing adventure . We’ll provide comprehensive tips on safety equipment selection, emergency procedures, signaling devices, first aid kits – all geared towards minimizing risks so that you can fully enjoy a worry-free experience.

4. Navigation Tips: As a single-handed sailor, navigating efficiently becomes even more critical without a co-pilot’s assistance. We’ll delve into advanced navigation techniques using charts and GPS systems while imparting wisdom gained from seasoned sailors on how to navigate tricky situations such as strong currents or sudden changes in wind direction.

5. Mastering Sail Trim: Properly adjusting sails is an art that leads to smooth-sailing experiences even on the most challenging waters. With our step-by-step explanations and clever insights, we’ll help you understand the intricacies of sail trim , from setting up your rigging to fine-tuning sail positioning. You’ll be able to catch every whisper of wind with finesse and grace.

6. Simplifying Maneuvers: Single handed sailors need to master various maneuvers that may ordinarily be shared among a crew. We will break down essential skills like tacking, jibing, reefing, and mooring into manageable steps. Equipped with our comprehensive guidance, you’ll smoothly perform these maneuvers as if you had a whole team by your side.

7. Boosting Confidence: Sailing solo can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or those transitioning from crewed sailing . Our blog will offer practical strategies and confidence-building techniques derived from experts and experienced solo sailors alike. We aim to inspire you to push boundaries while testing your abilities in a responsible and thrilling manner.

So whether you dream of conquering vast oceans alone or simply desire the freedom that single-handed sailing brings, our step-by-step guide will give you the tools needed for an unforgettable adventure. Join us as we navigate the waters together with single handed sailboats – combining professionalism, wit, and clever insights throughout your journey!

Frequently Asked Questions about Single Handed Sailboats Answered

Title: Demystifying Single-Handed Sailboats: Expertly Answering Your Burning Questions

Introduction: Setting sail on a single-handed adventure can be an exhilarating experience, allowing you to chart your own course and reconnect with the raw power of the ocean. However, before embarking on this thrilling journey, it’s essential to address some frequently asked questions that commonly arise when discussing single-handed sailboats. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll navigate through the most burning inquiries, providing you with professional insights intertwined with witty and clever explanations. So fasten your life jacket and get ready for a voyage of knowledge!

1. What is a single-handed sailboat? Isn’t sailing traditionally a team sport ? Ahoy there! While sailing has historically been associated with collaborative efforts aboard larger vessels, the rise of single-handed sailboats has revolutionized the sport . A single-handed sailboat refers to any vessel designed and rigged specifically for solo sailing, encompassing various sizes and types tailored to meet individual preferences. Solo sailors prove their mettle by skillfully maneuvering these boats all on their own.

2. Is it safe to sail alone? Safety is paramount in any seafaring adventure! Single-handed sailing can indeed be safe if proper precautions are taken. Skippers must ensure they have extensive knowledge of navigation techniques, weather patterns, emergency procedures, and possess adequate skills in boat handling. Additionally, equipping yourself with safety gear such as life jackets, flares, EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons), and having reliable means of communication is crucial.

3. How challenging is it for beginners to learn how to solo-sail? Learning anything new always comes with a learning curve! For beginners venturing into the world of solo-sailing, it’s recommended to start small with simpler boats like dinghies or small keelboats . These vessels provide a manageable learning platform where inexperienced sailors can grasp the fundamentals – like boat handling, maneuvering, and understanding the effects of wind and currents. With time and practice, aspiring solo sailors can organically progress to larger vessels.

4. What are some popular single-handed sailboat designs ? In the vast sea of single-handed sailboats, a few designs have captured the hearts of sailing enthusiasts worldwide. The Mini Transat 6.50, renowned for its compact size and exceptional seaworthiness, is a favorite among adventurers seeking thrilling offshore endeavors. For those craving high-performance precision, the Laser Standard or Radial Olympic-class dinghies offer incredible speed and agility. The Contessa 32, with its classic charm combined with sustainability and simplicity, continues to attract sailors seeking elegance in their lone journeys.

5. How do solo sailors handle sleep during long trips? Sleep – every sailor’s treasure! During extended passages on single-handed sailboats, skippers face the challenge of managing rest alongside navigation duties. Cleverly designed autopilot systems can help maintain course direction while allowing brief periods for napping. Employing alarms, timers, or even physical cues (such as bucket-and-string techniques) enables skippers to wake up periodically to verify their boat’s safety and make adjustments if needed.

6. Can single-handed sails be set up by one person alone? Certainly! Single-handed sailboats are explicitly designed for self-reliance in all aspects – including setting up sails . Innovations such as lazy jacks (ropes that guide sails down into neat piles), furling systems (which allow sails to be rolled away easily), or even simplified rigging techniques grant solo sailors confidence in quickly adjusting their sail plan without relying on additional crew members.

Conclusion: As you navigate your way through these frequently asked questions about single-handed sailboats, it becomes clear that venturing out on solitary voyages holds a unique allure for adventurous souls around the world. Armed with knowledge on boat selection, safety precautions, and learning the art of solo sailing, you can confidently embark on a remarkable journey across tranquil waters or daring offshore expeditions. Single-handed sailboats embody freedom, self-reliance, and the boundless adventure that awaits those who dare to embrace the rhythm of wind and sea alone.

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The Advantages and Challenges of Sailing Solo: Single Handed Sailboats Unveiled

Sailing solo is a remarkable feat that demands both courage and skill. It requires sailors to navigate the open seas without any crew members by their side, relying solely on their own strength, experience, and intuition. For those with a longing for adventure or a desire to test their limits, single-handed sailboats provide both advantages and challenges that can truly unveil one’s capabilities.

One of the primary advantages of sailing solo is the unmatched sense of freedom it offers. There are no compromises or limitations imposed by others; you have complete control over every aspect of your voyage. Decisions such as course alterations, speed adjustments, or route planning are made solely by you, allowing for maximum flexibility and independence. This empowering experience not only strengthens your sailing skills but also fosters personal growth and self-reliance.

In addition to freedom, solo sailing allows for an unparalleled connection with nature. The serenity of being alone on a vast expanse of water surrounded by nothing but wind and waves provides an opportunity for introspection and tranquility that few other activities can match. The sheer beauty and vastness of the ocean become your constant companion, promoting a deep sense of appreciation for the natural world.

Moreover, single-handed sailboats often boast innovative designs specifically tailored to meet the needs of solo adventurers. These vessels are equipped with advanced technologies that simplify tasks usually carried out by multiple crew members. Features such as self-steering mechanisms or automated navigation systems make handling the boat more manageable and less physically demanding.

However, despite its many advantages, sailing solo also presents unique challenges that require careful consideration. One must possess extensive knowledge of seamanship techniques as well as advanced navigational skills to handle unpredictable weather conditions or unexpected emergencies effectively. Unlike in crewed voyages where individuals share responsibilities during watch shifts, solo sailors must remain alert at all times throughout their journey—daytime or nightfall.

Loneliness can also pose severe mental challenges during extended periods at sea. The absence of companionship and the constant exposure to solitude can test even the most resilient individuals. It requires a strong sense of self-motivation and mental fortitude to overcome feelings of isolation, boredom, or homesickness. However, for some, this isolation becomes part of the appeal—an opportunity for deep reflection and personal growth.

Furthermore, physical exhaustion is an ever-present challenge for solo sailors. Without crew members to share the workload, tasks such as navigating complex waters, handling heavy sails, or anchoring become physically demanding and potentially exhausting. Stamina and physical fitness are vital attributes that must be cultivated in order to withstand the rigorous demands of solo sailing.

In conclusion, sailing solo on single-handed sailboats offers adventurers a unique experience filled with advantages and challenges that unveil one’s true mettle. The freedom to chart your own course while basking in the beauty of nature is unparalleled. However, it demands a thorough understanding of seamanship skills, mental resilience to combat loneliness, and physical endurance to conquer tiring tasks at sea. For those seeking an extraordinary voyage that tests limits both internally and externally, solo sailing is an adventure worth exploring.

Dive into the Best Single Handed Sailboat Options Available Today

Dive into the Best Single-Handed Sailboat Options Available Today

Are you a sailing enthusiast, yearning for the ultimate solo adventure on the open sea? If so, you’ll be delighted to know that there is a wide array of single-handed sailboat options available today. These boats are specifically designed to empower sailors with the ability to navigate and operate their vessel independently, providing an unmatched sense of freedom and adventure. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at some of the best single-handed sailboat options currently on the market.

First up is the renowned Laser. This iconic boat has become synonymous with single-handed sailing due to its simplicity and maneuverability. The Laser’s streamlined design allows for swift and effortless sailing, making it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced sailors alike. With its durable construction and versatile rigging options, this sailboat offers incredible performance in various weather conditions . Whether you prefer leisurely cruises or competitive racing, the Laser is undoubtedly one of the top choices for any solo sailor .

For those seeking more speed and agility on the water , consider exploring the RS Aero. This cutting-edge sailboat represents a true revolution in single-handed sailing technology. Built with lightweight materials such as carbon fiber composites, the RS Aero offers exceptional speed while maintaining optimal stability even in strong winds. Its sleek design not only enhances performance but also makes it effortless to transport or store. Designed by expert sailors who understand the thrill of sailing solo, this boat guarantees an exhilarating experience like no other.

If you’re looking for a balance between comfort and performance, look no further than the Melges 14. This stylish sailboat combines modern design elements with practical features tailored specifically for solo sailors. Its spacious cockpit provides ample room to move around while ensuring easy accessibility to all controls and rigging systems – essential for those operating alone at sea. The Melges 14 boasts impressive acceleration capabilities and responsive handling, making it an excellent option for both recreational cruising and exhilarating races .

On the more adventurous side, you may want to explore the magic of trimaran sailing with the Corsair Pulse 600. With its innovative folding features, this sailboat offers unmatched flexibility in terms of transportation and storage. Capable of reaching high speeds and exceptional stability, the Corsair Pulse 600 is perfect for those who crave excitement on their solo sailing adventures. Its lightweight construction allows for effortless single-handed operation while being well-equipped with user-friendly systems that maximize control and safety.

In conclusion, if you’re a solo sailor seeking the thrill of navigating alone on the open sea , there is a wide range of remarkable single-handed sailboat options available today. From the timeless simplicity of the Laser to the cutting-edge technology of the RS Aero and Melges 14 to the adventurous nature of trimarans like the Corsair Pulse 600 – these boats are sure to ignite your sense of adventure. So grab your gear, set sail , and let these fantastic vessels take you on extraordinary journeys filled with unforgettable moments. Happy exploring!

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The Single-handed Sailing Techniques

Discover the essential techniques and skills required for successful single-handed sailing and immerse yourself in the adventure of exploring the world by sea.

Sailing is an incredible way to explore the world, and single-handed sailing can be an even more rewarding experience. It allows you to truly immerse yourself in the adventure, relying on your skills and instincts to navigate the open sea. In this article, we’ll discuss the essential techniques and skills you need to master for successful single-handed sailing.

Table of Contents

Preparation and planning, boat setup and equipment, tacking and gybing, safety considerations, staying mentally and physically fit.

Before setting sail on a single-handed journey, it’s crucial to be well-prepared and have a solid plan in place. Here are some key aspects to consider:

Route planning : Research your intended route, considering factors such as weather patterns, currents, and potential hazards. Make sure to have backup plans in case of unexpected changes in conditions.

Weather monitoring : Keep a close eye on weather forecasts and be prepared to adjust your plans accordingly. Invest in a reliable weather monitoring system to receive updates while at sea.

Sailing experience : Ensure you have sufficient sailing experience and knowledge to handle the challenges of single-handed sailing. If necessary, consider taking additional courses or gaining more experience through crewing on other boats.

Emergency procedures : Familiarize yourself with emergency procedures, such as man overboard recovery, and practice them regularly. Make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit and know how to use it.

Communication : Inform someone onshore of your plans and establish a regular check-in schedule. Carry a satellite phone or other communication device to stay connected while at sea.

A well-prepared boat is essential for successful single-handed sailing. Here are some key aspects to consider when setting up your boat:

Autopilot : Invest in a reliable autopilot system to help maintain your course and free up your hands for other tasks. Make sure you know how to use it effectively and troubleshoot any issues.

Sail handling : Simplify your sail handling systems to make it easier to manage sails on your own. Consider installing roller furling for your headsail and lazy jacks or a stack pack for your mainsail.

Tiller or wheel lock : Ensure you have a reliable method of locking your tiller or wheel in place, allowing you to step away from the helm without losing control of your boat.

Winches and clutches : Make sure your winches and clutches are in good working order and easy to reach from the helm. Consider adding self-tailing winches or electric winches to make sail handling easier.

Safety equipment : Equip your boat with essential safety gear, such as a life raft, EPIRB, lifejackets, and harnesses. Make sure everything is in good working order and easily accessible.

Sailing Techniques

Mastering key sailing techniques is crucial for successful single-handed sailing. Here are some essential skills to practice:

Tacking and gybing are fundamental sailing maneuvers that you’ll need to perform regularly while single-handed sailing. Practice these techniques until you can execute them smoothly and efficiently.

Tacking : When tacking, start by steering the boat into the wind while releasing the working jib sheet. As the bow passes through the wind, quickly move to the other side of the boat and pull in the new working jib sheet. Use your body weight to help steer the boat through the turn.

Gybing : Gybing can be more challenging than tacking, as the boom needs to be controlled to prevent an accidental jibe. Start by steering the boat downwind and easing the mainsail out. As the boat turns, pull the boom across the boat using the mainsheet, ensuring it doesn’t swing violently. Once the boom is across, quickly move to the other side of the boat and pull in the new working jib sheet.

Reefing is an essential skill for managing your sails in strong winds. Practice reefing your sails in various conditions to become comfortable with the process.

Mainsail reefing : To reef the mainsail, head up into the wind and ease the mainsheet and boom vang. Lower the halyard until the desired reef point is reached, then secure the tack reefing line and the clew reefing line. Finally, tension the halyard and mainsheet to set the sail.

Headsail reefing : If you have a roller furling headsail, reefing is as simple as easing the jib sheet and furling the sail to the desired size. If you have a hanked-on headsail, you’ll need to lower the sail and replace it with a smaller one.

Heaving-to is a useful technique for stopping your boat and taking a break while single-handed sailing. To heave-to:

• Tack the boat without releasing the working jib sheet.
• Once the boat has tacked, ease the mainsail and lock the tiller or wheel to windward.
• Adjust the sails and rudder until the boat is balanced and remains relatively stationary.

Anchoring is an essential skill for single-handed sailors, allowing you to stop and rest or wait out unfavorable conditions. Practice anchoring in various conditions and locations to become proficient.

• Choose a suitable anchorage with good holding ground and adequate depth.
• Approach the anchorage slowly, heading into the wind or current.
• When you reach your desired position, lower the anchor and pay out the appropriate amount of rode.
• Once the anchor is set, secure the rode and monitor your position to ensure the anchor is holding.

Safety should always be a top priority when single-handed sailing. Here are some key safety tips to keep in mind:

• Always wear a lifejacket and harness when on deck, and clip onto a secure point to prevent falling overboard.
• Keep a close eye on the weather and be prepared to adjust your plans if necessary.
• Regularly check your boat and equipment for signs of wear or damage, and carry out any necessary repairs or maintenance.
• Practice emergency procedures, such as man overboard recovery, and ensure you have the necessary equipment on board.

Single-handed sailing can be mentally and physically demanding, so it’s important to stay in good shape. Here are some tips for maintaining your well-being while at sea:

• Establish a routine that includes regular sleep, meals, and exercise.
• Stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet to maintain your energy levels.
• Take regular breaks and make time for relaxation and leisure activities.
• Stay connected with friends and family through regular communication.

Single-handed sailing can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience, allowing you to truly immerse yourself in the adventure of exploring the world by sea. By mastering the essential techniques and skills outlined in this article, you’ll be well-prepared to embark on your own single-handed sailing journey. Remember to prioritize safety, stay mentally and physically fit, and enjoy the freedom and fulfillment that comes from choosing this unconventional path.

Going Solo: Getting Started with Single-handed Sailing

April 22, 2020

The idea of single-handed sailing appeals to cruisers and racers alike. Quantum’s Yannick Lemonnier shares his single- and short-handed sailing experiences to help you get started.​

On November 8th, 2020, 17 registered single-handed sailors will set off on the most challenging sailing endeavor in the history of yacht racing: the Vendée Globe, a solo, around-the-world, nonstop marathon, in which no outside assistance is allowed. In the 31 years since the inception of this race, a total of 167 sailors have started the race, but only 82 have finished the course. Armel Le Cleac’h holds the record for fastest race; in 2019, he managed to lap the planet in 74 days.

But single-handed and short-handed sailors aren’t all Vendée Globe racers with single purpose built, ultra-high-tech racing machines. The magic of being alone at sea is something that almost anyone can experience with a well-found vessel and the desire to venture out alone. Whether you’re racing or cruising, sailing short-handed requires a change in thinking, as now the individual sailor takes on every role in the operation of the boat.

Boat Set-Up and Handling

Once you’ve made the decision to sail short-handed, it’s essential to focus on ease of handling your boat, since you are now assuming all roles: skipper, dial trimmer, navigator, bow-person, engineer, and chef. The goal is to make each of these positions as simple for yourself as possible. One of the best ways to begin this process is to take out your boat on a calm day and go through the motions of sailing as if you were racing or cruising−hoisting sails, steering, trimming, and navigating, and see where you run into problems. Can you reef the mainsail by yourself? Is the spinnaker pole too much to handle on your own? Can you reach the sheeting positions from the helm?

Generally speaking, if you’ve never sailed short-handed before, this first outing may be a disaster. Simple things, such as not being able to reach the main traveler while you’re steering, can be problematic when you’re by yourself, so take notes as you flail around, and start investigating changes that will simplify your life.

These changes may be as basic as moving a halyard clutch or two or a bit more involved such as converting to a single-line reefing system. A single-line reef system is convenient where possible, but even adding a reef tack line and jammer back to the cockpit can be even better and requires less line that ends up tangled in the cockpit. The goal for single-handed sailing is to make the boat easier to sail. Your local loft can also help you with ideas on how to best solve problems and set the boat up for solo sailing.

Because of the rising popularity of short-handed racing and cruising, there has been a trickle-down effect in the technology used by Vendee Globe sailors. Equipment manufacturers now offer less expensive products based on the effectiveness of the prototypes used at the highest levels. Roller furling headsails and canting keels are examples of short-handed racing tech that has filtered into the mainstream. More robust and reliable autopilots interfaced with wind instruments to use apparent wind angle upwind and true wind from broad reach to run are now available to the general public. Sail handling systems such as top down spinnaker furlers, electric winches, and code zeros are further examples of commonly used hardware that originated from short-handed offshore racing. I recommend you use a releasable inner forestay with hanks and make your headsail reef-friendly. Make sure you have enough reefs, and use a cushion to make the long hours of driving more comfortable.

Think through the experience you’re looking for as well as your budget to prioritize a hardware and equipment list. Again, consult your local loft with your list. They will have good recommendations and access to industry partners to help you get exactly what you’re looking for.

Safety and Communication

Sailing Sailing without a full crew creates serious safety considerations that must be taken into account. There is always increased risk when fewer hands are on board, whether it’s a solo weekend trip or a solo ocean crossing. Jacklines (stout webbing straps running bow to stern that are clipped into the tether on your harness) should always be in place and used even in the calmest weather. The advice “one hand for you, one hand for the boat” should be followed as well. It’s also important to make sure you have the appropriate life preserver for the conditions and events, perhaps investing in a few designs for different circumstances and weather. There are pros and cons to the different styles of deck vests, so do your research and consult a specialist to decide which ones will be right for you.

You will also want to create a sail and communication plan and share it with a trusted contact on shore. This plan should include a rough estimate of where you plan to sail along with an estimated timeline. It should also include a check-in plan as well as an agreed upon course of action should you fail to check-in. Onboard wi-fi and satellite phones, while more expensive, are reliable methods of communication if you’ll be far offshore. Otherwise, a trusty cell phone can do the trick (Just make sure you have a battery!). I recommend using an AIS transponder with the call sign changed to “SoloSailorName” and a phone with Navionics with offline maps loaded. Never forget extra battery packs and proper charging ports.

Before venturing out, consider attending one of the Safety at Sea Courses (a requirement for many popular offshore races such as Newport-Bermuda or the Transpac), where you will learn the basics you’ll need for staying safe offshore.

Going Solo Doesn’t Mean Going it Alone

Finally, one major misconception about single-handed and short-handed sailors is that they’re introverted loners who go it alone for a variety of escapist reasons. In truth, you would be hard-pressed to find a more supportive and engaging group of men and women who are always happy to share their knowledge with newcomers. Getting involved with local short-handed sailing clubs like the P.S.S.A. on the West Coast and the Bermuda One-Two community in the Northeast is a great way to meet like-minded sailors and ease your way into this type of sailing. You can also consider sailing solo but leaving at the same time as other boats, which still makes it something of a social activity−one with help nearby if needed.

Single-handed and short-handed sailing is a unique challenge that is not to be taken lightly but one that will push you as far as you are willing to go. For some, it could be a solo passage to Bermuda and for others it could be as simple as going for a day sail without assistance. Whatever your motivation, it’s a special kind of sailing that can be highly addictive and extremely satisfying. Consider yourself warned.

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Single-handed sailing : Professional tips for solo sailors

Jochen Rieker

 ·  20.08.2023

In this article:

• The appeal of solo sailing

Single-handed sailing: The seven golden rules

• Tacking, jibing and more: single-handed manoeuvring tips

If there is one indicator of the fascination of single-handed sailing, it is probably the Silverrudder around Funen. It takes place for the twelfth time in mid-September - and with 439 entries, it is by far the largest solo race in the world. From wooden dinghy cruisers to carbon trimarans, from family cruisers to regatta boats, everything that floats will be at the starting line in Svendborg's city harbour. At the Premier in 2012, there were just a dozen boats.

The participants are looking for "their own little Mount Everest", says Silverrudder inventor Morten Brandt-Rasmussen, describing the unconventional fascination of this race, which is sailed without remuneration or measurement. For most of them, the 130 nautical mile course is "just about arriving, about that one special moment in their sailing season".

• 12 shorthanded regattas you shouldn't miss

The response to the YACHT single-handed skipper training course, which was organised for the first time in summer 2015, shows just how appealing it is to be alone with yourself and your boat for an extended period of time. The high-calibre event, featuring Boris Herrmann, Henrik Masekowitz and Andraz Mihelin, was completely overbooked within a week. The following professional tips are based on the sheer inexhaustible knowledge of the instructors.

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Single-handed sailing as a benefit

It seems that being alone at sea has never captivated as many fans as it does at the moment. Regardless of whether skippers are consciously looking for a challenge to prove themselves or due to a lack of crew, whether they only go solo occasionally or as often as possible - being able to do so is definitely an asset. Because sometimes you suddenly and unintentionally become a singlehander. Migraines, seasickness or a fall can affect fellow sailors to such an extent that they drop out completely. In this respect, single-handed competence is an important component of good seamanship.

It is true that solo sailing is generally regarded as a borderline, irresponsible exercise. The World Sailing Association, for example, refuses to recognise single-handed long-distance races because point 5 of the collision prevention rules ("... keep a proper lookout at all times ...") cannot be fully complied with.

The risks are, of course, manageable with prudent ship handling and suitable equipment. This is why single-handed sailing is not contractually excluded by leading water sports insurers such as Pantaenius and is not considered gross negligence per se. A position that has been confirmed several times by case law.

How do you face the challenges of solo sailing?

Nevertheless, sailing without a companion is not entirely trivial. That's probably what makes it so appealing. But how do you rise to the challenge? How do you grow with it? How do you avoid fears and excessive demands?

Ideally out at sea, when all theory fades before the indescribable feeling that everything depends on you once the mooring lines have been cast off. For some, this is exactly what inspires them. Some are irritated and paralysed by this undivided responsibility. Can I do this? Should I? What do I do when storms come up? How do I find peace in between when the boat is bucking? How do I moor safely in a strong crosswind?

There is a lot to say about the right strategies, about consistent preparation, about nutrition, sleep management, navigation and harbour manoeuvres. On the following pages we show basic sailing manoeuvres, break them down into individual steps and explain them in sequence.

Particularly important when sailing single-handed: Keep calm and follow the rules

But the most important tips are the seven golden rules . This is because they describe an attitude rather than a process, aiming at the big picture rather than specific instructions for action. This keeps your mind free for your own experiences, on your own ship, in your own style.

Because single-handed sailing has a lot to do with your personality, your risk profile, your strengths and weaknesses, there is usually not one universal way that applies to everyone. The three instructors of the YACHT skipper training programme have also found different approaches to certain situations on their trips. Instead of offering patent remedies, they propagate curiosity and openness.

More about single-handed sailing:

• Hanse 460: Single-handed and unmistakable cruising yacht on test
• Single-handed sailing: The 10 top tips from YACHT readers
• Equipment: Converting a touring cruiser into a single-handed yacht

One of the simplest and most important recommendations is to remain flexible. For example, avoiding a tricky harbour approach at night and anchoring nearby until dawn instead. Instead of trying a harakiri mooring in the box, hang on to a dolphin upwind and wait for the weather to calm down. Instead of laboriously cooking yourself something warm in the dancing ship, lying alongside for half an hour and enjoying your meal while gently rocking.

Everyone has their own personal preferences. With single-handed sailing, you can live out these idiosyncrasies to the full - or even overcome them if you want to. It is therefore much more a mental exercise than a mere skill.

• Don't expect yourself to do everything as quickly as with a crew. Single-handed sailing works in series, not in parallel
• Think ahead. Play through what-if scenarios in your head
• Allow yourself unorthodox solutions. Don't stubbornly follow a plan that can't work
• Concentrate on the essentials: What do I want to achieve? How can I achieve it?
• Always keep halyards, sheets and extenders cleanly rigged and ready for manoeuvres
• Prepare your trips well. Allow yourself breaks. Stay fit
• But above all: don't hesitate, go for it! Sovereignty and composure come with experience

One-handed manoeuvring tips

One of the easiest exercises in light winds, especially with little overlapping genoa or with a self-tacking jib. But how do you go safely over stays in a strong breeze?

Professional tips for single-handed sailors

• The simple manoeuvre is also quickly mastered single-handed. In moderate conditions, it usually works straight away, even without an autopilot. Practise reefed first if there is more wind
• The key to success is not to lose sight of the rudder or leave it to its own devices when releasing and retrieving the genoa sheets. Otherwise, you will turn over or remain lying on your side
• If necessary, ease the mainsheet and traveller beforehand and possibly also reef the main. This brings calm to the manoeuvre, especially when starting off on the new bow
• With the right hack, a Q-tack replaces the jibe and protects the rig

2. set the gennaker

Whether the space windsail is furled, set in a recovery tube or free-flying: the procedures are almost identical. And easy to do - as long as the sheets, halyard and jib line are clear

• Use a good pack sack with carabiners for the railing and Velcro straps for the head, neck and clew. Choose dimensions that are slightly too large rather than too small
• Do not steer too low for setting (150, with more wind maximum 160 degrees TWA). Otherwise the gennaker may become twisted
• In the event of a wave, bring the jib line just over the bow before setting sail
• Check all line paths. The windward sheet in particular must run out freely when setting
• Set trim markings on the halyard (max. set through), jib line (max./medium) and sheets (max. low/medium). The basic trim will then fit after setting

3. jibe the gennaker

The manoeuvre is considered the supreme discipline for solo sailors. On large yachts and in strong winds, it is a manoeuvre for experts. How to minimise the potential for surprises

• Do not overtax yourself. If you have little practice with a spinnaker or gennaker, you should first practise in 8 to 12 knots of wind
• Maintain control of the rudder during manoeuvres - with tiller steering using your legs, with wheel steering using the autopilot
• Try to keep the gennaker full at all times. If it collapses when jibing and becomes twisted, jibe back or furl a little
• A sunshot, i.e. unintentional alighting, is not a problem. It does happen. However, avoid patent jibes at all costs!
• If there is a lot of wind, first jibe the gennaker (butterfly sailing), then close up the main and hoist it

4. safety jibe

If you sail your gennaker in a furling tube or on a furling system, you can simply take it away briefly for manoeuvres. Even the professionals do this when the wind is strong

• If you only want to buy a room wind sail, choose one with a recovery tube or furling system - you will use it more often
• Look out for high-quality components. Not all furlers and snuffers work perfectly. Smooth running and robustness are equally important for single-handed sailors
• Don't be confused by the term "chicken jibe". The "chicken jibe" is also common practice among experienced soloists. The manoeuvre is not dishonourable, but simply consistently safe and clever
• If you decide to stop using the sail after jibing, take it down. Even when furled tightly, it catches a lot of wind in the rig and can pump or partially untwist

5. recover gennaker

If the colourful cloth has to come off, a firm grip is required. And a trick that may seem unorthodox, but helps enormously: fall overboard!

• Place the pack sack under the companionway or in the cockpit before retrieving it to make it easier to stow away later
• On yachts over 35 feet with gennakers of more than 100 square metres, you have to tame a lot of cloth. Here you will find it easier with a furling system or recovery hose
• Use tape to protect fittings and edges in the boom, kicker and companionway areas
• Recover the gennaker on the favoured side - where the bowsprit is attached and the halyard cleat is within easy reach
• The neck line must be long enough so that you can pull it into the cockpit

This article about single-handed sailing appeared in issue 20/2015 of YACHT and was revised by the editorial team in August 2023.

This might also interest you:

• Tips for single-handed sailing from Mike Peuker
• Harbour manoeuvres: 9 mooring variants for single-handed sailors
• Every sailor should have done this once

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Tacking - The Technical Stuff

I learnt to sail on an old gravel pit in the Midlands in the UK. Just to make it more interesting, Tamworth Sailing Club also had islands and trees. These features created some rather interesting wind shifts that were worth using so I quickly learned the importance of tacking efficiently. Later when team racing with Aston University’s BUSA winning team, it became clear that tacking well made you a tactical genius.

I think I have probably taught more crews to tack, than I care to remember. Team Racing in the Royal Navy with a regular crew meant finding a keen youngster, teaching him/her how to tack, then finding that they were posted back to sea just as the team work had been perfected. To help me and the new, already shell-shocked crew through the difficult settling in period, I found that going back to first principles was the best place to start.

The philosophy of tacking which we would commonly go over would put the basics into perspective. These principles work for single handed or double handed dinghies.

Tacking Philosophy:

1 st Principle : That the speed of the craft prior to the tack should be converted into distance to windward. Commonly I see people trying to get their boat to the other tack as quickly as possible with no consideration for cheating the wind.

2 nd principle : The rudder should follow the turn set up by the weight distribution, movement and the sail trim, rather than induce it. Less rudder action means less speed reduction into the tack.

3 rd Principle : That any acceleration induced by the final pull up should be at the optimum rate to give maximum speed. You may find some boats are so stable that they correct themselves too quickly; these boats require some active counter weight techniques to slow the pull up of the boat. I think of the 2000 as an example of this type of boat, especially with its smaller mast length and sail plan.

These principles are perhaps obvious, but with a little more investigation and application of some basic scientific principles, we can develop the reasons behind why some can tack more efficiently with what seems less effort.

I will be breaking down the tack itself into easily determinable key stages:

• The Luff to Head To Wind
• The Pump to Windward
• The Sail Trim
• The Pull Up

At each stage I will be considering angular momentum, apparent wind, the rudder and sail trim. However, I have not limited the discussion to any craft in any breeze condition.

Let's take the first part of the tack for example:

Since we are not allowed to come out of the tack faster than we go in, there must be a way of reducing the losses caused by the slowing of the boat into the tack. Commonly we are tacking because of a shift that allows us to sail closer to the ideal direction of the next mark. However, if the tack is not efficient then often we find that it might be as well to carry on to the layline for the mark. The key to the efficiency of the tack is in the first stage. When coaching a group of sailors, Chris Gowers' used a great vector diagram to show how important this part of the tack was. If we can turn to head to wind without losing speed, then we are 1.4 times faster than on the tack. This is because if we draw a vector line representing our speed on a tack - then swing it to head to wind - then the head to wind line is 1.4 times larger in the direction of the wind than the vector on the tack. So it's this part of the tack that I try to use to pinch something back from the potential loss by tacking.

Phase 1 - The luff to head to wind.

This part of the tack should not be a push with the rudder. In fact it could be said that the rudder plays no part in the tack at all, but it is probably used to control the rate of turn rather than induce the turn. If the boat is at maximum speed prior to the tack, the feel on the rudder should be neutral. Now to begin our tack, we must not repeat not push the rudder!!!!! Try to relax your grip on the extension - let it follow you rather than you steer it. (A good Laser/ILCA  Rooster Carbon Tiller Extension should help as they are super grippy anyway). So how do we get the boat to begin the tack? Simply over trim the main sheet slightly, under sheet the jib slightly and if needed, a tiny, repeat tiny bit of leeward heel. The centre of effort of the sails will then have moved back behind the hulls pivot point and the boat will naturally want to begin to luff to windward - let your rudder follow it. Don't get too excited and want to move just yet. Be patient.

As the boat progressively sails closer and closer to the wind there are more things to consider:

If the helm and crew are not conscious of the balance of the boat it will begin to heel to windward very soon, which if not corrected, will be trying to send the boat back away from the wind. A common mistake is to start your roll to windward too soon. Doing this would require the use of more rudder to keep the turn going (which would slow you down), due to the natural shape of the boat trying to turn the boat away from the wind. So ensure you are actively trying to help the boat round towards the wind by reducing your leverage if required.

Assuming the boat is steadily turning to windward, then the bow of the boat will experience a continual lift due to the new turning apparent wind. This turning lift is often overlooked and is a real helping hand in sailing to head to wind. You may have noticed that sometimes when you tack the tell tails tell you there is a lift just as you start to tack. This is the turning wind.

When finally you get to head to wind, the jib or luff will back. On a single hander such as the laser - I call the jib the portion of the sail in front of the window.

Phase 2 then starts.

If you followed phase 1 correctly, then the boat will still be almost upright and the crews weight will be further in the boat than the norm for the conditions and the main should be in tight.

A quick technical thingy we will consider in this phase of the tack is angular momentum. Without going into the physics of it, just think about how an ice dancer speeds up a turn on the spot by pulling his/her arms into her body (or the center of the point of the turn).

The centre of this point in a boat when tacking is over your shoulder, somewhere about 90 degrees to your boats direction. If the weight in the boat were to move to the centre of the turning point to the old windward deck, then the speed of the turn will speed up. However, if the crew move to the centre of the turning point before the boat has began to turn, then nothing happens. This is why we should wait for the boat to start its turning to head to wind before we make our move to the centre of the circle. Thankfully if we have carried out stage 1 of this tack correctly, then the angular momentum part of stage 2 will work even better. Remember the sailors have moved their weight into the boat as the boat headed up. This has actually increased angular momentum and has stored up loads of it ready for the reduction in stage 2.

Sorry about that bit but here we are back thinking about stage 2 of the tack. Stage 2 begins when the jib backs, or for single-handed sailors, when the first third of the sail backs. I really do mean backs rather than lifts! Now a pump to windward does a number of things:

• The angular momentum is reduced and so the boat spins around the sailor.
• The pump to windward at this stage means that only the main or back 2/3rds of the sail pulls in the pump to windward, which again turns the boat effectively. Note, the mainsail should be in tight at this stage to increase leach tension to help this effect.
• As there is less sail filling in this part of the turn, the pump to windward is made easier, with less effort by the sailors.

All this adds up to little requirement for the use of the rudder to complete the turn, which is of course the one thing that if used would be a break, slowing the boat down. You may see the rudder used in both pictures and the video on the Boat Whisperer Upwind DVD/Download product - so I should say that the rudder is not being positively pushed but that it is actively following where the boat wants to go.

Phase 3 is the move across the boat to pull it back to flat giving it the required acceleration on the new tack.

Now for those of you who are feeling a little vulnerable thinking about the heel to windward and the problems of crossing the boat to get it flat before you fall in, read through this little parable. I heard it first told by Cathy Foster (1st lady 470 Olympian when sailing against men) :

One no wind day, Cathy gave a class of youth sailors a little game. The task was to move underneath a table from one side to the other in the quickest time. The only rule was the table top had to remain above the legs. Remarkably it did not take the competitive youngsters to realise that if they turned the table onto 2 legs, then they could stand up to move under the table rather than crawl across which had hurt their knees. Another was sharp enough to see the reason behind the exercise, which was to show them that a heeled boat makes it easier to move under the boom quickly than a flat boat.

I'm never sure if this parable is really true, but the concept is, if the boat is heeled then it saves sore knees and bent backs.

To add extra heel to the boat before the sailors move, the sails should be sheeted in. Commonly I used to say to the crew to sheet in the jib on the new tack before we both crossed the boat together. If the boat is pulled up before both sails are set, then all that happens is the main is the only one pulling correctly as the jib is simply blown across the boat. This is not quick!

Sheeting in also helps the extra heel in light winds. If you don’t sheet in at this stage the boat will naturally come upright too fast with little or no acceleration. In a Laser I use my aft hand to grip and pull the deck to me - rather than take me to the deck. This adds some extra heel. In many two man boats I try and find a toestrap or something to haul the boat over as I cross the boat. Now the one problem with sailing many different boats is adapting to the different stability of the hull/rig. Some boats are super stable and require lots more energy to get them to heel at all. Others only need the slightest movement to induce a large heel.

The movement from the leeward part of the boat to the new windward side will also help the boat heel yet a little more, good old fashioned action and reaction for those of you who remember your physics lessons.

Now the final Stage -4: The pulling up, acceleration bit.

Remember, the boat has been heeled by the combination of the first pump at the start of the tack, together with the sails trimmed in and the reaction of the crew moving.

The rate of the turn of the boat will also be reduced by the crew moving back across the boat (increasing angular momentum, or ice dancer moving her arms out). This should reduce the requirement for the rudder to stop the rate of turn.

Lets consider the new apparent wind on the sails in the pull up. As you can imagine, the new apparent wind will be a large lift on both sails. Commonly I try to ease the sails slightly to help the new apparent wind work effectively on the sails rather than stall them.

This pull up process has an optimum rate - too long and the boat slips sideways, too short and the boat does not have time to accelerate. The easing of the sails and the movement of the crew regulate the speed of the pull up.

The last and final stage of the tack is the sailing on the tack bit. As the speed reaches maximum, the sails are sheeted in hard to compensate for the increased and slightly headed relative breeze now you are at full speed at the end of the tack.

When I am trying to help others to improve their roll tacks, I like to show them how stable their boat actually is. I encourage them to remain in the pre pulling up position for as long as possible. I also think it is a good idea to gain an understanding of the balance point of the boat. For example, the Laser's balance point is quite different for a 4.7, Radial, Standard. Actually I am not sure that I have ever managed to find the balance point in a 4.7 in light winds as the rig is just not heavy or long enough to help tip the boat without help from wind.

You may also like to seriously slow the tack down to show you how stable the boat is. Do not cross until the boat is heeled enough.

And now a normal speed tack. (Note how much sail is backing before I move to the centre of the circle)

Here in light winds but also more waves:

Now with more waves and more wind - it becomes harder to give the boat as much roll to windward as you might like. In this instance I start to give the boat an impulse.

Lastly a repeat of the first tack in a Scorpion. I guess I was proud of this one as there is so little wind. I love the way the wind in the slot blows Sarah's hair at the end of the tack.

If you have problems tacking or want to improve, please send me a link to your tacks on YouTube and I can give you a critique. I'll try to be honest and constructive. What have you got to loose??

Products mentioned in this article

The ILCA/Laser Carbon Tiller Extension

The Boat Whisperer UPWIND Digital Download

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The $tingy Sailor

Diy trailerable sailboat restoration and improvement without throwing your budget overboard.

How To Cross-Sheet For Better Single-Handing

Single-handed sailing can seem like playing as a one man (or woman) band sometimes. You have to do everything yourself and play all the instruments simultaneously. If done well, it’s poetry in motion. If done poorly, it can be a train wreck.

Have you ever noticed how every instrument is within easy reach of the musician? They don’t have to move far to play each one. That’s what cross-sheeting is about – keeping the working ends of the headsail sheets close to you while you maintain your best playing (helm) position.

Cross-sheeting basically means that, instead of cleating the working sheet on the leeward side of the sailboat as usual, you lead it across the cockpit and cleat it on the windward side instead. On some sailboats, you can do this from the genoa car directly to the windward winch. On other sailboats like the C-22, there isn’t a fair lead from the genoa car over the coamings and you have to use the leeward winch like a turning block. This might require longer sheets than you already have and is why I recommend they be 35′ long for twin sheets or 70′ long for a single sheet in Lead All Lines to the Cockpit for Safer Sailing .

Stay On The High Side

When you’re sailing in light air, single-handing is relatively easy – the sailboat lies mostly flat on her lines, wind changes happen slowly, there’s plenty of time to make adjustments, and your position on the sailboat doesn’t matter much. Normal sheeting works fine under these conditions. You can take your time to move over to the leeward winch while keeping a steady helm without much effect.

But as the wind picks up, conditions change – the sailboat heels over, wind shifts can happen in a heartbeat, you have to make adjustments quickly, and the position of your weight on the sailboat matters very much. Normal sheeting doesn’t work well under these conditions.

Moving from the high side of the sailboat down to the leeward winch and possibly back again while you keep the helm under control is a virtuoso feat few of us can pull off, especially if you Make a Tiller Extension For Better Cockpit Mobility . It’s not an ideal time to trust entirely in a tiller autopilot . Moving the position of your weight on the sailboat alone can throw off your sail trim. And the smaller the sailboat, the bigger the effect.

Cross-sheeting puts the end of the working sheet on the windward winch right next to you where you can easily reach it without moving. You can maintain weight distribution and tiller control while you work the winch. With practice, you may even be able to harden the sheet without looking at it. Try that with normal sheeting!

Sit Still and Stay Safe

Cross-sheeting makes single-handing safer. The less you move around on the sailboat, the more you can keep your attention on sailing under control and the less chance you’ll accidentally round up, broach, or fall overboard. However you do it with normal sheeting, you’re in a poor position and unprepared to react to a sudden gust of wind. Cross-sheeting keeps you on top of the situation, literally. And if you don’t need to move around, the sheet running across the cockpit won’t be in your way as much as it first seems. On the contrary, it can be convenient, as I’ll explain next.

Do n’t Sweat It

You might be thinking, “Wait a minute, $tingy, reaching for a winch handle, putting it on the winch, and hardening the sheet while holding the tiller steady in a strong blow isn’t so easy.”  You’re right, it’s not easy. But cross-sheeting gives you another trick in your skills toolbox.

That tight sheet across the cockpit gives you a good place to use mechanical leverage to your advantage without any tools. If you grasp the sheet between the winches and pull it hard forward, aft, or upward, you can apply almost as much tension on the sheet as with a winch handle. Just pull the slack through the cleat while you simultaneously release the tension on the sheet and it will stay tight. This is called “sweating” or “bow stringing” and was done in the old days when there weren’t as many winches as today. You can use the same trick to tighten halyards if you don’t have secondary winches.

Tacking Tactics

Now you might be thinking, “I’m not convinced yet. What do you do when you need to tack? The old working sheet is on both winches.” The answer is, you swap the sheets on one winch at a time as you go through the tack.

After you take the old working sheet off the windward winch, keep your hold on it and immediately put one wrap of the lazy sheet on that winch. After the headsail backwinds, take the single wrap off the leeward winch, release the old working sheet, and put two or three wraps of the new working sheet onto that winch. Then trim the headsail and cleat it normally from the windward winch. The leeward winch will act as a turning block.

It’s easier to demonstrate than it is to describe, so watch this video that I recorded under calm conditions to see how.

Try this technique first in light winds (even with other crew aboard to back you up) until you get the process down and you can tack smoothly with it. Then practice it in increasingly stronger winds until you can confidently use it single-handed in any conditions.

For more posts about single-handed rigging and sailing techniques, see:

Lead All Lines to the Cockpit for Safer Sailing

Single Line Jiffy Reefing Made Easy

Install Midship Cleats and Dock Like a Pro

How to Rig a Self-Tacking Jib for Free!

How to Step a Mast Single-Handed With or Without Using the Boom as a Gin Pole

Book Review: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing

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6 thoughts on “ how to cross-sheet for better single-handing ”.

I bought a Ayres Pond Cat Boat and live in NJ (Cape May). Because the mast is much heavier than aluminum the only way I can make this a trailer sailor is to have the mast cut and fabricate some kind of hinge so I can just swing the mast up instead of standing on the deck and lifting, which is very hard to do. If it is dropped it will be damaged and if it hits anybody or anything else would be damaged. The mfr. is too far away and that’s not an option. Do you have any ideas?

I am just looking for any ideas and maybe I should just sell it and buy another day sailor.

Hello, Pete

I’m not familiar with your sailboat but I suspect you may be right about being better off by getting a different sailboat if you want to trailer sail extensively. Besides having a better mast design for easy stepping, you’d also gain some amenities (comfortable weather tight cabin, galley, etc.) that you might also want for overnight stays that would make those longer trips more practical.

I’m a new sailor and to start, purchased a 1978 27′ MIRAGE this year with the intention of teaching myself to sail single-handed on Lake Ontario. As someone who was twice saved from drowning as a kid one of my biggest challenges has been conquering my anxiety of deep water. It’s been an amazing season for me. With the help of your excellent articles and videos [BIG THANK YOU!] and other YouTube videos, I have become quite comfortable with sailing and docking on my own. I’ve sailed to a number of harbors for overnight stays and even accomplished a few wing-on-wings. As a budget sailor, I find your articles very inspirational. I installed my Schaefer roller-furling system single-handed [$400 from a boat graveyard], a double-reefing system, and my own lazy jack design [O-rings and clove-hitches] for $45 that works extremely well. Next week I’m installing my design for a retractable bow-sprit/bob-sprit made from 3″ aluminum pipe and a salvaged spinnaker pole – this for an upcoming asymmetrical spinnaker. I truly appreciate the time you take to put together your well-thought out and informative articles that demonstrate you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great boat… and a great time.

Thanks, Gerald. It’s stories like yours that make all the effort that goes into this website worthwhile to me!

Tried this cool trick (why had I not thought of that before?!) a couple of days ago. Worked wonderfully! I look forward to every update and project. I have 20 yards of material coming in in a few days to begin my cushion refit and several other projects. Thanks again for all your efforts!

I guess I “invented” that approach, the bow stringing included on my own back when I was teaching myself to single hand.

On smaller boats I found useful when cross sheeting to tie the sheets together (reefing knot). Found it very helpful in heavier conditions. It helps me not to lose the lazy sheet when I am walking across and it’s easier to use the leeward winch as a fair lead during the tack or jibe.

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Better Sailing

Single-Handed Sailing: A Complete Guide With Tips

During our last summer holiday, my wife had to go to work for a few days by surprise. So I was alone on board and had the choice between staying in the harbor or going out alone. The choice was clear – out alone. That’s why I started searching for some Single-Handed Sailing Tips.

Single-handed sailing! But what do you have to consider? Internet research revealed surprisingly little information about a Single-Handed Sailing Guide. Whether single-handed sailors are taciturn people? Of course, I read the little I found and decided to give it a try. After having sailed on a dinghy on the Alster in Hamburg on several occasions before, I thought it couldn’t be that difficult. It isn’t, but there are some things to consider, and I would like to share that with you.

What is Single-Handed Sailing?

Single-handed or one-handed sailing means to sail a sailboat or a sailing yacht all by yourself. Derived from the English “hand” for crew member (see: “all hands on deck”, “single-handed”)

Who Should Be Able To sail Single-Handed?

You can always get into a situation where your partner or team on board fails. Seasickness, accident, MOB. That’s why I think: Everyone should be able to sail single-handed.

Also Read: How To Sail Single Handed

What Qualifications Do I Need?

You should be confident in every situation and every maneuver on the sailboat. You should also feel ready for one-handed sailing.

That means you should be able to master the common maneuvers safely. You have already sailed all courses and have experience with different winds, wind forces, and weather conditions. More than that, you are familiar with the boat, you know all the halyards, ropes and fittings and you can get the boat ready to sail on your own. You are familiar with setting and hoisting the sails and mooring and clearing after sailing.

That means you are a safe sailor, a safe sailor! Are you? All right, let’s transfer the whole thing to one-handed sailing.

How Do I Learn to Sail Single-Handed?

Well, you can sail safely, but you’ve never sailed alone? Never mind!

I suggest the following steps to get you started with single-handed sailing:

• Sail together with a partner, but you do all maneuvers alone.
• If you are not sure afterwards: Sail one-handed and ask a second boat with friends to accompany you. It should stay close to you and be there when you need it. You won’t need it, but the moral support might be important.
• Alternative: Sail with the mainsail only, like on the laser
• You feel safe: Then you are ready and can plan your first trip one-handed.

Which of the steps you do or need to take depends entirely on your assessment. After sailing school, I sailed with a partner one-handed, like under 1. This was rather playful because my “jib monkey” didn’t feel like it. Did I get the one-handed sailing virus then?

Sail First With a Partner Single-Handed

So the easiest way to start is to start on a familiar boat, in the usual place (because of the mooring and departure) with your sailing partner and find a day with little wind and good weather. You will normally start – with one difference. Your partner is only a spectator today and should only – and only then – help you if you ask him to. It is best to arrange this beforehand. 

Why? You should do everything alone today. He or she should not interfere with you, no matter what – pull the boat at the jetty, set the sails, operate the jib, clear the sails, and so on – you alone today. 

All alone! Your partner, your sailing partner, is on board, that gives you security. And you will see: you will not need him or her! And when you’re back: the mainsail will also be rigged up alone and the jib folded. You will be amazed: this will bring you many new insights and a lot of safety in sailing!

If that was good, you can think about sailing with one hand. I myself stood one morning at the jetty with little wind and knew – now it’s time.

Which Boat Do I Need For Single-Handed Sailing?

Do i need a special boat.

No, a special boat is not necessary – if you sail on a dinghy. However, I recommend a good-natured, easy to sail dinghy for a start, not a gliding dinghy or a racer. Nothing tippy or bitchy! Of course, this also applies to the yacht. With a yacht, there is something more to consider, here certain equipment already offers itself. Normally, modern yachts already have this equipment on board. More on this below.

In my explanations, I assume a “first strike” alone, thus in sight and/or call range to the shore. You want to make this stroke for practice.

In any case, I recommend you – from small to big – means: Start one hand on the dinghy. It is easy and direct to steer and can be moved easily by hand or with a paddle.

The advantage of the dinghy is that it is simply but sensibly equipped, and you can operate everything well by yourself. You don’t need any additional equipment as long as you can hoist both sails from the cockpit and operate everything. Normally this is the case, except for the jib. In case of need, you simply cast off the jib and let it blow out.

Of course: paddle and life jacket as well as bailer belong onboard or “to the man” – a matter of course.

Boat and Equipment for Single-Handed Sailing

In principle, the same applies to the yacht. The yacht should not be too big for the beginning. I recommend a size for the first stroke alone of no more than 27 or 28 feet. With this size, everything is easily accessible, and if necessary, you can still push the boat off the pole or the jetty if it is not a “steel steamer”.

In addition, ideally, everything can be operated from the cockpit (except for the anchor), which means that the following is available and you are completely (!) familiar with the operation:

• Engine – helps with casting off and mooring, maneuvers, lulls or (hopefully not necessary) in emergencies
• Furling jib, furling genoa – allows setting, recovery, and reefing from the cockpit
• Mainsail recovery system (lazy jacks, lazy bag, furling mainsail) – allows operation from the cockpit
• Single line reefing stanchion on the main – operated from the cockpit.
• Deflected halyards and all trimming devices accessible from the cockpit
• The main sheet can be operated from the rudder while seated (yes, there are exceptions, e.g., on the cabin roof)
• Tiller pilot or autopilot – indispensable help when setting and recovering sails, seasickness, fatigue, and of course, when going to the toilet.
• Extended ropes – to be able to pick you up outside the cockpit or in stronger winds or waves at the latest. Personally, I recommend that you always pick yourself when you are alone on the yacht. Why do you find out later or in the video?

Sounds a lot and complicated? Well, you will be alone on board, and you will probably be surprised by gusts or a thunderstorm even at your first stroke. Then you are outside and alone – and no one can help you. So: “Keep it simple”. These are things for your safety for your life.

If the yacht is older – like our Dehler Optima 830 from 1971, the traps are often not redirected, and no reef or recovery system is available. This can be done if necessary but is a clear loss of safety, as you can see in the video. Only you alone can judge whether you want to take the risk. I can not recommend this for the beginning in any case.

I saw it a bit fatalistically, but after the single-handed stroke, lazy jacks and a single line reefing system are now on the to-do list. And the next time I will also tension the lines at 3 Bft before casting off…

In addition to the usual things like first aid material, sea rescue equipment, compass, and up-to-date maps, etc. there should be at least one radio on board. If you are traveling for a longer period of time, a life raft is recommended in addition to the chart plotter.

Now we have almost everything together. No, the most important things are still missing:

As always, safety on board is the most important thing, which means first of all that you have carefully prepared and planned your strike. Checked the weather forecast, got a picture of the situation, and assessed it for yourself (!), told friends or family, and arranged a time for return.

You should always have the following.

• automatic lifejacket
• Lifeline – pickled, of course, otherwise it doesn’t help much 😉
• Epirb, if available
• Mobile phone with navigation software, waterproof packed (possibly calls for help and backup for Navi and second GPS)

Personal Preparation

Alone = no help.

You will be on your own, and you will have to manage everything alone, no matter what happens. Therefore, always assess your personal safety first and consider the possible consequences. 

Think about it and assess the situation objectively and according to your personal abilities. It will, and it can go wrong. Even if this happens, you must be able to master things alone. Therefore, prepare yourself for the fact that it will not go smoothly. Before every maneuver and before every action.

For instance, we don’t have any Lazy Jacks yet. The big one therefore needs time and extensive towing if it has to go down in a storm. And this then logically in strong winds and waves. In addition, we have the mainsail and winch on the mast. So the first question for me was always: How does the weather develop? If I set the mainsail now, can I later safely reef or salvage it on my own?

Besides, we haven’t had a mast groove stopper yet. It prevents the mainsail from slipping out of the mast groove. Because I didn’t have it, I secured the mainsail with a rope tied around the mast. 

Unfortunately, I forgot the rope two or three times. When I was hoisting the mainsail, it slipped out of the mast groove, formed a wind sack, and I could hardly control it anymore – especially in strong winds. Of course, I only noticed this when two or three slides had already slipped out of the mast, and the wind had reached into it. Sure, now we have a groove stopper.

You can see how quickly small mistakes can turn into bigger problems.

Alone = One After the Other

And sailing alone also means to do the things that you have been doing as a couple so far, one after the other. Can you handle both sails at the same time when turning? Probably not. So you will operate the main and jib one after the other. But in what order? My tip: Operate the mainsail first and then the jib. That means you go “through the wind” first, the jib is back, then you bring the jib forward.

Alone = No Mistakes

So, think ahead, be calm and deliberate. Reduce stress and failure to a minimum by careful and early preparation. Anyway – a lot of things will go wrong. Stay calm and composed. Do things earlier than usual. Reef earlier, set sails, maneuver, and above all, prepare to moor earlier. You are alone and therefore need much more time. If possible, use the tiller pilot.

Take your time. It is better to do one or two more laps in the outer harbor. Choose your berth in the harbor more carefully than usual. Get help with mooring. A friendly, “I’m alone on board, can you take the lines, please?” usually works wonders. You are gladly helped! Nevertheless, mooring maneuvers are pure stress, even for old hands.

For this, read the two or three most important tricks for yard maneuvers. But that would go beyond the scope here.

Further Single-Handed Sailing Tips

By the way, there are great books for single-handed sailing, which also have many tips for single-handed sailing, read them and try out some things beforehand! I recommend “Stress-free sailing” by Duncan Wells. Richly illustrated, simply put, and good tips.

Order at your little bookstore around the corner, they will be happy to take your order by phone and will be happy to help you. And it’s probably easier for you to pick it up than somewhere else in the parcel shop.

Everything Okay so Far?

Well then: Have fun and good luck with your single-handed stroke! Of course, these hints are written from my personal experience. The application of the tips is – as always with sailing – at your own risk.

Do you have any other Single-Handed Sailing Tips? Write me a comment! Tell me how it went and which tips you still have!

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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10 Best Sailboats for Solo Sailing (One Person)

The idea of single-handed sailing or solo sailing appeals to racers and cruisers alike. But what are the best sailboats for solo sailing? Well, let's find out.

Whether you've been thinking of going for a day's sail without assistance or dreaming of a solo passage to Bermuda, the desire and the magic of venturing out alone at the sea is something that any sailor can experience. It doesn't matter if you're cruising or racing, solo sailing, of course, requires you to change your thinking as you'll be solely responsible for the entire operation of the boat. More importantly, choosing a well-founded boat is critical to solo sailing.

When sailing with a crew, things may seem a little easy because you share the responsibilities among the crew and support each other in case of anything. But what happens when you decide to venture out alone or sail single-handedly? Whatever motivates you to go out sailing solo, you should choose a good boat that you can perfectly operate single-handedly.

In this article, we'll highlight 10 best sailboats for solo sailing, their prices, their best rigs, and everything else that you might need to sail them comfortably and safely.

Table of contents

General Features of Best Sailboats for Solo Sailing

Here are the general features to look for when choosing the best sailboat for solo sailing.

The Availability of Automation Systems

The forces that you sometimes have to deal with when out sailing can be extreme, to say the least. It doesn't matter whether you're sailing solo or with a crew, it's always very important not to underestimate the power of the wind and tide. While you can do a lot on your own, having some automation systems in place is an important feature if you're planning to sail single-handedly. In other words, a good sailboat for solo sailing should have various automation systems to make your work a lot simpler.

So if you're planning to go solo sailing, it would be great to consider a boat with the following systems:

• ‍ Autopilot for steering
• Lines running aft (running to the cockpit)
• Roller furling
• Electric windlass
• Hydraulic bow/stern thrusters with remote

Stability and Ease of Use

Again, the best sailboats for solo sailing are generally not known for their speeds. This is because they typically have wide beams and short waterlines, which are vital in providing stability thereby limiting their speeds. In short, the best sailboats for solo sailing usually sacrifice speed and additional performance for ease of use and stability.

Boat Features

When it comes to the structure of the boat itself, it's important to go for a boat that is close to the water, relatively small when compared to the wave height, and has lighter ballast, especially when compared to the displacement ratio. The idea here is that these features can combine to increase the boat's performance when you're sailing solo.

Additionally, a good solo sailing boat should be designed with a flat profiled aft bottom section. This is to ensure that the boat can come up on a plane when the wind conditions are breezy or marginal.

When it comes to the best sails for solo sailing, you can go for the unique sail design that combines both a Bermuda sail and a gaff sail. This can be essential in giving you a more sail area on a shorter mast than is possible when using either a gaff sail or a Bermuda sail. More importantly, the combination of a gaff sail and a Bermuda sail not only gives you a greater sail area on a shorter and easy to control mast but can also reduce the heeling force that's common in boats with taller and narrower sails.

Still on sails, it makes a lot of sense to choose easily operated sail controls. You certainly want a sail that one person can tuck a reef in quickly and be able to easily adjust the sheets. You should, therefore, prioritize the reefing and sail handling systems.

In terms of rigs, the gaff rig is arguably the best when solo sailing. Although the Bermuda rig is the most common, especially in modern sailboats, you can lose some windward abilities because of its lower aspects. As such, you can choose to use the gaff rig thanks to its ease of use and superior downwind performance.

10 Best Sailboats for Solo Sailing

There are numerous sailboats out there that can be easily and properly handled by a skilled and experienced sailor. To make it a lot easier for you, the following boats are great choices when solo sailing. Whether you're just looking to experience how it feels to solo sail or short-handed, they all offer easy, comfortable, and safe sailing.

Jeanneau Sunfast 3200

{{boat-info="/boats/jeanneau-sun-fast-3200"}}

From the outset, it's easy to see that the Jeanneau Sunfast 3200 is designed with offshore short-handed sailing in mind. In addition to being a purist's sailing boat, this boat is a small and light boat that can be easily handled. Even better, it has the stability and strength to handle long passages and that's exactly why it was initially designed with the Trans-Atlantic race in mind.

With this boat, you can easily attain double figures in terms of speed even if you're sailing downwind. In essence, the Sunfast 3200 is designed with some of the latest technology to afford you the best strength-to-weight ratios. It has all the necessary features to allow you to easily adapt it to perform perfectly either as a cruising or racing sailboat. Some of its greatest features include the two double cabins, the chart table, a galley, and a head compartment.

This boat is particularly impressive when sailing off the wind and it's designed to ensure that it's functional and reliable even when solo sailing. This is perhaps because it's designed and set up for racing, so it can be great for you especially if you're looking for a coastal cruiser that can be easily handled.

Using the sloop Marconi can be the best way to go given that this vessel has a keel-stepped mast. Its maximum beam begins at 60% aft of the stem before extending to the transom, which can result in the sled hull being driven by a mainsail-heavy rig. This can then fly the masthead asymmetrical off a short sprit.

Given that the Jeanneau Sunfast 3200 is a very modern boat that's equipped with some of the latest boating technology; it comes with a base price of about $160,000. This is a vessel that's built by one of the world's premier builders and offers an intriguing blend of technology, reliability, functionality, practicality, and performance.

Having been the European Yacht of the Year for 2008, the Sunfast 3200 may just be the godsend boat for your solo sailing dreams.

{{boat-info="/boats/hanse-371"}}

If you're looking for a slippery cruiser-racer that's always ready to sail single-handedly, you might perhaps want to take a serious look at the Hanse 371. Introduced in 2003, the Hanse 371 is a mid-sized boat that was designed in a true blend of old and new boating technology. Thanks to its furling and self- tacking jib, the Hanse 371 becomes an instant single-handed sailing vessel that takes much of the strain out of your solo sailing adventures. That's not all; this boat is more popular as a result of its autopilot system. Press a few buttons and you'll be ready to go.

Although it's a little bigger and not one of the smallest boats out there, it can be a great option if you're planning to sail solo but on a vessel that offers a tremendous amount of space. Whether you love a boat with a shallow or deep center of gravity, the Hanse 371 has a commendable large galley and a spacious cabin layout.

Everything about rigging this boat is designed to be easy. Again, the jib on a roller furler is self-tacking. In essence, everything is standard and easy to use, which makes this boat a dream when sailing single-handed.

Already a classic that's known for its stylish interior, timeless look, and ultimate performance, the Hanse 371 is a coveted vessel that may cost you around $60,000.

Hunter Channel 31

{{boat-info="/boats/hunter-channel-31"}}

Launched in 2001, the Hunter Channel 31 is structured with a hull and keel design that makes it easy to sail single-handed. This is a British-made vessel that has steadily moved from the racing scene to become a well-respected cruiser, especially among the solo sailing community. Thanks to its faultless handling and impressive turn of speed, the Hunter Channel 31 provides near uncomplicated sailing without losing its impeccable handling features.

Its well-balanced hull shape can either be structured with a low or deep center of gravity. It also has an efficient twin keel to give it more stability, which is perfect for solo sailing. This is, without a doubt, one of the main reasons why Hunter Channel 31 has proved popular among solo sailors trying to sail across narrow channels.

The Hunter Channel 31 is also designed with a great standard deck layout, as well as a non-compulsory self-tacking jib that comes with a single line mainsail reefing. That's not all; the tiller steering is also efficient if you're sailing single-handed as you can steer it with your legs while trimming sails.

It should, therefore, not come as a surprise that owners of the Hunter Channel 31 keep them for a long time, so finding them on the market will be a long shot. But if you're lucky enough to find one, you'll be getting a great vessel that will never let you down if you want to sail solo.

Like many Hunter designs, the Hunter 31 can be fractionally rigged given that it has a relatively large mainsail to give it a more sail area in light winds and a small headsail with a lower sheet load. In other words, you can efficiently and easily reef from the cockpit.

At about $35,000, the Hunter Channel 31 is quite affordable and is a great bargain in its category.

{{boat-info="/boats/j-boats-j109"}}

The J/109 is unquestionably one of the best single-handed or double-handed sailboats that money can buy. Whether you're looking for a coastal cruiser or a long-distance single-handed vessel, the J/109 will rarely disappoint. That's essentially why its single-handed offshore capabilities remain popular with sailors looking to make North Atlantic crossings.

Even though it is widely categorized as a planing sailboat, this vessel is too heavy for simple planing. Instead, this is a superb boat that offers an all-round performance. It doesn't matter whether you're solo sailing or sailing with a crew, its performance is always top-notch.

Thanks to its asymmetric spinnaker, you can easily jib it from the cockpit, especially in light wind. But when the wind is on the north of 20 knots, you can pole out the jib to give you a quick downwind speed. No matter which type of rig you choose to use, the J/109 offers a fair degree of control.

In terms of price, the J/109 is one of the relatively expensive sailboats out there, though this is compensated with the high standard equipment and outstanding quality of construction. For about $58,000, you can get a great boat that offers excellent solo sailing adventures.

West Wight Potter 19

{{boat-info="/boats/west-wight-potter-19"}}

Designed for safety and easy handling, the West Wight Potter 19 is a great sailboat for solo sailing. Although its name might not be one of the catchiest in the sailing scene, it's been around for over three decades and is steadily becoming a popular pocket cruiser. The original design draws inspiration from the U.K. but is currently built by the International Marine in California.

Over the years, this boat has seen several improvements even though its original look and features still attract a large and dedicated group of followers. This is not only a tough little boat but its hard-chine hull offers incredible stability. This makes it a very easy and ultimately forgiving sailboat. Whether you're looking to sail from California to Hawaii or across the Atlantic, the Potter 19 is outstanding for solo sailing.

This is a Bermuda-rigged sloop. Its sail plan is huge enough to propel the sailboat in various conditions. This makes it a perfect single-handed boat as you can easily set it up or take it down with no special equipment.

This is a remarkably affordable boat. At around $5,000 you can get a superb solo sailing sailboat. But if you want a new Potter 19 with additional features, you could pay about $25,000.

Beneteau 31

{{boat-info="/boats/beneteau-31"}}

As a small cruiser keelboat, this French-designed boat is primarily built of fiberglass and is perfect if you want a vessel that's great for solo sailing while still offering maximum space for comfort. Its galley is equipped with superb stowage and counter space and even a sit-down navigation station with a small table.

Maneuvering this boat under power is quite easy and is well worth it for any solo sailor who is in the market for a coastal cruiser.

It has a fractional sloop rig, which makes in-mast furling a great option. This makes it easy to handle but also powerful in light winds. If you're sailing the boat off the wind, bow pulpit and an optional asymmetric cruising chute can keep things lively.

The new 31 can cost around $115,000, which is quite expensive but certainly worth it if you want to cruise the world in this French masterpiece.

Catalina 315

{{boat-info="/boats/catalina-315"}}

This is a nifty pocket cruiser that raises the quality bar for solo sailors with extreme comfort and performance. With just a 9.45 meter hull, the Catalina 315 has more internal room than most classics and remains superb for solo sailing.

Although it's a much bigger boat, it has little but significant features that make all the difference. For instance, the split backstays are great for balance and functionality. This is one of the main reasons why it won the Cruising World's 2013 Boat of the Year Best Inshore Cruiser award.

With a masthead sloop, rigging the Catalina 315 is a lot easier as it is equipped with both an in-mast roller furling mainsail and a roller furling genoa.

Even though the Catalina 315 will exceed your expectations when sailing solo, it's a high-end sailboat that will cost you north of $175,000. But if that seems expensive, you can look for a used model, which will cost you slightly lower.

{{boat-info="/boats/vanguard-laser"}}

A boat that has become a staple in the Olympics Games, the Laser may be simple and small but a real-go to boat if you want a vessel that will rarely let you down for your solo sailing escapades. As one of the world's most popular single-handed sailboats, its main feature is its sheer simplicity. This might not be the best boat for you if you love those fussy, big boats. But if you're looking for an amazing boat with a two-part free-standing mast and a sleeved sail, the Laser should be on top of your list.

The fact that it has a lightweight hull and is easy to rig makes it one of the most popular racing sailboats in the world with over 200,000 boats in over 140 countries. This is undoubtedly a perfect boat that's specifically designed for solo sailing.

This boat can be rigged using various rigs, so you should go with whatever works for you. We, however, prefer cat rigging the boat since it has no headsail and only has one mainsail. This is a boat that is designed for speed, particularly in high winds. It's also easy to set up, which makes it a marvelous option for solo sailing.

For around $7,000, this is probably one of the most affordable solo sailing sailboats you could ever get your hands on. You should, however, keep in mind that its price may widely vary depending on their availability in your area.

{{boat-info="/boats/oday-rhodes-19"}}

A real classically-styled sailboat, the Rhodes 19 is an ideal family daysailer that can be perfect for you if you're a spirited solo sailor. Whether you're planning to sail in heavy weather or fast, the Rhodes 19 is designed with a forgiving hull and is an accomplished heavy-weather performer. For over 5 decades, and with more than 3,500 boats built, this sailboat has proven time and time again that it has the characters for both beginners and experienced sailors.

With a low center of gravity, this boat remains a classic beauty that's very fast, easy to trailer, and will get many compliments whenever you're solo sailing. No wonder it is still actively raced throughout the United States.

A simple sprit rig can work greatly on this boat but you can also consider Bermuda-Rigged sloop, which is efficient in propelling the boat in various wind conditions.

Its price may vary depending on your location but something around $20,000 will get you a sailboat that's still in tip-top condition.

{{boat-info="/boats/dehler-29"}}

If like most Americans, you have a soft spot for finely engineered German automobiles, the Dehler 29 can be a great option for your solo sailing escapades. Even though the Dehler 29 hasn't attracted a huge following in the American shores, it remains an excellently-structured German sailboat, especially for sailors looking for a stable, agile, adaptable, and comfortable sailboat.

Whether you enjoy a smooth and solo cruise on a breezy afternoon or is energized by speed, the Dehler 29 is one of the most adaptable sailboats. This is certainly why it has received numerous accolades in the boating scene including the 1998 Cruising World Magazine Boat of the Year, as well as Sailing World Boat of the Year award.

Given that it's a single-handed sailboat, you can tiller steer it and cat rig it with ease to give you easy maneuverability, confidence, and absolute versatility.

With powerful dynamics and maximum safety, the Dehler 29 is one of the best German-produced sailboats that will set you back around $55,000.

Related Articles

Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Tacking Singlehanded in C30

• Thread starter Brad Elbein
• Start date Feb 24, 2000
• Catalina Owner Forums
• Ask A Catalina Owner

Brad Elbein

I have a question for all of you who sail larger boats singlehanded. How do you tack? So far, in a year and a half of owning my C30, my solo tacking average is about 50% crisp tacks, and about 50% accidental jibes, donuts, near-broaches.Here are my two tactics: With autopilot: I stand in the forward part of the cockpit, hit the "auto-tack" feature on the autopilot, then handle the jib sheets. This works most of the time, except when the autopilot tacks through 180 degrees, (which is, unfortunately most of the time, and which has given me some nice practice in handling accidental jibes).When I'm not using the autopilot, I steer the boat through a tack, and when we're through and the jib is backwinded, I then put on the wheel brake, go forward and handle the jib sheets.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY BETTER METHOD THAN THIS?  

Bill Neilson

Come About -No Hands on Deck I lock my helm. While standing in fornt of the wheel, I make ready my headsail sheets.I reach back and unlock my wheel with sheets in hand. I yell out loud, "hard a lee" even though I'm the only one who can hear it. Spin the helm to take her through the wind. Lock my helmafter I'm on my new tack. Secure my sheets. Return to the wheel. Practice in light winds. You'll get the knack in no time.  

Mike Elmore

single handed tack Even with people onboard, i'm sailing single handed most of the time. =)Pretty close to the last post...I do it all except for the final genoa trim from behind the helm...Windward Hull's a C28 and I can easily reach the winches from there.With active sheet off the self tailing band (just 2 turns on the winch) and the soon to be active sheet tail on the helm seat (a couple turns around the winch already) I start the tack. When the genoa is backwinded I cowboy flip the now lazy sheet off the winch and grab and pull the now active sheet like hell while coming to the new heading. I then lock the helm with the brake and put the final trim on the new active sheet.After a couple tries to get the exact timing of the "release switch and pull" you'll get it fine.I have an old Autohelm3000 with no tacking feature so I have to do it manually each time.Mike ElmoreWindward Hull-C28 Hull #7  

Tack and Attack I have raced my Catalina 30 single handed, and in winds less than 12 can usually finish near the front. The key is to anticipate and to be smooth. I start by putting just a little drag on the wheel brake, lowering the traveller (anticipating that it will be to windward after the tack) then gently rolling the wheel into the tack, but not through the whole tack. The boat will finish the tack itself and not over tack, if you are not aggressive in the tack itself. It is actually better as the boat will not lose much velocity the smoother the tack. Don't worry about perfect sail trim. You can adjust the trim after the boat is up to full speed and on course. Another key is self-tailing winches. Having them is like having another set of hands.  

Mike s/v Chute the Breeze

Smooth tack Brad, It sounds like I'm in line with Chuck steady but sure and keep up your speed. I also use autotack which works great for me but no st winchs:-( an old C-38 #169).I use the auto to do the tack and a rough trim and then get back behind my wheel and zero in my heading, then finish up triming. I think my auto tack is set for 105 deg turn you can set it up for what you need..default is 100deg's I think.. I don't understand going through a 180?? Mike  

Bob Camarena

No Problem with a Soling Rig I sail in the SF Bay Delta. Most of our sailing is in the San Joaquin River and the Delta's many canals and sloughs. Most of the boats in our club are set up with some form of self-tending jib, either a club-footed jib or a Soling rig (adopted from the Soling Olympic class boat) which sheets the jib to a car running on a curved track forward of the mast. There's a single sheet leading from the car to the cockpit with 4:1 purchase (winch needed only for fine trim in higher winds). I like the Soling rig since it allows for better sail trim. Clearly you give up boat speed vs using a genoa, but in our area this is offset by the ability to tack quickly and accurately. Just think, no sheets to tend unless you're altering your point of sail. In the Bay, with it's high winds, I often do better than many of the boats with reefed roller furling genoas. For those of you that often sail in narrow quarters or short-handed, it's something to consider.  

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Best Sailboats for One Person (With 9 Examples)

One of the most common challenges of sailing is finding the right boat to sail alone. Luckily, there are some good sailboats out there suited for one person. Let's take a look at them, and find out why they're especially good for single-handing.

In this article, I talk about single-handed sailing and look at the nine best sailboats for one person, ranging from small lake dinghies all the way to comfy cruisers capable of oceanic crossings.

Here are the best sailboats for solo sailing

Jeanneau Sunfast 3200

Beneteau oceanis 62, pacific seacraft flicka 20, tartan 3700, hunter channel 31, j boats 109.

Now let's look at them in detail so that you can choose the one best for you.

On this page:

What you need for short-handed sailing, features of a good single-handed boat.

Before talking about anything else, let's take a quick look at the features you want in a sailboat for short-handing (a fancy way of saying sailing alone ).

Scroll down to the list of sailboats here .

What to look for in a single-handed sailboat:

• Easy-to-operate sails
• Self-tacking jib
• Self-reefing sails
• Good autopilot

It's nice to have a team of friends, each with their own position within the crew, taking care of their specific thing. One behind the helm, one at the navigation, one trimming the mainsail, one taking care of the foresail, and an extra deckhand just to be sure. But if for whatever reason you want to sail on your own, you'll be the one to fill all those positions.

To make sure that it is physically possible and as easy as can be under the circumstances, start with a good boat choice. The idea is to pick a design that will be easy to operate with just one person available.

Now the good news is that since around 1990, many boat manufacturers have been focusing on ease of operation. That's just what the current market demand dictates. In other words, good single-handed sailboats aren't a rare find.

So what are the specific features to look for when sailing on your own? Let's clear a common misconception first - single-handed doesn't mean the boat has to be small.

Sure, small boats are easier to dock, and things tend to be within reach… but you will find large numbers of 70-footers that are designed as single-handed projects.

You can operate 100-footers on your own. Read all about it in our article What's the largest boat one person can operate?

Easily Operated Sails

A good start are sails that can be operated without much hassle. That doesn't necessarily mean being able to reach all the lines and winches from the helm. If you can, that's great, but if the boat has an autopilot, all you need is to be able to tweak the sails from the front of the cockpit.

Try to avoid setups where you'd have to walk to the mast to play with your sheets - not only it takes time but doing that in heavy winds, tall waves, on a boat that is healing, is a recipe for disaster that nobody is there to save you from.

When solo sailing, the ability to reef and tack quickly is important since those are oftentimes time-sensitive maneuvers. So self-tacking jibs would make your life way easier.

Individually Suitable Boat

The best test, though, is to take the boat out and try it out for yourself. A boat that handles easily in the hands of one person can be unmanageable in the hands of another.

A spinnaker pole might be a handful for the shorter folks, while a 6'2'' 200lbs bloke won't have issues with it.

But don't go around shopping with a 'must-have' checklist. Sometimes the boat is almost there, and all it needs is a little DIY technical push, like adding an extra jammer to the cockpit and running a reef line through it, or getting your hands on a windvane self-steering kit.

As somewhat touched upon before, manufacturers are trying to cater to the ease of use and since technology is going forward, what used to be a hi-tech racing equipment piece years ago, has now made its way into the affordable mainstream.

The canting keel is such an example, something you used to see on racing sailboats only, but now can be put on your average cruiser.

Autopilot Matters

An important part of solo sailing is a good autopilot, for obvious reasons. Luckily, nowadays, these are very reliable compared to what the standard used to be years ago in the cruiser world.

That being said, if you can get your hands on a boat with a proper below-the-deck autopilot with a gyrocompass, you will be much happier than with your average on-deck system, which does the job well, but when things get windier, it might become less reliable.

By the way, racing boats tend to be good solo sailing vessels—they are set up for efficiency. They feature more robust rigging and hulls that can withstand rough conditions and gusts better, and thus are more forgiving, without the necessity to tweak to detail.

I'm not saying that to necessarily have you look for racing boats for your short-handed trips, but rather so that you don't steer away from them on purpose, thinking they would be too much of a handful.

On deck, navigation is a big one too. Again, nothing to cry about if your boat of choice doesn't have one, as it can be easily solved with aftermarket solutions. Or an iPad with the proper app. But having to run below the deck to see where you are isn't the handiest of scenarios, especially in tricky situations.

If possible, consider investing in side thrusters. They can make maneuvering your boat infinitely easier, docking can turn from an unpleasant procedure to a relatively simple joystick play, and especially if you are on a bigger boat, you will appreciate this feature.

We haven't touched on the topic of interiors since it isn't as sensitive as a matter. But having plenty of handles to grab onto regardless of where you are is a good idea, since hitting your head and passing out is unpleasant with a crew, but potentially fatal without it.

To continue with the topic of safety, equipment and boat design aside, remember that you can't really afford mistakes you could make with friends on board. So make sure you have enough spots to clip your harness to, that the boat is sufficiently equipped with communication devices and that all the equipment works as it should.

So let's get specific. What are the nine boats that make great companions for solo sailors?

Let's start with the obvious one—a dinghy. It won't probably be your choice when crossing an ocean, but for practice or a fun day close to the shore, this is one hell of a boat. In comparison to its rivals in the same category, RS Aero is super light weighing 66 lbs. It is among the most technologically advanced sailing dinghies designed specifically for one person.

All of this comes for a price though - 10 000 to over 15 000 USD. You will be getting your money's worth for sure though. An enormous amount of hi-tech work went into this project, and you'd be buying a design that won more awards than could fit on its 13-foot body.

This is a big step up from a dinghy, while still keeping things very simple. It is a lightweight boat, originally designed for a transatlantic race. Thanks to that and its small size, it is easy to handle, the racing pedigree shows in the efficient layout, so everything is within reach. Despite its smaller size, it can reach speeds you would expect of much larger boats.

You can find small family cruisers of the same size, but don't let that fool you. This is very much a Spartan sailboat. Inside, you won't find much more than the bare necessities - two aft cabins, curtains instead of doors, simple seating, not much lining or wood, just a notch above barebones interiors. You get a toilet though, a chart table and a galley as well as much stowage. But you will be reminded of being on a racer, because unless you are shorter than 5'7'', you won't be able to stand up straight.

As mentioned, this boat was designed for a cross-ocean race, so it is a seaworthy bluewater mate that should be able to take you more or less wherever you want to.

Time to go big. As previously mentioned, solo sailing doesn't mean you have to stick to smaller sizes. Why? Because it is a trend now. Even though just some ten years ago, the situation was vastly different, these days, single-handed 60+ footers aren't anything rare.

So why this Beneteau? Well, for one, to meet the new kinds of market demand, it was designed for ease of use, meaning it can be successfully operated by a single person. I don't know what you'd do alone with all that space, but if you want to enjoy oceanic solitude while not giving up the luxuries of having space the size of a family apartment, you can.

And while there are more boats of this size suited for short-handed sailing, like the larger Jeanneaus, Hanses, or even Bavarias, the Oceanis 62 can be yours for around 600 000 EUR new, which is a figure unheard of in that size and quality range up until relatively recently.

This is not the first time I am mentioning this boat in an article, and no wonder, it has so much character! Like others in this list, this one has been designed for single-handed sailing - it had to be. You couldn't fit two people on it comfortably anyway.

So aside from its solo capabilities, why does it deserve to be on the list? Well, it's towable, which you could say about the RS Aero too, but you can actually live on a Flicka, and it is seaworthy. It is about as small as you can go while still being able to cross oceans.

There is no question about everything being within the hand's reach on this one. Ergonomics almost don't matter at this size. Given its towability, the fact that you can park it in your garden, and its short-handed potential makes for the perfect spontaneous getaway mobile.

Another boat you can live on. It is a seaworthy ocean crosser, and thanks to its setup and a self-tacking jib, it is a proper short-handed boat. It also has quite a wide beam, thanks to which you'll get additional stability, further supporting comfort when operating it solo. It is made by a brand that proved its worth over time, as since the 70s, it is still going strong. It's comfortable enough for long distances, with a spacious salon, shower, and space for a small family.

Used, you can get one starting around 150 000 USD, which is one of the reasons why it belongs on this list - if you are serious about solo sailing and want a proper boat without compromises that come with smaller sizes or sportiness, this one is within a reasonable reach. Among the affordable, high-quality, short-handed sailing cruisers, Tartan 3700 has its definite place.

This is the kind of boat I was talking about when I mentioned that formerly racing design aspects started to make it into the cruising world. Hunter started as a racer builder and then shifted to cruisers, while, of course, taking its know-how with them, which makes for boats that are easy to operate, also well-performing ones.

This specific model got on the list because of its low center of gravity, high ballast ratio, and stable hull, which means you won't have to trim the sails all the time to go fast. And less work is always welcome if you are the only person to do all of it.

Another reason it's gotta be here is it is very efficient layout, self-tacking jib, and single-line mainsail reefing system—a smart choice for solo sailors.

If you like what you saw in Hunter Channel 31, but fancy something a bit faster, with a higher quality build, this one's what you want. It has lost much of its sportiness as it is too heavy to be thought of as a proper performance boat today, but in the worst-case scenario, it is a quick cruiser capable of satisfying sprints.

It was designed for single-handed sailing as well as for full crewed racing, so if you want to push as much as you can out of it with a team of your mates, you can, while knowing you will be able to cruise at a good pace when they leave.

So unless you mind the slightly higher price tag, which comes with the high build and components quality, as well as the less generous interior fanciness usually seen in racers, you've found yourself a boat.

The best thing about solo sailing is also the most dangerous thing about it - you will be alone. So you want your boat to be your buddy - forgiving as much as can be, having your back. Amel 60 is such a boat. It has watertight bulkheads, so it is hardly sinkable, its cockpit has a solid roof and windows, so no matter the weather, you'll be protected while behind the helm, it has a stable hull, offering support even in tricky weather, it features electric winches, so you can operate the sails without even touching a line…

...and inside, you get more space and luxury than you could wish for, including a washing machine. All in all, if there is a boat that's got your back even if your skill level isn't the greatest, it is Amel 60. All it wants from you is to be ok with the 1.5 million USD price tag.

Have you seen the film "All Is Lost"? An incredible project without dialogue, where a solo sailor on a Cal 39 makes his way through an ocean. Now, what makes Cal 39 such a great boat for solo sailing? As it turns out, nothing in particular. It wasn't designed with this in mind. It isn't even a notably successful model - though that's mostly due to technical circumstances rather than a lack of quality.

And that's why it must be on this list. To represent all the boats that aren't single-handed projects by design, but make it possible, if you get to know the boat, spend some time with it, and, as mentioned at the very beginning of this article, tweak it so that it makes solo sailing easier.

By this, I want to encourage you to get into solo sailing, even if you lack a sailboat that is specifically made for a one-person crew. Quite a few single-handed passages have been done on boats that wouldn't make it to this list because technically, they don't fit the profile. But they were made to be, either with tweaks or with skills. Be honest to yourself regarding your skill level, the boat design, and if it passes the test, go for it.

Happy sailing!

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You may also like, what’s the largest boat one person can operate.

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Raising the Mainsail Single Handed: 5 Pro Tips

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This 4 hour training class is for sailors who want the knowledge of how to sail solo, for couples who normally sail without other crew and for couples sailing with children or non-sailors.  Learn how to undock/dock and sail single handed, including raising/reefing/lowering sails, tacking, jibing, and more.  Sailors will participate in boat prep, docking and sailing. No written or verbal test. 

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