# Single-handers?



## MauiPunter (Nov 23, 2013)

While I am cruising with my wife and baby, its mostly going to be me sailing the boat and I would like to optimize my setup as much as possible to make it easier for me to sail the boat without help. We do have an autopilot which is a godsend, but what else can we do to make our boat more single hand friendly?


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## Irunbird (Aug 10, 2008)

A bunch of things, but it kinda depends on what all you have going currently that needs changing. I singlehand quite a bit and love my self-tailing winches, but that conversion can cost you if you don't already have them. Running halyards to the cockpit definitely can help, but you could leave the main halyard on the mast and raise/lower that while motoring with the autopilot on. Besides those things, I think gaining experience singlehanding and keeping things simple (no spin gear, unless you're sailing in light breeze) are your best options. One place you might read up on would be the SF singlehanded sailing society (Singlehanded Sailing Society | San Francisco Shorthanded Racing), and take a look at the book written in PDF form by Andy Evans- very comprehensive collection of stuff (much of it devoted to the Transpac).


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## Irunbird (Aug 10, 2008)

Just read some of your posts- you have a rather large boat (certainly bigger than mine). Depending on what sort of current and breeze you have coming and going from the dock, that may become your biggest source of "pucker-time" as one friend of mine with a Swan 56 puts it... Not having someone to tend lines and fenders while docking/leaving the slip can be a pain, but experience doing just that (especially in alternating currents) makes all the difference in the world.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

MauiPunter said:


> While I am cruising with my wife and baby, its mostly going to be me sailing the boat and I would like to optimize my setup as much as possible to make it easier for me to sail the boat without help. We do have an autopilot which is a godsend, but what else can we do to make our boat more single hand friendly?


It would be helpful to know what kind of boat you have, how it is currently rigged, and what sorts of conditions you sail in.

Here is one trick that works well for me if you have halyards run back to the cockpit, especially if you also have a dodger. When you are lowering the mainsail solo it is hard to keep it coming down at a controlled speed. If your main halyard runs along the cabin roof (not in some silly tunnel) you can step on it with your foot to act as a brake. This leaves you two hands to flake the sail with when standing at the mast.

I prefer doing this to using lazy jacks.


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## Slayer (Jul 28, 2006)

Easy access to the sheets are important. I single hand a Cal33. The main sheet self tailing winch is on top of the cabin and unreachable from behind the wheel. In gusty conditions I wrap the sheet a couple times around the winch and lead it back to a cleat on the stern for easy access. One time when it wasn't rigged like that I got hit on the beam with a sudden micro-burst that put the boat on her side. As the water washed over the rails I had to struggle to get around the wheel to release the main sheet to dump the wind.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Some easy stuff
Get lazy sheet ready to go as soon as you complete a tack. In light air just put one wrap on winch so I can pull it in fast then use winch for the rest.

Never cleat any working line. Use stoppers, clutches and self tailers. 
Safer and easier as well as faster .

Set up mainsail reefing so it can be done on a reach. No in boom furling and if using lazy jacks have them set forward enough so roach won't catch. ( I have Dutchman which works nice). Boat will sail with just headsail and bit of rudder. Reef main first then jib.

Agree with other posters.its easy to sail the boat by yourself. It's the docking that's scary for me.


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## bfloyd4445 (Sep 29, 2013)

Irunbird said:


> Just read some of your posts- you have a rather large boat (certainly bigger than mine). Depending on what sort of current and breeze you have coming and going from the dock, that may become your biggest source of "pucker-time" as one friend of mine with a Swan 56 puts it... Not having someone to tend lines and fenders while docking/leaving the slip can be a pain, but experience doing just that (especially in alternating currents) makes all the difference in the world.


I know the feeling. But when it all comes together and she just barely touches the dock and you step off casually to tie off your lines as onlookers eyes big, wisphering to one another watching every move you make you get a sense of pride like a drug keeping you coming back for more. Isnt that right?<smile>


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

i sail my 40-footer a lot just to test myself. It's not the easiest. I agree with the previous posts about thinking ahead and preparing your boat for the next move.

Also, try doing everything yourself with the autopilot off. You need to learn how to adapt. THIS will be an experience! You will need to know when the autopilot craps out; which it will at the worst time! High winds and large seas; trust me, been there done that all by my lonesome. Took me a second to figure out how to furl my sails. 
Having everything at hand definitely helps; my boat is not a single-handers paradise. (i'm working on it, more winches) Big boat, big sails, more work.


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

Yes, docking. I still break into a sweat when i come in and there is a 20 knot cross breeze. I'd rather sail in 15 footers all day then face the dock. 
I still floor my neighbors when i come in hot; put all 50 horses in reverse and step off with two lines in hand. (little do they know i only have one shot to do it right!)


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## ltgoshen (Jan 5, 2009)

I agree with you Benesailor. 
I would rather deal with any conditions out there anytime rather than at the dock. The dock has a lot of hard stuff to bounce off of. I have spent a summer learning how to cost into the dock with the head sail already down and under just the main sail. I use the opposing tide on my nose to maintain steering and my lazy jack system to help me flake the main sail Just at the right second.
The second time I did this I had a crowd at the dock for a function and they all stopped and clapped. Kinda of cool. This learning process next to the dock by myself has made me pucker up more than once. Sometimes I have had to make more than one attempt. I always plan ahead and I leave myself a way out of all situations, or I don’t try the maneuver. 

“I love my LAZY-JACK SYSTEM”


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## NCC320 (Dec 23, 2008)

benesailor said:


> Yes, docking. I still break into a sweat when i come in and there is a 20 knot cross breeze. I'd rather sail in 15 footers all day then face the dock.
> I still floor my neighbors when i come in hot; put all 50 horses in reverse and step off with two lines in hand. (little do they know i only have one shot to do it right!)


Any videos? The 20kt cross breeze, if setting you onto the dock is one thing, but if it's blowing you off, I'm not sure that I would get off the boat with two lines in hand. It seems like a good way for the boat to get away from you.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

MauiPunter said:


> While I am cruising with my wife and baby, its mostly going to be me sailing the boat and I would like to optimize my setup as much as possible to make it easier for me to sail the boat without help. We do have an autopilot which is a godsend, but what else can we do to make our boat more single hand friendly?


Not what you can add but what you can do (if you don't already) is use the autopilot to auto-tack which leaves hands, eyes and brain free to deal with the physics of tacking. Normal setting is 100 degrees of tack which will give you plenty of time on both winches to tack the headsail.

In quiet weather I use it to gybe as well, gives me time to haul in the mainsheet and let it out again once the main has gybed. Crash gybes have no redeeming features.

I also use it to keep the boat head-to-wind when raising and lowering sails.

It's not there to just hold a course


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## Cruiser2B (Jan 6, 2011)

Think things through such as raising and lowering of sails before doing them. Remember not to rush, do it calmly. Give yourself plenty of sea room to do such things..this way if you drift a bit.... not a problem. Just do not PANIC

I have all my lines run to cockpit and like it. Others I have sailed with prefer to go to the mast.

I found that running a downhaul helped douse the headsail.

I also have a small stern or 100ft of rode rigged incase I run into trouble....easy to deploy within about 1 min.

just a few things that have helped and eased my mind when singlehanding


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## gamayun (Aug 20, 2009)

I haven't single handed that much so just trying to think it all through like you. The other posters' comments about docking are so true. Have a Plan A and a Plan B. For me, I'm getting really good at docking stern in....when the winds are not blowing 20 knots abeam. When they are, I dock bow in and I don't mind backing out and trying again multiple times. I also have to remind myself to breath. 

Recently, I just marked all my halyards and reefing lines so I know, without lifting my head outside the dodger -- a waste of time -- when the lines are just right. Many of the things you need to do will also become obvious the more times you go out sailing short handed. Have fun! It is an awesome sense of satisfaction.


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## Lou452 (Mar 2, 2012)

I am so new far be it for me to give advice. I am however in the same boat so to speak.
I was able to sweet talk my wife into going to a (Discovery) class with our club. I stayed away and on the dock. It was two nights of class and 8 hours on the water. The club gives social time both of us can enjoy. As she gets more interest she might be talked into the ASA101 
What I am trying to say is you are single handing but you are putting more weight on yourself when you only have a passenger. Your wife could surprise you. She may not be able to dock the boat or do a quick stop for crew over board. She might be able to head up and just let the boat luff ? She might cast off or toss you a dock line. In time she may even become more active. Go slow and go for fun short sails even just a little dock time. You can single hand a long full sail on your own. Reel your loved ones in with the care of landing a prize fish. If you pull to hard the line will break. 
I think the key to starting your adventure together is for her to spend sometime apart sailing Wile she is doing this you spend quality time on your boat. Alone or take a buddy at the dock with your child on board. You will gain insight into how you might improve child care on the boat.
Best wishes, For both of us lol , Lou


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## harmonic (Sep 10, 2013)

Agree with above post docking is a stressfull time ,if its blowing too hard to get into my berth I just abort and anchor out no shame in that I would rather do that than take chunks out of neighbouring boats.The wind usually eases here just on dark so I go in then.Lazyjacks make handling the main easy just drop halyard and retreive,And a good chartplotter under your dodger is great when coming home in the dark,trust your eyes first though enjoy your sailing.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Omatako said:


> use the autopilot to auto-tack which leaves hands, eyes and brain free to deal with the physics of tacking. Normal setting is 100 degrees of tack which will give you plenty of time on both winches to tack the headsail.


I haven't had much luck with auto-tack. Generally the autopilot doesn't turn the boat fast enough, and certainly can't do what a human can loitering when the headsail just starts to backwind.

Single-handed, I hold the active sheet and start the turn. When the headsail luffs and begins to backwind straighten the rudder while releasing the old active sheet. Tighten the wheel lock or (mostly) hold the wheel with my hip while hauling in on the new active sheet. Don't bust a gut - as long as there is room to leeward haul in as much as you can as fast as you can and then fall off until the sail fills and boat speed returns. Now you can come up as you grind the sail in, using the autopilot to come up five or ten degrees at a time as you grind.

With practice and decent wind you can often get a working jib all the way in, even single-handed, by hand. Big overlapping genoas will take some grinding.

Admittedly I've about given up on auto-tack so perhaps there is something on the market better than I have tried. Several generations of Raymarine and Simrad autopilots haven't measured up.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Like in chess, you need to not only know what you're going to do, but how that effects what you do after that, and have a plan B for when A doesn't go right. Singlehanding is more mental, than physical. No matter how good your setup, it's only as good as the person using it.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I singlehand almost exclusively, currently on a 57 foot sloop. As has been mentioned before, the process of docking and undocking is the most fretful time and planning is key. I will spend a good 30 minutes outside of a marina preparing for docking. I will always set out as many fenders as I have available with one as a backup for unforeseen circumstances. All lines are prepared and flaked across the lifelines, with both forward and aft spring lines as well - even if I'm just going to a fuel dock. Then I plan and visualize the process (wind, current, people, moving boats, etc.). Luckily I don't have to do this often.
Sailing singlehanded is much easier than docking singlehanded, there aren't as many things close by that can go "thump". But even there one needs to plan ahead. Unlike SV/Auspicious I use the auto-tack for tacking and the usual boat speeds and winds in the Caribbean are strong enough to let the slow-tack of the autopilot succeed.


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## gamayun (Aug 20, 2009)

I remember one that someone told me recently, so don't have any experience with this, but don't ever get so over-powered that your auto pilot can't handle it and you aren't able to leave the wheel. Be prepared to change headsails and reef early to keep everything balanced.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

There's a good argument for leaving the main halyard and reeflines at the mast, esp if you have a form of self steering. If you're by yourself having all that handy in a single location is clean and works well.

Yes, you can run ALL the lines back, but that's a fair cost if not done already and generally higher friction, you may be 'under the dodger' and not able to clearly see what's happening aloft (eg grinding on a reef line not noticing it's wrapped itself the wrong way around the boom...)... sometimes keeping it simple pays off. 

Autotack works for me most times, you can adjust the gain on the AP that might help some, but generally there's not much wrong with a slow tack as long as you have enough way on.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Faster said:


> There's a good argument for leaving the main halyard and reeflines at the mast, esp if you have a form of self steering. If you're by yourself having all that handy in a single location is clean and works well.


Yep and the big piles of line in the cockpit don't work for me either. As big as our cockpit is there isn't space for rope bags and the like - 15 metres of mast means 15 metres of main halyard on the floor. Also the rope clutches and other paraphernalia normally associated with lines coming aft take up a lot of normally-useful horizontal surface.



Faster said:


> Autotack works for me most times, you can adjust the gain on the AP that might help some, but generally there's not much wrong with a slow tack as long as you have enough way on.


I agree - the rate at which the boat tacks is generally a product of boat speed so if the boat is going real slow then auto-tack can be a little painful but then there is also little urgency to get the tack done. I find if we're doing anything over 4 knots the auto-tack goes fast enough and I can almost always set the sail fully without taking out a winch handle. Grinding sails in is not on my "desirable activities" list.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Zanshin said:


> Unlike SV/Auspicious I use the auto-tack for tacking and the usual boat speeds and winds in the Caribbean are strong enough to let the slow-tack of the autopilot succeed.


Could you share the model of your a/p computer and the various settings in the configuration? If it works for you I'll reset my pilot. I also have three or four boats I'm moving in the next couple of weeks and can do some experimenting.

Thanks.


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## Lou452 (Mar 2, 2012)

If the OP is going to take his wife and child It may be a good idea for them to become as active and involved as practical. If not they could both lose interest. The result could be single and solo all the time. 
It is great to set up for single. The truth may be some sailors may find the crew hinders them and the boat. This is when silence is golden. A kind word in trimming or better yet give up some tiller time. Your wake may look like a snake trail but if you want to get there fast you would not be in a sailboat. 
Later you can bring the boat back out and work on your set up. You can single beforehand and stop back at the dock or even the next port. One leg single the next leg with wife and child.
Good day, Lou


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Interesting how different people approach this differently. I find the auto tack a pain.find with power winches often turn ap on standby spin the wheel by hand .pull the lines. Trim with power. Turn ap back on.fine tune things. Often use wheel brake before turning ap back on. Fine if I use auto tack end grinding more. My primaries can be run with me behind wheel .also if there's not to much traveler motion sometimes set up new traveler position before tack. Haven't figured out how to gybe solo so always chicken gybe.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

SVAuspicious said:


> Could you share the model of your a/p computer and the various settings in the configuration?


I have a Raymarine Smartpilot and I don't think I've changed the angle settings from the default 100 degrees. The previous boat had a Raymarine autopilot as well and I used auto-tack there as well.

I haven't had problems with the rate of tack and getting caught in irons, although sometimes I think that the boat tacks too far and I need to adjust the heading after the maneuver.

My boat can generate a lot of force in the 15-20 knot trades and using the autopilot to tack lets me concentrate on the genoa line handling and then I can fine-tune the course after I've dealt with winching the lines. I don't have a traveller now for the main, but when I had one I would set up the correct line length on the downwind side of the mainsail traveller before tacking.


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## benesailor (Dec 27, 2012)

> Interesting how different people approach this differently. I find the auto tack a pain.find with power winches often turn ap on standby spin the wheel by hand .pull the lines. Trim with power. Turn ap back on.fine tune things. Often use wheel brake before turning ap back on. Fine if I use auto tack end grinding more. My primaries can be run with me behind wheel .also if there's not to much traveler motion sometimes set up new traveler position before tack. Haven't figured out how to gybe solo so always chicken gybe.


I use the same technique. I wish i had the set up that your boat has; love the outbound. My winches are mounted on the cabin top. Mounting to more aft next spring.

As far as my crash docking/ 20KT cross breeze docking; please don't think that this is my normal routine. I think it out and give myself room when i can. I do it mostly to see how the boat will handle and to gain more experience in different docking situations. Yes; that was a high stress docking! If done right everything is good, done wrong all hell breaks loose. Practice, Practice, Practice


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Zanshin said:


> I have a Raymarine Smartpilot and I don't think I've changed the angle settings from the default 100 degrees. The previous boat had a Raymarine autopilot as well and I used auto-tack there as well.


How about gain, counter rudder, damping, and response level? I'd like to duplicate your settings and try auto-tack on other boats.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

SVAuspicious - I'll be back aboard in 2 weeks and can check then. I set the response level to almost the lowest level (to save on energy) but have the gain set high. I don't know what my damping or counter rudder settings are (didn't even know about "counter rudder").


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Sva- could you educate us about these settings? Seems a lot of us aren't getting the most out of auto tack because we don't understand these settings. At present I'm real happy with how the boat handles on ap in any wind or sea state so,haven't messed with these settings. Guess need a few hours going through the CDs but a short course would be a great help.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

Outbound - not all Autopilots have those setting options, I'll start with those that the Raymarine autopilots have. The autopilot needs to be connected to an electrical fluxgate compass.

RESPONSE - the sensitivity of the autopilot for corrections. 0-5, high value means the autopilot frequently makes small adjustments, low response means it takes longer for the autopilot to react to course changes.

GAIN - how much the rudder moves in response to a course change. Different boats types need more or less rudder to effect a change (a light fin-keeler with big rudder needs less input than a heavy full-keeler). Goal is that a course change is done quickly but with less then 5 degrees of oversteer that are then corrected.

COUNTER RUDDER - (Copied from the Raymarine Manual) If you intend to use RESPONSE level 3 (the tightest possible course-keeping) on a Non-G system, you will need to adjust the counter rudder.Counter rudder is the amount of rudder the SmartPilot applies to try to prevent the boat from yawing off course. Higher counter rudder settings result in more rudder being applied.

AUTO-TRIM: I haven't adjusted this, but it is used to keep course while sailing in dynamic conditions. If a wind speed change results in a changed course this setting will determine how quickly the autopilot reacts to correc the course.
gain, counter rudder, damping, and response level

RUDDER-DAMPING: Adjust the rudder damping value if the SmartPilot ‘hunts’ when trying to position the rudder. Increasing the rudder damping value reduces hunting. Increase the
damping one level at a time until the autopilot stops hunting, and always use the lowest acceptable value


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

outbound said:


> Sva- could you educate us about these settings? Seems a lot of us aren't getting the most out of auto tack because we don't understand these settings. At present I'm real happy with how the boat handles on ap in any wind or sea state so,haven't messed with these settings. Guess need a few hours going through the CDs but a short course would be a great help.


Zanshin has most of it.



Zanshin said:


> RESPONSE - the sensitivity of the autopilot for corrections. 0-5, high value means the autopilot frequently makes small adjustments, low response means it takes longer for the autopilot to react to course changes.


Impact - higher numbers mean you stay closer to the set course, but use more energy. Offshore I turn it down, inshore I turn it up.



Zanshin said:


> GAIN - how much the rudder moves in response to a course change. Different boats types need more or less rudder to effect a change (a light fin-keeler with big rudder needs less input than a heavy full-keeler). Goal is that a course change is done quickly but with less then 5 degrees of oversteer that are then corrected.


Once you have this dialed in your shouldn't have to change it. The underbody of Zanshin is similar to that of Auspicious so I want his number. Lighter boats will have lower numbers than heavier boats. Fin keels will have lower numbers than full keels. Note that if you set this to work before you load up for cruising you may want to bump it up a bit.



Zanshin said:


> COUNTER RUDDER - (Copied from the Raymarine Manual) If you intend to use RESPONSE level 3 (the tightest possible course-keeping) on a Non-G system, you will need to adjust the counter rudder.Counter rudder is the amount of rudder the SmartPilot applies to try to prevent the boat from yawing off course. Higher counter rudder settings result in more rudder being applied.


Impact - together with rudder damping this helps avoid overshooting the desired course when you make an adjustment or the wind or seas knock you off.



Zanshin said:


> AUTO-TRIM: I haven't adjusted this, but it is used to keep course while sailing in dynamic conditions. If a wind speed change results in a changed course this setting will determine how quickly the autopilot reacts to correc the course.
> gain, counter rudder, damping, and response level


This is effective only if the apparent wind (AWI) and speed through the water (STW) information is available to the a/p computer. It helps the computer keep the boat from being knocked off course by wind instead of waiting to respond to the deviation. I'm not aware of sensors for recreational boats for sea or current although such do exist for dynamically positioned platforms offshore.



Zanshin said:


> RUDDER-DAMPING: Adjust the rudder damping value if the SmartPilot 'hunts' when trying to position the rudder. Increasing the rudder damping value reduces hunting. Increase the
> damping one level at a time until the autopilot stops hunting, and always use the lowest acceptable value


Impact - getting this right improves course-keeping AND reduces energy consumption. It's sensitive to sea state and so the optimum setting varies with conditions. Reduce damping in heavy conditions and increase in flat conditions.

Aren't y'all glad you asked? *grin*


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## Familycruisers (Dec 15, 2011)

Auto pilot, self tailers, and roller furling is what makes my boat easy to single hand.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Thanks guys have raymarine. Dealer tuned ap on Mondaysail home. Been looking at settings today and what you guys explained helps me ingrain the documentation that I reviewed
Thanks again.


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## Dave_E (Aug 7, 2013)

Single handed docking with a big boat or one with poor "tight quarters" performance (like mine) tends to make me think real hard about going out alone. Once out, the best thing that came with my boat for single handed ops was the lazy jack system. I can let the main down at the mast and just fake the luff of the main right at the mast and not have to worry about mainsail spilling all over the place. I've never had one or used one before and now... don't think I'll ever be without one.


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## Familycruisers (Dec 15, 2011)

Dave_E said:


> Single handed docking with a big boat or one with poor "tight quarters" performance (like mine) tends to make me think real hard about going out alone. Once out, the best thing that came with my boat for single handed ops was the lazy jack system. I can let the main down at the mast and just fake the luff of the main right at the mast and not have to worry about mainsail spilling all over the place. I've never had one or used one before and now... don't think I'll ever be without one.


Maybe a great arguement for using moorings. Some moorings even come with a tender service during hours. Might increase someones ability to get out in piling free waters.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

I'd also suggest considering downhauls, at least one downhaul on the foresail. Depending on your sails, on some boats they're just reluctant to come down in a blow, and having a downhaul rigged on the foresail and back to the cockpit allows you to bring it down quickly without having to go solo up on the bow. Obviously not needed with roller furling, but easy enough to rig if you don't have that.


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