# Singlehanding



## navtron (Nov 12, 2000)

What do you think about it....doing a 2-3 day run Offshore? Has anyone experience on this...How often have you done this...Doug


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

I think single-handing is fine and I have covered a lot of miles including going trans-Atlantic that way. The only trick is to do everything in a way that doesn’t require that you be in two places at the same time. Plan the flow of work so that things can either be done from one place or that all work can be done sequencely as you move about the boat.

The trickiest thing has been setting and recovering a spinnaker by myself with a close second being planning far enough ahead to allow for boat handling without an engine.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## AjariBonten (Sep 7, 2007)

I know I have very limited sailing experience; but I can't imagine dealing with a spinnaker while singlehanding. It seems to me that even experienced sailors with a small crew can get in trouble with a spinnaker; or is that just a perception created by "You Tube"? . LOLOL


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

If you're talking about coastal hops offshore, the biggest problem I have found is getting sufficent rest. I plan my "naps" around when I'm in areas where there shouldn't be a lot of, if any, commercial vessel traffic. And as Robert said, you should plan ahead so you don't have to do two things at once.

While you can certainly make some time running overnight, I try to limit mine to one night between inlets. Keeps the fatigue factor managable.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Many singlehanders I know prefer to cat nap during the day...and sail more at night... this is due to a couple of factors... one less traffic at night in many areas; two—a better watch is probably required at night, since the other boats are going to be less vigilant. 

IMHO, high-traffic coastal areas, like the approach corridors to major ports are a nightmare...and best avoided as much as possible.


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

navtron said:


> What do you think about it....doing a 2-3 day run Offshore? Has anyone experience on this...How often have you done this...Doug


This is such a wide-open question with many topics that we could address. There are many articles / books written about this in the single-hand racing context.

To be helpful with a response, could you elaborate with specific questions, or discuss your sailing experience and knowledge of boat systems - are you already comfortable single-handing your boat for day sails and you are asking about overnight / multi-day trips, or do you have little to no single-handing experience.

You also mention offshore, what is offshore to you, Newport to Annapolis following the coast or Newport to Bermuda, what is your experience going offshore with crew, what are your skills with navigation, weather forecasting, seamanship, etc. Does your boat have the requisite equipment and do you know how to use it; for single-handing do you have jacklines and hard points installed, rigging / sailhanding setup, do you have a quality self-steering and do you know how to fix it when it breaks, if not a windvane, have you addressed batter capacity and charging. We could discuss sleep management and watch keeping and egg timers. We could talk about sailing conservatively and thinking out / knowing every step of how to do something before you do it.

More information would help to identify and to answer your questions.


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

AjariBonten said:


> I know I have very limited sailing experience; but I can't imagine dealing with a spinnaker while singlehanding. It seems to me that even experienced sailors with a small crew can get in trouble with a spinnaker; or is that just a perception created by "You Tube"? . LOLOL


Its not hard but you need to keep an eye on the wind. If things look like the wind will increase you need to get the chute down quickly because you will have trouble dealing with any and I mean any problems if you are single-handed.

To set the spinnaker on larger boats I prepare it first by forming it into a long sausage and tying it together ever few feet with thread. Then I can raise it by passing it under the boom and into the lee of the main. When it's fully up I pull the tack to the pole and that breaks the lower threads. The wind gets into it and breaks the other threads as I am trimming the sheet.

On my 22 footer during my first trans-Atlantic I set the spinnaker by putting it into a paper shopping bag and after hosting it to the masthead pulled the guy and it popped out of the bag and streamed ahead of the boat while I trimmed the guy and then the sheet. I don't do that any more and now I use the thread stops on all boats unless I have crew. Dropping paper bags allover the place just seems like the wrong thing to do nowadays.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

I've raced with the Singled Handed Society for a few years now, and Last year I brought my 42 down from the north west to San Francisco by myself..Great trip, Flyin a kite is a chalange, I added a "belly button" ring on mine so I could deflate it if things got rough..
My sleep patterns were such that I'd dose off for 30 minutes at a time. and I read a good article recently concerning standing watch..
The next tanker or container ship that passes you, count the time it takes to disappear. thats the time it would take for something UNSEEN to get to your boat... 
I did make a point on staying clipped in at all times, use Jack lines, and because the weather was warm, I slept in the cockpit, and set an alarm on your Radar. I set mine for 6 miles, as that would give me plenty time to make adjustments.. 
The trip took me around 2 weeks...and I loved it.......


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

How do you rig the trip line to the ring?
Thanks,
Robert Gainer


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

Its not a trip line, at the center of the spinnaker about half way up. I've sewn in a small loop with backing.. (kind of a belly button) with a light weight line running to the loop. when you pull the loop, the spinnaker deflates or folds up...
The idea comes from racing Dinghys a number of years ago. we had a shoot scoop in the front of the dinghy.. (a tube holding the spinnaker).
the spinnaker would be pulled back into the tube by its "belly button". This way it would be ready to deploy on the next down wind run. Again its not a trip line as all lines stay conected, it just deflates the spinnaker..
If you take your spinnaker into a sail shop, he will know what you are looking for...


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

I would boom out the headsail. I would never fly a spinnaker alone. My ship is 36 ft and the spinnaker is simply too much alone.
For a 2-3 day run you probably would not sleep much anyway, as it will be so new.
You will when you stop though.


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

RandyonR3 said:


> Its not a trip line, at the center of the spinnaker about half way up. I've sewn in a small loop with backing.. (kind of a belly button) with a light weight line running to the loop. when you pull the loop, the spinnaker deflates or folds up...
> The idea comes from racing Dinghys a number of years ago. we had a shoot scoop in the front of the dinghy.. (a tube holding the spinnaker).
> the spinnaker would be pulled back into the tube by its "belly button". This way it would be ready to deploy on the next down wind run. Again its not a trip line as all lines stay conected, it just deflates the spinnaker..
> If you take your spinnaker into a sail shop, he will know what you are looking for...


Not sure I follow this. Where do you run the line? Do you pull the center of the spinnaker down to the deck with the bunt of the sail just streaming forward or do you have the light line lead to the mast above the spinnaker pole track so the entire sail can just billow out forward off the mast. How do you handle the line when you pass the pole from side to side? Does the pole topping lift cross the line to the ring on the sail or do need to drop the sail when you jibe?
Thanks,
Robert Gainer


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

The line drops to the deck and is run back to the cockpit.. If you pull on the line, it take the bag out of the sail and the sides flop in the wind.. If you drop the halyard and reliese the sheets, you could pull the kite right back down the side of the boat... On my smaller boat I had a bag at the companian way that I would shove the kite into.. 
On my First-42, i have a sleave, or sock that pulls down over the kit. 
The main reason for the belly button ring, is for emergencies to deflate the sail....


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## wiseleyb (Feb 11, 2007)

I've done most of my sailing single handed. Launching a spinnaker is nuts... kudos to anyone who can do that... I'll stick with drifters. Consider getting a backup auto-pilot... one that has auto-tack is always nice. Radar allows you to setup alarm circles which are a life saver, an alarm goes off when something crosses an imaginary line. It allows you to get some sleep. Jack lines shouldn't be considered optional. I agree with others, coming and going are the toughest part because of traffic, once you're a day out things are easier.

Just keep in mind... I think it's 10 minutes from horizon to impact (something like that) for ships at sea and I've heard, off shore, these guys don't even have people on watch most of the time. Given 2-3 days you might be in too close for radar alarms to work - which means you're really just counting on luck when you're asleep.


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

RandyonR3 said:


> The line drops to the deck and is run back to the cockpit.. If you pull on the line, it take the bag out of the sail and the sides flop in the wind.. If you drop the halyard and reliese the sheets, you could pull the kite right back down the side of the boat... On my smaller boat I had a bag at the companian way that I would shove the kite into..
> On my First-42, i have a sleave, or sock that pulls down over the kit.
> The main reason for the belly button ring, is for emergencies to deflate the sail....


OK, I got it now. An interesting idea and I need to think about it a bit.
Thanks,
Robert Gainer


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

wiselyb,
While completely agreeing with your point on watch-keeping I am, once again, dismayed to see someone espousing the idea that merchant ships do not have anyone on watch. It is especially ironic that the "belief" comes up while we're discussing how the single-handing sailor can best figure out how to not keep a proper watch in the pursuit of sleep. Reality is that it is the sailboat, single-handed or full complement, that is more likely to not be keeping a proper lookout. The idea that it is common practise to navigate a $150 million dollar ship with no lookout is the same type of thinking that allows 16 year old boys to believe that the Ferrari dealer will let them take one out for a test drive.

Again, I fully agree with the rest of your points, especially that one is essentially relying on luck when relying on non-visual means for watch-keeping.

Why is there no advise or movement for the advocation of say International orange sails for the offshore single hander? See and be seen is the watchword for safety. Is it that they don't look "pretty"? You can always tell the ships that come out of the North Sea, where the normal conditions seem to be Force 4-6 and the whitecaps are omnipresent on a dark sea. Black hulls and white houses of ships blend in as if camoflaged. Most North Sea ships have the Bridge Deck wind dodger painted international orange for improved visibility to other ships. I don't see sailmakers even offering such an option on sails beyond the odd orange dot on a storm jib. Just a thought.


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

Sailaway....

Keeping watch on a merchantman is a bit more than looking out the window. They could just, perhaps, maybe, possibly, combine that with answering the VHF when I try to call them to tell them that winds are light and my motor's down and I am in the last 80 miles of a 2700 mile trip from Bermuda and I am not quite sure if they have seen me and that their navigation lights look like they are going to run into me and they show no sign of having noticed.

There were 3 on board my ship.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Sailaway-

Part of the problem is getting the material for the sail in large enough sizes. Most sailmakers don't stock much in the way of heavy-weight sail cloth that isn't white.


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

Do we all forget one of the main reasons we are out there.. For a lot of us, the pease and tranquality of cruising, or sailing is our escape from that which we live daily. the noise, the street signs, the people, and of corse..the laws that govern our silly asses. Out there is our freedom, and If you want to get up in the morning and pee off the back of your boat.
Well by-golly thats my right.. I quit riding motorcycles when they passed the helmet law, for no other reason other than ,that the government is sticking their nose into my life to far. 
and how far will they go.. and say its for my own good....Orange sails for singlehanded sailing, Manditory GPSs on your boat so they can track you, or inforcement of wearing PFD while sailing (not to comfortable in bed), 
Well I for one, injoy my morning pee off the back of my boat, but I know, someday, they'll take that away from me too... 
For those of you that love what you have, dont give it up, and for damn sure, dont put restrictions on what we have now.....


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Sailaway21,
An orange storm sail is a great idea. My sail maker is Thurston in RI and he has quoted my storm sails in orange. But how much attention do you want on a typical day. Orange is a recognized signal of distress and I don’t want the ships to make a habit of getting too close to check me out or even worse make orange lose it meaning as a signal of distress. Maybe a good compromise is to use tanbark. It stands out but doesn’t have the same meaning as orange. By the way I got your PM.

Sailingdog,
You can order small runs of cloth so getting enough orange isn’t the problem even if you are an amateur sailmaker.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

RandyonR3 said:


> For a lot of us, the pease and tranquality of cruising, or sailing is our escape from that which we live daily. the noise, the street signs, the people, and of corse..the laws that govern our silly asses. .....


Your reasons are uniquely yours and may not represent others who sail offshore. At least they don't reflect my reasons at all and they are not even close.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## wiseleyb (Feb 11, 2007)

sailaway21,

The "merchant ships often don't have anyone on watch" was just me repeating something that I'd been told by many people (including a few merchant marine officers that I met in Boston [that also lived on their sailboats]).

I agree, sounds a bit cavalier for a $150M vessel. When I was in Boston Harbor a container ship came in with a sail boat rig hanging off it's anchor. (never did find out the back story on that) And on Marion-Bermuda trips I've had similar experiences trying to raise these ships on the radio. I was told, while doing a Seattle-San Francisco run that most of the fishing boats probably didn't have a watch (and, it was a zoo out there with the fishing boats... they looked like stars at night).

But - regardless - I try not to follow the letter of the law, but common sense. I'm a speck compared to merchant ships, so best assume I'm not seen. If I am, then yippie, but best to sail as though you're invisible to everyone else.

I'd be surprised if they don't consider us a public nuisance (personal water craft). I can't imagine how annoying it must be for these guys to make land fall an encounter the zillions of clueless yahoos that make up 90% of every harbors marine traffic.

At least in Puget Sound I know the container ships are on their guard... I got blasted the other day when I went to cut into the shipping lane and the merchant ship didn't think I'd make it. (ooops! clueless yahoo +1)

I think single-handing is probably one of the more dangerous things you can do and I completely acknowledge that we're disobeying "Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions..." and I'm not trying to blame merchant ships for possibly not keeping perfect watches while I sleep... I just think it's a pretty safe assumption (in other words, you'd be foolish to assume everyone else is looking out for you).

As for orange sails... um, pretty f'ing ugly  Not that fashion is everything but, can you imagine the pretty bays of the world full of safety orange... yuck! That'd be criminal in my book.


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

Robert
You're probably right on, I've never been one to follow the rules, I dont sail the normal path and I go places where few have gone before me. I anchor in desolate places wher nature is untouched, I see the sights that many do not, I've sailed with the orcas of the north-west and swam with the humpbacks in Mexico, and played with the dolphins off my bow waves.
And if I'm the only one to live this life and to feel the way I do..
Well my friend, I'm glad to have it all to myself................


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

With all do respect Wiseleyb single-handing is not even close to to being “one of the more dangerous things you can do.” The death rate is much higher in many other activities.

Large ships don’t want to have problems anymore then anyone else does. I know a lot of people in that industry and have been on ships during operations and found all that I have been on to be very professional and well run. Accidents do happen and if a ship runs down a yacht at night when the yacht isn’t light up in any way how can you blame the lookouts on the ship? You can’t see what’s invisible. Besides ships operate in well marked traffic lanes so you know what areas to avoid but the ships maintain a watch so they don’t hit one of their own. They are much more likely to have a near miss between ships because after all they travel together.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Mostly sensible points being made. I do agree that Int. Orange IS God-awful ugly but would maintain the point that if you're single handing off-shore it'd be foolish not to take advantage of something that highlights the most visible part of your vessel. Int. Org. may not be the color best suited, as Rob't Ganier points out, it is a distress signal color. Especially with the proliferation of advetizing all over sails today within the racing community, perhaps a brightly colored slash of color across main and jib would serve the purpose. I'm sure it could be esthetically done. Tanbark does show up in certain conditions better than white.

I would consider it only prudent that the offshore single handed sailor also carry signals to attract attention and not rely soley on his VHF radio. For instance, you can get rocket flares in non-distress colors and even the humble mirror is amazingly effective as a signalling device. Before you poo-poo that last one, try one out and realizem that every lifeboat carries one for just the purpose. Properly aimed they are visible to a distance beyond the horizon's.

Here's kind of an anecdotal inside tip for the offshore sailor. Sometimes you don't have to even contact a ship when well offshore to get their attention. At some hundred's of miles offshore you see a ship approaching that you are unsure sees you. A simple cough into the microphone of the VHF may make the mate on watch on that ship spill his coffee, or come barrelling out of the chart room. At sea you can tell the relative distances of VHF transmissions and believe me, when you hear a cough over the radio when heretofore you were comfortably secure in the knowledge that the ocean was your's alone, it sure get's your attention. Instantaneously the mate and AB on watch have their heads on a swivel and binoculars are being polished. Don't ask me how I know this. The other side of that coin, and a bit more common, is to observe a sailboat with no watch, for whatever reason, make a slight course alteration to pass astern and give them a toot on the whistle, usually resulting in a veritable explosion of activity erupting from the companionway. I'll withhold comment on those sailboats that have appeared out of the rain or fog (I only saw them on radar at 5 miles or so), their sidelights barely visible and their VHF inaudible outside of a mile-obviously out of juice. I'd like to think that mine and other's watchkeeping kept their voyage from ending tragically.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

When I'm offshore, I assume every large vessel I see is going to run me down, ergo, I take action to assure that they don't. I don't even question if they see me or not, I simply assume they don't.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Probably a wise assumption... you'd rather be wrong, and have done a bit of extra work...than be right and not done it and end up swimming.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

I hate to be a real PIA but not maintaining a watch is a clear violation of international law for a damn good reason, safety of all at sea - how would you feel to find out while you were asleep at the helm you missed the single call of the s/v 10 miles from you as it went down? We all have a responsibility to be there for each other.

I single hand day trips, night sails etc.., but would never even contemplate making a passage without standing proper watches 24/7. Get your kicks on short trips, long trips deserve crew.

How the heck do ya'll get insurance coverage on a single handed passage?


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

chucklesR said:


> I hate to be a real PIA but not maintaining a watch is a clear violation of international law for a damn good reason, safety of all at sea - how would you feel to find out while you were asleep at the helm you missed the single call of the s/v 10 miles from you as it went down? We all have a responsibility to be there for each other.
> 
> I single hand day trips, night sails etc.., but would never even contemplate making a passage without standing proper watches 24/7. Get your kicks on short trips, long trips deserve crew.
> 
> How the heck do ya'll get insurance coverage on a single handed passage?


Don't hold your breath waiting for me to hear your distress call. I don't maintain a radio watch. I usually don't have unlimited battery power and sometimes even no radio or engine on my trips.

I have full insurance along shore and in home port because the most likely problem I am going to have is being hit while on the mooring by a drunken powerboater. Offshore my insurance is proper preparation and due diligence. Nothing more and nothing less.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Tartan34C said:


> I have full insurance along shore and in home port because the most likely problem I am going to have is being hit while on the mooring by a drunken powerboater.


You mean Captain Ron's been wrong all these years? 
Captain Ron's Philosophy of Sailing


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

TrueBlue said:


> You mean Captain Ron's been wrong all these years?
> Captain Ron's Philosophy of Sailing


I stand corrected and am truly humbled by the Captain's wisdom.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

LOL.... well said robert.


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## wiseleyb (Feb 11, 2007)

Hey! I'll take Capt Ron's job any day!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Navtron, it will take you 2-3 days to get used to singlehanding at least. 

Expect the first 30 hours or so of being wide awake, then cat nap 20 minutes at a time to get your rest back. You'll feel weary for sure.


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## dohenyboy (Aug 16, 2006)

On this topic--if I am singlehanding, and outside of shipping lanes, heave to, turn on the anchor light and go below to sleep, am I legal? Not asking wise, but legal.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

dohenyboy,
The short answer is, "NO". You are not at anchor. You can display, at the masthead, all-around red over green though along with your regular side and stern lights, serving much the same purpose as I perceive your intent.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Actually, this is quite illegal. A boat at anchor would be expected not to be moving, since it is made fast to the bottom. Your boat would still be moving...

If you want to use lights...then the lights you'd probably want are two red all-arounds, one about a meter above the other. This is the light signal for a vessel not under command. The two red lights with the bicolor and stern light would be the best lights to use IMHO. From the USCG on light signals:



> A vessel not under command shall exhibit:
> 
> two all-round red lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
> two balls or similar shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
> when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed in this paragraph, sidelights and a sternlight.


This would alert nearby ships that your boat was making way, but not very likely to respond in terms of making course corrections or alterations.

Sailaway's suggestion of a Red over a Green, is no different than that of a masthead tricolor... it is merely another way to _indicate that the vessel is a sailboat,_ but does little to indicate that the vessel may not be able to make course alterations.



dohenyboy said:


> On this topic--if I am singlehanding, and outside of shipping lanes, heave to, turn on the anchor light and go below to sleep, am I legal? Not asking wise, but legal.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You could potentially fly your not under command pennant and sleep during the day under heave-to. If I were going to do it at night, I would use a masthead strobe instead of green/red or your anchor light which could be mistaken for a vessel underway.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

The strobe light is considered a distress signal.


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## wiseleyb (Feb 11, 2007)

SD: My boat seems to move along quite nicely at anchor - maybe you need a higher horse power anchor! You'd think your multi-hull windage would do the trick though. Let me know if you need any help and I'll throw you some tips.


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## tenuki (Feb 11, 2007)

wiseleyb said:


> SD: My boat seems to move along quite nicely at anchor - maybe you need a higher horse power anchor! You'd think your multi-hull windage would do the trick though. Let me know if you need any help and I'll throw you some tips.


funniest post on sailnet ever.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

My boat doesn't move much at anchor, since I believe in heavy ground tackle as a form a cheap insurance for a good night's rest. You sound like you anchor like a powerboater.



wiseleyb said:


> SD: My boat seems to move along quite nicely at anchor - maybe you need a higher horse power anchor! You'd think your multi-hull windage would do the trick though. Let me know if you need any help and I'll throw you some tips.


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## wiseleyb (Feb 11, 2007)

I hear ya SD - I was the only guy in Boston with a 28' boat and a 45' boat anchor and all chain and no windless. Of course - I lived on anchor in the summer and took a train 1-2 hours into the city - so it was nice to be "sure".


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## mrkeith (Jan 25, 2006)

Tartan34C said:


> I think single-handing is fine and I have covered a lot of miles including going trans-Atlantic that way. The only trick is to do everything in a way that doesn't require that you be in two places at the same time. Plan the flow of work so that things can either be done from one place or that all work can be done sequencely as you move about the boat.
> 
> The trickiest thing has been setting and recovering a spinnaker by myself with a close second being planning far enough ahead to allow for boat handling without an engine.
> All the best,
> Robert Gainer


hi, how do you go about setting and dousing a spinnaker by yourself? is this w/ or w/out a pole? is there any wind parameters you work w/in? 
cheers


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## mrkeith (Jan 25, 2006)

mrkeith said:


> hi, how do you go about setting and dousing a spinnaker by yourself? is this w/ or w/out a pole? is there any wind parameters you work w/in?
> cheers


oops i guess i should have read thru the post first......sorry..


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