Single Handed Sailing

[oceanshoretiga]

Thanks for the question and Thanks for all the answers and ideas. No solution is perfect and, as someone else said, STAY ON BOARD. I solo often, including overnight but usually have 2-3 crew max.

I sail on a 36ft Herreshoef and the following points:
1. solo always tethered except calm local daylight waters.
2. clip on before leaving the cabin; strong points by the companion way and 3 others in the cockpit
3. jacklines running bow to stern that can be reached while clipped on in the cockpit.
4. tethers with three clips so that it is possible to change clip-on points by leaving one clipped on while the other is clipped to the new position. I'm not on board as I write this but my tethers would be a metre, so 3ft, maybe a little bit longer.
5. clip on if resting or snoozing in the cockpit, day or night.
6. minimal need to leave the cockpit with lines running to the cockpit for all sails and reefing (except 3rd reef or changing to storm sails).
7. concentrate, think, act slowly and decisively.

By the way, there is a Facebook group called "Single handed sailing".

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by SailorX

Hi everyone!

I got my first boat a while ago, and I'm really having a blast!
Last sunday, I went out completely by myself.
There were a few situations where I almost tipped overboard, while sailing.

This made me realize that I need to prevent that. I purchased a selfinflatable lifevest that has a metal ring where a tether could be attached.

My question is, where on the boat should I attach the other end of the tether?
And should I allow it to throw me overboard and climb back in or would it be better to keep myself on a "short leash"?

Sorry if this question sounds stupid or dumb, but I'm still quite new to all this.
Thanks!

Hello, SailorX, welcome aboard CF.

If you add a picture of the boat or at least tell us what it is, we will be able to give you better responses to your question. You're right, best is to stay aboard. Just recently, an Australian sailor who was landing a fish fell off his sailboat. He swam 17 km. to shore, and the boat sailed herself onto the rocks. 17 km = ~ 10.5 miles. Lucky he was fit enough to make it ashore.

Some people use flat webbing for jack lines. We used our old lower shrouds, after they were replaced in routine upgrading. They will roll underfoot, but they are hell for stout, and not affected by UV degradation. Imo, a centerline one would be best, if you can figure out how to do it. (Some boats lend themselves to it better than others.)

Ann

[hjohnson]

The other thing that most people haven’t mentioned here is to set your boat up such that you rarely have to leave the cockpit. On my boat, the main halyard and main reefing line are both lead to the cockpit. I can raise sail, reef (or shake the reef) and douse sails all without leaving the cockpit. The less you put yourself at risk, the less chance there is of suffering a disaster.

Also, make sure that all your running and standing rigging is in good repair and functioning well. If it constantly jams up, fix it. Don’t just keep going forward to unjam it.

[areddon]

Originally Posted by thesaltytar

I searched for his articles and found:

https://www.morganscloud.com/2013/02...-aboardpart-1/

But the system appears to be behind a paywall. Can you give us a basic synopsis of what it is and why it is superior?

The "paywall" is a really a cheap subscription and the site has mountains of great information on all subjects that you will want to read if you plan to singlehand ... docking ... electrical ... POB ... the heavy weather section (spoiler - a ton of great info on Jordan series drogues) ... the list goes on. The section on lazyjacks and slab reefing at the mast, alone, was worth the paywall for the confidence it gave me to nail the reefing set-up and procedure for single handing.

I can't give a synopsis because one of my key takeaways from the POB avoidance section is the importance of really getting the small details exactly right ... nylon vs polyester, snap shackles vs kong tango, stitching webbing, etc., and the list goies on. Trust me you ill be glad to join the site. It has changed the way I sail and the way I offshore alone, all for the better.

FWIW

[boatman61]

Something more people should do is stand in the cockpit while sailing, no hands.. and learn to balance against the heel of the boat and feel the other movements through one's feet and flex at the knees to counteract the motion.
To many spend all their time sat on their butt's or hanging onto the sprayhood (dodger) and don't learn to read the boats moves.
This helps not just with deck manoeuvres but also makes moving around below deck a lot easier and safer when it gets bouncy..

[barryglewis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Something more people should do is stand in the cockpit while sailing, no hands.. and learn to balance against the heel of the boat and feel the other movements through one's feet and flex at the knees to counteract the motion.
To many spend all their time sat on their butt's or hanging onto the sprayhood (dodger) and don't learn to read the boats moves.
This helps not just with deck manoeuvres but also makes moving around below deck a lot easier and safer when it gets bouncy..

Very good advice.
Couple this with systematically spotting the different wave trains running, and how the boat responds to them.
This might also help improve resistance to sea sickness

[barryglewis]

Does anyone have any statistics or links on people drowning by being dragged alongside after falling overboard?

[JBP]

Originally Posted by barryglewis

Does anyone have any statistics or links on people drowning by being dragged alongside after falling overboard?

Rational statistics like that are difficult to come by because it is impossible to compare the highly memorable bad incidents to the millions of times times tethers have saved lives without anyone thinking twice about it.

[thesaltytar]

Brings up a good point. Has anyone here actually had to rely on a tether or harness? Like a "whoops would have been in the drink if not for..." incident?

I'm NOT saying that they aren't important safety gear. I'm curious what precise moments lead to people going over, and that's probably also hard to track statistically.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thesaltytar

Brings up a good point. Has anyone here actually had to rely on a tether or harness? Like a "whoops would have been in the drink if not for..." incident?

I'm NOT saying that they aren't important safety gear. I'm curious what precise moments lead to people going over, and that's probably also hard to track statistically.

I've been in the "drink" 5 times maybe more

Once I missed the hook on the trap line and just dropped into the water.

The other 4 were during rather violent pitch poles.

On two of those the boat stayed on it's side and blew away from me, but I was pretty close to land anyway.

Another time I was maybe 5 miles offshore and a fellow racer picked me up and dropped me off at my boat. Then all I had to do was get the spinnaker in and right the boat.

Many other times I was able to grab some part of the boat and then right it after getting the spinnaker in.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by thesaltytar

Brings up a good point. Has anyone here actually had to rely on a tether or harness? Like a "whoops would have been in the drink if not for..." incident?

I'm NOT saying that they aren't important safety gear. I'm curious what precise moments lead to people going over, and that's probably also hard to track statistically.

Overconfidence.. I'm safe, I'm tethered on.." Ohh Funk..!!! "

[JPA Cate]

Something more people should do is stand in the cockpit while sailing, no hands.. and learn to balance against the heel of the boat and feel the other movements through one's feet and flex at the knees to counteract the motion.
To many spend all their time sat on their butt's or hanging onto the sprayhood (dodger) and don't learn to read the boats moves.
This helps not just with deck manoeuvres but also makes moving around below deck a lot easier and safer when it gets bouncy..
__________________

I didn't know anyone else does this. Yes, arms at sides, eyes closed, and let the feet learn to do what the boat tells them. Eyes open for wave trains, yes, but sometimes at night, I do it eyes closed. It is for training the body to know what to do without mental processing, and sort of the same general concept as the bump/stroke school of teaching tennis.

It does help to prevent sea-sickness, too, because you tend to keep your ears level and move your legs to absorb motion, as well as keeping your eyes focused on the horizon, and just quick scanning in closer. The horizon is where you first spot shipping and the tops of sails.

Ann

[JPA Cate]

@saltytar: statistics for singlehanders getting dumped off the boat will be well nigh impossible to compile: if they happen out of sight of land, and too far to swim, they are simply lost at sea. Someone might have some for inshore. Try the CG, they might publish those stats.

Ann

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

I didn't know anyone else does this. Yes, arms at sides, eyes closed, and let the feet learn to do what the boat tells them. Eyes open for wave trains, yes, but sometimes at night, I do it eyes closed. It is for training the body to know what to do without mental processing, and sort of the same general concept as the bump/stroke school of teaching tennis.

It does help to prevent sea-sickness, too, because you tend to keep your ears level and move your legs to absorb motion, as well as keeping your eyes focused on the horizon, and just quick scanning in closer. The horizon is where you first spot shipping and the tops of sails.

Ann

Good fun huh..!!!

[Cynara]

Originally Posted by barryglewis

Does anyone have any statistics or links on people drowning by being dragged alongside after falling overboard?

Back in late 60s early 70s there was a very well known female racer was single handed. The best they could figure she was taking down the head sail and she went overboard. Got trapped between the sail and the boat and drowned
..she was well known in southern California
.