Is your boat up to it?
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.
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. 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
Whether you have a wheel or tiller, the layout of the cockpit is important as to whether it works well for singlehanding. 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.
Effective self-steering is essential. 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. 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.