Solo safety
Sailing solo 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. 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. Should you need to make a distress call, having a radio that is set up with a DSC button will make things easier, and 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 the singlehander, 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: 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. 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.
LIFEJACKET
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 and 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. 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 to 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.