PREPARING FOR A SOLO CIRCUMNAVIGATION
Boat and equipment preparation is hugely important for any type of blue-water sailing, but it is critical when sailing single-handed across oceans, as you may find yourself needing to be self-sufficient for long periods of time in remote areas or in testing conditions.
For me, the most important item of equipment is self-steering. During my circumnavigation an Aries windvane was at the helm for 99% of the time. It performed flawlessly in winds from 10-50 knots on all points of sail and meant hand steering was rarely required. An electronic tiller pilot provided backup during calms and when under engine.
Collision avoidance is also another major consideration. In addition to an AIS transponder, I used an Echomax dual band radar target enhancer to warn me of nearby vessels and to increase the chance of being seen by others. I also had a basic black and white Furuno radar which was useful to keep a lookout in poor visibility and monitor a guard zone.
The boat should be easy to handle, and having the ability to reef the sails from the cockpit is an advantage when singlehanding as this minimises the time on deck and the risk of falling overboard. Heavy weather tactics should be considered, and either a Jordan Series Drogue or parachute anchor for use in severe conditions is advisable.
I spent a long time looking at methods to charge the boat’s batteries in addition to the engine alternator. On passage in trade wind conditions I found a combination of solar power and tow generator provided more than enough amps to be self-sufficient without requiring the engine.
Obtaining weather information at sea should be tried and tested. I used an Iridium satellite phone to obtain weather GRIB files. An HF Single Side Band (SSB) radio, with Pactor modem is also an option. For navigation, I used a Raymarine Chartplotter with Navionics electronic charts. I had several back-up options including two ipads with Navionics app plus open CPN with world charts on a laptop. I also had paper charts and a sextant. Satellite images from the Ovital Map app were incredibly useful for navigating in some regions particularly when sailing around coral and poorly charted areas.