1st Time Singlehanding

[bruceyp]

Jim,
Good job on your first solo. Pushing the outside of the envelope is always a boost. How else do we learn? You can read as many books as you like, and prepare as much as you like, but until you actually do what you prepare for you "ain't done sheet", to use the vernacular. Keep up the good work.
Your feeling of being in calm familiar waters and knowing the terrain intimately, is how I feel here in "my" river. Does that make me overconfident? Probably. Do I think this is a good approach to sailing? Maybe not. But it enables me to have the (false) confidence to go out and deal with real FU's as they occur. That is how we, or in this case, I, get to learn. Could those FU's be more that I can handle? I hope not, but it is possible. Meantime I will continue to try new things and read and prepare, and go out there and do it.
I think I saw a poster somewhere that said that sailboats are usually safe and beautiful at home at their mooring, but that is not what they are made for.
Having said all of this, I just may run that jackline and wear my Inflateable/harness next time I'm out in the Bay. Just to look cool, you know?
BP

[chuck5499]

jim -- sorry about the safety push but as an exclimber it is just part of my make up -
as for single handing and what you learned - you just can not beat it - i put up a new whisker pole, just got it, by myself and it was a disaster - found if they get in the water they bend - need to watch your lines or when one tightens you can go overboard and few other mistakes - it was not funny at the time but looking back sure was - yesterday on a run from deltaville to solomon island went out and put the whisker up and went very smooth - next time will be even better -
if you really want to try something try racing in a 40' single handed - i leaned more doing that than anything - soulmates is a quick boat but turning the markers became a real issue - finally figured it out
you will learn more single handing than doing anything else
Just do it so safely
just my thoughts
chuck and svsoulmates
ki4sry
full time crusier - on the hook in solomon island

[BarryL]

Originally Posted by JSL3

But I could also die stepping off a curb into traffic. At some point (i.e. 8 knots of wind, very little boat traffic, clear weather and a competent skipper on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay) would going un-tethered be OK? To put it another way, can you ever go un-tethered?

We have had this discussion, and there are two camps. One feels you need to 'clip in' every time, the other does not. There is no right or wrong answer, it's up to you. If you are aware of the risks you can make an informed decision.

My sailing waters (Long Island Sound) seem similar to yours. I sail singlehanded often (about once a week during the summer) and I don't have a harness or jacklines. I rationalize that by wearing (not just having, but wearing) a PFD and by carrying a waterprood VHF. When I singlehand I am never more than 2-3 nm from land. If I do fall overboard and can't get back aboard, I can either swim / float to land, and / or call for help on the radio. FYI, my boat has a swim platform and I have the boarding ladder rigged so I can deploy it from the water. I have tried to get to get from the water into the boat and I am able to. Of course, if the boat is moving faster than a knot or two I won't be able to catch it.

If I were to head further from land, or otherwise be less likely to receive assistance, I would get a harness.

Again, since we're adults, we can decide how much risk we are willing to tolerate.

Barry

[JSL3]

Originally Posted by BarryL

My sailing waters (Long Island Sound) seem similar to yours. I sail singlehanded often (about once a week during the summer) and I don't have a harness or jacklines. I rationalize that by wearing (not just having, but wearing) a PFD and by carrying a waterprood VHF. When I singlehand I am never more than 2-3 nm from land. If I do fall overboard and can't get back aboard, I can either swim / float to land, and / or call for help on the radio. FYI, my boat has a swim platform and I have the boarding ladder rigged so I can deploy it from the water.
Barry

Thanks Barry.
I agree with this based on proper condidtions. I too have the swim ladder rigged so I can deploy it from the water and do wear a PFD when I'm on my own. A question about the waterproof VHF, is it really waterproof as in if you go over and submerge it, will it still work?
I've often thought of trailing a polypropylene or floating line off the stern when single handing but haven't done so. How bad an idea is that?

[JSL3]

Originally Posted by chuck5499

jim -- sorry about the safety push but as an exclimber it is just part of my make up -

no need to be sorry, i'm always interested in peoples opinions on this site, that's why i posted here. thanks for your response.

[JSL3]

Originally Posted by bruceyp

Jim,
I think I saw a poster somewhere that said that sailboats are usually safe and beautiful at home at their mooring, but that is not what they are made for.
Having said all of this, I just may run that jackline and wear my Inflateable/harness next time I'm out in the Bay. Just to look cool, you know?
BP

Before I get too far along in my solo career, I will most likely rig the boat with jacklines and try using a harness. It seems like it will be confining and most likely a PITA to get around on deck but I will reserve judgement until I actually try it on my boat. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly suprised and it will easy and become a habit.

Hey Bruce, what type of boat is that in your avatar?

[drynoc]

I agree with you. I sail out of Quantico on the Potomac, and I don't clip on or wear a PFD. I never go out in conditions that are dangerous, and the river is always pretty calm even on relatively windy days, and there aren't many of those. I have a PFD available, and I can do all of my linehandling from the cockpit if need be, so I consider it a minimal risk.

[seadaddler]

I am sorry but do you really think you could pull yourself back
onboard hooked up to a jack line.
Try pulling someone behind your boat while sailing slow just having fun
in nice weather and the wind is not doing much.
Someone once told me that you will never be able to pull yourself back
on board while being dragged behind at say 5 knots,we have done it
at less than 1 knots letting the kids play around and it's not that easy to do.

[Rockter]

Good trip. Be careful.
I get a bit melancholy when sailing alone, and my olde electrical autopilot has long since fizzed out.
Short trips are OK... a few miles.

[chuck5499]

Originally Posted by JSL3

Thanks Barry.
I agree with this based on proper condidtions. I too have the swim ladder rigged so I can deploy it from the water and do wear a PFD when I'm on my own. A question about the waterproof VHF, is it really waterproof as in if you go over and submerge it, will it still work?
I've often thought of trailing a polypropylene or floating line off the stern when single handing but haven't done so. How bad an idea is that?

Jim - take a look at the icom 32 - it is waterproof and floats
by the way where is south river on the cheaspeake - maybe soulmates and i will stop by
chuck and soulmates
ki4sry
on the hook in solomon isl