Sailing Without Him

[heidistime]

Some would say I am not ready to leave the dock with out him. I don''t have all the experience I need to take "her" (Capri 30) out of the marina on my own. I have just enough and full courage. Of course, on a fair weather day. I will do this while he is away sailing the North Polar ice cap this summer. Am I a fool? Anyone with encouragement. This is lake sailing, not offshore.

Heidi

[etm]

Heidi:

If you are nervous about taking the boat out by yourself, ask a friend to go with you. They will be there for moral support and you''ll have a great time showing off your sailing skills.

You may want to talk to your local coast guard auxilliary people. They''ll be able to help you create a checklist of things that you need to do before during and after you leave the dock.

I sail our 26'' with my mother and sisters. We have a great visit and my husband gets to relax and fish back on shore.

[OlderandWiser]

The only way you will get experience is to do it. Pick good weather. Everything will be fine and this will be a confidence booster.

[captflood]

GREETINGS EARTHLING; You go girl you dont know what you can achive till you try you will amaze yourself good luck GO SAFE

[Sublime]

If you're really nervous, take someone with you who is to stand by unless you need help.
Or, just cast off. It can be a confidence booster.
Do tell someone on shore your plans though and be sure to have a phone and/or radio with you, just in case. Be very careful when you exit the cockpit to mess with the sail(s). And don't forget the fenders.
The more lines you lead aft, the safer it'll be for you.

The first time I take a boat out solo, I reduce sail unless it's very light winds. You're by yourself, not really comfortable, so it's not the time to overwhelm yourself.

Good luck!

[pdqaltair]

Singlehanding is mostly about planning. Whether it is leaving the dock, hoisting, tacking, or reefing, have a complete detailed plan in your mind, remembering that each step must be done by you.

In some ways I find it easier, since I am less inclined to take chances and think more about what I'm doing, rather than knowing there is crew that can bail me out from poor planning.

[DRFerron]

Be careful of complacency in lakes. Depending on the geography of the land surrounding the lake, you may have more unpredictable winds. I don't know where you sail, but the higher the terrain surrounding the lake, the more you'll have circular wind patterns which are hard to sail in.

Good luck and be safe.

[WDS123]

Of course do try it !

Reccomendations:

1) first try just motor around a wee bit, and practice docking until you can do it with confidence. motoring and docking tend to be the most stressful maneuvers, so once you get confident here, you can do anything.

2) then go out and sail with your friends, following all the usual safety advice.

[sailhog]

By now I'd bet she's got about a decade of experience under her belt.

[Sublime]

Originally Posted by sailhog

By now I'd bet she's got about a decade of experience under her belt.

Oof!