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Single handing

42K views 140 replies 70 participants last post by  MikeWhy 
#1 ·
Prior to a 100 miler single handed race on L. Michigan, a number of us single handers were discussing the use of safety harnesses. One well respected, and experienced singlehander said he did not use one because, in his opinion, once you go over, forget it - your chances of reboarding are slim. Indeed he was supported by the death of a L. Michigan singlehander the year before who had been found dead, tethered overboard to his beached yacht.

In thinking this over, it would seem to me that the most likely time to go over is when on the fordeck. If one goes over and is tethered, one will only be able to progress sternward as far as the first lower. If you fall over on the high side, forget it - you will never get aboard. On the leeward side you might climb back aboard, but in any kind of wind you will be fighting a lot of bow wave etc.

If you have used a tether, you are undoubtedly aware of what a pain they are, and even sometimes they cause as many problems as they seem to solve. I know that I have often times gotten fouled up in my tether making my trip up on deck more difficult and longer lasting than needed and putting the boat in peril longer than necessary.

Going back to the guy found tethered and dead. He fell over during a mid September race. L Michigan water temp is usually fairly mild that time of year. He concievably could have survived 12 hours before hypothermea set in. Attached to his boat he may have got beat to death against the hull. Unattached he may have washed up on shore alive, as his boat did.

I confess that in calm conditions I will go up on deck unthethered. As things get rougher, I do use my tether, but I am not always sure it really helps, since it makes working on deck so much harder. For long distances I run a line outside of everything from stem to stern that hangs a foot or two below the rail on both sides. I use two tethers thinking (hoping) if I do go over on the fore deck, I can attach the 2nd tether to the stem/stern line and cut the other tether. I would, then, of course, still have a fight to get back aboard once I reached my stern boarding ladders. I feel a scuba divers knife on one''s leg provides a good method to cut a tether. One must have knife that can be accessed and used with one hand.
 
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#52 ·
gabachojefe said:
Thanks, Harry. Makes a bit more sense to me now.

Another beginner's question (feel free to yell at me and send me to a different forum): why an inflatable (automatic or otherwise) PFD versus a, um, noninflatable (?) one?
If the boom hits you on the head, knocks you overboard and unconscious at the same time...you'll be regretting the manual inflation PFD.

Also, a few reasons you want a releasable-under-load shackle on the body side of the tether is if your boat capsizes, and the tether is holding you under the water, or if your tether gets tangled with the spinnaker sheet and is pulling you into the air during a spinnaker broach-I think you'd want to have the tether off.
 
#55 ·
There was a guy who responded on Fight Club who went overboard on his boat while single handing off New England.

I single handed my boat across the Atantic and from Annapolis to Bermuda and back. When I am in open water I use a typical jackline set-up. I prefer a harness tethered to the jackline rather than a PDF. I never towed lines behind the boat. But I can appreciate the logic behind that concept. If you go over board the chances of you catching that line are just too slim to give up the speed or risk snagging something. I remained clipped in the entire time I am out of the cabin without exception. There are just too many things that can happen when you are alone at sea to risk taking it off.

Now for sailing in the Chesapeake I am a bit more relaxed when single handing. If there is a good blow 20 plus I will use my harness and clip in when I go forward. However, if I am alone in the spring or fall when the water temperature is below 65 I wil use the harness when I go forward in all conditions.
 
#56 ·
I wear a PFD that is also my safety harness. Belts and braces so to speak.

Generally, I always clip in if it is really blowing, at night, or when the water is colder.

Falling off the boat is a death sentence in most cases. Unless you carry a PLB, chances of being rescued before hypothermia sets is, especially when the water is colder up here in New England, is very slim.
 
#57 ·
Irwin32 said:
I am still waiting for a reply from a single hander who went overboard and can tell us how they survived. I stand by my original position: Once off the boat you are dead.
In the book "My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail Around Cape Horn" by David and Daniel Hays, the son fell overboard during his night watch, but got washed back into the boat by the next wave. He decided not to tell the Dad about it. Not exactly single-handing, but they were standing 6 hour watches alone.
 
#58 ·
catamount said:
In the book "My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail Around Cape Horn" by David and Daniel Hays, the son fell overboard during his night watch, but got washed back into the boat by the next wave. He decided not to tell the Dad about it. Not exactly single-handing, but they were standing 6 hour watches alone.
They were effectively single handing....and damn lucky. It is only due to a freak accident that the son is here to tell the tale.
 
#60 ·
"How about an electronic device that HAS to be WITHIN 20 metres of the boat to KEEP the autopilot working." If they aren't already on the market, they are easily made.
The simplest would be to use a standard kill switch from a jetski. That's a wrist tether with a 36" long line that goes to a kill switch in the ignition, pull out the line and the ignition quits. Install it in your autopilot's power line and the same thing happens, the auto will die when you move away.
Next up is to make that wireless, and you can also do that fairly easily using a luggage locater or kiddie tracker. One box goes to each end (you and the luggage, you and the kid, etc.) and when they get 20-25 feet apart, your box squeels an alarm. Tie the alarm to a power relay, interrupt the autopilot power, again the auto powers gets cut off if you get away.

Ain't rocket science. WILL false if your "box" has a dead battery or gets stepped on. So the more expensive ones that are on the market (I know there's at least one) are MOB alarms that sound an active alarm when the bearer splashes in the water. Again, just splice the alarm to a reply on the autopilot power.

If you think stopping an autopilot is going to save you.
 
#61 ·
hellosailor said:
"How about an electronic device that HAS to be WITHIN 20 metres of the boat to KEEP the autopilot working." If they aren't already on the market, they are easily made.
The simplest would be to use a standard kill switch from a jetski. That's a wrist tether with a 36" long line that goes to a kill switch in the ignition, pull out the line and the ignition quits. Install it in your autopilot's power line and the same thing happens, the auto will die when you move away.
Next up is to make that wireless, and you can also do that fairly easily using a luggage locater or kiddie tracker. One box goes to each end (you and the luggage, you and the kid, etc.) and when they get 20-25 feet apart, your box squeels an alarm. Tie the alarm to a power relay, interrupt the autopilot power, again the auto powers gets cut off if you get away.

Ain't rocket science. WILL false if your "box" has a dead battery or gets stepped on. So the more expensive ones that are on the market (I know there's at least one) are MOB alarms that sound an active alarm when the bearer splashes in the water. Again, just splice the alarm to a reply on the autopilot power.

If you think stopping an autopilot is going to save you.
While this might work for an autopilot, it really wouldn't help if you had a windvane. Also, it won't help if your boat has lee helm to any degree... as soon as the autopilot or wind vane stop steering, the boat will turn downwind and run away. If your boat has a bit of weather helm, it might work, as the boat would turn head to wind and come to a stop.
 
#62 ·
Use everything that you can: jacklines, tethers, common sense to stay on board. That safety equipment is to keep you on board, not to hold you in the water against the boat.Once you go over with that inflatable on, and I always wear mine when single handling, you are going to have to pull that snap shackle or be beaten to death at almost any speed.
When you grab onto that line many of you are dragging you better have been pumping some iron because your body mass and the inflatable are going to be quite a resisting force. If you have ever water skiied try to remember the force when the boat circles you in the water and you grab the ski line...that is usually with a fairly sleek life jacket and not a bulky inflatable. STAY ON THE *(&^%$ BOAT!
 
#63 ·
how about riggin the windvane with the tether so when you go overboard and the line get's taught, the windvane is adjusted to steer the boat into the wind? would that be possible?
and same for the autopilot, no matter what the mechanism to activate it, let it steer the boat into the wind rather than just run free.
 
#64 ·
Tea-Rex said:
how about riggin the windvane with the tether so when you go overboard and the line get's taught, the windvane is adjusted to steer the boat into the wind? would that be possible?
and same for the autopilot, no matter what the mechanism to activate it, let it steer the boat into the wind rather than just run free.
Unless your boat has a touch of weather helm, the boat won't automatically go head to wind, even if you disengage the windvane. You can't rig a line to adjust a windvane AFAIK to point the boat head to wind, as the adjustment differs depending on the point of sail.
 
#65 ·
In Practical Boat Owner, there was an article where this person set his boat up so that if he were to fall over board his tether would trip a line that would release the autopilot and I stand to be corrected on this, turn the boat head to the wind. I thought it was ingenious.
 
#66 ·
Tether to a halyard?

Early in this thread, someone suggested tethering to a spare halyard so that you couldn't fall over the side and be unable to climb back on. I discussed this with a sailor (singlehander) in our marina. He thought it might work but you better be also tethered to a jack line so you don't swing like a monkey hanging from a tree if you go overboard when sharply heeled.

Anybody want to try it?

Max
 
#67 ·
I guess the halyard might work for me...as I sail a multihull, and heeling is really minimal. :D
 
#68 ·
You ain't gettin back on if the boat is moving forward. Period. Forget the fancy ties to halyards, etc. Stay on board or get the boat stopped.

I have always considered a boat that did not have a little weather helm, especially when over powered, to be undesirable. Apparently a bias of mine, but to me, a well found boat will head into the wind when left on her own - unless trimmed to do otherwise.
 
#69 ·
Irwin32 said:
You ain't gettin back on if the boat is moving forward. Period. Forget the fancy ties to halyards, etc. Stay on board or get the boat stopped.

I have always considered a boat that did not have a little weather helm, especially when over powered, to be undesirable. Apparently a bias of mine, but to me, a well found boat will head into the wind when left on her own - unless trimmed to do otherwise.
I agree that staying on the boat is the primary goal. Also, agree that a boat should be trimmed to have a bit of weather helm, rather than lee helm or neutral helm.
 
#70 ·
Anyone who is an ironworker has 1 thing,a harness.You don`t hear them talking about carrying parachutes or anything else.If your line prevents you from falling over you will not fall over,it`s really that simple.If you cannot prevent a fall of of 3 feet by keeping a short tether find a new hobby.Trying to make complex solutions to simple problems can cause confussion.Run your lines before you go out and check your lines with the harness on,if you are good to go what`s the problem.People will always find a way to hang themselves but it dosn`t need to happen to you.
 
#73 ·
New device for MOB

This item, not usefull for singlehanding, could come in handy for racers.

I wonder if Raymarine would reprogram the device to communicate to the autohelm so that if a singlehander went overboard, the autohelm would automatically steer the boat onto a predetermined course set by the sailor(that is head to wind).

Home > Safety Equipment > Man Overboard > Raymarine LifeTag

Raymarine LifeTag
Man Overboard System


E12185 LifeTag System
E15026 Extra LifeTag

Available mid-Summer 2006
Raymarine LifeTag is a wireless crew monitoring and man-overboard alert system. Utilizing the latest in RF (Radio Frequency) wireless technology, the Raymarine LifeTag base station can monitor up to 16 different Raymarine LifeTags simultaneously. In the event a tagged person falls overboard, the RF link between tag and base is broken, and an onboard audible alarm is sounded. The Raymarine LifeTag system will also activate if a tag moves out-of-range of the base station (typically 35 feet.)



Tags within range of the LifeTag base station, exchange status messages to indicate that each crew member is safe, or within range. If a person falls overboard, immersion in saltwater rapidly degrades the signal which is detected by the base, sounding an alarm to alert the crew. Additionally, an alarm is sounded if a crew member moves away from the boat for a distance of 35 feet or more.

LifeTag can also be manually activated by pressing and holding the red man overboard (MOB) button for three seconds and then releasing. SeaTalk compatibility enables LifeTag to activate MOB mode on Raymarine multifunction displays, chartplotters and ST290 instrument systems.


Complete System
E12185
Raymarine LifeTag System Includes:

One (1) LifeTag Base Station
- Handles communication with each LifeTag
- Outputs for external alarm siren and relay contact
- SeaTalk
- 12 volt DC power or can be powered by the SeaTalk network Two (2) personal LifeTags [E15026] with each System
One (1) LifeTag Alarm
- Extra loud alarm sound
- Simple 2 wire connection to base station


#EE12185
List Price $685.00
Only $599.00
 
#76 ·
You can survive if you are thrown off the boat. I have survived it, but I never hit the water. I was as far over the lifelines as my ankles. The boat fell off of a wave, and yanked me back aboard.

As far the harness, and tether being a hassle. Yes it is, but it may be the very thing that saves your life. The advice of tethering to the windward side, and having a capable knife are good. I can only imagine being tied to a halyard, and being beaten to serious injury while swinging around, and possibly your death?

Single-handing is dangerous, and poor seamanship. At times we do what we need to do, and I would rather single-hand then be stuck not leaving. You better believe I was injured coming back aboard, but that's another story......i2f
 
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