Single handing

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"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.

[tommyt]

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!

[Tea-Rex]

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.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by Tea-Rex

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.

[Ronbye]

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.

[foxglove]

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

[sailingdog]

I guess the halyard might work for me...as I sail a multihull, and heeling is really minimal.

[Irwin32]

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.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by Irwin32

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.

[dman]

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.