[Public-List] going solo

[David Tessier]

I often sail our Alberg 30 solo or with completely inexperienced crew (including one patent attorney who has great difficulty getting used to tiller steering!).  This includes sailing out of our marina (once clear of our finger docks), sailing into anchorages, setting the hook under sail, sailing off the hook, overnight Great Lakes passages, etc.  We have roller furlng for the Genoa and perform all mainsail manipulations at the mast.
Here are two things that I find useful when the searoom is sufficient:
 
1) departing a marina with onshore breeze
I take advantage of the A30's (and more modern sailboat's) ability to sail to windward under Genoa alone with tiller lashed to raise our mainsail at my leisure.  This is instead of raising the mainsail first while going into the wind under engine power.  Sailing to windward under Genoa alone provides ideal apparent wind direction for raising the mainsail, while eliminating the need for human or autopilot helming, AND it is a great pleasure.  This works rather well with a reasonable breeze, say 8-20 kts and the associated waves.  I do not usually do this sort of thing for reefing the mainsail, but it should be on my list...
 
2) Heaving to
I heave to (not in the heavy weather sense, but just backing the foresail usually by tacking through the wind) for mainsail reefing, taking sails down on arriving outside a marina, MOB drill and for a break or nap.  One thing that I find interesting it how a hove-to A30, jogging with the wind a few degrees ahead of the beam, falls off to a stable position with the wind a few degrees aft of the beam when the mainsail is dropped.  After doing this a few times, one gets a good feeling for where the boat will be heading, which is useful with limited searoom.  Once the mainsail is down, and with sufficient searoom in the new direction, one can prepare lines and fenders and the auxiliary, etc  and then sail in closer under Genoa alone, before motoring the final bit into a marina.  Of course, the A30 will heave to quite cheerfully under mainsail alone, which is a common storm tactic which could be used in other situations.
 
 
It would be fun to get a few singlehanders together to compare notes...
 
David #319
 
  		 	   		  
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