[Public-List] single handing

Fri Aug 8 04:19:35 PDT 2014

Hi there, 

I reckon this is an important book...

http://www.amazon.ca/Singlehanded-Sailing-Experiences-Techniques-Voyagers/dp
/0070281645

And I usually council people to rely on electronics as little as possible.

We have a friend whose voyage has taken him as far as the coast of Turkey
this season, who fitted out his boat with an amazing array of radar
interfaced chart plotter, autopilot and GPS sets.... His emails, every one,
are full of comments on the various qualities of electronics technicians at
his various ports of call.  There has been no time since he hit salt water
that all his gear was working at the same time.

His boat is a 35' late 1970's IOR racer.  It's got winches all over it; none
are self tailing.  It's steered by a short tiller over a large spade rudder.
His boat is light for it's size and beamy...  When pushed hard and heeled
over, the force required to counteract weather helm is terrific.  The
headsail is huge, the main is small with a high droopy boom (both
characteristics of the odd boats the later years of the IOR produced)

Over a drink before he left I was bold enough to comment on where he'd
chosen to spend his money and suggested that a set of self-tailing winches
would have changed his whole experience on board as a singlehander.  He
disagreed.  To him the promise of being able to pinpoint his position
without the labour of shooting with a sextant and doing the arithmetic was
more important that his ability to handle his boat in various conditions.

So away he went, with an electronics shop of laptops, GPS, radar, etc etc
and a deck layout intended to be manned by the local high school football
team...

Gord
#426 Surprise

On 08/08/14 12:37 AM, "Glenn via Public-List"
<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Second the autopilot and roller furling for single handing - although I
> actually have a Windvane, no worries about electrical failure at in opportune
> times.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Aug 7, 2014, at 12:54 PM, gordon white via Public-List
>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>> 
>>    I think the A-30 is an excellent single-handler. Actually larger, up to a
>> point, is easier because more stable, so a 30 footer is easier than a 22
>> footer (I've sailed both,) And I owned a 34 ft  schooner I single-handed. I'd
>> look for two things. make that three: a large roller-furling genoa, an auto
>> pilot and self-tailing winches.
>> 
>>    Remember, Francis Chichester single-handed around the world in a 52
>> footer.
>> 
>>    You can sail a lot on just a 150% jib, which with roller-furling is a lot
>> easier to get in and out than the main and the Alberg does not have a
>> stowaway mast -
>> 
>>    By oneself, it's necessary to have an auto pilot to go pee, and do other
>> things, like minor repairs, fix a sandwich, etc.
>> 
>>    And a self-tailing winch is very helpful when you're by yourself.
>> 
>>    Add to that stability and you're in good shape with an A-30 - I've had
>> mine since 1991.
>> 
>> - Gordon White
>> Brigadoon II
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