Single-Hand Cruising
- Thread starter rlbride
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
SaltyDog
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2007
- Messages
- 251
I'm in neutral while tossing a coiled line. Might have been worth mentioning. Always good to think these things through ahead of time.
sunchaser
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2008
- Messages
- 10,195
- Location
- usa
- Vessel Name
- sunchaser V
- Vessel Make
- DeFever 48 (sold)
Check out the set sail website. Steve and Linda Dashew have been a world wide cruising couple for years. Their current design and build is a 97 footer expressly designed to be handled by a couple.
psneeld
Guru
That's OK ....you should only need a few feet unless where you are trying to tie up doesn't have a cleat near your midships....or use an after bow spring.
SaltyDog
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2007
- Messages
- 251
When single handing I always have my midships spring line looped and returned to the boat.
I never understood all the jumping on to the dock methods. Unless the holding tank is full.
I never understood all the jumping on to the dock methods. Unless the holding tank is full.
mbevins
Guru
That's why a 15' line does not exist on my boat. But I should say it is a 44' boat. Line lengths are all relative to the size of the boat.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Trawler
psneeld
Guru
A 100 foot line can be secured in such a way as only a short length could go overboard and not foul the prop...that's FF contention and I'm sure most peoples understanding...not sure why or how you can really argue that?????
mbevins
Guru
I'm not sure that's what he said but I do agree with your comment above.
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jwitzel
Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2013
- Messages
- 20
- Location
- fulltime cruiser
- Vessel Name
- NOMAD
- Vessel Make
- 48' DeFever Trawler
I have over 4,000 hours of solo cruising hours on my 48' DeFever. It has a bow thruster and I have no problems handling it anywhere; with twin screws the thruster is rarely used but is very helpful when anchoring out or mooring and in tight spaces at docks. Walkways on port and starboard are a must and I would highly recommend a thruster if you get a sizable boat and spring for the inexpensive wireless remote pendant for the windlass/thruster if going solo, it sure comes in handy when alone on the bow.
psneeld
Guru
Twins and a thruster is like having 2 extra deckhands on board..
If I can't whip my crew into shape...a thruster is sounding better all the time.
jwitzel
Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2013
- Messages
- 20
- Location
- fulltime cruiser
- Vessel Name
- NOMAD
- Vessel Make
- 48' DeFever Trawler
Like I said, I don't use it much but when I need it I'm glad I spent the $9k to have it installed!
Bay Pelican
Moderator Emeritus
This information is from 2008. Wellington Canal lock will not allow a single handed cruiser through. Actually on the upbound (?) trip three people on board is required.
Marty
Marty
jukesy
Senior Member
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- Mar 10, 2013
- Messages
- 267
- Vessel Name
- LUCKY US
- Vessel Make
- American Tug
Did you mean the Welland canal?
bikeandboat
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2013
- Messages
- 112
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Missing Link
- Vessel Make
- 1986 Albin 34 Family Cruiser
We had a Hat 53 MY with twin Cummns for 9 years. It was actually not bad to single hand. We now have a 34' Mainship II, which is single with no thruster, and naturally harder to single hand. Since having the two experiences, I agree that the heavier boat is actually easier to single hand.
Once exception is a 27' Albin Family Cruiser I had for a few years. That boat handled like a dream with its small single diesel and no thruster. I did a single hand trip of 600 miles on the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers (8 locks) with no problems. There is always an exception.
Once exception is a 27' Albin Family Cruiser I had for a few years. That boat handled like a dream with its small single diesel and no thruster. I did a single hand trip of 600 miles on the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers (8 locks) with no problems. There is always an exception.
N4712
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2013
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- 3,607
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- U.S.A
- Vessel Name
- Oliver
- Vessel Make
- Nordhavn 47 Hull# 12
Couldn't agree more, had to move the boat into a bigger slip a couple weeks ago and It was blowing, our boat coming close to the 100,000lb mark didn't move even with its high windage, even though I wasn't single handing and had two other people on the boat, I feel confidently I could of done it single handed as long as there was someone on the dock ready to catch lines. Also for people that have Vertical Capstan windlasses, i would dis-engage the clutch before coming to the dock. it's handy when man power won't do the job, just a few raps around the capstan and some clicks of foot buttons, viola!
Bay Pelican
Moderator Emeritus
Last edited:
ksanders
Moderator Emeritus
You (and others) are right on the mark. Our current boast is much easier to dock than our trailer boats were.
Except in a very serious cross wind one person can easily handle the boat. Even in a pretty stiff wind I can do it myself using the mid cleat located just outside the pilothouse door.
AusCan
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2012
- Messages
- 3,218
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Name
- Kokanee
- Vessel Make
- Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
It's all do-able with preparedness and practice. My smaller lightweight boat gets twisted around by the wind a fair bit, but I am starting to know what to expect and when, and can compensate for it.
With a strong wind from an unusual direction, I often have a dummy run prior to docking, and pull into a big empty single berth facing the same direction as my double berth to check the wind effect without bouncing off my next door neighbour.
I have become much more confident in my boat handling by taking this approach, rather than just saying "It's too windy, - we'll leave her tied up at the dock".
With a strong wind from an unusual direction, I often have a dummy run prior to docking, and pull into a big empty single berth facing the same direction as my double berth to check the wind effect without bouncing off my next door neighbour.
I have become much more confident in my boat handling by taking this approach, rather than just saying "It's too windy, - we'll leave her tied up at the dock".
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