Singlehanded Sailing: Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics

by Andrew Evans

Overview

"It takes thousands of hours of sailing to get the kind of knowledge contained in this book." -- from the Foreword by Bruce Schwab

The ONLY bible for how to sail your boat fast, safe, and alone

Solo sailing is within any sailor's grasp with a little forethought--and this essential guide.

Got a 35-foot sailboat? No problem. Is the wind blowing 20 knots? No problem. Are you racing offshore overnight? Even better. Singlehander Andrew Evans learned the hard way how to sail and race alone--with lots of mishaps, including broaches and a near tumbling over a waterfall--and in Singlehanded Sailing he shares the techniques, tips, and tactics he has developed to make his solo sailing adventures safe and enriching.

Learn everything you need to know to meet any solo challenge, including:

• Managing the power consumption aboard a boat to feed the electric autopilot
• Setting and gybing a spinnaker
• Finding time to sleep
• Dealing with heavy weather

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071836548
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	09/05/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Andrew Evans has gone singlehanded sailing more than eight hundred times over the past ten years for a total of 3,500 hours of singlehanded sailing –a reasonable start. He has never had a bad day on the water. Evans is a lawyer, Chartered Financial Analyst, and president of a small company in the solar power industry.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Bruce Schwab Chapter One/Introduction My Heroes Chapter Two/The Mental Challenge Stress and Coping Hallucinations/Hearing Voices /Boredom/Emotional Inertia Sleep Approaches to Sleep Polyphasic sleep The 3:00AM Effect Chapter Three/Sailboat Design and Setup What Boat to Look For Key Features of a Singlehanding Sailboat Helm/Cockpit/Mast/Single backstay with no running backstay/Below Deck/Rudder Design Multihulls Insurance for the Singlehander Boat Setup Jack lines Tether It Does No Good If Not Worn Liefelines Handrails Chapter Four/Four Boats Designed for Singlehanding Figaro Beneteau II Mini 6.50 The Class 40 IMOCA 60 Chapter Five/Keeping the Boat Upright Water Ballast Canting Keel Rudder Load What Does the Daggerboard Do Dynamic Stability Systems The Mast Final Thoughts Chapter Six/Self Steering Systems Alternative Self Steering Methods Shock-Cord Sailing Tiller Line System – for Beating Storm Jib Steering System Downwind – Poled Out Jib System Sheet to Tiller systems Autopilot or Wind Vane Using a Wind Vane Autopilots Tacking and Gybing using an autopilot Remote Control Wind Vanes Homemade Wind Vane Chapter Seven/Power Systems Power Generation Chapter Eight/Singlhanded Boat Handling Leaving the Dock and Returning Anchoring Mooring Climbing the Mast Folding the Headsail Chapter Nine/Singlehanded Sail Handling and Sailing Understanding sail trim Sailing upwind Changing foresails The Symmetrical Spinnaker Gybing the Spinnaker Gybing the Spinnaker without an Autopilot Dousing the Chute When things go bad—fouled spinnaker Tweakers – Use them properly Gybing without the Pole Asymmetrical spinnaker Dousing an Asymmetrical Extreme winds Heaving-to Chapter Ten/Racing – Get into It Handicap adjustment for singlehanding against crewed boats The starting line Rounding the windward mark Leeward mark Chapter Eleven/Maintaining a Winning Attitude for the Duration of a Long Distance Singlehanded Race The Most Important Point: Sail Harder Comparing with the Iditarod Assessing Factors Experience/Confidence /Self Sponsorship The Disconnect: Singlehanders Need to Actively Sail the Boat for Success Energy and Lethargy Improving Energy Mindfulness Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach The Role of Competition Racing against reports Race against herself Improving Comfort Final Thoughts Chapter Twelve/See and Be Seen Navigation Maintaining a Lookout Radar AIS Radar Reflectors Active Flashlight Passive Radar Reflectors A Testament to the Centerboard Sonar Chapter Thirteen/Managing Heavy Weather Heavy Weather Accounts Key Heavy Weather Considerations Drogues Drogue Launching and Retrieval Drogues and Singlehanders Chapter Fourteen/Dealing with Damage Case Studies: Dismasting Dealing with Dismastings—An Alternate Approach Mental Approach to Major Damage Other Varieties of Damage The Role of Ingenuity and How to Prepare for Damages Lessons from the Crash Test Boat/Yachting Monthly—Dealing with Punctures [h1]Case Study: Losing a Headstay Chapter Fifteen/Living Singlehanded, Including First Aid Food Clothing Other Matters Looking After the body Urinating Bowel Movements Diaper Rash – not just for babies anymore Keeping Clean First Aid Medical References First Aid Kit Advice from the SHTP 2012 Seminar Series Chapter Sixteen/Spiritual Side to Singlehanding Thoreau's Insights Buddhist Perspective Christian Perspective References for Singlehanders Index