How do you single-hand a Mac?

[Night Sailor]

In light air I do it the ugly way: steer through the tack and after the main has settled down, then move over to the lee side of the boat and bring in the new working sheet to bring the genny over.
In moderate to heavy air, where the main alone is enough to keep up momentum, I furl the genny in to about 90% foretriangle before tacking, then on the new course, pull it out again.

As madmike says, think of all the conditions under which you might have to tack, and practice best and worst conditions. Choose the best solution, not what you've always done before. Sometimes it's safer to jibe, other times it might be safer to motor through a tack or jibe in rough conditions. As always do what is best for you and your boat, regardless of what it may appear like to someone else.

[RandyMoon]

Scott, This one reminds me of you and your ukulele serenading your neighbors

[RandyMoon]

So Lease suggested the self-tacking jib. For cruising, this looks like a fairly straight forward solution for a jib. I would think it would work fine with a furler. As you guys can tell, I am really into Photobucket.com now.

[maddmike]

Frank,

Hunters have B & G rigs, nice speed through the eye of the wind, and are usually tuned for new sailors, who need all the help they can get when learning to tack. Just my experience, others may differ.

My only real single-hand 'don't do' is putting a sheet in your mouth when tacking. Wind picks up & rope burns across your lips can ruin a whole night of after anchor drinking! (you'd be suprised how many times I saw the results of this around the world from new single-handers). MM

[Night Sailor]

Most of the bigger cruising boats with self tacking jibs are club footed, meaning they have a boom at the bottom of the jib, limiting them in size to what will swing before the mast. I suppose a bigger sail might work if there was no club on the foot. But it seems like the jib track would still have to be in front of the mast and very wide to get good angles under all points of sail.

[ken smith]

I use to sail on the Niagara River where it is sometimes a few hundred yards wide and in a day of sailing I would tack maybe 100 times. I always let the main swing across by itself and use to preset the sheets so I only had to pull on the sheet. Now I have the swivel cam cleats from Bill and they work great for not having to go foward of the steering wheel to work the genoa or jib. If you get hung up on the tacks then try and head down wind to pick up some speed prior to your tack. Now that I live in Fort Myers Fl. I'll sail out on one tack and back home 4 hours later on the other tack. My point is you must pay your dues and practice your tacks. I sometime tack all day long while the wife is sun bathing and it doesn't seem to bother her. Ken

[Scott]

This one reminds me of you

Randy, Ive yet to acquire a Bass drum. I have no rythm so Ill not waste the money. I do have a problem saddleing up the Kazoo while singing so I think I need one of those holders like Dyan uses.



This is more acccurate

[RandyMoon]

Ken, I am trying to imagine how you would use swivel cam cleats. Do you have one on each Genoa track back behind the pedestal?

[RandyMoon]

Here is an idea from John Tiede in the Mod section



"Wanting to make single handing easier, I installed two additional winches in the aft corners of the cockpit. I also use the rubber self-tailers, without cleats. I can sail in all weather conditions, they are as strong as the winches on the companion way deck. I installed 4" access plates and used a 4"x6"x1/8" aluminum backing plate and large steel fender washers to attach each winch. The genoa sheets run directly back to the winches from the genoa blocks. When using the jib, the jib sheets run thru the jib blocks, thru fairleads installed on the companion way deck, thru the genoa blocks and then back to the winches. It is the best modification I have made. When I have a crew, we can use the front winches. I was worried that the rubber self tailers might be too big and would slip, but the size 1 sold by West Marine is fine, no slipping."

[nemo]

These rear mounted winches look nice for single-handing (I think it's an X), but I can't see how this would work on an M. Has anyone mounted winches on an M anywhere aft of where they come stock?

This is what I see as one of the biggest disadvantages of having a wheel versus tiller - nice to be able to adjust steering with the knees, while trimming the sails. What I think is the most awkward part of single handing with the wheel is straightening out the boat in time to prevent over-steering once the tack is complete, but while jib is not fully trimmed. It's doable though.

[ken smith]

Randy Bill At Boats For Sale sells them made for the x or m. Little expensive but well worth the price and they make life much easier because you can stay back at the wheel sitting and control everything from the helm. Bill is in the memberlist and he responds quickly to your request. Yes you need one for each sheet.
Ken

[RandyMoon]

Ken, where do you attach them on the boat?

[DLT]

Genny track

[RandyMoon]

Thanks for the photo. I had been looking for some kind of car/cam device and never could find one.

The self tacking jib looks interesting but appears to be something that you would have to fab from scratch and would have some limitations.

[Sloop John B]

I'm with nemo on the tacking business with a wheel. Tiller was so nice to be able to control with a knee or extended calf.

Before single handling my X, I watch three back to back episodes of 'Deadwood' to get the pronunciation and order down just right.

I try to find an open area big enough for two football fields to try a tack. I sit on my duff until the nose passes the eye. I bungee the wheel to an eye on the pushpit and struggle forward. Unwind the back winding sheet, lurch over to the low side, try and get three wraps and just pull and cleat. Back to the wheel to try and make things look normal.

Stare at the compass for about six seconds to figure out where I'm going. The shore line and houses (except for a water tower or two) all look the same. Set a course while trying to trim the foresail.

I find it much simpler to remain on my duff and shout colorful instructions to the Mate.