Sailing the ocean involves taking many precautions; contemplating such a journey singlehanded takes more. As part of our offshore sail training program, there is an orientation we present before taking a crew to sea aboard our 47-foot sloop Voyager. Among the many topics covered is the absolute necessity for safety. This includes discussions of the locations and operation of all gear and protocols for a range of situations that can occur. The central theme of our message is to instill a mind-set that safety must be considered with every operation and every movement that takes place. When the well-being of each crewmember and the boat are primary considerations, injuries and illness are much less likely.

The sailor alone at sea must take this mind-set to still another level, because in the event of a medical condition or boat emergency, there is no help. Prevention, always easier than management, becomes a paramount theme in both the preparation and sailing phases of these adventures.
What should one consider when planning a solo voyage? Just as with a crewed passage, think about the seaworthiness of your boat first. This will involve a thorough boat inspection to eliminate defects and update worn gear and outdated equipment. Be aware that systems functioning normally in mild conditions often fail when placed under duress.
Repairs of all defects are then completed, and re-inspected to make sure they’re done properly. Offshore equipment is added to make the boat more seaworthy, faster and more accommodating.

Priority gear for the singlehander includes:

? Reliable self-steering equipment

? Communications equipment that enables contact with land bases and downloading of weather information

? EPIRBs

? Offshore life raft

? Ditch bag

? Medical supplies including essentials for pre-existing conditions, a manual or books on first aid procedures, and emergency contact numbers for advice or assistance

? Radar with watchman alarm system

? MOB alarm

? Harness, tether and jacklines

Planning
Careful attention to voyage routing gives sailors the best chance of being on the ocean without the threat of severe weather. The routing takes advantage of historical wind, wave and current information in the chosen waters. The Pilot Charts are integral in this phase, along with various books that describe ocean routes, destinations and even waypoints (see October’s Technique, “Passage planning”).
Weather forecasting is a major determinant of safety at sea. Your voyage preparation must include developing a system for gathering weather information while at sea. This involves either SSB radio or satellite phone systems, along with the software to download and display charts and text material. The downloaded information should be combined with weather observations from your own boat to arrive at logical forecasts. You’ll need thermometers for air and water, a barometer and a wind anemometer. This will complement your own observations of wind direction, sea state, cloud formations and other indicators. Needless to say, some weather knowledge is necessary to assimilate all the information and arrive at a usable forecast.

The sailplan
The sails must be easy to handle by one person. Pay particular attention to the roller-furling gear, reefing systems and storm sail deployment. One person should be able to roll the genoa in by hand in just a few seconds. If the furling line has to be placed on a winch to be taken in, have the drum and upper section examined for problems. When the sail has to come in fast, there should be no hesitation once the sheet is eased out.
Jiffy reefing is ideal for the solo sailor. With this system, the reefing lines bring the mainsail down at the luff and leech cringles. They’re led aft to the cockpit so that when the halyard is lowered, hauling in the reef line brings the sail down to its position along the boom. Once the reef line is secured by the clutch, the halyard is hoisted to properly shape the reefed main.

It’s wise to have storm sails ready to hoist without having to go forward. Voyager has a removable inner forestay with a hanked-on storm staysail. A trysail on its own track is ready at the mast. Whenever I sail solo, the staysail is hanked onto the inner forestay with the halyard attached and sheets led aft. The trysail is likewise readied for rapid hoisting should it be called for.

Conservative sailing
When singlehanding, I sail a bit more conservatively than when sailing on crewed passages or racing. I avoid being overpowered, for example, by reefing early and paying strict attention to weather and sea conditions. Thinking ahead pays dividends in safety, trying never to be caught by unexpected events.

As evening approaches, consider the wind and waves that are expected throughout the night, and deploy appropriate sails for those conditions. During the day, keep an eye on cloud formations—developing cumulonimbus clouds often means squalls later that night.
While sailing conservatively, speed is still an objective. A fast boat means a more comfortable ride and less exposure to rough conditions. Well maintained sails, attention to sail trim, balancing the sailplan and keeping a clean bottom are all measures that improve boat performance.

Procedures
The solo sailor must have established protocols to handle any emergency situation quickly and without hesitation. Consider your procedures for decreasing sail, heavy weather preparations, flooding, fire and abandoning ship. If you have a plan for these contingencies and gear is made ready, you’ll be prepared for the worst of circumstances.

A MOB alarm is standard equipment on Voyager for our crewed training passages. It’s also invaluable for the solo sailor because the shipboard-mounted receiver has relay contacts that can be wired into various devices, such as an engine kill switch or autopilot disconnect. This gives the victim a chance to swim back to the boat.

I mentioned the harness, tether and jacklines last on the list of priority gear. In many ways, these should be the first items to appear. When a sailor cannot go overboard, the risks of singlehanding are vastly diminished. My approach is to rig the jacklines inboard so that when I’m tethered it’s impossible to fall over the side. The tether only allows me to reach the lifelines, but never extends past them. When I live by the rule that I’m always harnessed when on deck, solo sailing becomes very safe. This has to be an ironclad pact with myself, though, because sometimes it’s tempting to break my own agreement.

Singlehanded ocean sailing is a great adventure and the feeling of accomplishment at reaching landfall is hard to describe. While there is more risk than a crewed passage, the safety-first frame of mind, proper equipment and a little extra preparation will let you experience a whole new realm of ocean adventure.

Ed Mapes runs Voyager Ocean Passages, a sail-training program that specializes in offshore sailing. Information can be found at www.offshorevoyager.com.