How to start sailing shorthanded

With a few tips and some practice you can spend more time sailing your boat and less time waiting for crew

It’s another beautiful weekend; the wind is steady at 8 to 10 knots, the water is calm, the boat is rigged, and your friends just called to say they can’t make it this afternoon. You ask yourself,

Technique

2016 November 1 - 12:00 am

Shorthanded sailing

Get comfortable sailing by yourself or with a partner and you'll be stuck at the dock again

By Dave Rearick

Whether by choice or chance, at some point most sailors will find themselves sailing shorthanded. Your first experience might be a trip to the fuel dock with your own boat, an end of the season delivery with a loyal friend or sailing with a group of four or five friends before realizing only a couple of them are sailors. The sooner you learn shorthanded seamanship, the sooner offshore waters become a comfortable backyard in which to play.Schedule

Features

2014 November 10 - 12:00 am

Daring to dream

Fulfilling a lifelong ambition, 55-year-old Dave Rearick set sail aboard an Open 40 to join the elite group of people who have sailed solo around the world

By Dave Rearick

I sat quietly in the cockpit as Bodacious Dream sailed easily in the dying evening winds, 40 miles out from Point Judith and Beavertail lights. These lights guard the entrance to Narraganse

With a few tips and some practice you can spend more time sailing your boat and less time waiting for crew

Get comfortable sailing by yourself or with a partner and you'll be stuck at the dock again

Fulfilling a lifelong ambition, 55-year-old Dave Rearick set sail aboard an Open 40 to join the elite group of people who have sailed solo around the world

Perry on Design

A svelte cruising cat that has performance front and center

This cruising cat’s palatial accommodations have sailors living in comfort

This raised saloon offshore cruiser offers comfort and performance

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