Founder @ Headlight.co. Creative at heart & quantitative marketer by trade. Trying to keep my creative muscles from atrophy with a RU-vid channel. Rock musician, fly fisherman, sailor, and ham radio nerd.
Quite good. Your lifejacket is too loose for the clothes you were wearing: you should be able to just get your fist between it and your chest; and it doesn't have a crotch strap, so it will just ride up over your head if you fell in. The bow was starting to drift off when you came into the dock and in stronger winds might have blown you beyond reach of the mooring line - I was surprised you didn't keep a bit of engine on with left turn once the stern line was on to push you in to the berth. Interesting that you didn't mention fenders too. But some good single-handed advice in there
Hi, just found out about your entertaining videos. I'm also sailing at the same area on the Chesapeake Bay out of Rhode River with my Hunter 26. I use a 9.9HP outboard as well and use 10% ethanol gas with fuel stabilizer. I never had any issues with that in the last 9 years. Here is also some info about COLREG Rules for Vessel's Priority: 1. N.U.C. -Not under Command 2. Restricted in Ability to Maneuver 3.Constrained by Draught 4.Fishing 5. Sail 6.Motor (including motor sailing) A Barge falls in Category 2 Save sailing!
Nice free dinghy. I have been looking for a 8 foot hard dinghy some where near Virginia for my small Island packet for some time and here you just trip over one. Some people have all the luck. Looks like a fun boat to get wet in.
You can also pick a spot on you boat say a stanchion line it up with the other boat. If it stays lined up with the stanchion your on a collision course.
G"day from Australia. I just stumbled on your channel. I own a Columbia 27 ft sailing boat in north queensland. I am refitting my boat at present so it's on the hardstand for another year. I hope you like having an int subscriber, as i have seen some of your other vlogs and l liked them. Well done. Gerard liveaboard on SV GEMSTAR.
I really enjoyed this video! I've recently taken some sailing lessons out of Deale so it's nice to see some relatable day trips that are possible from this part of the Chesapeake Bay.
Excellent video. I single hand my 34’ sailboat the majority of the time for the reasons you explained well. The 4th piece of safety equipment I use, in addition to PFD, lanyard and portable VHF is a Garmin InReach mini. It doesn’t cost a lot and can provide satellite guided assistance if you are in the water away from the boat. Your docking was textbook. As you pointed out the key is to understand how the wind will affect positioning. I never let my boat speed drop below 2 knots to ensure full rudder command and then use reverse gear to slow the boat to zero so I can step off the boat onto the dock. Much easier with an inboard for sure. And as you said, an autopilot is a Godsend for single handing - I use mine all the time. Thanks for this awesome video.
@@randymcmeekin1955 I also have an InReach mini! Love it - hanging from a shackle near the panel. Mostly use it for remote hikes / backwoods camping. In my area of the bay I have full bars of service with Verizon
I wrap a line around each stern cleat and loop the tiller in the middle. It has a little give, but will keep a course well enough to run up and do one thing at a time. Appreciate the video- will be checking out your channel.
Nice to see the cd 28. I used to own one. Simple addition to your any boat repertoire: never go head to wind. Always heave to (on starboard tack) to raise or reef mainsail. Simple 3 strand across the tiller permanently set up to make 4,5 wraps. Not tight(raising tiller for tight) is part of it too.Life changing. Play around with self steering with sail trim. It will save the tiller pilot and battery for light and motoring.Keep at the solo stuff.
haha! I used to sail out of Herrington Harbor South with a guy who owned a 28-foot Cape Dory. She was a solid, comfy boat that lacked the furling you have, but had an engine. We sailed all over the Bay and always backed her into slips. I appreciate the emphasis on safety.
You also need three unexpired flares with a flare gun. I fire extinguisher, your registration, at least one throw out float device for rescue, all what is needed by coast guard or you get big fines😮then your ready to learn to sail.
Single handing my 45 sloop is way easier than what you’re doing. Everything is automated and I have in mast furling. Much respect. Small boats are harder to sail than many realize.
When I leave the boat for extended periods I manually roll it up the opposite direction to get a few wraps of sheets on the jib. When it unfurls it reverses direction
Nice work. I was out single handing my Allied 36 yesterday. It is a good feeling. When you have the opportunity you will find that is is actually easier to single hand a properly set up bigger boat because things don't happen as fast.
It seems like this video was more for your own personal " can I do this" than for us viewers. But great content nevertheless. I'm a new captain, also single-handing a columbia 27, and I go through this same thing every time before I raise the sails in my head.
www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUWIBZK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details I used a rando shackle and carabiner to secure them. Amazing product for the price - highly recommend
Solid video. Did not see if your boat has a midship cleat. My boat has one, so I have a single line with a loop in the middle on my midship cleat with the ends tied to each end of the finger pier. Coming in, I boat hook the finger pier V line first and throw the loop over my midships cleat that makes me fast to the finger pier and also serves as a for and aft springer line. I have heard that setup called a V line or a cheater line. I have a similar V line on the main dock to center the bow. I have a separate set of dock lines that go with the boat.
Really good how you emphasized preparation prior to throwing lines. Couple of other items would be to gauge the tension on the lines to determine the order of throwing off. Also make sure all lines can be quickly removed when needed, ie a single cleat hitch. You may also want to preposition the boat to account for the wind and current, prior to throwing those last couple of lines. I have a larger vessel that has a bow thruster, which usually means the stern line gets thrown last. Also you may want to mention looping the line around the dock cleat and tying it off on the boat in cases where the lines are going with the boat.
You don't need to convince me to singlehand. I love the solitude, and being captain of my own boat! I am looking to get a bigger boat, like around that size, so this video was encouraging.
