Enrique
Where do you Sail?

When I retired I found the same problem. I taught myself to sail single handed, first with jib only then with both sails and sometimes, not often, with a cruising spinnaker. Now I sail more than half of the time single handed and love it. In heavy weather I sail with a 150% jib only, no main, which is easy.

In the morning I look across the canal and check out the neighbor's American Flag. If it is flying in the wind right I jump on my sailboat which is behind my house, and go sailing for the day. I tried calling some of my retired buddies, but they have doctor appointments, baby siting, going golfing and other useless things. They say to bad I didn't call yesterday they could have changed their plans ans gone with me. I don't know if I wanted to go sailing the day before, I have to check the neighbors flag before I make up my mind to go for a day sail or not.

The only time I plan ahead to go sailing is if it is for a race or a several day cruise. I have gone on 3 and 4 days cruses singlehanded just because I wanted to go alone. Don't get me wrong I like sailing with my wife and people, but In retirement I found Sailing alone, just me, the wind and the water is beautiful.

Another thing, when I sail singlehanded I ALWAYS wear a PFD.

In addition to tha PFD, may I suggest a hand held waterproof radio clipped to that PFD for those of us who sometimes are out there alone.

Mike's right. [url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.0.html[/url] You can go daysailing SH, but I stopped daysailing a few years ago and now only go out for at least one overnight anchor out. I figure it's not worth taking the sail cover off and then putting it back on on the same day! :)

I've been singlehanding since I first got a boat in '86. In fact, I've never had anyone on board any of my boats that knew how to sail..!!! Maybe I should bathe :D My wife helps with docking, but with the kids in soccer every weekend, and me being retired while she still works, she's only been down twice in each of the past two seasons.

Other than docking, I've never found sailing alone to be a problem. I take precautions and wear and inflatable life vest whenever I need to leave the cockpit. The idea of a clip on radio is a good one. I text or call my wife with a float plan so she could at least send help in the right direction.

In my opinion, sailing singlehanded is all about planning, planning, planning. As long as I plan every action in advance, and think it through, I rarely find myself having issues.

Enrique,

Glad to see it was not just me, thought it was my breath. My business does not let me do a lot of planning, often my sailing days are dictated by a sudden free day on a day when the weather is good. I find trying to find crew on short notice very tough. It would appear that many of my freinds have actual lives and it is hard to catch one with a free day on short notice. My best freind remarried and is still in the honeymoon months, used to always be able to count on him, no more. My wife has no passion for sailing but, blesses me having the boat, children ran away from home, still holding on to the purse strings.

Over the last year most of my sailing has just me and Ray, aka Atto or Mr. Marine to some, he does not argue with me or drink my beer, with my wireless remote around my neck he follow dirrections pretty well.

I always wear a PFD even with crew aboard, when I have crew they are often inexperienced and I suspect if I go for a swim I will be in the water a while. I use an old school vest, it add warmth and cushions your ribs if you take a fall.

I have a similar situation and found that advertising under the Boats for Sale division of Craigs list has been very effective. I just got off a two week cruise with guys I found using Craigs list. I always take someone out for a day sail or overnight before trying a longer cruise with them. This is my most recent posting.....

[FONT="Courier New"]Sailboat Cruising Lake Michigan, Seeking Crew
I'm hoping to do several overnight passages based out of Milwaukee, plus some longer trips to Door County, Beaver Island, or other Lake Michigan destinations. Vessel is a well prepared 36' Catalina docked in McKinley Park. Skipper is male, married (spouse does not sail), 59, with 20 years of experience. This is not a paid position, but all vessel and harbor costs are covered by the skipper. I'm looking for one or more sailors to join me. Crew could be male, female, or a couple, but should have some keelboat experience. Single women are only accepted with escort (significant other or friend). Send your profile, interests, and questions in email reply to this posting.[/FONT]

Greg,

Extremely well thought out add, glad to hear it's working for you. I can almost always come up with crew if my trips are scheduled a week or two in advance, it's the pop up free day that is tougher and due to my work schedule more likely. Latitude 38 locally has a crew list available, I should look into that and see if I could set up an email blast and see who can respond on short notice. I do have some fear of the odd obnoxious individual that you're stuck with until you can get back to the dock. I have had a few aboard I wanted to throw over the rail, but the Coast Gaurd frowns on this practice as I understand.

[QUOTE=Steve Frost;13954]Greg,
I have had a few aboard I wanted to throw over the rail, but the Coast Gaurd frowns on this practice as I understand.[/QUOTE]

Steve,

I think you would get CG approval if you explained that you were practicing MOB technique. Practice is just that, success isn't guaranteed!

Bruce,

You make a very valid point though I susspect there would be some paper work involved and it may further hamper finding crew in the future. I guess if I placed an add for crew in a publication like Law Review, disposing of a few lawyers could be considered community service.