Single-handed safety considerations

General
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I’m starting this off to avoid hijacking another thread on advice to a new Nonsucher that started raising a bunch of points relevant to single handing.

I hope people will use this to talk about a range of issues, e.g.:

  • PFDs and handling overboard situations
  • Avoiding and handling injuries
  • Signalling and communications with others
  • Staying on board
  • Making it easier to control and operate the boat
  • …

Let me start with PFDs, reacting to an “inflatable PFD, pro or con” set of comments in that other thread.

Although I agree with the folks who’ve said that inflatable PFDs keep you from swimming, I disagree with blanket advice on what type of PFD to use.

I feel there’s some questions each singlehander should ask about themselves, their sailing grounds, and their boat before choosing one life vest over another.

Where do you think you’re going to swim to, and how good a swimmer are you? What’s the water like where you sail? And, if you’re gonna try to get back to your boat, how’re you gonna get back in?

With my swimming skills, if I was in Florida warm water, my chances of swimming to shallows I could stand up in are decent. If I my boat had a swim step or was rigged so I could pull down the swim ladder while in the water, and if it stayed nearby, I might be able to get back in. A vest PFD that maximizes my mobility makes sense.

Where I actually sail, in the situations where I’m most likely to go overboard, I’m at least a mile offshore in deep, cold water. I probably have 5-10 minutes before hypothermia sets in and I wouldn’t be able do much of anything for myself, either swimming or getting back in the boat. It’s a survival situation and I want a PFD with maximum flotation while I focus on preserving heat and hoping for rescue. I’ll take my inflatable PFD promising 37.5 lbs. of flotation over a vest with 15 lbs.

In point of fact, if I go overboard under my conditions while singlehanding, I’d regard my chances of surviving as under 50% at best. So, while I wear an inflatable PFD, I need to focus on staying in the boat. That’s a topic for other posts on this thread, but I’ll stop here for now.

– Bob

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The inflatable that you wear will always be better than the non-inflatable that you do not wear because of convenience or temperature. And the PRB that you clip on to it will hopefully bring some help before you succumb to hypothermia.

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Totally agree that an inflatable pfd is better than nothing. If you’ve never inflated one, try it.

The nonsuch in general is pretty difficult to fall off of. One hand for the sailor and one for the ship goes a long way. I’m fairly new to the Nonsuch way but on past boats I have had jack lines and will repeat them on Allegro. One of the biggest dangers I see on the nonsuch is the lines running across the cabin top back to the cockpit. Step on one of those and it will roll. Using caution while fiddling around with the sail is advised.

I did a single handed club race today with all this in mind. These are inherently safe and stable boats. Almost everything can be done in the extreme safety of the cockpit. Actually, the only time I was out of the cockpit today was to set and retrieve the start line mark.

And, I got third out of 7 in extremely light winds!

RonB.

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Other single handed tips… have everything you need close at hand. Water, an easy snack, your phone, the vhf, a pot to pee in… seriously! Think about what you will need for the duration of your trip and make those items available.

An autopilot is a key safety factor. Make sure it’s available and you know how to use it. I definitely wouldn’t disappear below for more than a few moments but a reliable autopilot is a single handers companion.

Something else to consider is when sailing with inexperience “crew”. Many times you are essentially single handed only there are other people around. Not only do you have to look after you and your boat but also the inexperienced people on board too.

RonB.

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Boy, you’re not kidding!

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I sail alone almost all the time. Safety wise I guess my big thing is making sure I stay on the boat and that any time I leave the cockpit I’m wearing either my PFD in the summer or my Mustang floater coat in the winter. Depending on the season my PLB is in the pocket with a lanyard to keep it from getting away just when I need it.

I think everyone who sails alone should have a PLB and have it on their person at least when out of the cockpit.

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Ron,

I agree both that Nonsuches are hard to fall off of, and that Jack lines are nevertheless a good idea.

I put them on my first Nonsuch and honestly have no excuse for not having done so on my current one. (Actually, my excuse is that back problems have discouraged me from going out in as lumpy conditions as I used to, so it hasn’t felt as urgent.)

I see that Ron and I are apparently both N26 owners. The bigger boats have much less camber to their cabintops. On a N26, there are parts of the cabintop at a 30 degree angle to the deck. My friend’s N36 has a lot of virtually flat cabintop. So you folks with bigger boats may not see the same problems we’re concerned about.

I’ve had a lot of trouble with the existing lines rolling underfoot. I’d love to hear people’s ideas about that. My own ideas have revolved around putting some kind of footbrace on each side between them and the grabrails, if I could figure out how to make them look ok. I’d really appreciate other, better ideas.

When I get to adding jacklines to the boat, my plan is to use webbing rather than rope or wire for them, so that I don’t add yet another rolling line to my problems.

– Bob

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Paul and others:

Two questions:

  1. Is there a brand of Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) you recommend, and why?
  2. There was a Practical Sailor article a few years ago discussing the trade-offs of PLBs vs AIS personal locators: Don’t Confuse AIS Beacons with PLBs - Practical Sailor . Short summary is PLBs go to the world-wide satellite system and will get a rescue service to you for sure, but not necessarily quickly. AIS puts a man overboard sign on the screens of any nearby boats with an AIS system; if anyone’s nearby and checking their screens, it’ll get you help sooner, but if not, you’re kinda screwed. So, question is, anyone got one of those they like, if so why, and has anyone know of a combo PLB/AIS device that fits on a life jacket?

Actually, that’s five questions, but give me an inch and I’ll take a yard. (Give me a yard, and I’ll want a swimming pool put in.)

– Bob

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After some research, last year I bought the Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB1, the satellite type. Compared to others, it was the smallest in size with the longest standby battery life, I believe 7 years. As I recall, the AIS type uses VHF radio transmission, so if you are in the water, the range is fairly limited, and rather useless for solo sailors.

The PLB1 fits in the small pocket of my Mustang inflatable PFD, and is secured with a tether. I always put on my PFD when I leave the dock, so the PLB1 is always with me.

Cheers
Don

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I have an ACR Resqlink PLB. It fits in my PFD or Mustang pocket and will always get the signal out. I live in an area that has good coast guard auxiliary coverage and I have confidence it is my best chance.

Side note from the ACR website….

At head office they have a “wall of fame” with dozens (hundreds maybe I forget) of used PLBs that saved people’s lives. If one saves yours they put it on their wall and give you a new one.

…..not an honour I’m anxious to receive btw….

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I have the ACR PLB, too. And I keep it strapped to the post next to the chart table when not in use. I tell all guests how to use it in case of emergency. I know it’s not an EPIRB and you’re not supposed to use it like that. But I figure if the situation is that dire I’ll happily pay the fine after help arrives.

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My offshore PFD is equipped with a RescueME MOB1 AIS/DSC Personal Locator Beacon. My day sail PFD has a AIS equipped VHF radio attached to it by a lanyard. I do check in with a person who cares about me on shore with my float plan too when solo. I haven’t rigged my jacklines yet but at my age I’m hoping to just pay attention to my weather window and not be out in stuff that would warrant that level of diligence.

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Hi Hilary,

I note you made some additional good points on this topic in your other recent post, on the First Timer thread: First timer - #12 by CaptHilary

– Bob

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+1 on the ACR

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Any thoughts on self steering wind vanes for the solo sailor?

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AIS, locater beacons… I guess it’s my remote location that makes these basically useless. Here in coastal BC by the time my distress signal is received, I’m not going to be around to appreciate the “rescue”. I’m more focused on staying on the boat and if I do end up in the water, bettering my chances of making it to shore or back onto the boat. Hence, a pfd that allows for movement, jack lines and generally being prepared for doing a voyage on your own. It’s not trivial! Sorry, but when it comes to the “ultimate” rescue, relying on a beeper isn’t in the cards. My opinion.

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No experience with them but probably more of an offshore thing. Perhaps outside the realm of the Nonsuch realm?

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Ron,
PaulM, myself and others are also on the BC coast, and sail with PLBs. I think you may want to investigate a little further into how they work. As I understand it, the satellite type Ocean Signal PLB1, upon activation broadcasts a signal to overhead satellites designed for this purpose. The satellite in turn sends a signal with your previously registered personal ID and GPS location to local SAR. In our case that’d be Canadian Coast Guard Victoria, and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. The CCG in turn puts out a distress message to mariners on VFH channel 16, as well as dispatching a CCG and/or a local RCMSAR rescue vessel to your GPS location broadcast when the PLB1 was activated.

The PLB1 can also act as an EPIRB in a ship’s emergency too. You can even carry it with you while hiking ashore in case of injury or if you become lost.

Cheers
Don

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Hi All,

Quite a few excellent points made here for safety while solo sailing, which I did quite often in previous years and occasionally still..
When I bought CAKE WALK III 20 years ago, I promised my son (who was almost 9 years old at the time) that I would always wear my lifejacket and have a portable VHF radio clipped to me at all times.

Eventually I graduated to an automatic inflating life-jacket, as it was more comfortable, and would auto-inflate if I went over the side, even if unconscious.

Tips on the hand-held VHF radio - 1)get one that FLOATS and is waterproof. 2) and a very good point made earlier in this discussion, use a lanyard to connect it to your lifejacket (which should also have a light and whistle attached to it). My previous VHF radio was clipped to my life-jacket, but no lanyard, when the antenna caught the life-line, dislodging it from the the jacket and into the water it went. Ok, I thought, I will swing around and grab it with the fishing net… it never surfaced… who makes a waterproof radio that doesn’t also float???
Ok, the replacement floats, is water-proof, and has GPS coordinated on the screen. More than likely the boat will keep going without me if I fall in, and I can barely swim as it is so I would never be able to catch-up (only in the movies!)… so I can at least radio for help and tell the receiver/Coast Guard my exact position if this happens (hopefully never).

Preparation and being aware of where you will be sailing is key.

Stay safe!

Peter Grabow

S/V CAKE WALK III

1987 30U 430

Stamford, CT

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As another single-handed safety consideration, let me put in a plug for Ron Schryver’s announcement about swim steps and ladder extensions: Final Call for Swim Platforms & Ladder Extensions 2025/2026

Many of the boats already have these upgrades. For those who don’t, I strongly recommend considering one or the other. Unless your fitness and flexibility levels are above average, getting out of the water can be very difficult unless you have enough ladder steps below the water. There needs to be enough steps below the ladder that your knees are well below waist level when your feet are on the lowest step.

There’s an old thread, Stern Ladder Safety , that discusses how to make a simple set-up that provides a dangling line you can pull from the water to release the ladder and bring it down. It was designed by Butch Garren after he fell off his boat at the dock and discovered that it was dangerously difficult to get back on either the boat or the dock.

His design can be replicated with spare parts most of us already have, or less than $10 investment for those who don’t.

– Bob