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Post by ozekin on Jul 1, 2013 12:35:14 GMT
Do you think that Sun Fast 35 (with tiller steering) could easily be sailed single handed?
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Post by Don Reaves on Jul 1, 2013 19:31:32 GMT
Easily?
I have a Sun Odyssey 35 and I single-hand all the time. I have a wheel and an autopilot. I would think that if you added an autopilot compatible with your tiller then yes, it could be done easily.
The autopilot is useful not only for raising and lowering sails (and of course reefing when necessary) but also for tacking. I can tack faster than most cruisers I sail with because the autopilot turns to the other tack with the touch of a button. I would strongly recommend looking for an autopilot with this feature.
Go for it!
Don
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Post by sitara on Jul 1, 2013 22:43:13 GMT
I sail my SO36i solo most of the time - easy. If anything it is easier to sail then my old SO29.2. As Don says an autopilot is a necessity when you have to leave the wheel.
The Sun Fast cockpit with a mainsheet near the helm should be even easier than my boat. The main hassles will come when getting in and out of pens and tying up to jettys etc. My recommendation here is to plan the moves carefully, especially allowing for boat drift, and to go slow.
Obviously get you confidence up on calmer days.
Cheers and let us know how you get on
Rob
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Post by MalcolmP on Jul 2, 2013 6:34:55 GMT
Do you think that Sun Fast 35 (with tiller steering) could easily be sailed single handed? Agree with others that a GOOD autopilot will be really valuable - much the best to go for a proper set up fixed to a quadrant on the rudder stock, the tiller pilot ones seldom seem to do much more than motoring in a flat calm. Centre cleats (if fitted close to the balance point) are also really handy berthing - plus lots of big fenders |
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Post by hoppy on Jul 2, 2013 17:01:47 GMT
I almost always sail my SO40 solo. As long as the AP is working, no problem.
Just on the tacking, I now never use the AP for that as i find it turns too slow form my liking. O do have to obviously pay a bit more attention but with the twin helm I find the wheels are always in a convenient location. Maybe on a single helm and probably certainly with a tiller I would use the AP
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Post by tedp on Jul 14, 2013 21:31:48 GMT
Although my SO32 is a slightly smaller boat, it also has tiller steering and I singlehand quite often. The main thing is to learn a few tricks getting in and out of a berth in all conditions. This can be done even with much bigger boats. I know as I skippered a 48ft sailing barge recently - the bigger they get the slower they react, so you have more time.
Setting and taking in sail in my boat is done using the autopilot. Although I use the autopilot quite often, the one I have has its limitations. A tiller pilot rarely allows more than 10-15 degrees of rudder so you need to trim sails very carefully to reduce rudder angle. I can sail the boat by hand without effort when the pilot gives up.
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