Video

Thanks for the comment. It is definitely a judgment call and depends on the boat, the running rigging, sails on hand and personal preference. In my case, I can set, adjust, and furl the jib from the cockpit so I don't have to go forward onto the bucking and bouncing deck to furl. To raise and reef the main, I have to go forward to the mast for the halyard and the reefing lines. The boat handles itself quite well on jib-only. I can even make way upwind with jib alone on this boat without a ton of lee-helm. I can also heave-to quite well as required on jib alone. Raising the main alone requires me to use the motor to head into the wind to raise it. (otherwise, I lose the bow down wind and have to scurry back and forth a bit like a trapped squirrel....)This can be challenging in big chop and the boat really bounces around a lot. I have found it expedient to crank the jib in close hauled and set the boat on that tack and I can raise, lower, and reef the main. In this case, I was way overpowered -- so double reefed the jib, cranked it in close hauled, and then took the main right down without using the motor. I have also found that if I need to jibe for any reason, it is easier to jibe the jib than the main and there are lower consequences to an accidental jibe in rough water. So for me, I felt it was easier and safer to go jib-only, while still having the flexibility to double or triple reef the main if I felt the boat was not balanced enough. That said, I would love to hear what other folks are doing on their boats in these situations. I have learned a lot from other sailor's comments :) All the best mate.

Thanks. Haha yeah, a few folks don't like the background music. I thought I would try a "younger" track lol. All the best mate.

Thank you.

In harsher conditions a bowline works better. Because you spend much less time manhandling the rope which is dangerous when docking in heavy weather. Just throw the loop over. Pull tight on your winch like you would pull the jib sheet (which you have removed of the winch of course).

Hey thanks for that tip. How do you rig that bow line? Is it from the bow then back to the winch?

Ah -- ok, do I understand correctly how you righ this: Have a bowline loop at the end of the rope (with you in the cockpit) Run it forward outslide the rail to the bow, then back to the cockpit winch? Loop it over a cleat once into the slip, and tighten it up? This sounds interesting -- I would love a bit more detail on your approach. Thank you.

Thanks. Definitely in that range of speed. I find I may need a bit more if I am battling current and/or wind to keep on track though it definitely a "feel" thing and see how the boat is doing. I find as slow as possible is best, while maintaining steerage.

Thanks :)

Oh yeah! One of my favorite places! Love the hot tub too!

Thanks for the note. I did not know that about catarmarns and trimarans! Great tip as well. Thank you!

It is a 1984 Contessa 38 manufactured in Britain to Lloyds of London Spec. You can watch a brief introduction to the boat here. czcams.com/video/pLDEcN04_Vc/video.html I do love her. Thank you. I agree. She is very sea kindly.

Great suggestion mate! Thank you - I am going to try that! :)

Thank you for this very useful and informative comment, not to mention the historical significance as well. There is a lot there to take in. Great information, and great advice for all of us. Thank you!

Many circumnavigations have been done in the Contessa 32 including rounding Cape Horn in both directions. The Contessa 32 got gained world wide acclaim when it was the only boat in its class to finish the Fastnet 79 Race that sank larger boats and where people lost their lives in a storm. You can google "Fastnet 79" and read about it quite easily. I would anticipate that the 38 would be even more sea- kindly. It is a highly respected design and is noted for its seaworthiness. I am sure the boat could handle it though it is in question whether I could!

It is a 1984 Contessa 38 manufactured in Great Britain. It is essentially a stretched version of the Contessa 32 with all the same ratios. You can watch a brief introduction to it here: czcams.com/video/pLDEcN04_Vc/video.html It is manufactured to Lloyds of London specification. These boats are well know for their strength and seaworthiness.

@@respecttherisk2022 ....very cool. I have certainly heard of Contessa and it has an excellent rep. I looked up the 38 and there are two versions. One built by Allen-Williams and one by S&S... Any idea which one yours is?

@@respecttherisk2022 ...could I be so bold as to ask what you paid for it? I tried looking online and there are non for sale (go figure).

@@respecttherisk2022 ...even your Dodger looks to be high quality (although the fabric needs fixing or replacing).. If I didn't know better I would bet that it was made by Iverson in Seattle area??

1984 Contessa 38. You can watch a brief introduction on it here: czcams.com/video/pLDEcN04_Vc/video.html

@@respecttherisk2022 ..much appreciated!

@@Coleen-Love You're welcome :)

@@respecttherisk2022 ..getting a bit bumbed out and depressed. Every time I try to find a great sailboat it either is sold or not great at all. Seems like I simply cannot - absolutely cannot - find some really good deal on a really good boat. Why can so many people find the right one and I can't?

Yes, that is what I mean.

Oh damn. Sorry to hear about that. That sounds more serious than my situation. How did it turn out? Were you and the boat ok? Any damage? When I did a haulout about a month later, there was no damage, only the bottom two feet of the keel had been washed clean by the sand - that was it. An "easy" and "cheap" lesson for me....

That day everything ended fine, thanks. Yesterday I got another lesson, though, for a higher price: never leave any ropes in water... I decided to cool my beer on sea bottom, and left the sac on rope overnight there. Result - rope winded on shaft, and the strut broke off.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Glad it was helpful!

I also have not seen it used much by recreational boaters. I also use it for docking as well when the need is right. That said, mce the boat has stopped, I have started stepping off the boat with midship line and a stern line and tying them off without the stern spring line. Seems i do that the most these days.

True that. Self-rescue using these nylon ladders, while easier than without, still requires quite a bit of strength and fitness. If you watch Part 9 of my Singlehanded Manoverboard Series , I summarize a number of learnings including some tactics to get back aboard that don't require such a high level of strength and fitness and allow the singlehander to rest "hands-free" while saving himself or herself. You an watch it here czcams.com/video/AnaOcDvjPac/video.html

You're welcome. Great questions. I have left the Tiller free in this case and it worked fine with it loose and roughly centered. If I lock the wheel hard over for a port turn, the boat balances with the bow further from the dock. If I lock it hard over for a starboard turn, the boat balances with the stern further out from the dock. I suggest you experiment with this to optimize your boat position. This will also change with the location of your tie off point on the boat. You may need to lock the wheel or Tiller or engage wheel pilot to hold it fast.

The process is similar for different wind and or current conditions though you may want to adjust throttle or rudder position as above to accommodate. With a wind or current from the stern, you may not need any throttle at all. With wind or current from starboard, you will need to add more throttle to keep the boat pinned to the dock. With wind from Port, just enough throttle to keep the dock line tight. Once on the single tie, you can monitor for a few moments to see what combination of throttle and rudder puts the boat in the most favorable position to continue the exit.

A floating or buoyant line might help this issue. I haven't seen one with the suppleness and feel that I like. So far, just a bit of care and attention has kept my dock line out of the prop except on one notable occasion when I was distracted by several other variables!

@@respecttherisk2022 depends on how much suction your prop generates and depth, it could still get pulled in. Sometimes I feel props and lines are just drawn to each other, like insect zappers and some bugs.

Thanks. Not really specific workout videos, but I do have rock climbing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, scrambling, hiking and sailing videos all of which are great outdoor workouts.

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. For sure, I am still learning my craft as well. Some great suggestions and coaching have come from viewer's comments.

You are welcome! Thanks mate. Cheers and good karma to you as well!

That is a great idea. I experimented with a technique very close to that in this video clip. I had a carabiner fixed to the dock on nylon webbing, and one on a stanchion -- then backed out and helf it fast so that the my prop walk pulled me to starboard to make the turn in reverse. Using a floating line would be a great idea. Have a look here and you can see some of my learnings. czcams.com/video/I_2bjWQ-ZZ0/video.html

Thanks for the note. It does seem fairly widely used from what people are saying. I had never heard of it even with all the courses I have had in recreational boating -- until I read about it in Moitessier's book: A good one for the "tool box" I do find.

Glad you enjoy it! Thank you!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful! Myself as well. :)

Thanks for the note. 38 feet overall. 15,000 lb displacement.

Cool. Thanks for sharing that.

Thanks for the comment. That can definitely work when there is no wind or current. I find this does help me if I am losing the bow from wind or current either arriving at, or leaving the dock singlehanded.

Right on. Thanks for sharing that. I had never been shown it prior to reading about it in Bernard's book. I use it quite ofter, especially if there is a contrary wind or current catching the bow.

Use the wind and or current to benefit when you can. You may have to walk the boat out by hand, hop aboard at the last second, and use a boat hook to benefit as well. Likely will need favorable wind perhaps under jib alone to get out of the marina.

Right on. Thanks for sharing that. I have also heard that other commercial skippers us it as well. I had never heard of it in recreational boating until I read about it in Moitessier's book.

You’re welcome 😊 It's a good tactic for sure.

Thank you for sharing that experience. Very sobering. A great reminder to all of us.

Thanks for the note. Good comment. I have learned a lot from viewers comments on this video. I would suggest coming in to you short slip, bringing the boat to a dead stop, walking forward slightly with a mid-ship and stern dock line and go from there. The methond I used in the this video link might work well for you in your short-finger scenario -- czcams.com/video/RsaGM1SHcxg/video.html Good luck.

Thanks for the comment. Quite a few folks have suggested something like that. I would further suggest staying tied or clipped to the boat in some way at all times, in addition to the web ladders. In a later video in this series, I added a method to get back aboard using a GriGri and an ascender with a web ladder on a 10 mm nylon (climbing) rope. This method allows the single-hander to have a "hands-free" rest while getting back aboard. Best wishes mate.

Right on mate. I do this route every year now I like it so much. Some years even twice! I have a short video on how to make and use DIY etriers for a similar bolt ladder that is on Tunnel. You can watch it here: czcams.com/video/xowHoQuHiOc/video.html Good luck! Have fun! I am sure you will love the route!

Thanks for that important comment. That is correct. It definitely is a drawback to the Soloist. Also why it is imperative to have the backup knots at the appropriate distances (in case the Soloist fails or a climber takes such a fall). Sorry to hear about your partner. The Silent Partner device does avoid this issue with its design -- though I believe they are not manufactured currently and used prices range from $600 to over $1,000.

Thanks for the tip. I did not know that was an issue.

Thanks mate. Appreciate the comment.

Thanks for the note and your kind words of appreciation. It's a little hard for me to say what your issue is without seeing you try it. But, a couple of things: I have the lower jumar clipped in directly to my harness. This means when I am hanging from the lower ascender clamp, my full body weight is on the harness. (I do have an etrier clipped to this jumar, though in many cases I don't even need it -- and often only use one etrier on the upper ascender. So, try this: Just hang from your harness on the lower jumar. (get rid of the etrier on the lower jumar for this) -- Just sit there comfortably. Then, attach the upper jumar with the etrier on it. Slide it up the rope a comfortable distance.[ If you are not hanging from your harness 100% on the lower ascender, it WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT, and, yes, it will be VERY difficult to control] Start with small moves, say 12 or 18 inches above the other one. Brace your foot in the etrier against the mast. (this is very subtle but it makes a huge difference.) Watch my left foot. Every move I up, I have actually placed it carefully on the mast before I step up. (When I re-watch this video, I do this almost out of instinct because I have used ascenders on literally vertical miles as a rock climber -- it IS NOT willy nilly with the feet. Every foot is placed consciously in that bracing position.) So I brace the left foot on a bent leg, then weight the left foot while pulling up on the upper ascender, once the lower ascender has the weight off it, I can slide it up 6 or 12 inches. Try those two things: 1) ensure 100% of your weight is on the lower ascender after EVERY move. 2) Brace your foot against the mast deliberately every move. Let me know if that helps you. If not, please tell me what is going on and I will see if I can offer some further tips. All the best mate. :) The only other thing I might say is, practice. practice, practice. If doing it on the mast is a bit too intimidating at first, do in a convenient tree, or in a kids playground where you have a soft landing. I have taught many many people to use ascenders both in trees and in a kid's playground. And, practice, practice, practice. Do 500 feet in a kids' playground and I suspect the mast will be a piece of cake for you. 1000 feet would be even better. Oh yeah -- make sure you rehearse how to get down as well.... and stress test it... we all feel a bit of fear at the top of the mast....

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you. I love Poet's Cove as well and also love being at anchor in the harbor and hiking in the park. One of my favorite places :)