Learning to Cruise Solo - Part 1

[pgandw]

In an effort to expand my Mariner horizons beyond daysailing, I decided on an overnight cruise from my boat lift to the town of Edenton (18.8 nm each way) and back.  Departed 20 May, return 21 May 2024.
I have learned some things from solo daysailing Sweet P in Albemarle Sound area:

1.  There are very few boats out on the water except on summer weekends.  The nearest Coast Guard is over 30 miles away.  Therefore going overboard while underway solo is likely a death sentence.  So if there is any kind of sea about, I am not leaving the cockpit even with a Tiller Clutch.  With 2+ competent people on board, it's a whole different story, and the Mariner can be pushed a lot harder.

2.  Reported and forecast winds are wildly inaccurate depending on location.  The cypress and pine forests on shore do a great job of blocking and/or deflecting a lot of the wind, and prevent wave buildups.  So a forecast of 12-15kts is very different in Yeopim Creek compared to 12-15kts in the Sound, especially if running ENE or WSW - the axis of the Sound.  The shoreline forests tend to force the wind to parallel the shoreline or come off the shore at a 90 deg angle.  But of course, the shoreline is shallow.

3.  Ruddercraft makes a great rudder for the Mariner (I have both).  Very tough to get difficult weather helm with the Ruddercraft rudder - even with less than optimal sail trim.

Forecast for departure was 12-15kts from the NE.  This meant no windward work except possibly going into Edenton Harbor (see chart screenshot).  Since that was possible, I decided to reef the main before I left the lift.  Sailing down Yeopim Creek to the Sound, I wondered if I needed the reef.
Got into the Sound, and the wind and waves started building. By the time, I'd gotten near the bridge, the waves were about 4 ft, and it was a wild, surfing broad reach or run.  Navionics on my phone was showing bursts of 8.2 - 8.3kts.  Once recorded 9.2kts.  All with a reefed main.  I pulled the CB most of the way up to make steering easier and avoid broaching.  I averaged better than 5kts.  Rounding the corner north to Edenton, the shoreline sheltered me from both wind and wave.  It had been almost 4 wild hours, and I was tired, thirsty, and hungry, so about a half mile out I dropped sail and motored in.

The slips at the Edenton Harbor are free for 48 hours (fee for electric hookup).  Restrooms and showers are available.  I gotten in before 5pm so the Harbor Master was still there.  He agreed to let me stay along the bulkhead instead of the slips where the docks were too high to easily get on/off a Mariner.  Only boats in the harbor on Monday night were the Sheriff's boat, a dive boat, a harbor tour boat, and Sweet P.

My son came down to see me and we went to dinner at Mamasita's (local favorite).  Charged up my phone - Navionics really hogs the battery - and the outboard battery just in case in the shower/bathroom.  Edenton has a waterfront park right next to the harbor that is a favorite for folks to walk to, or take kids to play.

Next morning started out with fog.  Fog was forecast to lift at 9AM, with light NE winds building to 9kts by mid-afternoon.  I was worried this was going to be a brutal day of windward work, but planned to motor the 2nd half if it got too slow - the Epropulsion Spirit has a 12+nm range on Sweet P, more if I am willing to go slow.  Underway at 9:20.  As soon as I felt wind, hoisted sail, and shut motor off.  Initial breeze in the Chowan River (Edenton to Albemarle Sound) was seabreeze from SW.  I had hopes this would be a fabulous day with a following seabreeze all the way home.

As I turned the corner, the ENE took over from the seabreeze - and it didn't stop at the forecast 9kts.  As the wind built up to 12-14kts, the waves built too.  Pretty exhilarating at first, but as it kept building I realized I was overpowered.  Could not keep it anywhere near flat with just my weight on the windward seat.  I was luffing the forward third of the main and mildly pinching to do the best I could on my tacking angles and reduce leeway. By then it was too rough to comfortably reef or put the motor in the water.  The jib halyard was stretching and the forestay sagging slightly to put some scallops in the jib luff.  The main wasn't much better, as I hadn't gotten the gooseneck downhaul tight enough for the conditions.  So my tacking angles weren't nearly as good as I had hoped, even though I was making 4.2-4.6kts on the GPS.

I was amazed at how dry the boat was driving to windward, given its low freeboard.  I got spray soaked about 4 times over the course of 6 hours.  The boat only pounded a few times in the 4ft white caps.  The boat did a lot better than I did, and can sure handle a lot more than I want to tackle in terms of weather.
After passing under the bridge, and getting into the crap pot fields along the Sound south shore, I tacked for what I hoped would be the final tack.  A little clocking of the wind gave me just enough to lay the Yeopim River entrance, where I encountered the biggest waves of the trip.  My phone was shutting down to battery at 15%, wife and son were calling me because I'd already been out almost 8 hours, and I'm trying to manage waves, phone, anxious family, and overpowered reaching in the river channel.

As soon as I got out of the waves, I lowered the motor, turned into the wind, and dumped the sails.  Motored home the last 2.5 miles at very low power while I caught my breath and called bride and son.  Surprised myself with a successful 1st pass onto the lift, pulling up the CB at just the right time.
So ended my first solo cruise on Sweet P.

Near term to do and lessons learned list:
•    check shroud tensions and most importantly spreader angles and how spreaders are held in place.  I suspect my spreaders were sagging down the shrouds while I was driving hard to windward, causing tension to go down and forestay to sag.  I'm thinking a Mariner should be capable of 90 deg tacking angles - I was only making 110 or so.
•    add a compass
•    add a 12V system to at very least recharge phone when using Navionics.  Running and cabin lights can come later.
•    preload Navionics charts to phone to help reduce battery drain
•    rerig topping lift.  I had changed out a fixed topping lift to a cheek block on mast and topping lift led to cleat on mast.  That's a bad place because it interferes with handling of the jib halyard.  I'll return to topping lift from the mast head, but instead of fixed, go with small block on end of boom to cleat mid-boom.
•    install reef hook for reefed tack, and install reefed clew line on boom permanently.  Have readily available reef ties.
•    install permanent gooseneck downhaul and cunningham
•    replace v-pinch for vang with cam cleat or similar.
•    18.8 miles is a long day's distance if it involves all windward work.  I better appreciate Nate's rule of about 12 miles/day for the Mariner Rendezvous.

Fred W - humbled by the Mariner and the Sound
Stuart Mariner #4133  Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC
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[Krusen]

   Great story!
Most small boats will handle more weather than the skipper, single handing, and they have no fatigue buildup.   The proposed alterations seem well suited to your sailing conditions and solo.  I gradually moved all my lines to the cockpit as I grew older, as I as no longer willing to leave that shelter and safety while under way.  I sailed solo up to 86, and with a friend at 88.

Your voyage is a fine return to sailing for such stuck at homes as I am.  Those conditions are similar to some that I have experienced many times.  Vigorous within the limits of skipper and vessel is far more fun than drifting in light or no breeze on a sunny day.  20 NM is a relatively long commitment for a small boat, but with reasonable and steady wind, is fine.  As you found out, the good wind makes hard work and a short day.  That is very satisfying at the end, but needs a good bunk for the night.

Krusen, without a boat.

[Norm L.]

Well written.
Fred, I was puckered along with you in the overpowered part. Having the lee rail submerged and the bottom of the genoa dipping, but at least on a big keel boat with only the risk of something carrying away, and again with the huge sail of a catboat in surprising gusts and nowhere to tack or fall off are still sharp in my mind.

Agree with Krusen that your fixes sound appropriate.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

All's well that ends well!  Couple of suggestions....

When you're sailing alone, don't use a tiller tamer or anything that will allow the boat to continue on its merry way if you fall overboard. 

Figure out a way to trip your ladder from the water, so if you ever do fall overboard, and you can catch the boat, you can also get back into it.  I think Charles used to trail a line behind Urchin to catch if needed.

Figure out how to put water and snacks within easy reach for those longer trips.  Or heave to to take a break.  You want your body and mind to be able to rest sometimes. 

Thanks for sharing your story!

[Captain Kidd]

What an adventure! Stretching yourself successfully is always satisfying.

An interesting personal tidbit. My first sail ever was on Albemarle Sound out of Edenton. We had a couples' retreat at a bed and breakfast and chartered a sailboat. I don't remember the captain's name but the boat was an O'Day 28. Unfortunately there was not even a whisper of wind that day, but it set me to dreaming.

Here's to more adventures on Sweet P!

[Wolverine]

When I'm solo sailing I always keep a handheld VHF tethered to my PFD. A waterproof phone or one in a waterproof case would suffice as cell signals seem to be everywhere these days.

[Riley Smith]

I'll agree on the wind predictions. What you see is pretty much what you get. I use NOAA data buoys a LOT and it's pretty accurate out on the open water. However, some of those stations that AREN'T on the open water can lead you astray. I know of one that lies dramatically when the wind is from the N. It's up inside a bayou so something blocks the north wind. And about that, when I headed out from the FL 120 headed for the dock, I got about a mile on the pitiful little wind until I got in the wind shadow of Sand Island. A substantial object affects the wind a lot further downwind than you might imagine. I used to sail with my wife by three trees close together and you could tell the spot we got directly downwind from them. Often it was a couple of hundred yards away.