Once I stupidly went out in thirty plus knots by myself. I was up the front attaching the Genoa hanks, the outboard was going crazy, the waves were huge, I was getting blown over to a bunch of moored boats, then I looked sideways and I was ten meters from a big fancy motor boat, I chuck the anchor out and drifted past . The crash would have been real bad, then the anchor wouldn't hold and I was drifting over the electrical cable between islands, the sails were flogging themselves to death, so was the outboard, i was drifting at some incredible speed, then the anchor bit and nearly swung me off the boat. I was shaking bad . Put the sails down, sorted myself out, gave myself an uppercut and went home. That's the things you do when you are 20 and stupid. Dumb ass. My best solo experience.
I sailed our boat down from Swansea to Middle Harbour earlier this year with an experienced skipper. The next morning at the crack of dawn I motor sailed with the headsail down to Kogarah Bay. I was nervous but excited and had'nt sailed solo offshore before even though it was only a 3 hour trip. Conditions were good, see video;
In light winds as I have no windvane or tiller pilot connected at the moment. Sometimes with a crew it feels like I'm solo sailing with seagulls sitting in the cockpit making noise, eating cheese and spilling drinks. They sometimes keep the nose into the wind.
Bernard Moitessier, Joshua Slocum, Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, Webb Chiles, Robin Lee Graham, Harry Pidgeon, Alain Gerbault, Louis Bernicot, Vito Dumas, Adrian Hayter, Pierre Gau, Robin Knox Johnston, Nigel Tetley, Chay Blythe, Bill King, Horoshi Aoki, Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, Naomi James, Alan Butler, James Baldwin, Teddy Seymour, Ron Llewellyn, David B Clark, Donna Lange etc. . Icons one and all. Dreamers, loners, achievers, 'different', maybe, but rarely (within the meaning of the word) antisocial.
Regardless of any debate on the merits/dangers/laws of the sea, the absolute pleasure and sense of accomplishment of completing a solo sail, no matter the distance, no matter the ease or difficulty, is something that only the solo sailor can embrace.
If solo sailing is antisocial behaviour, then, to be even remotely associated or categorised with the above named men and women is surely, IMO, no cross to bear.![]()
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Bernard Moitessier, Joshua Slocum, Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, Webb Chiles, Robin Lee Graham, Harry Pidgeon, Alain Gerbault, Louis Bernicot, Vito Dumas, Adrian Hayter, Pierre Gau, Robin Knox Johnston, Nigel Tetley, Chay Blythe, Bill King, Horoshi Aoki, Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, Naomi James, Alan Butler, James Baldwin, Teddy Seymour, Ron Llewellyn, David B Clark, Donna Lange etc. . Icons one and all. Dreamers, loners, achievers, 'different', maybe, but rarely (within the meaning of the word) antisocial.
Regardless of any debate on the merits/dangers/laws of the sea, the absolute pleasure and sense of accomplishment of completing a solo sail, no matter the distance, no matter the ease or difficulty, is something that only the solo sailor can embrace.
If solo sailing is antisocial behaviour, then, to be even remotely associated or categorised with the above named men and women is surely, IMO, no cross to bear.![]()
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+1
Do the occasional solo around Moreton Bay. Even when my wife is with me ,still feels like solo
. Although, she does knows where the esky is ![]()
Did Camden Haven [NSW] to Whitsundays solo in 2011.
2,500nm, 3,000 photos and three groundings!
Went down to Lake Macquarie and back this year [was going to Tasmania but weather beat us]
Refitting to go north again next year.
All solo![]()
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Does taking the dog count as crew?
Spent 10 days Solo from Phuket to Langkawi. Easy sailing, only about 110nM.
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