Sail handling when short-handed

Alastair Buchan explains how to handle sails solo or with few crew

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Even in tolerably calm weather, the deck of a yacht is an unstable working platform. Taking the way off and turning into the wind to hoist or reef sails can make it very insecure indeed. Heaving-to may be a better option.

For your own safety, you must always wear a safety harness and be clipped onto a lifeline. Clipping and unclipping to safety lines as you move around the deck can be frustrating. The temptation to speed up the action by not clipping on must be resisted. Falling overboard would really ruin your day.

Personal safety and efficiency in sail handling lie in reducing the need to work on deck to a minimum and devising ways of handling sails from the cockpit.

Sail handling determines the minimum number in the crew. Examine your present system and the techniques you use, and ask how many people are normally needed to carry out the following safely:

■ Hoist sails

■ Reef sails

■ Lower, recover and stow sails, including a spinnaker if it is carried.

By ignoring risk, taking your time and making a greater than average effort, it is possible for one person to handle most sails, but the keyword in the question above is 'normally'. If your honest answer exceeds the number of people on board, then you must:

■ Abandon plans to sail solo or short- handed (which is unlikely).

Accept the risks and extra effort of working on deck. This is a reasonable decision. Everyone has a different level of acceptable risk. What scares me witless barely flusters many others.

Until about 35 years ago, sail handling had barely changed since the 1920s. Solo sailors managed and, although their accounts are full of struggles with reluctant sails, they do not include tales of them falling overboard. This is also the cheapest solution.