The Chicken Dance

[Sam Vickery]

I have had my 32-3 for a couple of years and have always enjoyed sailing with friends but had never single handed until recently. My crew failed me, the wind was light ( 4-8kts), the sun was out, so I rigged the jack lines, set out the harness and set out on my first solo trip. It was simply glorious! After about an hour I turned the stereo off and just listened to the wind and the water.

Four hours later the sun was beginning to set so I thought it best to return to the slip.

All my lines are led to the cockpit, so sailing was not difficult. However, when it came time to drop the main sail..........I started the engine, put her into the wind, rolled up the head sail, released the clutch for the main and went forward to flake the sail. I found myself back and forth trying to keep her into the wind and hanging on to the boom when a couple of power boats went by a little too close. I felt like I was doing the chicken dance on the coachroof.

Any suggestions on making this a little easier if not a least more graceful.

Thanks

Sam
86 32-3

 

[jkm]

I leave my jib up.

John

PS I know what you mean-I've done quite a few myself.

 

[Chris A.]

Autopilot

An autopilot is a must and will reduce (but not eliminate) the chicken. Not much help for getting into the slip though (a mooring is great for singlehanding!)...

 

[rwthomas1]

First I spill the coiled main halyard and run it through my had to make sure it will feed without getting caught up. I put her into the wind, crank the mainsheet in tight and then loose the main halyard from the cleat but keep tension with my hand. I then pay out enough line so I can reach the wheel. Look up and check the Windex to make sure she's into the wind and then release the halyard. The main dumps about 2/3rd's of itself into the lazyjacks. Then I run forward and pull the rest down. If its blowing tie the forward section of sail off to keep it from blowing about. I then get it on the mooring and flake the sail when I am safely on the hook. YRMV, RT

 

[Sam Vickery]

Thanks guys. I have an AP but did not use it (duh) I do not have lazy jacks and that seems it would help a bit.

Perhaps some of this is simply "Time in the Saddle".

Although frustrating at times, I LOVE THIS SAILING STUFF.

Sam
86 32-3

 

[Mindscape]

Sam - Auto pilot is a big plus. I also use some Teflon lube on my sail track and slides to make sure they run easily. I've got a 32-3 and sail it alone all the time. I'd suggest some lazy jacks, there are some good threads on the board about them. Everyone's ideas seem right on. After making sure the halyard will run clean I head up and let the clutch loose. I replaced the original clutches with lewmars and the process got easier and the line seems to run cleaner. At the very least the new clutches make releasing the halyard quick and easy. My main drops almost all the way depending on wind speed, I then go forward, pull it down the rest of the way. If it's really blowing I will put some sail ties on the sail. Once back at the slip I flake the sail properly and get it tied down. I try to spend as little time forward as possible until I'm back at the slip.

I'm going to have to try leaving the jib up and see how that works, have not tried this technique before.

Solo sailing is a lot of fun, and I've never wanted to let lack of crew prevent me from enjoying my boat, the season is too short!

Have fun and keep at it, I'm sure like the rest of us you'll develop techniques that work for you and your boat.

 

[noproblemo2]

Auto & Lazy Jacks are truly a HUGE help, bet you won't forget "auto" next time

 

[clayton]

Chicken Dance

In light winds, I power up (head to wind) to where the boat will track straight with the wheel locked (no AP), usually around 3-4 knots, and flake the main on the way down. By the time I'm standing on the coachroof, I control the halyard by standing on it lightly and pulling the main down. In heavier air, I often wind up making a couple of trips back to the wheel to keep her head to wind. Lazy jacks definitely help, as you can dump the main into them and flake later as RT does.
Clayton

 

[Randy Rutledge]

test yourself

The worst day single handing on my 29 was wonderful. Whitecaps I didn’t take off the hank on 150 so I was over powered with a full main and the 150. Chicken dance would not describe the raising of sails. I couldn’t get out of the cockpit before she was broadside to the wind. I raised the sails enough to get the ends of the halyards to the cockpit and then I could steer and winch up the sails the last half of the way.
Might not be the smartest thing to do but if you can’t handle this type of situation when it’s optional how will you react when nature throws you a curve. I believe in testing your limits short of risking life foolishly. If you keep cool and concentrate on the task at hand you can do more than you might think.

Also a less exciting solo sail is as close to being free as you can get.

 

[Morgan Stinemetz]

Was reading about the chicken dance and being over powered. Being over powered while solo ain't fun.
Last Thursday night, after several sails that ended up with oily seas and no reasonable wind, my buddy and I took out my E-27 into lower Tampa Bay with black, ugly stuff on the eastern horizon. We put on our foulies early and when the wind started to pipe up we raised the working jib. Only. Had a hell of a ride that night. Never had much of a chance to look at the WSI, which is on the bulkhead below, but we had the port rail in the water and hit 6.9 knots at one point. As the wind strength increased, we just bore off.
After all the excitement was over, I looked at the track we had made on the GPS unit I was using and the track was elliptical. Visibility out there was pretty much nil in the rain, but the working jib alone gave us all the power we could have possible wanted.
Raising the main would have meant we had a death wish. Cannot say enough for using a working jib by itself in gnarly weather conditions.
Morgan Stinemetz

 

[Kim Schoedel]

Sam, I solo our 35-3 a bunch. For about a year or so I did the chicken dance a lot. And even with the captain on board (my wife) at the helm attempting to keep to the wind, we ended up doing some cursing and hollering while I was trying to drop the main and flaking and tying it down. Some tense moments to say the least. Not a good finish after a great day of sailing.

So... after several hours of searching and planning I purchased a sail management system called "Jiffy Jax". It has definately eased the pain of droping the main. I would highly recommend any kind of main sail management system as you can just drop the sail and flake and tie later if need be. Much safer than doing the chicken dance. BTW. using a dry teflon lube on the slugs/sail track is a must.

 

[u079721]

I have come to appreciate just how spoiled I was singlehanding with the set up I had on my E38: Autohelm autopilot, a roller furling genny, and a full battened main equipped with a Harken Batcar track and UK lazy mate storage system. I never had to even leave the cockpit.

Coming into harbor I would start the engine, engage the autopilot, go forward in the cockpit to roll up the genny, flake out the tail of the main halyard, and bring the tail aft to the wheel. I would then return behind the wheel, disengage the autopilot, turn into the wind, and flip the wraps of the main halyard off the winch, at which point the main would drop by itself all the way into the cradle. And that was it until I was tied up at the dock, when I would simply run the zipper the length of the lazy mate mainsail cover, and open a beer.

 

[G Kiba]

Main of headsail?

I singlehand my e27 more often than I have crew. When the weather pipes up, I reef the main. If that's not enough, I drop the head sail and sail on the main alone. Works well and have seen speeds up to 5 knots.

I tried sailing on the head sail alone when it was blowing 30+ (95% head sail). I could not go to weather... tacking took on a different timing (no counterforce from the main) and I knocked downs were eminent.

All boats are different. A friend with a Person 30 sails fine with headsail only. I think you'll have to find out which works best for your boat, the conditions and your sailing location.

Grant Kiba
'73 E27
Antioch, CA

 

[tenders]

My 32 sails marvelously under 150% rollerfurling genny. In fact, I'm embarrassed to say it but all last season we didn't even ATTACH the mainsail, and that was because the season before not once did we HOIST the mainsail. (2 little kids, crowded sailing area, I'm the only one interested in tending the rigging).

Some people say this puts unnatural strain on the rig but I don't.

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

Heave Too

Shorthanding the 38 a lot myself I often will heave to so I can tidy up the boat, reel in fishing lines, wipe up spilled juice boxes, furl the main etc. No engine or autopilot needed. Tack onto your jib, let the boat stop, turn helm to weather, lock wheel or tie off tiller, complete task...