For the Drietand, the magazine of the Coastal Sailors, various people are asked to talk about solo sailing. It was included in the magazine in four episodes in 2021. Below you will find the interview with me.
What is special or enjoyable about solo sailing?
The enjoyable aspect of solo sailing for me is the growth I experience as a sailor. Every time I sail, I learn new things because unexpected events occur or things break. I have to solve them myself. When you sail together, responsibility is quickly shared, and you solve problems together, which gives a different feeling. Furthermore, I greatly enjoy the peace and quiet I experience while sailing. At the same time, I have a lot of contact with people because of the videos I make, but also the contact I have with people to figure things out or to learn. And last but not least, I meet a lot of new people along the way.
Why do you sail solo?
The reason I sail solo often is because my partner enjoys sailing but not to the extent that I do. That means he often comes to visit me when I’ve sailed somewhere. He often brings something tasty, or we grab a bite to eat together. After spending a night on board, he cycles back home.
What have solo voyages meant to you?
Solo voyages mean to me that I am constantly pushing boundaries. For example, sailing alone at sea. Solo tacking with 27 knots of wind. And for example, my first 200-mile solo during a circumnavigation of North Holland was a beautiful experience and nice to realize ‘I can do this’.
What books/information should a solo sailor have read?
I have read a lot about onboard safety, such as how to attach your lifelines as close to the mast as possible. And also about solo maneuvering in harbors and locks. In addition, you need to be able to solve all sorts of problems yourself, so also about engine technology, etc. What is definitely worthwhile:
Thoughts, tips, techniques & tactics for singlehanded sailing by Andrew Evans
Stress-Free Sailing, Single and Short-handed Techniques by Duncan Wells
Which websites/platforms on the internet are worthwhile for solo sailors?
A number of YouTube videos by the Foxwell Family. I have often watched the video Sailing Single Handed with a Spinnaker.
I have been following the Scheepswijs Year Training since early 2021 and have already learned a lot there about motor maneuvering and ocean sailing.
I also attended the webinars from Zeilen and found them very helpful.
What voyages – with which ship – have you made solo?
In October 2020, I bought my Grinde. The Grinde was designed in 1973 by Peter Bruun as a spacious family-friendly boat and for racing in the IOR half-tonner class. From 1974-1989, a total of 580 Grindes were built at the Flipper Scow shipyard in Denmark. My Grinde has hull number 365 and is from 1977.
In addition to some day trips and weekend trips, I sailed 200 miles solo in a circumnavigation of North Holland.
Which voyages – with which ship – do you plan to make?
With this ship, I plan to depart in July 202s for a three-year solo world trip.
What do you consider a suitable boat and/or when do you consider a boat suitable for solo sailing?
As far as I’m concerned, there are mainly a number of things that are useful to be able to sail a boat solo. For me, that’s the autopilot and lazy jacks. You can also think of a roller furling system or being able to operate everything from the cockpit. That’s not the case with me. I have foresails with leeches and hoisting, lowering, and reefing all happens at the mast.
What are the dangers, difficult or challenging moments? And how do you minimize these? Have you experienced dangerous situations and what lessons have you drawn from them?
The most important danger is falling overboard. For that reason, I have lifelines running as close to the mast as possible, I use life-lines, and I have a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) in my life jacket. Furthermore, unexpected things sometimes happen, something gets caught or breaks.
I had in a narrow fairway on one side a sandbank and on the other side a freighter coming up behind while my genoa sheet got stuck in the cleat of the downhaul, while I was about to tack. What is important then, is to solve the problems step by step.
Recently, I solo spinnakered for the first time in light weather. That was quite a puzzle, thinking ahead, and doing everything step by step. I had seen in a video that the spinnaker bag was hanging on the windward side, but that turned out to be wrong. Because the weather was so light, I could detach and reattach the sheet corners for the forestay. I also made a video about it and asked my questions there, and then I get all kinds of valuable tips from fellow sailors.
Furthermore, I rig my boat for the heaviest expected wind. And with reefing the mainsail, which is quite cumbersome on my boat, I also do that step by step and in a timely manner.
What do you do in terms of safety differently or have you purchased extra compared to the situation where you sail with an experienced crew?
I have lifelines running as close to the mast as possible, I use life-lines, I have a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) in my life jacket. Furthermore, I have two autopilots and an elastic that I can use to steer my tiller if the autopilots don’t work.
What influences do you experience as a solo sailor on physical and psychological functioning? How do you deal with that?
I have a lot of experience with mindfulness, yoga, and meditation, which means that I also feel calm during exciting moments. For example, recently I was steering over the mudflats in the dark. As an exercise, we had turned off the plotter, and I had made a buoy list so that I could navigate based on the light signals. When we arrived in the harbor, the friend I was sailing with said ‘you must be feeling a lot of adrenaline now’, but that was not the case.
How do you deal with sleeping/fatigue?
My plan is to lie down for 10 – 20 minutes every hour on longer voyages at sea. I also want to train so that I can quickly enter a sleep-like state.
Do you have any practical tips about special provisions, for example for sail handling, eating, locks, mooring in harbors, etc.?
For mooring, for example in a lock, I use a midships spring line, so that I can tie up the boat with 1 line. That is very easy and I keep the engine in forward gear. Furthermore, I generally reverse into the berth and then I stop the boat with the stern line, after which I fasten the other lines. I do the opposite when leaving the berth.
Bio
My name is Jacqueline Evers from The Netherlands. Solo sailing around the world in my 27 foot sloop. While my husband and son may have chosen a different path, their unwavering support fuels my solo pursuit of this lifelong dream.
Not confined by age or the constraints of conventional life, in my 50s, I bravely departed from the rat race, trading it for the serenity of the open sea. Through my unscripted videos and blogs, I offer a glimpse into the authentic tapestry of my sailing
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