Singlehanded on a 14.2?

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I'm pretty new to sailing, having taken a basic class while on vacation. We sailed Escapes (cat rigged, single-handed) and Pirates (sloop, 2 person).

Now that I'm home, I want to sail more, but my schedule is odd, so I end up going by myself. II've sailed a couple of times at the local lake, which only rents Capri 14.2's, and I am not having a good time. I can't sail close to the wind at all before the heel becomes excessive and I have to head up. If I don't head up immediately, I keep capsizing. Hiking out helps, but not enough.

I've tried sailing with the jib furled, but that is only slightly better. Is the Capri 14.2 designed to be single-handed? I only weigh 150 pounds.

Any advice?

Thanks,
Matt

[email protected]
 
Close & Single handed

I have found my C14 to sail very close to the wind.
Performance improved a bunch with one simple change.
First I changed to a longer traveler line.
Second, I made the traveler so the traveler block can no longer travel by tieing knots on each side of the block.
This modifications makes it posible to pull the sail to the center of the boat.
I have a few times had the already tight jib luff while the main was still sailing.
The modification is well ilustrated in the C14 sailing manual.
Most of my sailing is single handed.
My weight is about 190.
 
How much wind are you talking about?

Seems that more twist in the main would help as it would reduce heeling force. Less leech tension = more twist. Have you tried reefing?
 
Windy Twist

Before I reworked the travaler I was frustrated with the poor close haul capability.
The sail would twist but not pull.
In Kansas we seldom lack for wind.
Close hauled is the direction I can handle the most wind but it does keep me on my toes.
 
If I knew then...

I just applied the traveler change suggested here and it made a world of difference. The close halled effect was dramaticly better. I single hand in winds 5-17 mph.

Another large change is that it produces much lower interference between my 55 lb thrust trolling motor and the main sheet and traveler while transitoning from motor to sail and back. In the past I have had the sheet rip the motor off the transum. This sail jibed whIle the sheet rapped around the motor!

This has been a great help!!!!
 
You don't say if you're sailing with a centerboard model or a 14.2K keelboat. Our lake rents the keel model since it's much more difficult to capsize.

I've seen one capsize but that was with two heavy sailors sitting on the leeward side with a decent breeze.

Everyone in our club singlehands their 14.2 C/boards and we vary in weight from 120# to over 200 and usually have little trouble racing them around like that. You can even rig up a bungee cord to hold the tiller temporarily on the downwind leg to hook up a whisker pole!

The minimum weight for racing is actually 300# combined crew weight so I'm guessing that is the optimum for sailing a Capri.
 
Mine is a centerboard model. I am about 220# and have a battery and trolling motor on board as well.

I sail in winds between 5 and 17-20 mph on a large lake. Heavy power boat traffic at times. The new setup is working much better.
 

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