Single-Handed Sailing or It’s Easier Than Chopping Shallots

I’ve been promising this one for a while but never really got down to writing it, this is partly because I often have the thought that no one would be interested in such a personal article, and partly because I’m not the sort of person to draw attention to disabilities [hate that word].

The intention is, however, to provide a little insight into how to sail a flying fifteen with one useable hand, the other doesn’t work (at all) and the arm to which it is attached doesn’t do that much either. The article has been inspired by my friends and compatriots from the fleet who keep asking “how do you do that?” Also, Simon kept asking for an article so here we go. If you get bored before the end please move on to more illuminating pieces in the publication.

I’ve always sailed, ever since I can remember I’ve been around boats; The earliest memories are at Loch Earn in Perthshire with my family. If memory serves, the classes of choice at the club were Hornets, Enterprises and, of course, Flying Fifteens. I guess our family have sailed them all at one time or another, I think my Uncle even had a dalliance with an OK, but Flying Fifteens were and still are the boat of choice. I’m sure I could dig out a picture of me in one age 5 complete with hand knitted, by my grandmother of course, an arran sweater just like the one my grandfather used to wear.

It’s been a lifelong love affair with the Flying Fifteen, though there have been brief sojourns into other classes, of course, and as a lad the Mirror (home built by Uncle Roddy) was compulsory. It was during a one of those brief respites away from sailing that it happened: age 20, "didn’t see you gov" would be the usual excuse. The injury for those of you that are interested is a Traumatic Brachial Plexus Lesion or BPL, basically mobility remains as I mentioned.

So, to the sailing and a return, like many as the career developed to fund it, and of course back to the Flying Fifteen. This was 2001 and the boat, funnily enough, was 1117 a Chippendale hull originally owned by my grandfather. As for many coming into the fleet, classic boats were a great route in at the time. Competitive sailing, boats at reasonable prices, friendly bunch of sailors, and travelling competition. At the time of writing I’m four boats in, the last three being more up-to-date and a journey I’m sure many will be familiar with. The journey has probably changed now as we have moved on and I’ve certainly noticed new entrants getting straight into competitive racing with reasonably priced middle-aged boats; it’s the way forward and a real testament to the design and the builders.

How to do the sailing then. Nothing fancy to start with, never been big on adaptions, I need to jump in what’s standard, helps with second-hand values as well. Helming is surprisingly easy but needed me to put some added beef in my right arm (the one that works), a slightly longer tiller extension helps too, especially on starboard tack. Hand over hand sheeting is a bit difficult, make that impossible, so a handy quick crew helps with leeward mark rounding. A spinnaker chute is not so good, really the hand over hand is needed there too, so spinnaker bags with a pump action handles hoists, drops well that’s the crew’s job! It does all get a bit leery in big fleet starts and similarly tight mark rounding but for club and small opens not so bad.

As a result, for bigger events I’m doing more crewing, not as difficult as it might appear, up wind, well that’s great. I’ve had to work on the strength a bit, but the new jib helps greatly, I’ve never really been a gripper so all those sit ups pay off handsomely. I’d recommend a hiking bench for the really committed, but the long beats at the nationals really give a good work out.

As for down wind, well, that’s a whole different ball game, I’ve sailed double-ended pole with bags and chute. I’ve been crewing more recently on the circuit last year and at the worlds with my mate Jeremy [Arnold] who has a twin pole set up with lazy guys. This is a great advance and is spreading in the fleet, makes setting easier in a big breeze and we are seeing more and more boats going for this. To play the sheet or guy I have made one concession to disability: I’ve screwed a cleat to my left arm, no amateur prosthetic surgery but attached to a wrist brace. It really depends which gybe we're on which is used where, but we’re improving the downwind pace a lot.

On my own boat I’ve got a variant on a single-ended pole system that I copied from Dave Lucas, which is really working well and gets away from poles flying back into ones’ face – yes we had that too and a trip to casualty. I managed not to get any blood in the McKee’s Discovery, and they tried ever so hard not to laugh in Oldham casualty, “we don’t get many stories like that here sir,” “sure you haven’t been drinking?”.

I’ve been crewing with spinnaker bags as well; the drops are a little difficult but I’m getting better and faster. As with any sport, lots of practice is a good thing and that’s the key to it really, work out a system that is good and repeat, repeat, repeat, until you can do it in your sleep or in 20 knots with a big sea running. A double-ended pole can be a challenge, but I’ve even found my own unconventional workarounds there as well. It can be quick but needs more practice, I’d say.

The best thing, though, about sailing with one hand, especially in this fleet, is everyone else I sail with that helps the most. No judgements, no opinions, no helplessness, no attitude, just get on with it. A general assumption that if help is needed, I’ll ask, if not I won’t but still a friendly helpful attitude. It might surprise some that the biggest drawback is in my own head, “why would people bother wanting to sail with me,” but they do, and that Dear Reader is the best bit. No questions asked, just jump in the boat and go sailing, the true level playing field. There are plenty folk in this world that could take some lessons from the Flying Fifteen fleet on getting rid of stigma.

In that vein, I’d really like to end by paying tribute to all those who have sailed with me and made it all possible, a Flying Fifteen is a double-handed boat after all. If I’ve forgotten someone I apologise now and in no particular order: Maf Smith, Pierre Labatt, Justin Waples, Jeremy Arnold, Nigel Tullett, David Heron, Gavin Tullett, Graham Tullett, Mark Wilson, Peter Brown, Adam Cowley, Adrian Simpson, Carol Drury, Frank Kelly, Phil Snewin, Keith Jones, Nathan Batchelor, John Thornley, Mark Holmes, Richard (Corky) Rigg, Steve Goacher, Phil Evans, Patrick Condy, Tim O’Brien, Simon Millington & Dave Hemingway.

Oh yes and Flying Fifteen sailing... Well, it's still easier than chopping shallots, but there is an awful lot of sailing still to do!

written by Keith Jamieson