Do you fish alone?

N

nomadcruiser53

New member
I was wondering how many out there boat or fish solo. I can see retirement will offer many opportunities to get out on my own. Can the 22' be off loaded and loaded on the trailer single handedly? Any solo horror stories out there that need to be shared? Thanks.
 
Dave-

I'm 65 and have been single-handing the CD-22 Cruiser for 9 years. No problems at all, though you have to learn some techniques to steer/troll/ tend lines and reel in fish all by yourself.

Launching and retrieving are easy as long as there's a dock by the launch ramp. Without one, things get complicated by yourself.

Joe.
 
Launching and retrieving are easy as long as there's a dock by the launch ramp
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Joe is right. I've been soloing Adeline for 18 years w/o a problem. In fact, the only time I've ever had a problem is when well-meaning friends try to help.
 
I haven't trailered a whole lot but I did load and offload our CD22 a week after sinus surgery, all for the sake of landing a barely legal blackmouth!!

It isn't that difficult, the boat isn't that heavy and we have a bunk trailer so everything worked out ok. I know there lots of C-Brats who solo alot, as well as fish by themselves.

As for fishing, I just used our new Raymarine S1000 Wireless Autopilot last week and it makes fishing solo very easy. Especially if you tie your main to your kicker. It worked great for me, I could control the speed with the kicker tiller, I had the wireless remote controller with me back in the cockpit and I could concentrate on fishing and setting up the downriggers.
 
I often fish alone and there is no problem with single handing a 22CD or loading/unloading at the ramp. I usually don't go single handed to a ramp on a really busy day at the busiest times as it takes a little longer to load/unload when you have to deal with both the boat and the truck yourself. Even then, I'm usually faster than a lot of the ying-yangs I see at the ramp but the time it takes annoys me so I avoid it.

As to the fishing part.
1) ALWAYS wear your PFD when you are alone. I also have a strobe light and a waterproof VHF radio attached to mine. Yes it's heavier but if I fall in alone, I have chance of getting help.

2) As mentioned above, it's a bit harder to successfully operate the boat and land a fish by yourself. If I'm trolling, I usually troll directly downwind so that if I get a strike, I can take the boat out of gear and still keep the line taught. Depending on where I am, conditions, and how far shore and others are from me, I may grab the rod first and back into the cabin prior to taking it out of gear. With a long rod (9.5') this is easier to do. A long rod also makes it easier to net the fish when you have a long leader.

3) I usually keep an extra rod or two rigged and ready to go so that if one is broken off, I can get the other out fishing before I try to tie a new leader/piece of gear on the other. I don't like any of the prime fishing time to go to waste due to lack of ready gear.

4) I also use extra long leads on the release clips for the down riggers (a trick I learned from Gary Johnson on this site). This allows me to reach overboard with a dehooker (in my case a coffee cup hook on a 3' dowel rod) and pull the clip into the cockpit without leaning over the side. I like the extra safety factor when I'm alone - it's good even when you're not alone.
 
I would add one other piece of gear I feel is essential for the single hander to Roger's excellent post. That is an ACR Aquafix 406 GPS enabled personal locator beacon. We carry them, like the strobe, Whistle, and VHF radio. If you happen to be out of radio range, or in remote areas, the 406 will bring rescue help. There are lots of incidents where lives were saved by the 406 beacons, and many more were lives were lost for the lack of a method of calling for help.
 
Along with the above mentioned safety concerns such as pfd and such always keep a ladder over the side ( both sides are better). ( and on sailing boats we had a knotted line drifting behind the boat about 75' long).
You will be surprised how difficult it is to climb back aboard. I know because while in the process of dropping an anchor, I slipped while walking forward holding on the cabin top wet handrail and fell overboard ( no jack line). You will be surprised at how difficult it is to swim to catch a boat that is drifting by the wind . I'm 61 and I will not single hand a boat again...period
Remember Murphys Law.
 
In the C Dories-I prefer a ladder--we have a ladder on the swim step of our 25, which one can climb up (yes, definately clothing makes it harder, as does nypothermia)--on the TC, the ladder is reachable from the aft and could be put into its socket from the water--but you have to be conscious to do this. Also don't forget the tilt of the motor as a possibilty of getting aboard.

As for trailing a line--never did that in sailing over 200,000 miles. Unless the boat was drifting, you would be really pressed to swim fast enough to reach a 75 foot line. 6 miles an hour is 9 feet a second. You have less than 8 seconds to reach this line...not going to do it--let alone pull yourself back aboard. Has it been done--yes.. but mostly in controled conditions at slow speed.

Go for the EPRIB--your chances are better...if it is in cold weather/water, consider a Mustang suit. I still single hand, and probably will until the end.
 
nomadcruiser53":3rt6ha2t said:
I was wondering how many out there boat or fish solo. I can see retirement will offer many opportunities to get out on my own. Can the 22' be off loaded and loaded on the trailer single handedly? Any solo horror stories out there that need to be shared? Thanks.
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I fish alone often but I keep my boat in a slip so I don't have to deal with loading and unloading. If I had a 22 I would use the self-loading sling but the TC is too heavy for that, and after seeing someone drop their boat to the dock and break the keel in 3 places, I might not even do that.

Bob, thanks for the reminder about the ACR EPIRB. Ordering one from Consumer Marine as we speak.

Warren
 
I think (hope) a person is naturally much more cautious when alone -- stay in protected areas of the boat to minimize risks. Retrieve the anchor while standing in the fwd hatch, operate from the cabin at night, etc.
 
Great, Warren,
Both Marie and I have one. We also carry them with us when in remote areas in the RV etc. As you probably know personal Epirbs saved a number of hikers/climbers this winter. They are not just for the water. But are only for real serious emergencies.
 
The ladder is a good idea but the trailing line idea is a bit inconsistent with fishing. Can't troll or easily land a fish with a line trailing behind. Great for sailing, bad for fishing. Of course, we should be more cautious when single handling but not afraid. If the fish are in sheltered area, I might fish there. However, I mostly try to fish where the fish are, sheltered or not. I just don't go out alone in bad weather.
 
Solo fishing from a 22 can be a very pleasant. I have found it to be difficult in winds that produce waves 3-4'. It is better to have a buddy when the waves start up.

Try to go with the wind when you pick up your lines. Mono will stop a Honda 9.9 when wraps up on the prop :oops: Also... when fighting fish I found if I turn the boat out slightly and make a really big circle it allows me to get to the fish a little faster and keeps the downrigger balls from becoming a problem with structure. This trick is not always possible but it can help you fight a fish, net and drive the boat solo.

As for safety........ I think it would be difficult to find a safer 22' boat.

Has anyone ever fell out of the cock pit on a 22' C-Dory?????? It seems like you would need to drunk or have little or no reflexes to pull it off.

Chris Bulovsky
 
I thought of an additional situation where singlehanding a boat would be difficult.

I've fished alone in the Sacramento River a lot from the California Delta up to the City of Sacramento and somewhat beyond, but I'de be reluctant to do it in a C-Dory up here around Redding where the currents run much faster, and there are lots of shallow spots, logs on the bottom, boulders, etc.

It can be fished in a C-Dory, but not alone. You need someone to steer and manage the boat full-time, and another one to fish. Backtrolling down the river would be impossible alone. (Backtrolling is where you face up river, but with the trolling lines out, you slow the boat down just enough to work backward downriver with the presentation.) Takes a lot of finesse in variable current, etc.

There are probably other situations where singlehanding would be difficult, but common sense would tell you they're not wise moves, like albacore/tuna fishing 50 miles off shore, etc.! :lol:

Joe.
 
I wear this PFD which, you will notice, serves also as a safety harness (designed primarily for offshore sailing.) To the D rings of the harness, I clip this tether, which I clip onto one of the grabrails in the cockpit.

This perhaps might be overkill, but it makes me feel more secure. Comments from the peanut gallery?

Warren
 
Lori Ann":30sdznu3 said:
I wear this PFD which, you will notice, serves also as a safety harness (designed primarily for offshore sailing.) To the D rings of the harness, I clip this tether, which I clip onto one of the grabrails in the cockpit.

This perhaps might be overkill, but it makes me feel more secure. Comments from the peanut gallery?

Warren
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Offshore, alone, yes!

A rogue wave could separate you and the boat real fast! Or just a careless mistake while fishing could deposit you in the deep blue sea...........alone!

How about putting a pad eye more in the center of the boat, like on the back side of the bulkhead, so as to be more centered and in the boat rather than to a railing? Might allow better access to the helm station while wearing it, too.

I hardly ever have a life jacket on the C-Dory on inland waters, but the ocean is another matter.

Joe.
 
Ditto, I have also fished alot in the Sacramento area alone, nearly impossible to do safely unless anchored. Too much current, etc. to stay aware. Plus, if you actually hooked something, quite a flail. Would have to throw and anchor while holding the fish. I did have to net a 25 lb salmon while by myself, not easy, but do able. This wa sin a smaller, open boat, not a Dory type. Not for me.
 
I agree with Joe, you want a central point to clip onto, so that you will not fall out of the boat. When sailing we used tethers all of the time. U bolts were by the companionway, helm, mast, etc. We used one 3' and one 6' tether. Cliped so we could not be washed out of the boat by waves.

Also essential is the spinaker bale snap shackle on the PFD/harness end, as in the illustration. That way, the tether can be cut free under a severe load--if you are being pulled under water, after falling overboat, or need to get to a swim step etc.
 
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