Doug,

Saying that you should never sail solo is unrealistic. I agree with Sam that you shouldn't sail when there is no one else on the water. The H-14 and the H-17 were both intended as solo boats. The H-16 is easy to handle alone. I have been doing it for over 20 years and I have had the mast come down while out on the wire, solo. It was not a big problem to recover. I was on a lake. I don't sail solo on the ocean. It is much safer with 2 on the boat, especially going out through the surf. I also sail a monohull, a Cape Cod catboat, on a large lake and have been out during the week in the fall when no other boat was in sight but I was very cautious. I have been sailing that boat for 35 years. It is a '72 that we bought new.

Howard