I've done a fair bit solo sailing with spi by now and this is how I do it.

I pretty much leave the mainsail in the poistion it was in while I was sailing upwind, maybe only lets its traveller out a little.

I then point down but not all the way to dead down wind, I maintain as much speed as I can (feel comfortable with) but at least enough to not be overtaken by waves etc.

Then I drop the tiller extension and while the boat is steering itself I move towards the spi halyard and put my knee on the spi sheet (allow some slack in it).

The boat will try to round up under its mainsail alone. At least mine does. However it does so in a gentle way, During this time I hoist the spi as fast as I can. I get it up in about 3 to 4 big pulls and the halyard line, in about 2 to 3 seconds it is fully up and cleated. My knee on the spi sheet prevents it from flapping about to much. Depending on the conditions I have the spi drawing already (with me knee on the sheet). The boat will now want to bear away as it will have a small amount of lee helm.

I then grap the spi sheet and move outwards and to the back of the boat while grabbing either the crossbar (mostly) or the tiller extension when I need to trapeze.

I really do prefer to stern with the crossbar unders spinaker. It give me more control and I can easily let go now and then to use two hand to pull the spi tight. I just have the tiller extension drag behind the boat then. Only when I trapeze am I using the tiller extension or in really light winds where I'll be sitting alot more forward on the boat.

In general I hike off the luff hull with my feet under the footbands and my butt overboard. Initially I prefer to sail deep before I get out to the trapeze. More control that way without losing to much speed at al; if any.

Hoist :

Well pretty much a reversal of the above. Start relatively high as the boat will want to bear away further. Pull the retrieval line as fast as you can and when the spis is halve away the boat will start rounding up. If you time this right then you can actually make a good mark-rounding with this. Sometimes I give some extra mainsail traveller to keep the luff hull down when I pass through a reach when rounding up. Sometimes I do this before I really do douce the spi.

I have a system that allows me to face forward while doucing and that I can use while sitting on the luff hull no matter on which tack I'm on. I can highly recommend this, I haven't seen any other boat with a comparable setup. Go to F16 forum and do a search their, drawings and pics are given. Whatever you do don't go for a mast fitted spi halyard cleat, that is a big pain in neck when solo sailing.

The rest is just doing it. You'll work out a methode you like quickly enough.

I pull a spi solo in any conditions and despite some near misses I haven't dropped it in yet, while singlehanding that is.

Wouter