First singlehanded training

Today I finally had the chance to go out for a first singlehanded training. As Mic Mac was reserved by someone else, we weren't sure if it was even at the harbour (in our club people often book a boat and then dont go out). We arrived an hour into the booking period and to our delight the boat was not taken out.
The conditions were very light. Most of the time, the wind was so light that it was just enough to keep the sails from flapping. My main objectiv was to find out how the very simple autopilot works and how to put up the spinnaker and gybe it.
I managed to do two spinnaker hoists and drops plus four gybes. After a good hour of practise the wind dropped to zero, so we decided to call it a day. After a refreshing swim in the lake we motored back to the port.

My conclusions from today:

If the wind is very light, it is hard to fill the spi. It might help to roll up the genoa beforehand to make sure it doesnt block the wind.

Before the gybe, it is important to make sure all the lines are running free.

The line for the autopilot needs to be longer.

It is more fun to train if there is wind to fill the sails:)

The autopilot
The autopilot is made out of a rope that leads from one side of the cockpit to the other, this rope is than held by a little cleat under the tiller. This way it is possible to block the tiller and prevent the boat from turning, while adjusting sails or doing work on the foredeck