Mo-
I'm mostly a solo sailor too...
In the summer months where I sail, I've learned to keep a wary eye out for similar "sneaky" winds.
The summer thunderstorms that build in the desert around here can easily push a wind front with gusts in the 50's and even 60's sometimes.
The advantage here is that you can "see" the wind coming much farther out.
Typically, the first thing to spot is the building thunderclouds.
Once I see that, depending how far out I am, that's when I make a decision to either head in or start prepping for the inevitable squall.
I'm also always watching in every direction for the telling dust clouds that warn of something strong coming.
Before I learned to spot these tell tails, I got knocked down a few times. Even ripped an old sail.
Let me tell you... THAT gets your attention!
I now can give myself a good 4-5 minutes to get prep'd for a coming blow.
My headsail isn't a roller, but I have it rigged to get it down and lashed quickly when I need to.
It still gets the blood pumping when I see that dark boiling water coming my way like a freight train.
It's during those times when I have to ride one out, that I really depend on my little A4 to make the difference.
Riding out a blow here with just sails can be very challenging because I'm surrounded by land.
Granted, it's usually miles away, but running along at 6-8 knots those miles disappear quickly and pretty soon you're looking at coming about.
As Neil advises, checking the forecast can sometimes keep me in the slip to do a chore or project.
But our weather forecasts in the summer are almost always the same, so if I wanna go out I have to always keep a wary watch.