Largest boat

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by mayberrybfd

In your opinion,,,What would be the largest boat one might want to sail Singlehanded,,,,,,

Are you cruising long distance mostly or coming and going from a marina a lot?

You can go larger if cruising long distance where you don't have to deal with docking too much

Local sailing, coming and going from the marina, pulling up the anchor by hand, getting of a grounding, etc, I'd say around 27'- 30' is best and most enjoyable, and you don't need any special setup of boats the size to sail them single handed

Living aboard and cruising you may just have to chance it and go larger out of necessity.......space, safety, supply holding capability.


I always sail single handed......

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Autopilot or some form of self steering.

It's really not either/or, although it can be done. I single hand almost entirely and there are plenty of circumstances where an autopilot is extremely useful.

I use my wind vane as much as I can but there are times when you don't have any option but to motor, or where the wind vane won't cut it. Not so long ago my autopilot took a dump offshore and it led to an exhausting 18 hours of hand steering.

The number one thing you have to manage when you single hand is your fatigue level. An autopilot is a pretty critical piece of equipment in that equation.

Ann mentioned going small, and there are certainly virtues to that as a single hander. The forces are less, the complexity is less, the cost is less, docking is easier, etc. A smaller boat is a more manageable boat in most circumstances, certainly with respect to finances, and time spent doing maintenance.

The upsides of a larger boat are stability and speed. Going forward on deck on a larger boat in crappy weather just a lot easier on a larger boat. The faster you get somewhere, the sooner you can get some quality rest.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Autopilot or some form of self steering.

It's really not either/or, although it can be done. I single hand almost entirely and there are plenty of circumstances where an autopilot is extremely useful.

I use my wind vane as much as I can but there are times when you don't have any option but to motor, or where the wind vane won't cut it. Not so long ago my autopilot took a dump offshore and it led to an exhausting 18 hours of hand steering.

The number one thing you have to manage when you single hand is your fatigue level. An autopilot is a pretty critical piece of equipment in that equation.

Ann mentioned going small, and there are certainly virtues to that as a single hander. The forces are less, the complexity is less, the cost is less, docking is easier, etc. A smaller boat is a more manageable boat in most circumstances, certainly with respect to finances, and time spent doing maintenance.

The upsides of a larger boat are stability and speed. Going forward on deck on a larger boat in crappy weather just a lot easier on a larger boat. The faster you get somewhere, the sooner you can get some quality rest.

[dbaublis]

Learn how to use bridles and slipped springs for getting on and off docks. Practice all the time. Get Duncan Welles's book Stress Free Sailing which is all about single handling techniques to use, especially when you have inexperienced crew on board. Sailing my B35.5 is a lot easier than docking single-handed. Even with my regular crew on board, we make every docking opportunity a single-handed exercise. Practice crash turns and backing in open water. You soon learn that preparation and anticipation go a long way to assuring success, even if it is on the second or third time around!

[Scot McPherson]

Anything over 65 ft also changes the rules for the boat regarding safety equipment, lighting and horns and bells. Your boat become a K boat when it exceeds 20 meters. 65ft is a good high end limit.