Boat Size For Single Handle Sailing

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Adelie

The Pardey's in one of their books talk about the Xmas 1982 debacle in Cabo San Lucas where an unseasonable gale drove 29 of 45 cruising boats ashore. The observation they made and that several people there agreed with is that boats over about 37' didn't do nearly as well during the storm when crewed by a couple. Larger boats with large crews did OK, but larger boats with only 1 or 2 people didn't. Smaller boats with only 1 or 2 people did OK.

Regarding speed, the best predictors of long term average speed are waterline length AND SA/D ratio. (SA/D is not just SailArea divided by LWL but a more complex formula.)

Such an interesting observation although completely anecdotal. It would be amazing real data could be collected from similar situations and analyzed. It would be fascinating to see this considered further to help understand if it's the mentality/experience on board or something else.

[barnakiel]

Endless options.


Boats built for single-handers tend to be too basic inside to live on (Figaro, Mini, Class 40, etc).


But very many boats built as weekend cruisers are very easy to mod and sail single-handedly and offer amazing space inside. Typically in +30' size, light and modern.


In the US you have J-Boats, my friends sailed an older J-35 that was set up for single-handling. They took the boat all the way from US to NZ, so it is clear it is a nice, simple and moderately inexpensive boat.


https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/j35



Otherwise, you have endless alt options.



Personally, I would buy the Figaro (2 or the new 3) but they are very very basic down below. Figaro II is in fact a better house than the new 3.



b.

[Scaramanga F25]

At age 70 my 41 fooyer was not too big to single hand.

[BrownBear]

Thank you again for your quick and thoughtful input.


Zzmeyer, thank you for that advice, especially on the anchor I had not thought about that part. I understand that solo sailing is inherently dangerous and I plan on doing everything I can to mitigate that risk. I am planning on extensive schooling and training. I also plan on hiring a hand for my first passage to show me the ropes or lines if you will.



Thank you for the advice on the AIS and Radar with alarms. A quick google search shows that these are relatively inexpensive, especially with how much they would help make sailing that much safer. I also plan on having a good autopilot system as well.



It would seem to me that with the cockpit mounted control lines, AIS, Radar and other life safety systems that this should go a long way to making sure that I am comfortable and safe which I would want to be.

[cal40john]

For the absurd, 246 feet is not too big to single hand.
Colas did a single hand transatlantic race in Club Med.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Colas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phocea_(yacht)

[Wallaby]

I live aboard, and 'single-hand' on a 50ft sloop for coastal and offshore passages (up to 3 days); however, I've spent years and a great deal of money setting it up. Without the right equipment, and experience, I would agree with the previous comments about keeping LOA less than 40 or so.

On a longer offshore passage, I would keep the boat and take on crew. The primary advantages of a bigger boat, besides the obvious increased space/storage capacity:
a) generally faster on any point of sail
b) generally more stable in seas
That said, I am getting older and have plans to downsize in the next few years, nothing to do with lugging sails etc, more about increasing my cruising options with less draft and a shorter mast.

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by BrownBear

I am as new as they come to sailing with my ASA classes starting at 101 - 108 in November. I have a budget of 80K for a boat. I want something comfortable as I plan on living on it, but manageable for single handle sailing. Is there a certain manufacturer or features that I should look for in a boat? How big is too big, and how small is too small to be comfortable on passages? I am searching now, as I figured this gives me about a year to do my homework and settle on what I want.

A lot depends on how the yacht is rigged. Sheets and Halyards returning to helm, autopilot, electric windlass, radar. I sailed my 45ft Irwin 3500 miles single handed

[adlib2]

my vessel is on the market if you're interested for less than your budget

[Stewie12]

For living on 36-38 feet would give you enough room to live on and you can handle it on your own. I did so you can do it as well.

[stephenblitch]

I sailed mostly single-handed on San Francisco Bay and close offshore for 25 years, in a C&C 38 Mk III and then a Tartan 4100. For close quarters handling (in and around the docks) I'd take the C&C any day because of the agility (deep fin keel and low mass fore and aft). I had a Schaefer boom furler on the Tartan, with an electric cabin top winch, so sail handling was a snap (can reef even under load), and never felt overwhelmed even in 40+ sustained. The ideal for me, now that I've learned from both and gotten a good bit older, would be to go smaller than my C&C, deep fin keel, cabin top electric winch, all self-tailing winches and a solid (preferably below-decks) autopilot. I've also had night watches on passages with crew (you're still the only person on deck), and in my mind the same rules apply: best to have an agile boat and the sail-handling skills to get the sails up and down in a hurry on your own when needed. Good luck to you!

[contrail]

I lived aboard and singlehanded a 33 footer for about 18 years. I started with almost no gear, certainly no autopilot. To raise the main, I motored in circles, and when I was head to wind, hoisted as much as I could. It usually took about three circles. I steered with the weight of my toe on a string that went from a cleat to the wheel. I am glad I started so basically, as it meant that everything I added made life so much easier, but I understood exactly how. Eventually, that boat had everything, and I sailed it almost 20,000 coastal and offshore miles, from San Francisco Bay down through Mexico. The autopilot was crucial. If you can also get a windvane, you have another alternative that depends on no electricity or electronics, and can sail very well. I would have that on my "must list", along with solar panels, watermaker and the rest. It made for a very nice cruising experience, but the key thing was that I could manhandle anything on that boat, if something went wrong. I could raise the mainsail without a winch if necessary. From that, I learned that the definition of a boat that is good for singlehanding is one that you can dock and un-dock with no help, either aboard or ashore, and that you can moor and anchor, likewise, and on which you can overcome equipment failure by muscle power, alone. I know that sounds odd, but it is very basic, much more important than roller furling, or halyards led aft, or whatever. So, I would start by being sure that I could dock, moor, and anchor any boat I looked at. Cleat position and freeboard are important, particularly when trying to swiftly move from dock to boat or the reverse.


Sixteen years ago, I moved on to more or less the opposite situation, a 45 foot catamaran with a sail area of over 1400 feet. I usually sailed with crew, but for the last eight years I have been basically singlehanded. My halyards and reefing lines are led to the base of the mast, which I actually prefer. The base of the mast, on a cat, is pretty safe, whereas, on my smaller monohull, it was always an uncomfortable spot, in a blow. I have no electric winches, but do have an electric drill that makes any of the winches electric (if the OP doesn't know about these, there are several threads.....Milwaukee 28volt drill is my tool). It took some thinking, based on a lot of experience, but I have come to find my cat a very easy boat to singlehand. My main modification is that all my lines have extra long tails, so that I can lead them across the cockpit to another winch, for example, that might make a particular maneuver easier. Good clutches also help. But, I still think that the most important attributes are being able to dock, moor and anchor singlehand with no issues. In this case, the moderate freeboard of my older Leopard vastly outweighs the halyards led aft on a more modern cat with freeboard so high that it is really hard to go from boat to dock and back in a hurry. I cannot overemphasize this. You must be able to do these things without outside assistance aboard or from ashore. Period.



There are three other factors: first is to learn to always be several steps ahead. A crew of strong friends can manhandle anything on a boat and doesn't need to be overly forward looking. But, by yourself, you have to work out the sequence of everything you do, so that you do it the easy way, which is also the possible way, which will make you a better sailor, as well. Dock in a slip that you will be able to easily leave, for example. Reef early, for another.


Second is that the more you successfully singlehand, the better at it you will become. And, logically the more confident you will become, as well, but be very careful to manage that confidence so that it does not become cockiness. Sailing knocks the "stupid" out of people, and when singlehanding, the lessons can be painful, difficult, and expensive. And sometimes fatal. So, when singlehanded, know when and how to slow down. Reef pre-emptively, even when it can seem silly. Always be aware of the worst possible case. For example, my boat sails very well with just the main up, only slower. Let's say I am going to anchor under sail. Even in light wind, I will do it under main alone. It's slower, safer, and very controllable. If I think that sailing under one sail, either the main or the jib, is better, I do it. Even though I like making my boat go fast, under most circumstances, and have the knowledge, ability, and gear to do so.


Finally, the size of my cat, and the loads on all the rig, are at the borderline of what I can deal with when things go wrong. I cannot overemphasize this. I am now 71 and can handle everything just fine. I may be a step slower, but only a step, and I can climb about things as always. But, the margin is getting thinner, and guess what.....I find myself very seriously looking at smaller cats, around 36 feet, that I am beginning to think might be a better singlehanded platform, even though I love the speed, comfort and safety of the bigger boat.



Weigh these things carefully. Assess your physical strength carefully. And good luck. It is truly a wonderfully rewarding way to sail, at one with your boat.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by cal40john

For the absurd, 246 feet is not too big to single hand.
Colas did a single hand transatlantic race in Club Med.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Colas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phocea_(yacht)

If you discount the fact that he had others aboard to raise the sails and get underway! And, although I don't recall, I don't think he actually finished the race; others will know.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Such an interesting observation although completely anecdotal. It would be amazing real data could be collected from similar situations and analyzed. It would be fascinating to see this considered further to help understand if it's the mentality/experience on board or something else.

No, not completely anecdotal, mostly empirical.

If the observation was gleaned by reporting from individual boats over many different storms and anchoring conditions then that would be pretty anecdotal.

This was reported by an outside observer, 45 is a reasonable sample size and all of the boats experienced the same weather generally though not the same wave action since some were anchored closer to shore to begin with.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by contrail

If you discount the fact that he had others aboard to raise the sails and get underway! And, although I don't recall, I don't think he actually finished the race; others will know.

From the link I posted -
Alain Colas arrived 2nd but was classed 5th.

[nortonscove]

Just sold my 27 Mirage which was great for solo. It was light enough to manhandle in most situations. That said once away from the dock my Beneteau at 40 feet is easier to singlehand.

That said I'm in Newfoundland where the wind can mean that no matter what you have it isn't going to be comfortable singling. Right now our boat is dancing on its mooring in winds gusts well above 100 km.