Hello.
I be straight up front, I do have my own boat for
sale (HR Rasmus
Ketch "WHISH") listed here. But this is about why I bought it.
Firstly the boat, I too was mid 50's solo, with years of sea time but not as a sailor. I did lots of
research looking for a good, strong, safe /seaworthy and easily manageable
single handed boat. I always came back to the Hallberg Rassy's; built like a tank, good deep safe centre
cockpit, aft
cabin to store heaps of stuff (and the option of which end to sleep in).
The reason I went for a
ketch as apposed to a Sloop was simple; the sail area required for a certain boat is devided between two masts and each sail is therefore smaller a lot easier to hoist / handle and you have more options, plus I love the "steadying" sail (mizzen) you never see any of the old
fishing vessels without one, they knew how boats should
work, also it is possible to steer the boat using the mizzen. The long deep (heavy)
keel gives great directional stability and being part of the boat isn't one of these bolt on jobs that can get knocked / snapped off. There are thousand of boats for
sale but if you are taking one out on an Ocean make sure it has been designed with that in mind; and "built like a tank". Good hunting.