Best 34-50' Single Person Sailboat For Blue Water & Island Hopping!

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

Your needs may served by one of the Southerly yachts. In the price range you are aiming for likely you'll be looking at an older model, 80's-90's, in the low to mid 30' range. Southerlies key design feature is a swing keel with a heavy and durable grounding plate. Lots of info on the 'net to digest if you wish to research more. I have not sailed one so can not add any personal opinions as to their capabilities, but I've had my eye on them for many years and hope to have the opportunity one day.


A boat that I have sailed, and really liked, was a 2005 Hanse 411 on a passage from Corfu to Sardinia in mid April 2017, a crew of 3 including myself. It was not set up for solo watches but was easily sailed by one with the trusty old auto-pilot to assist, and we did not have to call crew on deck for anything other than reefing and docking. It could have been easily modified to make solo even easier and safer. Hit some pretty rough weather early on while crossing to Italy, and then again during the southerly leg to the Straits of Messina, and I honestly almost enjoyed it because of how well she sailed. Great galley setup with double sinks mounted abaft and a gas cooker with oven. Comfy aft cabins on either side and a roomy 'stateroom' forward gave everyone their own space, while the saloon had lots of room for eating and lounging, and a well appointed nav station to port. Whether it would/could be suitable for true blue water, particularly high latitudes, you'll have to research and decide for yourself, but if I had the need, and the money, I would certainly consider it for coastal cruising or island hopping.


Some pics of the fun:


Day 1
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Somewhere between Orthonoi and Crotone
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Words to live by
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The Galley
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I'll check it out. Thanks!

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Retirement home

That shape is a proven fast cruiser.
I don't know insurance.
Age early 70s

Modern racers during race were past by such sister hull during lumpy beat.
Difference was racing crews were wet, tired and continually battling.
Crew of sister were down below with coastal sails comfortably holding tune and racing skippers quote
" drinking tea below."
Having came up on and past an entire racing fleet on our Southern Ocean during a beat.

Model is C&C

Out of my budget too but nice to look at, admire and learn own wants with.

Nice lines, but doesn't look like enough surface contact for comfortable meeting stable.

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

What a classic boat forum non answerable question

It's now been answered many times.

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Me and Her

We sail a 1999 hunter 340 alot of time solo. Sailed from Vancouver to Panama and around the Caribbean. The hunter line is very inovative, from the use of the Selden in mast furling system ( no back stay makes for a huge cockpit) and roller furler for the Genoa. Everything leads back to the cockpit and I never have to go on deck to reef. The storage and comforts built in are very well thought out and well built. Huge after berth with king size bed, but limited standind soace, the vberth is a little small, but will comfortably sleep a 6ft+ person. Huge head, well apointed gally. Headroom throughout is a comfortable ft 4inches. All in all, my wife and I are very comfortable onboard for extended periods. She has mobility issues so the built in hand grabs, walk through companionway and transom definitely add to her comfort. Our dingy is mounted to Weaver davits and it folds up on the transom, it has provided good protection in breaking following seas. She is fitted with a small water maker and a very robust autopilot. The dodger Bimini combo cane be completely buttoned up for bad weather situations and the arch over the cockpit houses the traveler and is a secure ancor point for 2 100w solar panels. Easy to anchor with windlass controls in the cockpit. With a 3 blade CambellSailor prop, she backs up incredibly well, most other boat owners I have met are envious of that manouver. They make this boat in a 37.5 and 40 foot version. Mine at it's age and present "very good and well maintained" condition is valued presently in the 50 -55 K range (as per recent survey) some people will say she's not made to go offshore, but that isn't nesseserily the fact. Depends on how well outfitted and your confidence level. I know a few other owners that have made transit to Hawaii, made the puddle jump, and I have also been to Alaska and back twice before heading south. Just my ACTUAL experience sailing my ACTUAL boat around for the past 11 years. Cheers

And that's one I wouldn't have considered, because of what others have said about not being able to handle it. I now will because you've actually been doing it. Thanks!

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Nobody could possibly use their broad experience and knowledge to extrapolate advice for someone's vague, generic question.

When several people that have been doing it wrote about their experiences and recommendations, why would you waste everyone's time and the thread space to attempt to contradict what's already been proven so many times? Just to troll?

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

That Hunter is a Doll for 55K. I’ve seen a couple Jeanneau 37 in mid 50’s, 1999, 1998. One was really nice. So I guess it happens.
It does seem a silly question. I would like luxury comfort all the toys free. 50K is the lighting and electronics. I try to loose that little flipping boats.

You're buying out of my league if you're spending that much! I use to pick up free and cheap, make repairs, clean and add some toys to sell at an affordable price. Was not looking to make huge profits. The one I buy will beat little more, but I'll add everything I want progressively.

The Hunters are usually kept in better condition than a lot of others, with the higher initial costs. I've only seen a couple with some pretty decent damage going for the prices I buy at. Jeanneau are pretty much the same story.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Retirement home

Thanks so much.

I sailed with alot of old men. Simple things like bracing sheet lines of leach torque and stuff computer language won't explain.
I love coastal rigs too. When tails on stays are hanging and my crew is lovingly cooling my liar mentioning

"Watt about Lee flow . Should always flow Lee."

"With watt wind? There is know wind. As windward sail horizontal on nothing and bow wave is made"

They all have pros and cons. Modern reefing from cockpit a huge advantage. We would reef early with our manual systems.

Junk; square sail; offshore rig lose many coastal rig;triangle; sloop advantages.
Maybe it's a different sail type. Using wind as fuel rather than wind gaps to sliver within?
I prefer turbine usage of sails and can't afford crew nor loss of true point to accommodate a spinnakers leading edge.
I will be losing performance in lighter winds that aren't of sufficient fuel for a turbine. I will be struggling on off tacks where mast blocks the turbines feed. Many of my teachers would prefer I stick and stay with a sloops because majority usage is coastal.

Yet.. 1 boat I visit in 6 weeks with eye to purchase is an old man's ketch. Similar bow to above. Doesn't get sailed because age and effort to halyard. Possibly as I age, junks lack of performance coastal (yet navigation able okay) will be countered by smaller sails, easy heave on halyard, simple light sheeting.

Sloops are way more fun to learn. Ketchs maybe; more sloop experience here than ketch.
But they require alot of additional bracing systems.

I gotta work a while yet. Been rescuing insects from swimming pool in desert. Insects sail all their lives and appreciate the good ol' classic versus modern argument too.

I believe you. Here we just do watt we want and EVERYBODY likes different systems.

Sharing a clean path in our oceans my ideal gift too.

I've 3 boats and a scuba kayak to clean, repair and potentially flip when I get ready to buy my real sailboat. Just picked up the fiberglass supplies, bottom paint and gel coat to start on them. $500 in base supplies should get me through the Lido 14, the Glaspar and the scuba kayak with an issue and started on the Chris Craft.

Getting back into the vessel recovery side of the business, so I'll have a lot more opportunities to get the sailboat I want for the trip. Great way to make the immediate sell connection.

[PushingThePen]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

I have absolutely no idea what all the long keel stuff was about.
I have a running chine two wee rudders two wheel with a rump so wide you have to pack a lunch to travel between them. 2+ meter keel avec wing. I thought the whole point was to minimize drag and let the two wings balance

That's an interesting point! Two sides of the same coin maybe?

[Rumrace]

I just read an article on tested bluewater boat deals. The top 10 included a 2000 Wally for $795,000.00 and a Jeanneau 90’s vintage around $200,000.00. Just about every brand made the list for one character or another. Finding something of that character can’t be easy in the 50k limitation.

[Bowdrie]

Interesting thread.
As I've never faced a force 10 storm perhaps my opinions are of no renown.
I do believe that one of the biggest challenges for single handing is exhaustion/fatigue, it saps the mind of making quick rational decisions.
As such, if I was wanting to circumnavigate by myself, I would want a boat that would have no trouble in taking care of itself under extreme conditions with little input from the crew.
That pretty much rules out much of today's shallow deadrise boats that mostly float "on top" of the water with little underneath besides a blob of ballast and a shortened helicopter blade for a rudder.
The motion and quick acceleration are not conducive to any peace of mind.
As size goes down the D/L ratio needs to go up in order to carry the weight of stores and assorted junk without severely compromising sailing ability.
Stuffing 10lbs in a 5lb bag usually doesn't work out so well.
My choice would probably receive flak and derision from many, and that's ok.
When I reached the point where I could no longer help the boat and the boat had to help me it would be an Alajuela 38.

[Rumrace]

The Pogo 12.50 is a screaming beauty. Love it. It also lists for 180K more than my Jeanneau but I didn’t buy a bluewater Racer.
I think the Pogo is more for beating up Beneteaus new 36 First

[AboutTime1]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Only Unicorns I'm aware of were 18ft beach cats built in the 60's/70's..

80s. Amen !

[Retirement home]

Classic debate
Love ya work sailor boy.

Here we go.

Coastal racer.
Foresheet to helm. Come off point a touch.
Helm to Foresheet.* Don't heave so much, let a touch out and heave in some close haul, mains luff is reason of high point, Genoa is spear.
Music: INXS.. Don't Change

Cruiser. Eg. Maybe braces like swept back stays, stay sails, stays to help stay.
Foresheet to helm. Come up point
Heml to Foresheet,* piss off, we're cruising, just flow Lee or something.
Music: Billy Idol.. Rebel Yell

Old girl. A graceful beauty that isn't lost, simply slow; maybe; on slow days, stable when needed. Lost is thoughts when broaching yet 8000+ tonnes of keel via stow on a vessel must have been a thorough plane ride on days of dragging a yardstick around.* Really stable like a goat mountain path, go at and running up when wet and flooding.* Agility.
Music: Billy Idol.. White Wedding

Long keel short deep keel drag.
Come on. Look at f14 Tomcat. Lower drag at low knots out. Lower drag at high knots in.

Racers tend to go with advantages to call skippers up and have to obey starboard and all that competitive stuff.

Cruising? Either good. Look at keelson for weather and if knowledge on keeping knots longer keels play advantage. Called upto windward or starboard. Stiff ship. We just cruising too. Less advantage is around expensive stuff such as when berthing
Maybe.. with horsepower is knots.
Some find small horsepower all they are comfortable with thus a tiny deep keel is faster with they.
Some are okay with increased disturbance from drag at low knots and don't mind the lack of performance incase they get horsepower when tired and thirsty.
Surface area approximately same because long keel is shallow.

Just preferences bro.. loving argument.
Father wind plays with racing bouys whilst mother nature helps old lady Gale blow seamen

[Retirement home]

I think s&s looks stable.
Surface area of above keelson.

Don't worry about keel long, keel short so much.
They just additional keel anyhow.

If you look at a same hull with maybe 2 metre depth vertical and 1.2 metre depth long keel. Both relatively same speed.

Initially, leading edge 3.5 metres on vertical with blade rudder versus 1.2 metre on long keel.
That is small force so don't worry.
Surface area about similar.
In light flat, rudder apart will position boat quicker, in rough stuff long keel will get boat to traction quicker thanks to nature.
Protected keel Lee offering cleaner flow early but maybe not on bearing skipper wants??
I don't know.
I've skippered both vertical and long keel racing hulls. Feeling nicer with protected rudder.

At low knot winds.. vertical keel might offer better leverage on steering but at higher knots majority of drag will become from leading edge.
1.2 less than 3.5 and alot less turbulence. Longer attraction on keel gifting a bearing like surface of water on water.
Just more awkward.

Roberts 43, 44 an example. They built with long, partial skeg and full skeg. Won't be much difference at 38 degrees south besides shallower depth and traction versus easier to turn in anchorages, marinas.
Appropriate 7 knot average guessed from having asked owners.

I like bow. Keelson develops enough as seen similar with S&S 44 model of hull above. That allows a softer beat thus speed into wind and a lot easier on anchorage equipment. Every boat I look at I also look for eyes on gunnels towards centre of rocker just incase anchorage is in swell.

[Retirement home]

Sorry to go on..

Coppers wouldn't allow me to goto work this morning and I had to go around the block.
Some pissed dude fell out of his rolling car infront of workplace and past away.
Story changing..something like that. Still closed.

Weather changes.
You'd know keel boat cruisers better than me. 2 Catalinas etc.. we keep learning too.
We out there to live. Strange anchorages ain't known. Cruisers sold by thousands are often targeted for weekenders and short months and offer versatility such as speed at a cost of a beating.
What we get beating wind reflects our beating ability on a pick. Seeing vessel spends most her time with line in water, to me at least, least priority is getting their fast.
We going to be with volume which is why vessel will be slower. Carriage of stow. Ain't so much the keel. Always is, always was the keelson.
Racers don't get problem as much as cruiser but tired hands and men they find fast. A tapered edge is vulnerable to cavitation and will not work strong without flow. Like a rifle barrel, the longer the force is making a much better traction of forces usage. Plus cavitation from leading edge especially at a slope is removed quicker and grabbing keel rather than trying to catch last tail of such.

When in Tasmania on freedom quarantine and bored. At slip looking at a steel hull on dry. I asked owner if he needed 2 extra hands. He was okay. He showed me his rudder. Yes a tapered edge separate blade steel cruiser. On aft of blade was 2 flaps. Basically half inch of rudder on rudder was underway steerage. It was lighter and easier because maybe.. guessing too. Cavitation removal via tension flow past rudder provided strong flow on the half inch.
Same thing happens with longer keels. Pain in aft during marina but generally a gift in open waters.

Hopefully same as you. I don't care. You be okay.
I'm off to build my 3 mast junk for my olden age. When to old to switch brace sides I can hoist fore and missen and drive with 2 sheets. On other tack main and rudder stock. Should be simple enough provided abundance of free fuel. Air, energy and momentum. Wind, wave and tide.