Boat Size For Single Handle Sailing

[boatman61]

The smallest one that will afford you all the following..
1/ A good galley.
2/ Good standing headroom below deck.
3/ Bunks and settee berths that you can comfortably stretch out on full length.
4/ Good fuel (250nm) and water tankage (250L)
5/ Good storage space for clothes, food and tools/spares.
6/ A boat with the heads by the companionway if possible.
Most, if not all of these can be found in boats from 32ft to 36ft.

[Lazerbrains]

I personally believe 30-32' range is ideal for single handing - small enough to easily handle everything, but more storage/bigger berths/larger galley than the 27' range, and also typically longer waterline. I sinlgehanded my Bodega 30 for years, including through a 12 hour f9 gale with no problems. The main issue of course is if you can live minimally enough for this size - you will not be able to carry as much "cruising stuff" after you load up with the necessary spares, tools, etc.

I have recently moved up to a 37 which I feel is at the limit of what I want to deal with singlehanded and frankly, I would not be considering it if I had not already had extensive experience singlehanding the 30 and a 24 before that, so something to consider, yourself being a newer sailor.

What I consider essential for singlehanding are: self-tailing winches, a good autopilot, and clutches on halyard and reefing lines. I do not require all lines lead back to cockpit and in fact prefer simple slab reefing at the mast which is fast and uncomplicated. I do not wish to depend on electric winches which could burn out or not work under depleted battery power. But what you do need to have is things that help you not "need three hands" - autopilot, clutches on halyards/reefing lines, and self-tailing winches.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Allied39

Depends on the boat. I have a 39ft and would not go below that in length, but remember all boats are not equal.Captains too.
Handling an out island 41 was like driving a bus with flat tires compared to my boat which handles akin to a sports car.
But in a lot of situations the bus with flat tires is preferable. Not for me, but a great many folks.
So as stated already you need to do some learning and gaining of experience before you can reasonably expect to pick the right boat.
I would advise against going small though. Speed is a direct ratio to waterline, a few variables of course.
Best of luck!

This is for the OP, I do not care to argue or deal with the trolls.

Yep, for a live aboard in your budget, something in the mid 30's would be my choice as they are much more stable (not to mention faster), once you get out past the breakwater. Having sailed on a nice 30'er it was too small as a live aboard. Okay for maybe a week but that would get old pretty quick. Most boats can be rigged for solo sailing but if you're planning any extensive cruising, I'd get something big enough for three crew. I'm not an advocate of long distance solo sailing as you can't maintain a proper watch and get and get proper sleep.

[Pelican 2]

A few years ago I had a Farr 7.5 (25'). It was a trailer boat but with a pinned keel I sailed that to Great Barrier Island (around 50 miles ) several times and the Chatam Islands once ( around 900 miles ). Coastal trips a many. That was a trailer boat with a pinned keel that I left on a mooring. The main sheet went directly across the cockpit and the foresail roller furled with the winches also well in the cockpit. It had tiller steering which is easier to jury rig and no autopilot ( Except the rope I used to tie the toller to a course ). That boat did not tend to wander much once the sails were set but the creature comforts were few and its weight would have only been between 2 to 3 tonne. It was roomy and I certainly lived aboard but not as flash as the Bavaria I currently have. The point is it was one of the easiest boats to sail I have ever had. Reefing the main was the most difficult task on it and that took about 15 minutes to do on my own. I never used a motor in those days and sailed on and off the mooring ball. My current Bav 36 has everything away from the steering wheel. This means with out Autopilot its a bit of a challange alone. (Can be done). The inmast furl main makes reefing quick but two people make life easier for everything else. The boat is bigger, heavier and has more distance between everything. Both are manageable but the Farr was nimble, cheap to maintain, and adequate. The Bav is more comfortable.

[roland stockham]

It is much more about you abilities and preferences plus how the boat is set up than make model or size. Almost any decently seaworthy boat can be adapted for single handing but every single handed skipper is different and will want different things.My main advice is don't rush.Give yourself at least a full season to 'work the boat up' and get all the systems working for you in the way you want. With crew this is a good idea but you have the manpower to cope if something isn't right evenon a long passage. Single handed you want to be able to put your hand on anything you need in the dark and know exactly what to expect of it.

[Snore]

The answer is “it depends”. I am 65 and have been sailing since I was 13. I can still single-handed a 60’ monohull and 50’ cat.

It depends on 1) what is your skill set; 2) if you have a competent coach; 3) the boat’s layout and sail controls; 4) where will the boat be used?

The fact that you are asking this says you are lower on the learning curve. A modern 44’ boat with a bow thruster and well laid out controls can be single handed easily. With go on-board weather forecasting the boat can go transatlantic- with the right master. If you go old school with a full keel design it will be more challenging.

As a newbie, the smartest thing is to spend some money doing charters. Most charter guys will have no issue letting you run the boat- once it is off the dock. That said, it is the first 100 feet and the last 100’ of a trip that will get you into the most trouble.

Once you settle on a make/model research the boat completely. Know it’s foibles. I am a Tartan guy. When I went shopping for my boat, I knew classic Tartans had issues with the water tanks and the chain plates. So they were the first things I checked.

Once you get your boat, invest in a sailing coach. IMHO the best coaches are delivery guys. They are on more different types of boats each year than anyone else. They also know how to deal with the handling peculiarities of each design.

It starts with how will the boat be used? Bahamas? Run down to the VI’s? Transatlantic to Europe?

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Adelie

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.

Not trying to argue semantics with you, but I would define emperical more as a testing of an hypothesis. Whatever. The subject, particularly when it comes to the dynamics of single and shorthanded sailing compared with fully crewed, is the thing that fascinates me.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Adelie

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.

Maybe but it was a long time ago and the boats have changed alot. Today's Big boats have big powerful engines, most can raise anchor from the cockpit and many have both sails on furler.

In the situation that was described I'd rather my big boat than my older smaller boat.

[Erik de Jong]

It really depends from one boat to another. I have done a lot of single handing in the Arctic on my own 50' boat, easy piecy. I have also single handed 80 footers on long passages as well as though locks and maneuvering in tight ports.
On the other hand, I also have done some transats on 35 footers that were much harder to handle than the 80 footer. Just start with a small crew, try to do everything on your own and "feel" if the boat suits you or not.

[Dave Isom]

Lots of mostly very good advice. Make sure you learn to sail and navigate properly with someone who knows what they’re doing, preferably a qualified instructor then start off on solo day trips if, and when you’re comfortable with that. If not, take an experienced sailor with you until you’re ok with it. I would look for a safe, sea kindly production boat under about 35 feet which you really like. A cutter rig with roller furling genoa and maybe roller inner staysail would be ideal. Slab reefed mainsail is fine, you don’t need in mast or in boom furling main although some people think they are essential, they’re not. You do not need electric winches for a boat of that size unless you’re quite frail. Get someone , a rigger ?.....to set up your halyards etc back to the cockpit so you don’t have to go forard to drop the main etc....Learn all the rules and tricks like not allowing lines to dangle over the side and foul your prop, it can ruin your day. Reef down early or sail with a reefed main to start , just go slowly but safely.Stay on the boat ! There’s a lot to learn , find a good teacher who can show you how to dock your boat, reef you main, heave to,etc etc , good luck, it’s a buyers market so take your time and get someone knowledgeable to inspect the boat out of the water BEFORE you buy it...Cheers.

[desertsailor]

Snore raised a few good points: "It depends on 1) what is your skill set; 2) if you have a competent coach; 3) the boat’s layout and sail controls; 4) where will the boat be used?"


Altho it is more difficult during this period of COVID 19, I would suggest that after you have taken the ASA courses, then volunteer as a crew member with a knowledgeable skipper, on as many different boats as possible. This provides some practical experience, knowledge of more skillful sailors, and a chance to sail with boats having different layouts. Then you can decide what appeals to you. Most importantly, you'll find out if you really like sailing. Remember, when standing watch at night, you may be alone at the helm, but have a backup skipper/crew mate to help with any problems.

[PuttingDoctor]

I moved up from my Irwin 38 to the Irwin 46 for a number of reasons but primarily the setup of the staysail ketch rig. Everything except the mizzen sail is run to the cockpit and both headsails and main are furling.
I do not have to leave the cockpit to operate my vessel.

[BrownBear]

Thank you all again for your detailed information and thoughts. This is all very helpful. I greatly appreciate it. If it matters for the record I am from the desert in Arizona and do not know anyone that has sailed. I have traveled extensively internationally, have done my homework on sailing life and now know this is what I want to do with my life (selling business as well).

Contrail, thank you for the detailed information. I have to imagine sailing is a good way to stay fit, young, and active. The more research and thought I have put into this I have started thinking about expanding my budget for my boat, which I am fortunate enough to be able to do. You mentioned a 36 foot catamaran and up and to this point I was not aware that catamarans could be sailed single handed. As I plan on sailing for a few years to indefinitely would you consider it wise to spend the extra money now to be more comfortable? I am in construction and worked my way up from a laborer as a teen to owning a small but moderate sized company now. I don’t need anything fancy and I have just about two of every tool. I just really want to do my homework so that I can make an informed decision as I work on my sailing classes and getting my land based affairs in order.

[Cyrus Safdari]

28 foot to 40 foot monohull sailboats for 1
40 to 45 for 2

[Zzmeyer]

Having had both a 50 foot cat and a 50 monohull, and having single handed my monohull for years, I can't imagine single handing my cat. Good on those who can. With a 25 foot beam and limited visibility from the helm I need help. A bigger boat has more systems generally to need attention. For me, and me only, I would want a monohull of some size. Some of the smaller monohulls will have narrow side decks, quicker motion at sea, less comfort at anchor. The above posts are some of the best I've seen on this forum. You will find experienced people who will want to sail with you and that is the best way to learn. As everyone has a limited budget of some sort, I'd size my boat based on the ability to get (or outfit) a well maintained, well outfitted boat. Even when I offshore with 3 or fewer total crew you are on watch generally by yourself. The extra crew is needed for emergencies so if you can avoid them you will be in good shape. Reviewing offshore rallies, admittedly not a perfect sample, the average length comes in around 42 feet. Each person is different in what they want an need. The Pardeys, mentioned in an earlier post, traveled the world in a 24 foot both with no engine and no electrics which requires a different skill set than most modern boats need.