Up to 40 feet for solo sailing?

[David B]

I am very happy that our 50 (with saildrive) has a bow thruster too. Great in gross winds. I can steer the stern with the rudder, and the bow with the thruster.

In 15 knots true, we can do 9.8, so I'm happy with that too, and our tunnel entries are not shaped/faired, in any way.

[IoannisD]

In my experience up to 34'-35' is manageable. Your main problem will not be hoisting or reefing sails - there are many ways to simplify this - but mastering (proper) single-handed anchoring, and, in particular, single-handed mooring in different settings, e.g. in marinas, as well as in small harbours that may not have mooring lines or marineros to help... I chose a motorsailer with a powerful engine and a fuel range of about 800 miles, as well as a powerful bow-thruster and strong anchor winch (Tigres) as a compromise ;-)

[lewisa]

I have single-handed a Gulfstar 41 for over 40 years (( am 78+ years old) and still find it easier to sail than my old C&C 30. It's more stable, comfortable in heavy seas, and with the proper winches and reefing systems, quite manageable. My primary compromise to age was moving to a mooring from a slip so I don't have to jump off to tie lines with a contrary wind and current. I use manual windlass for the chain anchor rode (I would love an electric windlass, but the expense, complexity, and questionable reliability argue against that). I could certainly live in a smaller boat, but this one woks well.

[Riggerman]

Been solo sailing for the last 12 years on a 43 Irwin. Solo sailing is relative to how your sailboat is rigged, and your ability to sail, not the size of the boat.

[Dennisvj]

Try a Westsail 32. Plenty of sail area and manageable size. Whatever you do get a windvane self steering system!

[4runner]

Valiant 40

[westcare]

Project Atticus, YouTube...last 3 or 4 episodes. They discuss and tour several Water boats">blue water boats in the 37 to 49’ range and have John Kretschmer giving his thoughts which is very valuable. They finally get down to the Pacific Seacraft 40 and the Valiant 42

[Happ]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Well good luck to you, then. Try wrestling down the main or attempting to reef solo a 40' boat in heavy weather.

You obviously have a lot more single-handed sea time on many 40'+ boats than I do.

LittleWing77

It’s all in the way the boat is setup. First you can have a roller furling in mast main. Not my choice. Second you can have a roller furling boom. They cost around $10k or more and require an electric winch. The best solution I have found is single line reefing. To do this right have a main built with full battens and frictionless rings at the reef points. Run all the lines to the cockpit and use rope clutches. Easy. It just costs money.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by westcare

Project Atticus, YouTube...last 3 or 4 episodes. They discuss and tour several blue water boats in the 37 to 49’ range and have John Kretschmer giving his thoughts which is very valuable. They finally get down to the Pacific Seacraft 40 and the Valiant 42

While the comments of Kretschmer were entertaining and reasonable, their argumentation about the benefits of the boats was a little forced. Seems they just were trying to justify their choice. They also left out a plethora of fair choices of boats on the market at the time they were looking which would have been a good fit.

I have to admit, I don't really like this couple. They come across as trying too hard to get clicks.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by srem

I am going to retire pretty soon and I would like to finally buy a sailboat (37-40 feet) for SOLO blue water cruising, ideally 2/3 months cruises, leaving from Europe, towards Iceland, Norway, Canary Ispands, Cape Verde, ...


Up to now I have always been chartering during the summer in the Med.


Over here I see several Beneteau, Bavaria, Jeanneau, Dufour, but I would like to see something else than these ones, something more "blue water", even if I saw a guy solo cruising with a Bavaria 40, without any issue.


Any advice on what to look for? I need some inspiration. Of course an Oyster is beyond budget, something more realistic could be around 100K $.

If you’re doing coastal cruising you can find an older production boat in you the $100k range. It will probably need some investment though. Sails, dinghy, electronics, etc.

The bigger you go all these things cost more. It surprised me when I saw the difference in costs between a 36’ and a 40’ boat for a refit. The sails are heavier to take on the loads. Dinghies are hard bottom inflatables with bigger motors. It never ends.

[Rucksta]

I have a 580 sq ft main
One (old) person can take it down, bag it and transfer to a dock trolley or sail locker.
Works the other way too.

Hardest part is remove / replace battens.
It can be done at sea but easier to back into the berth to handle the 18' battens from the dock.

Removing or replacing the 500sq ft Dacron cruising main is a harder job.
The sail bag is the stack pack and the Lazy Jacks are used to hoist it into and out of position.

Like all sailing activities forethought, planning, functional equipment and an experienced well rested crew is the secret.

I think I know where the no more than x' solo myth comes from.

Same place as all other myths - ancient ignorance, superstition and a need to frighten children.

[Vaya Con Dios]

Originally Posted by srem

I am going to retire pretty soon and I would like to finally buy a sailboat (37-40 feet) for SOLO blue water cruising, ideally 2/3 months cruises, leaving from Europe, towards Iceland, Norway, Canary Ispands, Cape Verde, ...


Up to now I have always been chartering during the summer in the Med.


Over here I see several Beneteau, Bavaria, Jeanneau, Dufour, but I would like to see something else than these ones, something more "blue water", even if I saw a guy solo cruising with a Bavaria 40, without any issue.


Any advice on what to look for? I need some inspiration. Of course an Oyster is beyond budget, something more realistic could be around 100K $.

You can sail a raft as long as there is no issue (well under 100K), the same as many sailboats without full keels. As long as you never get into a serious storm, then any keel and any kind of sailing vessel can do, and so seems to be the general feeling since the 1990's. You can say the same of autopilots, but I'll always have a windvane backup. Decent water tanks, but I'll always choose to include a watermaker. You can have the pleasure of running out to the mast to manage your sail, but under heavy weather, I will always choose to have my lines feed back to my cockpit. I have sailed comfortably in a shirt during a snow storm at sea, in a fully enclosed, and very warm cockpit with full control of my vessel. I sail with the worse weather in mind, so that I can always enjoy the best weather and sailing. If you get in a storm, a full keeled sailboat heaved to a para-anchor will allow you to sit it out in the middle of the ocean, quite comfortably, and wait for the weather to change. My latest piece of equipment getting consideration is a collision avoidance system. Those damn containers floating in the Pacific and those dead-heads in the Pacific Northwest.

You are retiring. Think of what will make your sailing more pleasurable when others are wishing they had.

Fair winds and good hunting.

[SuttonsBay]

I have been cruising full time solo for four years on a 48' Hallberg Rassy with no issues. It's not so much the length but how the boat is set up. I would advise going bigger for ocean travel and focus on the set up.

[Rainbow48]

I’m 72. “Rainbow” is 63 LOD, 81,000 disp.. I routinely sail single handed, including extended trips offshore. Single handing has less to do with vessel size than it has to do with how you have your ship and yourself set up. I recently wrote an article for “WoodenBoat” magazine in which I address this topic. It’s in their Nov/Dec, 2020 issue, if you’re interested.

[Hasbeen]

53,000 miles around the Pacific islands, 13,000 of it single handed, in a 40 footer. If I went again it would be a 48 footer.


Bigger boats are more stable & easier to handle both in a sea, & around jetties, they stay where you parked them long enough to get some lines on when single handed.


I ran tourist boats up to 120Ft, & 300 passengers after I stopped cruising. The easiest boats I have handled was a 112Ft launch, & a 65Ft yacht