Solo Sailor. How big is too big?

I've asked this question before, but how big is too big for a solo sailor?

Example 1: https://gulfport.craigslist.org/boa/d/diamondhead-hunter-45-legend-cabins/7231548263.html

Example 2: https://neworleans.craigslist.org/boa/d/1982-wauquiez-pretorien-35-sailboat/7203015089.html

Example 3: https://panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/d/pensacola-motorsailer/7207308455.html

I know I can sail this by myself: https://mobile.craigslist.org/boa/d/daphne-west-wight-potter-19/7227081055.html


Just the Gulf. No big Bluewater.

 

Go big or go home.


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You should be able to manage a 60' ketch once you take the boating safety class from the Coast Guard.

Ignore all those guys on deck, those are just freeloaders and drinking buddies.

Don't ya think, Dale?

D

 

On ignore you go, Bub.

 

Really???

Bueller?

Bueller??

Bueller???



D

 

The Hunter 45 is easily solo-sailed. A few years ago I solo sailed one from Ensenada to Newport Beach. Easy-Peasy.

The West Wight Potter may be the slowest POS I have ever sailed.

As long as you have a roller-furling jib, an easily furled main, all the leads come back to the cockpit and you know what you are doing, you can easily solo sail a 45 footer.

When I got my off-shore certification I had to do a single-handed man overboard drill on a Catalina 38...now that was fun!

BTW, Frank Butler, the founder and owner of Catalina Yachts passed away last week. Awesome guy and a legend to the sailing community!

Jim

 

Thanks.

I imagine docking is fun.

 

Docking, even single-handed, is simple, especially if you are docking into the wind. Furl the jib. Backwind the main as you enter the slip and all is good.

If docking downwind (always a bad idea, but sometimes necessary) furl your jib completely and douse your mainsail well before you enter the slip. Throw a sea-anchor and use your forward momentum to guide you into the slip. Of course, you can always cheat and use your engine...

Jim

 

Good question, when I was a young adult ~ 14 to 18, my parents had a Nautor Swan 41 with a self furling jib and main. My Dad and with a little help from mom (not much) could manage a day sail without any issues by manually working the sheets. Unlike today which is pretty much much push button, they were able to tack, dock with a little help and moor. They were definitely not setting anything big air - Jennys, Spinnakers, etc.

When we went long distance, many more sails to manage - all the self furling gone - Marblehead to Halifax, Block Island Race Week, Newport to Bermuda, etc, anything less than six, plus dad at the helm would have been impossible.

MB

 

I dunno. I'm just thinking of chucking it all. Fantasy perhaps. But heading to the sea has a certain appeal.

 

I keep thinking of one of these krogenexpress.com cause power would work better for wife and fuel consumption low.
Then i think a 45 foot cat sailboat has it all, then I think power cat.
Wife says that lifestyle will need to be done with next wife, and my response is my budgets not that big.

Trawler style powerboat around 50ft seems to require 100k per year all in, fuel dockage hauling maintainance etc. You porbbaly need another 50k in food clothes etc. An equivalent cost house in Fl on water is 30-40k in taxes, plus 20k in maintanance and would appreciate not depreciate over time. Lifestyle costs would be higher cause you need two cars, fun boat, travel more food.


Sailboat is what 50K per year or less, plus input cost lower so depreciation lower. But harder going to live aboard unless you have a younger asian or european wife who grew up on water?

 

A freind just took off for two months on his lagoon 45. Wife on board but he does all the sailing and boat stuff.

 

I used to do lots of offshore, from Cali. Mexico and 2x TransPac. Many friends in the community. Only 2 did the "chuck it all" thing to go permanently offshore. Both came back within 2 years; done, finished. We agreed probably because the 'work ethic' that got them to that point in life won out over the 'sameness' of many many days at sea (punctuated of course by moments of sheer storm-driven terror).
And for what its worth, you better be working out daily beforehand to cope with the physical exertion of running that 40+ footer 24/7/365 all by yourself, whether you feel like it or not that morning.....

 

Thanks. But this would not be live abroad. Just crusin.

 

Wha?

 

Ok, now I am confused. 'Just cruising' as in weekends and overnights or just day trips that end where they start?

I would have a laser or a Hobie cat for day sailing.

 

Longest trips would be say for a month or two. Just noodling around the gulf coast. Go from Pensacola to the Keys with stops for fishing and visiting what few friends I have.


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Nothing under 80' is too big. It is all in how the boat is set up. I would go no less than 35' personally and tend towards 45-50 if I was solo. I like to have a little room. I like to have some speed available (hull length = speed). The most difficult part of larger boats is docking. Most of the time, there are folks on docks that will help, as do bow and stern thrusters. But, as I said, a properly set up boat (for solo sailing) is the key!

 

This is somewhat counter intuitive. Does a longer hull length mean more sail area?

 

Sail plan is influenced by many factors, hull length is one of them.

 

Interesting.

 

I grew up on sailboats but when I turned 40 ........20+ years ago it became powerboats. There is no joy to taking a sailboat out by yourself for long periods of time at least for me. Running any boat around the clock by yourself is just not a good mental experience. Once upon a time National Geographic funded a solo adventure of one Robin Lee Graham in the 1970s and I thought sailboats were the perfect way to see the world.

Overtime, only one of my friends actually enjoyed sailing and made it fun. Most just weren't interested in taking a few days off to be on a sailboat. Women on the other hand preferred powerboats because you can drive them anywhere and they have all the amenities of a house. I still like to sail but nothing replaces a powerboat when it comes to bringing the second wife and her friends along.

Cost of ownership isn't that different between sail/power and getting to where you want to go is a lot more consistent. I have a lot of friends with trawler style (diesel, that consume very little fuel) boats that cruise 180 days out of the year. In any case, in my opinion 40-45 feet is the sweet spot for either power or sale.

 

There are quite a few catamarans set up for solo in the 45' to 50' arena. Power winches, auto furlers etc.
I asked the same question on a Catamaran board a few years ago (the wife has made it abundantly clear any long term sailing adventures would be done solo) and the consensus was to find the SMALLEST cat that I would be comfortable with. IE 38 or 40 for world cruising. But what the hell do these people know right ?
Bigger boat = bigger expenses and more maintenance.
Also consider age.

But my current dream machine;
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2011/alibi-54-3641922/

I saw its sister ship in Thailand a few years ago and was completely blow away (ahem).

 

Just saw this thread, We lived on a lake in Texas and I had a 41 foot Yawl, it was a handful to sail solo, Yet I have sailed 50 foot sloops solo, so I would say its the configuration of the boat as opposed to the size of the boat. Now that I live away from the water (temporarily) I sail a Cat 22 so I can trailer it around. Are you going to berth this boat in the gulf?

I have a slip down on Clearlake sitting empty

 

Catalina 22 or a 22' catamaran?

 

Catalina 22 , swing keel