Solo Liveaboard?

[stampsteve]

Hey!


First time trying to buy a sail boat, I've never sailed before so just in the research process.


Trying to narrow down my boat search. I will likely end up doing mostly coastal trips with it. Is it possible to do a long distance ocean crossing solo?

Are there certain sizes of boats I should be limiting myself to?
Can you solo sail a 50 foot boat?


Are catamarans or monohulls easier to single hand?



Also the big question... how do I learn to solo sail assuming i ever find a boat to buy?


Right now I am considering a beneteau or jeanneau unless I want to try to go catamaran then maybe a lagoon 380.
I'm a light sleeper and I hear catamarans are easier to sleep in so I might want to go that option


Thank you!!

 

[Yngmar]

Is it possible to do a long distance ocean crossing solo?

Yup. They've even made a sport of it

Are there certain sizes of boats I should be limiting myself to?

Ones you can afford, not just to buy, but also to moor and maintain. Look up marina fees in the areas you want to visit to get an idea.

Can you solo sail a 50 foot boat?

Yup. It gets more and more difficult with size and you will rely on more and more clever tricks and/or expensive equipment though.

Are catamarans or monohulls easier to single hand?

A cat vs. mono flamewar will soon erupt to not answer this question for you!

how do I learn to solo sail assuming i ever find a boat to buy?

You read a bit, watch some videos, but eventually nothing will work better than hopping on your boat and figuring it out by trial and error.

I'm a light sleeper and I hear catamarans are easier to sleep in so I might want to go that option

Boating inevitably comes with some disrupted sleep and sometimes none at all, after which you still have to operate the boat safely despite being absolutely knackered. Sometimes, anyways.

 

[Tranona]

Welcome to the forum

Can't fault the answers already given, so will just add one comment.

First thing to do is to find out whether you actually like sailing - not just the idea. Starting from scratch there are well tested ways of doing this of which the easiest is to take a sailing course that includes theory and importantly practice where you will spend a few days on a boat of a similar size to that which is commonly used for liveaboard sailing, although of course you will be in a crew. If you get past this you will be in a much better position to take the next steps. There is as Yngmar a vast amount of information available on the subject, including this forum that will help you get a feel for the many different ways others have gone about it and the boats they have chosen. At some point you will have the confidence to jump in and buy a boat, probably not THE boat but one that will take you to the next stage of full commitment to go and do it.

 

[PlanB]

Following on from the very good points made above, you also need to find out if you will like living aboard - it's not the same as a house.

 

[newtothis]

If you're never done this before I'd suggest trying it first before wasting a lot of time, energy and money trying to figure out what type of boat will suit you.
The RYA programme will take you from Introduction to Sailing to Yachtmaster Ocean without having to spend a penny on buying a boat and you can bail out at any point if it turns out to be not your thing.
I'd get as far as Day Skipper before I thought about buying. By then you'll have had some experience, read up on the pastime, talked to people who sail and will begin to have an idea about what might suit.
If you're just in the research phase, as you say, I'd hazard that you should be researching sailing rather than yachts.

 

[greeny]

All the above, and, ----------------
I don't know where you live but try and find a reasonably close yacht club or marina and have a wander round. Ask in the office if anyone is ever asking for crew. Chat to people and see if anyone wants a novice crew member, put a note on the notice board asking if anyone needs some help. Some people are alone and just want a bit of help to go out now and again and to help with berthing especially. You might get lucky and get a regular who is happy to take you out. Take things from there.

 

[stampsteve]

Thanks for all the input!! This def answers a lot of my questions and gives me an idea what the next steps are.


I've been a nomad for the past 3 years - during that time stayed in about 200 airbnbs/hostels all over the world. I absolutely HATE owning things. Everything I own fits in a suit case.
This is why I think a yacht might be the best option for me. IDK why I never thought about it before until recently.


I'm currently staying the next month in mexico city so don't have access to jump in anything right now
looking into finding a flight simulator type of game for boats to learn about some sailing concepts until i can get into the real thing!

 

[newtothis]

I'm currently staying the next month in mexico city so don't have access to jump in anything right now
looking into finding a flight simulator type of game for boats to learn about some sailing concepts until i can get into the real thing!

One thing you'll need to check if your propensity towards sea sickness. This you can easily simulate in Mexico by going the worst restaurant near you, eating as much as you can of the thing you like least, and washing it down with the worst tequila available.
Note how you feel when you wake up in the morning and imagine that lasting for three or four days.

 

[38mess]

Hi welcome.
Do you intend living aboard in the UK? If so winter is not much fun, summer is ok but still a challenge, I lived on my 24 ft Eventide for one summer and almost a winter, I couldn't stand the damp and cold and dark anymore.
Also I single handed a Bavaria 49 for a 3 day trip when I was aged 56 after my crew let me down, I wouldn't want to make a habit of it, but once under way things were fine.
Good luck

 

[V1701]

Well having read your second post I think there's far more chance that it might suit you than after I had read your first. Interestingly I was a nomad for about three years (South & Central America & SE Asia) before I came back to UK & bought my first boat to live on. It was a 30ft monohull, fairly modern & fine for one person to live on and learn to sail. Modern design fin keel much easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces than older, long keel designs, albeit a bit more flighty. That was 11 years ago and I'm still afloat full time after several boat changes. Absolutely go for it but do find out if you like sailing/being on a boat first...

50ft is far too big for one...

 

[Sailfree]

I've been a nomad for the past 3 years - during that time stayed in about 200 airbnbs/hostels all over the world. I absolutely HATE owning things. Everything I own fits in a suit case.
This is why I think a yacht might be the best option for me. IDK why I never thought about it .

Is your real name Jack Reacher?

 

[ryanroberts]

Thanks for all the input!! This def answers a lot of my questions and gives me an idea what the next steps are.


I've been a nomad for the past 3 years - during that time stayed in about 200 airbnbs/hostels all over the world. I absolutely HATE owning things. Everything I own fits in a suit case.
This is why I think a yacht might be the best option for me. IDK why I never thought about it before until recently.


I'm currently staying the next month in mexico city so don't have access to jump in anything right now
looking into finding a flight simulator type of game for boats to learn about some sailing concepts until i can get into the real thing!

Not having lundlubber amounts of stuff is one of the biggest obstacles for a lot of people. Constantly fixing the stuff you do have is another one. Everybody has their limits, but a boat will mostly only feel too big when you try to park it solo. Mid 30s was probably optimal for me as a noob sailor, but accustomed to living on boats. I ended up burying the boat under a couple of waves getting into a surprise headwind on the way to Salcombe Saturday solo from Brixham, spilling a lot of my soup. It is definitely a good idea to check you like the sailing bit including the inevitable 'why the hell am I doing this' moments or you will end up with an impractical and small house.

 

[Seastoke]

Do you thin we will here from him again.

 

[V1701]

Another possibility is van life, I tried that for a year just as an experiment, again in the UK & being tied to full time work. It was workable but begs another question - whether you have all the time in the world or will need to work/earn. Sailing is far better if you can wait for the right(ish) weather or work from anywhere. It can be frustrating if you're tied to a physical place of work and annual leave entitlement, when you'll find that the wind will invariably be coming from the wrong direction...