Best for singlehanding

[Blueboatman]

My two h'porth.
I do singlehand a Rustler36 and it is the easiest most fun boat that I have owned. Parking is fine too though I was pretty wary my first year, you just need to think it through, as with any boat.
Without resort to three aft cabins ( nice one Seajet) it is comfort personified in harbour and at sea, and as a singlehanded that is important.


Ok I have 'sorted' it a bit and as with any boat once you've done that and you are aware of it's limitations any boat can be made to singlehand.
But this one is a delight to sail and I reckon cheaper- a lot cheaper- than buying a 7 yr old modern boat and absorbing the depreciation and inevitable wear , tear and replacements.

 

[Sybarite]

No teams of 'outlaws', no rugger club outings, no hordes of hangers-on....

.....just you and your book-at-bedtime. And very occasionally, one of your mates.

What kind of boat, and what attributes....?

Several boats come to mind :

Etap 35/38 There is something very reassuring in knowing that your boat will continue to float if completely full of water or even if cut in two, both halves will still float. Peace of mind and reassurance if the conditions really turn nasty.

As comfort in my old age is definitely a criterion, something like a Fisher 34 would be looked at. The long keel gives directional stability and a bow thruster will handle marina situations. And you can stay dry and warm whilst sailing. Or a Cromarty 36.

More financially reasonable ideas : Rasmus 35 hard-top; Neptunian 33, Jouët 10m40 MS, Lady in Red's boat, Malo 50, Salar 40, Seastream 34, Amel Sharki. All of these give weather protection whilst helming. The list is non-restrictive. Getting cold and wet on a night watch no longer has the same attraction.

 

[Tranona]

Two single handers met in Studland this morning. Both bus pass holders who have known eachother for more than 30 years. One based in the Hamble, the other in Poole. Exchanged pleasantries after breakfast then both sailed off their anchors - one the Nauticat 33 to go back to the Solent, the other a Bavaria 37 to spend a couple of hours failing to catch mackarel before sailing back to Poole. Both moored up in their marina berths unaided. Both very happy with our choice of boats.

 

[jwilson]

Why an old Swan, wouldn't the 1980's onwards Swans be similar to handle. The Swans are a pretty yacht. I thought the boats of the 1970's weren't really designed for singlehanding, with the tendency for smaller mainsails and larger headsail, isn't the reverse considered easier to handle for smaller crew?

The old S&S model Swan 36 is tiller-steered, with mainsheet and winches handy for the helm in a deep cockpit. It is also a narrower and slightly heavier boat than the later rather racier German Frers models - which are superb boats in their own way as well, but they have wheel steering and a more open cockpit.

My second choice is also S&S - the She 36, which also has a wider more open cockpit and wheel steering. I just really like the way these classic S&S designs handle and look.

Yes, all the older boats tend to have genoa-driven rigs, but at 36 ft size it's not too bad to handle. The reason others, including me are pointing to older designs as good single-handers is that these boats cope better with gusts and squalls. Just heel a bit more and keep going where you point them, instead of rounding up.

On older boats you can reef for the lulls, and let a bit more heel take care of the gusts, this keeps your speed up more easily than on a modern boat. On most modern boats you either need to be constantly reefing/unreefing - or you "reef for the gusts" - which means you are under canvassed most of the time.

 

[sighmoon]

Good that everyone thinks their ownboat is the ideal one. Before the current boat, I'd have thought my previous one was the ideal.

My Dehler 38 has a neat trick for singlehanding though. This summer, I sailed just over 40 miles singlehanded with no autopilot; I'd been a bit concerned beforehand, but it was really very easy: trim the sails, tweak the helm a bit until she's holding her course and I can then go below, cook some dinner; poke my head up and see I've over taken a couple of boats, tweak the course slightly, eat my dinner. Tweak the course ever so slightly, get rid of yesterday's dinner; wash up, and see that she's overtaken another boat in my absence. Perfect day.

She'll sail herself over on her ear, too, but big waves knock her off course, and need someone (or something) steering.

To be honest if I was singlehanding all the time, I'd have a much smaller boat (mini 650?).

 

[doris]

Wandering around the marina

Wandering around the marina yesterday I couldn't help but think back to this question as I looked at the fat cruisers, the racey brutes and all those in between. Were I getting another boat and wished to single hand loads with the occasional girlie for company my top choice would be a Halberg 342. I suppose the RM1050 with the split rig is nice but the Rassey seemed to have all bases covered.

 

[Conachair]

What kind of boat, and what attributes....?

Mine, of course. Heavy steel long keel cutter rigged Ebbtide 33' . Would very much like a magic bow thruster to appear for maybe about 90 seconds each year, but ignoring getting in and out of nasty expensive marinas then mine with an aries stuck on the transom is just fine. We've done a few long ones together.

Attributes: Not in much of an order..

Cutter rigged, loose the foresail when the wind gets up for a low central tough rig.

Electric windlass with a cheap garage remote control from maplins. Anchoring is a breeze now, had manual for a while, will never ever go back. With a great anchor hanging off the bow.

Aries windvane, steers for thousands of miles much better than me without so much as a sip of coffee or a hint of a moan. Does teach you to get the boat trimmed though.

Premamently rigged preventers each side. Most cruising has been downwind so being able to have these rigged in a few seconds is great, in light airs between the mainsheet, preventer and topping lift you lock the boom off where ever you want.

Topping lift on camcleat on a backstay - instant adjustment from the cockpit.

Boom gallows. Big lump of wood for the boom to sit into when not being used.

Ais and radar both with loud alarms. Ais gets used much more than radar, see what the big boys are up to in a second.

Ipod with a few weeks of podcasts and speakers in the cockpit.

Lastly but not least, a keen sense of distrust in every single vessil afloat on the seven seas and a feeling of anxiety when within 50 miles of land

 

[Duffer]

You mean the modern boats with the fat backsides, high topsides, that need reefing at 12kts (broachtastic man!), and are a liability to moor singlehanded?

Let me contrast that with my Contessa 32... Low freeboard so I can reach down to clip a line onto a mooring buoy or marina cleat; unparalleled sea keeping capabilities; large fin keel that is fast, responsive and shrugs off lobster pots; skeg-hung rudder with shielded propeller (aforesaid lobster pots); small enough rig for me to handle even in a blow; forgiving character should I push her too far (which is often!); safe and compact cockpit; small enough down below to not get thrown across wide open spaces; good manners to heave too; self-steering (also see manners)... Need I go on?

Now, which modern boat are you referring to? You can pretty much discount all the mass-market boats as they're the opposite of the above. I once chartered a Bavaria 32; fantastic for the three adults to have separate cabins, but rubbish at sea.

AFAICS there aren't many boats made these days that are suitable for single-handing.

Proof of this is that I, and others in our 60's/70's era boats, regularly go out when the weather's keeping the AWB brigade in their marina berths -- I shudder to think of the challenge that manoeuvring a modern boat with a combination of high wind, high freeboard and scrawny keel.

Thinking of a couple of months ago when I sailed through the Solent from Newhaven to Lymington on a Sunday with 35kts on the beam, with the second reef in and a reasonable amount of headsail. What an amazing sail; where were all the other boats? I probably saw a dozen others of which a couple were 'modern' (and motoring). OK, that day (see the picture), I was sailing with another. But I would have been happy to have done it on my own.

Going back to the original questions - what makes a good single-hander - see the above.

The Contessa 32 is seaworthy and pretty too but there are modern boats that are ideal for single-handing. I often sail our Dufour 34 single-handed and find it fast, fun and comfortable. You can easily reach the main sheet, main sheet track, primary winches and backstay adjuster from the helm. It is easy to reef from the cockpit. She reverses easily and acccurately. A good autohelm is extremely helpful. She is faster and points higher than most other boats mentioned as well as being more comfortable. So if you want a modern, fun boat to singlehand I would highly recommend the Dufour 34!

 

[Tranona]

The Contessa 32 is seaworthy and pretty too but there are modern boats that are ideal for single-handing. I often sail our Dufour 34 single-handed and find it fast, fun and comfortable. You can easily reach the main sheet, main sheet track, primary winches and backstay adjuster from the helm. It is easy to reef from the cockpit. She reverses easily and acccurately. A good autohelm is extremely helpful. She is faster and points higher than most other boats mentioned as well as being more comfortable. So if you want a modern, fun boat to singlehand I would highly recommend the Dufour 34!

Thats pretty much what I would say about my Bavaria with furling mainsail, autopilot, electric windlass and so on. The key to singlehanding of this kind of boat is reducing the amount of manual work you have to do to keep the boat sailing smoothly.

However, if I was choosing a boat for long distance singlehanding as the main purpose, it would be a very different kind of boat - closer to what Conachair describes. But it would not be so much fun for the grandchildren and SWMBO would probably never come on it. And I would miss the lounging space, the separate cabins and all those other features that make my present boat such a pleasure to be on when not sailing.

 

[Blueboatman]

Anyone else out sailing yesterday? I saw only longkeelers with double reefs/ staysails set, like me. Going like a f-ing train in complete control, Lorra fun.

 

[Duffer]

Personally I wouldn't go for a furling main as I have only had trouble with them. All boats are a compromise so you have to choose whether your priority is performance or accomodation, build-quality or budget. Some may want offshore seaworthiness others may prioritise good looks. As this thread demonstrates many boats can be used or modified for single-handing.