Dufour 44 short handed yes or No

[Doffy]

looking at 44 any views on man wife and 11yr old handling her, Would like to get spinny up

Go back to sail after years MBing it if wife an come round to idea of not being in x for lunch and y for Dinner and having the G&T healing over.

 

[Sonnamara]

I can see no problem in handling a Dufour 44 shorthanded, my wife and I regularly sail our Bene 47 with just the two of us, with a good autopilot and appropriately sized self tailing winches we've never had a problem - don't have a spinnaker yet, but I can't really imagine that being a problem either with a sock for launch and recovery. Good luck!

 

[Talbot]

you would undoubtedly find that a cruising chute would be a lot less effort for two people. Think that Day Melon has proven that much bigger boats can be handled by very small crews given the correct boat facilities. A good autohelm and appropriate self tailing winches + lines led back to the cockpit are a prime requirement.

 

[Norman_E]

I have much the same thoughts about a Jeanneau 45.2 I am considering. I will only have my partner most of the time, and she is a non sailor. If your daughter is reliable at the helm, then you have two people to do the real work, and it should be easy enough.

 

[lockwood]

I have an idea..... why not buy me the Dufour, and you can have my lovely little Jag 22 - easily handled by 2 people! That way we are both happy /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

No... oh well.... just a thought.