Elan 31

wooslehunter

wooslehunter

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Just thinking about the next boat & Élan 31 comes to mind. A couple of things though.

Anyone have one & care to offer an opinion on single handing a 31. I do a lot of it but current boat is smaller, older & far more perhaps forgiving.

Second, was the a new model in 03. There seems a 10k+ jump in 03 boats compared to 02 boats.
 
Tnx Bene is a possible too. I'm well used to parking alone. Looking for ideas on something that's forgiving and good inside but also has a reasonable performance, even when single handed.

At the risk of thread drift, the trick is plan well ahead & have all lines & fenders set and come in on the right side to use the prop walk. The big trick when being blown off is a centre line. I rig this in a big loop from a cleat and back to a winch. I throw the loop over a cleat or bollard & winch in. That's it, done. The boat isnt going anywhere & I can motor against it to hold the bow in.
 
Just a bit bigger,but...

I don't know the 31 well but I believe this Humphrey design shares the same objective and attributes as our Elan 333. A performance racer cruiser it is very rewarding to sail, as an ex dinghy sailor you will be well impressed. As far as single-handing I find it no problem, if pottering inshore on a force 3 or more you will be surprised how many boats you overtake using just the genoa. Handling full sail is straightforward too. I must admit that the wheel steering of the 333 makes solo sailing easier, being able instantly to lock the wheel or engage the wheelpilot is great when raising or lowering sail or hanging out the fenders. Being a deep but short fin keel she will otherwise soon turn off course.
 
I have a friend with one who often sails single handed, I've sailed on it, seems a nice well balanced yacht :encouragement:
 
I never intended to buy a new boat when i went to LIBS in 2003. Howver, I saw the Elan 31 & was hooked on a new boat. The family liked it as well Esp the wife
As a result swmbo arranged visits to all the main yacht sales
When I went back to the elan broker in the south they were off hand, chucked the keys at us & said boat is on the pontoon go & look
What i had not noticed at the LIBS was how narrow the doors were, how low the headroom was, How - if you were tall like me you could not stand up in the heads but had to bend at the waist. So unless one was hung like a donkey there was no way one could pee into the bowl
The bunks were not particularly long eoither - I am 6ft 6ins
in the end I bought a Hanse 312. it has a self tacking jib, Is dead easy to sail single handed - 90% of my sailing has been SH - 2 round UK's - a trip to Biscay, cruised the dutch canals & over 60 channel crossings
It is fast, good in heavy weather & has better headroom longer bunks than the elan & possible the largest heads in its class which the wife appreciates
So whilst the Elan was my first choice the broker & some minor points put me off & I am glad they did
 
Interesting points on the Hanse. Could be another candidate. I'm 5'8 & not 6'6 so height shouldn't be a problem. I've sailed a little on a 333 which is one of the boats in the club that wins lots of trophies. Points very close & sails well.

One tging I like about my current boat i stiller steering since I can easily stear with my foot while tacking. Nt so sure about tacking with a wheel single handed. I've tried using my autopilot for tacking & my boat just about stops when it tacks to lots of tiller required. Newer boats may be different.
 
wooslehunter said:
Interesting points on the Hanse. Could be another candidate. I'm 5'8 & not 6'6 so height shouldn't be a problem. I've sailed a little on a 333 which is one of the boats in the club that wins lots of trophies. Points very close & sails well.

One tging I like about my current boat i stiller steering since I can easily stear with my foot while tacking. Nt so sure about tacking with a wheel single handed. I've tried using my autopilot for tacking & my boat just about stops when it tacks to lots of tiller required. Newer boats may be different.
Click to expand...

Single handed with a wheel does not present any problems - you soon get used to it. Putting a bit of brake on so that the wheel does not spin can help. However on the type of boats you are looking at a wheel is not really needed as the steering loads can be handled with a tiller.
 
Daydream believer said:
What i had not noticed at the LIBS was how narrow the doors were, how low the headroom was, How - if you were tall like me you could not stand up in the heads but had to bend at the waist. So unless one was hung like a donkey there was no way one could pee into the bowl
Click to expand...
Gentlemen kneel at the throne. (especially when heeling )
 
Pay your monies and take your choice.

Tacking singlehanded with a tiller may well be easier than a wheel until you are used to steering from in front of the wheel but other operations such as reefing, dropping sails, getting the fenders in/out, making a brew all all easier if the autopilot or wheel lock are ready for immediate use.
Self tacking jib, yes the best for tacking singlehanded, I hear it's not the bees knees off the wind. Cruising without the main as I said before is very effective with the Elan, I doubt the self tacker would often provide enough push.
 
ELAiNe333 said:
Tacking singlehanded with a tiller may well be easier than a wheel until you are used to steering from in front of the wheel but other operations such as reefing, dropping sails, getting the fenders in/out, making a brew all all easier if the autopilot or wheel lock are ready for immediate use.
Self tacking jib, yes the best for tacking singlehanded, I hear it's not the bees knees off the wind. Cruising without the main as I said before is very effective with the Elan, I doubt the self tacker would often provide enough push.
Click to expand...

the ST jib is not so good off the wind but with a bigger main it is not so noticeable. It dos need down hauls on the clew to trim it off wind & downwind it does have the tendancy to slide back & forth across the track with a bang if not restrained .Of course there is the option of hoisting a genoa in light winds
One advantage of the ST is that once the wind gets up one does not have to part furl the jib. I have only done so twice in 11 years . I can hold it well above 30 Kts unfurled provided reefs are put in the main in time. It does point higher than a genoa & upwind performance is more important in a yacht than downwind performance. Any yacht will sail down wind but not so well upwind.
As for sailing with genny only - I cannot see the point ,but then one can always hoist a cruising chute instead & I have flown that with the main dropped to give the chute a clearer air down wind. My chute more than doubles the sail area so gives a lot more push than a genoa.

On a smaller boat the wheel does restrict the cockpit a lot. The autopilot for a tiller is cheaper (although possibly not better)
 
Daydream believer said:
As for sailing with genny only - I cannot see the point ,but then one can always hoist a cruising chute instead & I have flown that with the main dropped to give the chute a clearer air down wind. My chute more than doubles the sail area so gives a lot more push than a genoa.
Click to expand...

Singlehanding I tend to work on the KISS principle.
 
If I find a boat with a wheel, I guess I have to try it. My current boat almost stops in a tack which means lots of tiller. The boat falls off the wind & can easily go back through if I'm not careful. It's easy with two up, but if I have to sheet in, then occasionally I mess up. I can handle the tiller with a foot while sheeting in with non-self tailing winches. If a wheel steered boat did the same it would be horrible to tack. I'm well used to using the auto-pilot if I leave the tiler. A wheel would be the same there. Part of the appeal of a wheel is room in the cockpit with SWMBO & family on board. Current boats rudder is not transom hung & it also has a long tiller. So, this restricts cockpit space.
 
wooslehunter said:
Interesting points on the Hanse. Could be another candidate. I'm 5'8 & not 6'6 so height shouldn't be a problem. I've sailed a little on a 333 which is one of the boats in the club that wins lots of trophies. Points very close & sails well.

One tging I like about my current boat i stiller steering since I can easily stear with my foot while tacking. Nt so sure about tacking with a wheel single handed. I've tried using my autopilot for tacking & my boat just about stops when it tacks to lots of tiller required. Newer boats may be different.
Click to expand...

No probs tacking with the pilot. Stand in front of the wheel, press the buttons and tend the sheets. That said if you like single handing and dont race I would go self tacking every time.
 
Pressing the buttons on the autopilot to tack the current boat doesn't work because it can lose way & the rudder becomes ineffective unless thee are large movements. The autopilot, even though it's an ST2000 & faster than the 1000, can't keep control.

I'm hoping a boat with a bit more performance will hold way better & allow an autopilot tack.
 
wooslehunter said:
Tnx Bene is a possible too. I'm well used to parking alone. Looking for ideas on something that's forgiving and good inside but also has a reasonable performance, even when single handed.

At the risk of thread drift, the trick is plan well ahead & have all lines & fenders set and come in on the right side to use the prop walk. The big trick when being blown off is a centre line. I rig this in a big loop from a cleat and back to a winch. I throw the loop over a cleat or bollard & winch in. That's it, done. The boat isnt going anywhere & I can motor against it to hold the bow in.
Click to expand...
+1
 
Daydream believer said:
As for sailing with genny only - I cannot see the point ,
Click to expand...
Many pre-1980's designs had a huge genoa and a relatively small main. I had a UFO27 whose motive power was mostly provided by the genoa. Downwind she went equally well with or without the main, but the most oft-quoted observation about the type was that she was ".. a bit of a handful downwind". All the better then, in the interests of safety of both cranium and rigging, to drop the main, and so avoid unintended gybes.
 
Spirit of Glenans said:
Many pre-1980's designs had a huge genoa and a relatively small main. I had a UFO27 whose motive power was mostly provided by the genoa. Downwind she went equally well with or without the main, but the most oft-quoted observation about the type was that she was ".. a bit of a handful downwind". All the better then, in the interests of safety of both cranium and rigging, to drop the main, and so avoid unintended gybes.
Click to expand...

You mean that down wind you got the "Holman roll"
 
wooslehunter said:
Pressing the buttons on the autopilot to tack the current boat doesn't work because it can lose way & the rudder becomes ineffective unless thee are large movements. The autopilot, even though it's an ST2000 & faster than the 1000, can't keep control.

I'm hoping a boat with a bit more performance will hold way better & allow an autopilot tack.
Click to expand...
The Hanse 311 will tack really quick but with a genny one has to be niffty. If you do not have an autohelm ( or an Aeries like me) you would have a job handling the genny in time. However, for single handing i rarely use the genny. Upwind the pointing ability of a blade sail or STsoon helps against a genoa
It seems like your current boat is an old design. The Elan etc will be in a different world. You really ought to get a test sail on a few to see the difference in speed & handling. But do not expect them to sail far without a hand on the helm
 
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