New Boat Purchase

[pvb]

I'd agree with the view that larger boats are often easier to handle in marinas, etc. However, I think there's a point at which manoeuvring singlehanded maybe gets fraught, and I'd have thought it was a bit smaller than 49ft.

 

[lustyd]

Of course it was.

At the end of the day, on any size of boat something can go wrong, and sometimes that thing going wrong is worse on a big boat and other times it's worse on a little boat.

If you spend your like mulling over all of the "things can could happen" you'll never go anywhere. In 40 years of sailing I've never had a furling system fail to the point where you have to drop/cut the sail off, but what I have had are a number of engine failures (which is a worse thing to have in a small boat), especially with outboards, and a skin fitting let go (again worse in a small boat), so it's horses for courses really.

You're probably right, I think I've just done too much "adventurous" sailing so I've seen quite a few of these failures first hand including a spinnaker parting in the middle and wrapping irretrievably around the forestay giving a quite large sail we had no control over! I guess normal sailing in normal conditions will rarely lead to such failures so one can work on the assumption all is well rather than the opposite which is how I now work

 

[Searush]

As a regular solo sailor (only coastal day trips) on a 30' ketch with all basic manual gear, I have to say that I wouldn't want bigger for several reasons;

Costs are manageable
Close quarters handling - I can push my boat off the quay if I get it wrong. It is easy to warp around in a marina in bad weather on my own.
I can handle the anchor on my own
With good timing I can even tack without winches if necessary
I don't need more space (even with extended family on board)

but each to their own, always good to hear of other's successes.

 

[Carl s]

I'd agree with the view that larger boats are often easier to handle in marinas, etc. However, I think there's a point at which manoeuvring singlehanded maybe gets fraught, and I'd have thought it was a bit smaller than 49ft.

PVb I actually said that was when the problems start , a big boat is most def not easy too manover in marinas

 

[maby]

PVb I actually said that was when the problems start , a big boat is most def not easy too manover in marinas

A modern deep keeled boat with a bow thruster is reasonably easy well up into the forty foot range. I've seen large long keel boats reduce experienced sailors to tears!