Poll: Longest cruising yacht for single-handed sailors?

Longest cruising yacht for single-handed sailors?

  • 27-29ft

    Votes: 8 5.0%

  • 30-32ft

    Votes: 13 8.1%

  • 33-35ft

    Votes: 29 18.0%

  • 36-38ft

    Votes: 45 28.0%

  • 39-41ft

    Votes: 19 11.8%

  • 42-44ft

    Votes: 47 29.2%
  • Total voters
    161
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An American friend of mine who's around 70 years old single-hands a 55ft Benneteau. It does have electric winches and that joystick docking thingie.
 
What I really dont understand why people think that every boat larger than 50' is difficult to single handed.
I learn how to sail on a 40' boat. Then I buy 55' now I sail single handed a 65' custom made boat because my wife dont know anything about sailing. Of course she help me with buoys etc but this can be easily done by myself also when preparing to e ter harbour. What U need is good line management and hightech gear. I sit down with the designers and discuss what I want and what can be done.
Bow and stern thruster, 6 electric winches, hightech gear. This way I manage the 65'boat very easy by myself.

And I dont get why everybody say that the maintance of larger boats are more $$$. When something get broke on a 40' or on 60' cost usually almost the same price. Penta d3 on 40' or penta d4 on 60'. U dont replace the entire engine but one part and the parts are usually the same. I got my 65' for almost 1,5 year and one thing that I changed are the oil, fuel, water filters and smal thing on the engine.
 
The OP still hasn't said what he means by "cruising".

If it's blue water cruising, the answer is very different from Solent cruising.
 
Minn said:
I singlehanded a 37ft gaff cutter for thirty years; she had been designed to be handled by a couple and was very easy despite the lack of any modern gadgets. She had a manual windlass, no wInches, staysail was self tacking, roller furling jib, roller reefing mainsail. When I bought her she actually had no electrics at all and had been sailed by the previous owners, an elderly couple, for thirty years. Displacement was 20,000lbs and of course long keel.

I am now thinking of "modernising" my sailing and thus far I have been dismayed by how far backwards, rather than forwards, we seem to have gone! The thing that really dismays me is how much more hard work seems to be involved in sailing a modern boat. This boils down to the following factors:

1. Much, much, more friction in the rig. Very often the approach seems to be "add a winch" rather than "eliminate the friction". I absolutely detest, and consider unsafe, sails that don't come down or reef when they ought to, which is when I first think about it!

2. Sloop rather than cutter rig means graunching the expletive deleted headsail in on every single tack. On the old gaff cutter the staysail took care of itself and you just cast off the old and belayed the new jib sheet at the psychological moment. Easy.

3. Very many boats have cockpits optimised for sailing with a crew on deck. I think that a cruiser should be capable of being sailed by one small woman on deck!

I cant afford bowthrusters and suchlike, so my modern boat is going to be a little smaller (she will none the less have better accomodation, I fancy) and I am voting 33-35ft
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I just found and re-read my old post.

Do as I say, don’t do as I do...

Exhibit A as described above:



Did I buy a nice 33 footer?

No I did not:

 
Well, she is a cutter - just rather a big one. Honestly, of all the boats I looked at, she was in the best condition for the price... Talking of marina bookings, she has spent her whole life (“one careful lady owner”) with a Certificate of Registration which understates her length by four metres!
 
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dom said:
Minn, wow, that's just stunning :encouragement:
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She is “Croix des Gardes”, she lives on the Orwell, when not hibernating in her private barn in Cambridgeshire and she belongs to Pyrojames, who rescued her and rebuilt her and sails her singlehanded making it all look very easy. 52ft on deck and 22 tons.

(You will notice that she is steered with one of those stick things, not with “his” and “hers” wheels in the modern manner).
 
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Minn said:
She is “Croix des Gardes”, she lives on the Orwell, when not hibernating in her private barn in Cambridgeshire and she belongs to Pyrojames, who rescued her and rebuilt her and sails her singlehanded making it all look very easy. 52ft on deck and 22 tons.
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Not always sure about MABs but classics have the potential to be gems and Pyrojames has cut Croix des Gardes just beautifully. Credit to his workmanship and dedication!
 
yodave said:
I'm looking for a broad range of views from forum members on the longest cruising yacht for a single-handed sailor assuming that sailor has average skills, not a seasoned professional. All input greatfully received.

Thanks
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Depends on your age / fitness and the gear of the boat. Knox Johnson at 70 did a round the world on a 65 ft steel boat single handed.

It also depends on where you sail. I could handle my 36 footer rounding lands end but I wouldnt try to short tack her through moorings thanks to a masthead rig and 140 genoa.
 
Minn said:
No tacking through moorings under genoa for me.

Mind you, we were enjoying a pint on the RHYC lawn this summer when a 12 metre came elegantly past, doing exactly that, in rather a narrow part of the river. We were most impressed!
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Wish I had been there watching...+the pint.

My bro was doing his YM and prepped to depart the pontoon. Bit of tide, so springs and other methods to to get off cleanly. Instructer asked why he was not starting the engine. Bro replied it was they way we used to do it when we didn't have one. But I will start it to keep you happy.
Out of interest, did the 12 HAVE an engine? I spose they do, once out of 'that' racing class. Plus insurance considerations.
 
Minn said:
.
(You will notice that she is steered with one of those stick things, not with “his” and “hers” wheels in the modern manner).
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And it appears to be well balanced, with just a little weather helm.

Take my hat off to Pyro James for that superb effort.
 
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