Sigma 362

[LouisBrowne]

I'd be grateful for any comments on:
1. The suitability of the Sigma 362 for singlehanded sailing and close quarters manoeuvring
2. The Sigma's performance in light airs
3. Performance downwind in strong winds
Many thanks

 

[skip50]

I have owned a Sigma 362 (wing keel) since 2009. My comments are:

1. Very suitable foe single handed sailing, I am assuming an autopilot of some description. I haven't done a vast amount of single handed sailing, but enough to form an opinion. She sails very well under Genoa alone, if you want to simplify things. Close quarters manoevering- no great problem turns quickly, steers well astern once a bit of way on. Mine kicks very hard to starboard with a burst of astern. I still have the original VP 2003, together with a simple twobladed folding prop. Sometimes this is useful, sometimes not.

2. Good, her sail area is on the large side, so you have to reef relatively early.

3. I have run downwind under a scrap of jib in 38 knots true (boat speed 8 knots, apparent wind 30) without a problem.

I have lost count of the number of times people have come up to me and said: 'I used to have one of these, best boat I ever owned. Wish I hadn't sold her!'

There is a good one for sale in Plymouth with Network Yacht Brokers, Rainbow Race, I used to berth alongside her in Mayflower Marina, Plymouth, and knew her and Bob well.
HTH

 

[LouisBrowne]

Thanks very much for your response, which is very encouraging.
I had thought the Sigma might be a bit underpowered so it's good to hear that you don't see that as a problem.
Louis

 

[cagey]

Completely endorse Skip 50's comments, bought mine 15ish years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed her.
Spent fair bit of time sorting her for single handing but on reflection it wasn't necessary as she is at ease with most conditions. Got a gori folding prop that I really like, the prop walk in astern allows me to come alongside sh very relaxed. Agree she is a pleasure with just jib.
I would definitely recommend buying one especially when you see the bargains to be had at the moment.
Mine is ordinary fin but has big lump of lead faired in at bottom, makes her very stiff, as mentioned with trustworthy autohelm she is easy to tack.
My only concession for my age is I have put an electric windlass in cockpit, she is a very powerful lady.
If you want any help or guidance I'm happy to have a chat on the phone, unfortunately the 362 owners club has wound up.
Happies
Keith

 

[kacecar]

I'm another 362 owner who's pleased with his boat. (Aren't we all, whatever the make and model number?) My responses to the OP's specific questions tend to repeat what others have said but, for what they are worth, are:
1. OK for singlehanding if you have a trustworthy autopilot with a simple auto-tack feature. Without the latter forget about close-quarter tacking, reason being that you can't operate the primary winches from behind the wheel. (Well, I can't.) On my boat everything else is straightforward as a singlehander - although I need to go to the mast to reef the boat is sufficiently sized and stable to make that do-able in most conditions.
2. In my experience they are, for their age, rather good in light airs.
3. Downwind performance is fine. (As a guide I use a five knot average as a passage planning speed and, when cruising, often see high sixes and sometimes sevens.) The 362, like all other Sigmas, handles very well. Providing the helm is reasonably competent you won't have a problem with uncontrollable broaching.

 

[Blue Nile]

I'm in my fourth season with my 362 and she is superb.
Fast, comfy, strong, and good looking.
Slab reefing led back makes the main a delight, though she can carry full rig well at 18kn of wind.
Thoroughly recommended..

 

[scrambledegg]

I also own a 362 and, while agreeing with most of what's been written so far , I have the following to add:
* For single handing the wheel is difficult to get around quickly for accessing main and foresail sheets, so as Kacecar suggests an autohelm with auto-tack feature is pretty important. A boat with a tiller or twin wheels (but not twin rudders!) might be a better choice for single-handing. Other modifications that would help a lot that are not standard features of the boat would be: lazyjacks/stackpack and mainsail single-line reefing. The masthead rig is a quite tall and powerful, so tacking the genoa is not going to be as easy as a boat with larger ratio of mainsail to foresail area, though you can always adapt by reducing foresail.
* Agree with others that lightwind performance is pretty good and so is downwind controllability. Not liable to rolling.

 

[cagey]

At last a 362 fan club.
What I've done to my boat.
Perversely I put the largest wheel that would fit, made it comfy to helm from coaming also when playing with sheets I can stand ahead of the wheel and still helm.
Bought wireless controller for autohelm. Transformed boat handling.
Electric anchor winch controlled from helm, also bought garage door wireless controller but haven't fitted it yet.
Moved mainsheet traveller 50 cm astern.
Granny bars and goalposts gave extra security and meant stuff is to hand rather than going below or grabbing around in locker
But the best was an electric capstan in cockpit, controlled by foot switch, couple of turns around drum and control of tension on tail enables almost anything needing grunt to be done from near the wheel.
Makes the boat a bit crew unfriendly but as the majority of my sailing is on my own then its a small price.
Happies
K

 

[scrambledegg]

Cagey, sorry if we're now going tangential. I'm interested in your wireless controller for autohelm. Why do you find that useful, what situations does it help with?
Thanks

 

[LouisBrowne]

Thanks very much to you all for your helpful comments. Louis

 

[cagey]

Cagey, sorry if we're now going tangential. I'm interested in your wireless controller for autohelm. Why do you find that useful, what situations does it help with?
Thanks

Apart from amazingly cool and how it really confuses friends etc. , the ability to be anywhere on the boat and still able to helm I find useful.
Of course crowded areas or nasty weather means helming for real but down here the waters are now quite empty and that means sitting top of steps having tea or lunch keeping lookout but lazily pot dodging by pressing a button on kit hanging round your neck.
I suppose it's only really useful when launching chute or at the mast but the rest of the time it's because I'm being lazy.
The weakness is the autohelm drive dropping out, hopefully this winter I'm replacing it with a hydraulic unit.
I bought the unit when times were good but couldn't justify it now.
Happies
Keith

 

[scrambledegg]

Apart from amazingly cool and how it really confuses friends etc. , the ability to be anywhere on the boat and still able to helm I find useful.
Of course crowded areas or nasty weather means helming for real but down here the waters are now quite empty and that means sitting top of steps having tea or lunch keeping lookout but lazily pot dodging by pressing a button on kit hanging round your neck.
I suppose it's only really useful when launching chute or at the mast but the rest of the time it's because I'm being lazy.
The weakness is the autohelm drive dropping out, hopefully this winter I'm replacing it with a hydraulic unit.
I bought the unit when times were good but couldn't justify it now.
Happies
Keith

Ha, undisturbed mealtime. Like it.

 

[Tomaret]

At last a 362 fan club.
What I've done to my boat.
Perversely I put the largest wheel that would fit, made it comfy to helm from coaming also when playing with sheets I can stand ahead of the wheel and still helm.
Bought wireless controller for autohelm. Transformed boat handling.
Electric anchor winch controlled from helm, also bought garage door wireless controller but haven't fitted it yet.
Moved mainsheet traveller 50 cm astern.
Granny bars and goalposts gave extra security and meant stuff is to hand rather than going below or grabbing around in locker
But the best was an electric capstan in cockpit, controlled by foot switch, couple of turns around drum and control of tension on tail enables almost anything needing grunt to be done from near the wheel.
Makes the boat a bit crew unfriendly but as the majority of my sailing is on my own then its a small price.
Happies
K

Instead of doing all that, why not buy a Dehler 36 CWS? Everything to hand at the helm, running to an electric winch, and a self tacking jib (if you want it) to make tacking a doddle. The latter has transformed single handed sailing for me. Furling gennacker makes downwind simple single handed. Nothing for the crew to do, but run up a genoa instead of the jib, and fly the spinny instead of the gennacker and it seems that there is work for a crew of 8 (based on this years RTIR entries - D36CWSs are rated around the same as the 362). Seem to be about the same asking price. (I also have a wireless autopilot control but don't use it as much as I had expected to).

 

[Vicarage]

Late to the party here, but in case anyone (as I did) finds this on google, then I'll echo my praise for the 362! 'Mine' is actually owned by the organisation I work for and used as an occasional staff training boat.

I live aboard during the week, and have had her on extended cruising, up to a month. She's perfectly happy single handing, and sails beautifully for a couple. We've also had friends on board, and anything up to 5 is fine and doesn't feel too much of a squeeze.

Mine's got a buggered rig and knackered sails, so upwind in light airs isn't brilliant but not too shabby either. Downwind I've had her out in about 30 knots round North Foreland, and whilst I won't have called it comfortable we were never frightened. Upwind in a fair breeze she's a dream and goes like on rails, though with our crap sails she tacks through about 100 degrees..!

 

[wotayottie]

Thanks very much for your response, which is very encouraging.
I had thought the Sigma might be a bit underpowered so it's good to hear that you don't see that as a problem.
Louis

The 362 is a version of the sigma 36 which is a cruiser racer, and therefore is unlikely to be underpowered. There is one for sale in Cardiff - been for sale for a while and I think the owners might be happy to move it.

 

[lpdsn]

The 362 is a version of the sigma 36 which is a cruiser racer, and therefore is unlikely to be underpowered.

That was always the reputation of the Sigmas that they were underpowered in light airs and needed a 5 to start to be competitive. Certainly seemed true of the 38. I've only sailed a bit on a 36 and a 362.

Of course comparing an underpowered cruiser racer to cruisers is not quite the same and I doubt a cruiser would feel she's that underpowered.

 

[[3889]]

I only sailed one for a few days last year but as a disinterested non-owner I think the 362 is a fine boat, well thought out both on deck and below. Light wind performance and close quarter handling compared favourably with my SO 36i, so no racer but certainly not sluggish and easily manoeuvred.

 

[Quandary]

That was always the reputation of the Sigmas that they were underpowered in light airs and needed a 5 to start to be competitive. Certainly seemed true of the 38. I've only sailed a bit on a 36 and a 362.

Of course comparing an underpowered cruiser racer to cruisers is not quite the same and I doubt a cruiser would feel she's that underpowered.

That's ballox,
I campaigned a 3300D for seven years, not many of the events were one design mainly handicaps like Bangor Week. Scottish Series, WHYW, and lots of club races and regattas, we won Bangor Week outright twice, we won the old N.I.offshore championship which was averaged over a whole season, it is true we welcomed a bit of wind but that was because it favoured a well practiced crew rather than the boat. After I sold her I had a 38 for 12 years, it was not campaigned as hard but we had no fear of Maxi 1100s ( even handicap on CYCA) or the like, even when the wind was light. My wife and I cruised our 38 and sometimes did passage races shorthanded, we would never have won any of these if she was just a heavy weather boat. Have you actually looked at the size of the mainsail, the air draft may not be extreme but the boom is as long as it can be made with the leach brushing the backstay.
The Sigma reputation as a 'heavy weather boat' was earned because crews that raced one design need to be competent and that advantage in slick gybes and
drops and sail carrying was exaggerated in handicap races when it really blew but the boats were competitive with much younger and bigger stuff in most conditions.
I never owned a 362, I think I would have preferred the 36s more tunable fractional rig but I recognize them as a fine boat.

 

[lpdsn]

That's ballox,
I campaigned a 3300D for seven years, not many of the events were one design mainly handicaps like Bangor Week. Scottish Series, WHYW, and lots of club races and regattas, we won Bangor Week outright twice, we won the old N.I.offshore championship which was averaged over a whole season, it is true we welcomed a bit of wind but that was because it favoured a well practiced crew rather than the boat. After I sold her I had a 38 for 12 years, it was not campaigned as hard but we had no fear of Maxi 1100s ( even handicap on CYCA) or the like, even when the wind was light. My wife and I cruised our 38 and sometimes did passage races shorthanded, we would never have won any of these if she was just a heavy weather boat. Have you actually looked at the size of the mainsail, the air draft may not be extreme but the boom is as long as it can be made with the leach brushing the backstay.
The Sigma reputation as a 'heavy weather boat' was earned because crews that raced one design need to be competent and that advantage in slick gybes and
drops and sail carrying was exaggerated in handicap races when it really blew but the boats were competitive with much younger and bigger stuff in most conditions.
I never owned a 362, I think I would have preferred the 36s more tunable fractional rig but I recognize them as a fine boat.

Well done with the successes you had with your Sigmas. I still stand by my comments. The 38 is the only one I can do so with some grounds as I raced on a few in the Solent when I was younger and have raced against them since in various places.

I once spent a week on a 362 and I chartered a 36 once for a weekend.

I'm not in the least saying they are not fine boats - they are better than many - but I'll stand by my comment that they are undercanvassed in light airs compared to many racers of their time and since.

The 36 is indeed sportier than the 362, from my recollection, but the downside for family cruising is that the accommodation is rather open plan.

 

[Quandary]

Perhaps the Sigmas you sailed on were not set up too well. In our heyday in the 33s there were 38 starters on the line at the Scottish series, at least a third of them could be discounted as non competitive and another third were never really going to be quick enough to threaten after the first beat. You had to pay attention to rake and prebend for the conditions you raced in. So there were always more going slow than fast.
Our 38 rarely won on heavy days because we kept her for cruising and by then most of the regular racing crew had dispersed having found commitments elsewhere, you need folk who know what they are doing and also beef for the rail, with only my wife and I on board we won a handicap race across the N. Channel to Scotland, how could you manage that in a 'heavy weather only' boat?
Our Finngulf 33 carried more plain sail than our 38 with a slightly taller mast but she was designed twenty years later and came from the Baltic with a very different sail configuration, she would have been quicker in light winds but we struggled to beat S33s on handicap. our cruising passage times were a bit better than the 38 but not significantly. If the objective is to go cruising, on a ten hour passage 5 mins is neither here nor there particularly if you can relax doing it.