single/short handed cruising

[madtam]

It's been too long since I last sailed. So am perusing the market for a new (older) boat for hopefully extended cruising. Some of this will be with a crew of 2 (relatively inexperienced second crew member) and some will certainly be singlehanded. So the current thinking is a relatively small yacht of maybe 30-35 feet that can be managed alone. As an ex racer I have never been impressed by the slow heavy bungalows with phenomenal interior space and all the mod cons, but that are mostly moored up or motoring. As I am no longer working I have few time constraints so passages can take as long as required to allow for weather with no need to motor. I do appreciate sailing characteristics and want to be able to make headway upwind even if it isn't the most comfortable way to sail. I do have financial constraints (don't we all !) so current budget is in the 20-30K (GBP) for purchase with around 15-20K as an initial refurbishment fund and first years costs as required.
Current favourites for boats are Contessa 32, 34 (or 35 but expensive), Sigma 33, Sadler 32 (or 34 but expensive) and the occasional late 70's to 80's IOR designs which are what I learned to sail and race in. On the whole they aren't your traditional cruising type but I think they will suit my idea of sailing better and are adaptable to cruising for a maximum crew of 2-3.
Right now I am considering a Contessa 32 and a Westerly Fulmar but have a friend in Finland who tells me to check out either a H323 or H35 as popular over there. Looking at the H35 it looks kind of interesting in an old school way. A search on here (and elsewhere) doesn't bring up much about them but my friend has sailed on one and assures me they are a fine sail.
So any thoughts on Contessa 32 v Fulma v H35, or indeed other options above and anything else I should consider ?


and yes I know that threads similar to this pop up all the time from fantasists and dreamers as well as just people with vague speculations. I also know that my expectations and thoughts are completely different frommany other peoples so any advice is quite possibly irrelevent.

 

[Minerva]

If you can stretch your budget by a little, the Moody 34 is well worth a look.

Bill Dixon designed a very well balanced boat that sails far better than you might think and the aft cabin gives pretty exceptional comfort for the LOA.

 

[Sandy]

I'm not an ex-racer, but sail in a similar way to what you describe. I went for a Gib'Sea 96. 10.10 metres or 33 feet in old money, easy to handle, sails like a big dinghy and has looked after me pretty well.

 

[underdog]

I have owned an Artekno H323 for the last 14 years. I find it fulfills my requirements as being easy to sail single handed. It has a self tacking jib which makes tacking a doddle. I think that it has a superior performance in light airs than the H-35. I have cruised it extensively up the West coast of Scotland. I also race it singlehanded. While it Does not have the most voluminous accomadation I find it quite satisfacory for 2 on a 3 week cruise
Yachting Monthly did a review of it a few years back :H323 – Yachting Monthly review

 

[Tomaret]

It depends on where you plan to sail. If you are in restricted waters where you might be tacking a lot (eg the Solent) a self tacking jib is a real benefit and, if necessary, you can throw in a tack at a moments notice without releasing the sheet and then struggling to haul in the genoa whilst trying to get into a new course. Usually, yachts designed to have a self tacking foresail have a larger mainsail so you don’t lose too much going down wind, but a cruising Shute on a roller reef will make up what’s lost.

 

[Mike Bryon]

I’ve just spent the last few months looking pretty intently. Within your budget how about having a look at Contessa 33s more volume than the 32 and sail very well. Also, you should be able to get a Sigma 36 again sail well. Even a sigma 365 if you are prepared to wait and move quickly when one appears.

 

[fredrussell]

…Right now I am considering a Contessa 32 and a Westerly Fulmar but have a friend in Finland who tells me to check out either a H323 or H35 as popular over there…

Of those, the Fulmar will have way more space below decks, if that is important to you.

 

[johnalison]

Other things being equal, I would go for a later design with a fractional rig as being easier to handle, as well as the likelihood of better accommodation in a shorter boat. I wouldn't myself choose a Sadler 290 because I am allergic to cabin-top mainsheets, but the accommodation is not far short of many 34s and would be much handier than the Sadler 32 you mention. I can see the advantage of a self-tacking jib, but the loss of performance would rule it out for me unless I were largely confined to river sailing.

 

[fredrussell]

Double post, apols

 

[RivalRedwing]

you might also consider a Rival 32 or 34 in the mix too. John Passmore (Old Man Sailing) has cruised his R32 extensively over the last few years (including through Covid) and written a couple of entertaining books on the subject too (being an ex Fleet Street journalist helps).
See Old Man Sailing – Sailing blog
and https://www.youtube.com/@oldmansailing

 

[madtam]

I have considered the Rivals, but suspect they are of the heavier and slower cruising type. I also have a preference for fractional rigs due to extensive dinghy sailing experience as well as the racing time with fractional rigs. Whilst I suspect that runners aren't really to be recommended if solo sailing, the tuning that they allow shouldn't be dismissed and there are swept spreader rigs etc that allow fractional rigs to work even without runners. I do like the idea of self tacking rigs and in particular I like the idea of a larger main and smaller foresail to allow an efficient rig without a stupidly rolled up and next to useless foresail.
I am old school where the foresail should be cut to work at it's size and not roller rigged, but on a proper forestay and cut to it's size. I have tried roller foresail reefing and find that once you get more than a few turns on the roller reefing the shape gets ridiculously bad and is more drag than drive. Whilst I guess I would prefer not to head up front in a serious blow, there is a lot to be said for a properly cut and appropriately sized foresail, that allows proper sailing.

I note the idea of a Sigma 36 with interest as I must admit to a certain appreciation of these even if they are a touch expensive. I have never sailed one, but have sailed against them and found them to be reasonably quick for a production boat. My experience being more in the one off build type of sailing.

 

[Daydream believer]

The Fulmar fits the bill in all ways. Price , availability, fin or bilge, performance, space, spares etc
Cannot really beat it,

 

[Rappey]

A friend has a northshore mg346. I really like it. Its very quick. Its beautiful to steer as it has whitlock or similar with a large wheel. Extremely responsive and very light on the helm.
The cockpit is very good with many levels to sit on and interior not bad.
Seems a great boat for the money.

 

[MisterBaxter]

How about one of the bigger Hunters, a Horizon 30 maybe? A bit smaller and lighter than the Contessa types but great boats in many ways.
Or one of the S&S designs around the 30' mark? I would love a Delta 94.

 

[dansaskip]

I am old school where the foresail should be cut to work at it's size and not roller rigged, but on a proper forestay and cut to it's size. I have tried roller foresail reefing and find that once you get more than a few turns on the roller reefing the shape gets ridiculously bad and is more drag than drive. Whilst I guess I would prefer not to head up front in a serious blow, there is a lot to be said for a properly cut and appropriately sized foresail, that allows proper sailing.

Perhaps you should consider a cutter rigged boat. Two foresails of proper size, a nice balanced rig and if it gets blowy just use the staysail. I am surprised that they are not more popular.

 

[Daydream believer]

Perhaps you should consider a cutter rigged boat. Two foresails of proper size, a nice balanced rig and if it gets blowy just use the staysail. I am surprised that they are not more popular.

How do you do a tack with the genny, when single handed & have to work it round the inner stay? I would have thought such a rig would be the last choice for beating up a river, or between 2 lots of shallow banks, such as one gets in the Thames estuary.

 

[Plum]

Perhaps you should consider a cutter rigged boat. Two foresails of proper size, a nice balanced rig and if it gets blowy just use the staysail. I am surprised that they are not more popular.

They are my choice for single handing too. Dividing the area into two sails is a big benefit when short of crew.

 

[madtam]

Cutter or solent rig works for me for long distance cruising, but a standard fractional rigged jib would probably be best for single handed tacking up a channel.
I would certainly prefer tiller steering as I'm not really a wheel steered person, it just doesn't feel right to me on a sub 40 foot yacht. However I would almost certainly be looking at some kind of wind pilot so not sure about wheel or tiller.

 

[B27]

A lot of these boats are quite old and will have a lot of tired deck gear etc.

When short handed, it can be nice to get places fairly quickly, the best way to increase all-round performance, comfort, seaworthiness .... is to buy a bigger boat.

Everybody has a different limit of what forecast they will set sail into, and that affect their optimum boat.
I can explain why I bought my boat, I can't tell anyone else what boat to buy. You have to weigh up the options of what's on the market for what you hope to do with it.

Also it's like cars. You're not buying a Contessa 32 generally, you are buying an individual one with its own faults and advantages. The general pluses and minuses of design tend to get priced in. So a great example of an ordinary design may be good value, and a mediocre example of 'good' design can be a money pit.

 

[dunedin]

At that age price a lot will depend on the condition of the individual boat - eg engine, rig & electronic renewal needed, sails etc.

But the Fulmar that you mentioned is perhaps an ideal benchmark - good size point for 1-2 crew, robust, great practical and seamanlike interior, sails very well, fractional rig with moderate sized jib.
Generally tiller steered so suits your criteria well. Personally I wouldn’t bother with a wind steering but use tiller pilot (plus spare) - as Concerto used for a solo trip round Britain plus the Northern Isles.

If available in budget a Moody 336 would be another great option, but may be too pricy.
Lots of other options with differnt degree of compromise.

PS. Did I see reference to old style hank on jibs - ditch that idea for short handed sailing. And with foam luff and third reef, a boat like a Fulmar will happily go upwind in 30+ knots true wind speed (35 apparent) perfectly well.