What boat for tall man with wheel and sail single handed ??

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simonbuk

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I've been looking at buying my first boat for some time.

Problem I have is that i'm 6'2" and will want to be able to stand up in the cabin.
I also want a boat that is suitable for single handed sailing, be able to spend weeks on at a time.
Also i've been trained on boats that have wheels not tillers, don't know if I want a tiller steered boat now.

The sensible option would seem to be a 24-25ft yacht for ease of sailing but no way can I get the height or the wheel option with those.
It looks like i'm going to have to go to nearer a 30ft'er for both these options .

Am I right or does somebody know of any boats that might fit the description ? Budget can be up to 25K.
 
simonbuk said:
I've been looking at buying my first boat for some time.

Problem I have is that i'm 6'2" and will want to be able to stand up in the cabin.
I also want a boat that is suitable for single handed sailing, be able to spend weeks on at a time.
Also i've been trained on boats that have wheels not tillers, don't know if I want a tiller steered boat now.

The sensible option would seem to be a 24-25ft yacht for ease of sailing but no way can I get the height or the wheel option with those.
It looks like i'm going to have to go to nearer a 30ft'er for both these options .

Am I right or does somebody know of any boats that might fit the description ? Budget can be up to 25K.
Click to expand...

you do not imho want a boat under 30`with a wheel,they are too small & the wheel is an added complication. any boat that size can be s/handed
 
simonbuk said:
I've been looking at buying my first boat for some time.

Problem I have is that i'm 6'2" and will want to be able to stand up in the cabin.
I also want a boat that is suitable for single handed sailing, be able to spend weeks on at a time.
Also i've been trained on boats that have wheels not tillers, don't know if I want a tiller steered boat now.

The sensible option would seem to be a 24-25ft yacht for ease of sailing but no way can I get the height or the wheel option with those.
It looks like i'm going to have to go to nearer a 30ft'er for both these options .

Am I right or does somebody know of any boats that might fit the description ? Budget can be up to 25K.
Click to expand...

I Think it is unlikely you are going to get 6’-2” in a 24’ yacht but I may be wrong. I must say I have never seen a 25' with a wheel, but I would also consider a tiller steered yacht as friends with them say wheels can tend to cut the cockpit in half?
I think it is all down to personal choice really, but you can always lift a tiller out of the way when in harbour which gives more space, and it has been said that you get a better feel of the helm with a tiller, but I have no experience of wheels so cannot compare.
 
I'm 6'2" and know you'll struggle for height with boat sizes you have in mind.

By far the biggest attribute a boat needs for single-handing (and I've done a lot, mostly in a Rival 32) is reliable self-steering. Everything else is secondary.
 
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I am 6ft 6 ins so know the problem
My hanse 315 is excellent in this repect
One of the difficulties in boats is the restricted height in the heads. If you cannot stand up it can be awkward
The Hanse is great. Bunks are long as well
Mine is tiller steered but many have wheels
I have an Aeries which i use for all but the shortest of journeys, or when motoring
Did a round england sh last year even th Cally canal was easy
 
There are many, many boats around 30ft that have standing headroom, are within your budget and can be set up for singlehanded sailing. Do not get hung up on wheel steering - few boats of that size have it or need it. A tiller steered boat is generally much easier for singlehanding as you can arrange for all the other controls to be accessible from the helm.

Look at lots of boats and find one that you feel comfortable with and has the features you need for the sort of sailing you plan.
 
Easy no problem, I have 6'-6" headroom below and in the wheelhouse of my Colvic Watson 23'-6" and I have both wheel and tiller steering and sail almost 99% single handed, suggest you look at a CW 25'-6" or a CW 28'-6" (not with aft cabin) open cockpit much better for sailing from Tiller, finding one is no problem, finding a good one is the clever bit!

If you need help I know where there are some nice one's within your budget!

Mike

To give you an idea I am 5'-10"
 
Daydream believer said:
I am 6ft 6 ins so know the problem
My hanse 315 is excellent in this repect
One of the difficulties in boats is the restricted height in the heads. If you cannot stand up it can be awkward
The Hanse is great. Bunks are long as well
Mine is tiller steered but many have wheels
I have an Aeries which i use for all but the shortest of journeys, or when motoring
Did a round england sh last year even th Cally canal was easy
Click to expand...

great looking boat - about 30K over my budget at the minute ;)
 
I am 6'1" and manage quite well singlehanding my 27' Cutlass. In 2010 had 5 weeks onboard.

I used to think wheels were the only way to helm but I would not want one now. Tillers are great at sea - balance the sails and set up with cord and elastic to self steer, or simple tillor pilot or windvane (I do all 3) and then in harbour it pushes out of the way rather than taking up space in the cockpit.

Decide on the sailing you want to do ie coastal pottering, cross channel, blue water, nights at anchor / in marina first then look for the boat type to suit.

With £25k you have a lot of choice. A Cutlass would be £6 to 10k depending on condition / equipment. With the balance you can afford to book a hotel room from time to time if you ever feel cramped!
 
Agree that wheel steering is not ideal for a boat of 30' or less. You can get the Moody 31 (my boat) with a wheel, but it is reputed to be obtrusive in the aft cabin. You don't see many with wheel steering. I think that's the basic problem - the mechanics of wheel steering mean that space below decks is taken up with shafts and so on, which is obtrusive on smaller boats.

In any case, you have a better "feel" for the boat with a tiller, and much cheaper options for auto-pilots!
 
Ok, sounds like i'm worrying to much about tiller steering. Thought they would be harder to self steer than a wheel. One less thing to worry about them !!
 
Ability to self steer is more a function of hull type and sail balance rather than whether it has a wheel or tiller. Self steering mechanisms are much easier and cheaper for tiller steered boats. A well balanced boat of your size with an Autohelm 2000 will be very handy.
 
I think men with wheels and sails should stay away from boats - I suppose they might have a future as sand-yachts. Beyond that the question seems quite incomprehensible.
 
You can look at more modern designs like Jeanneau/Beneteau/Bavaria, etc. late 20's to early 30's feet mid 80's to mid 90's models or older designs like Barbicans/Halmatics, even possibly Vancouvers (well built, long keeled boats) which can now be had for that sort of money, all depending on which style of boat you like & what type of sailing you want to do. Another suggestion but with wheel, Neptune/Neptunian, though personally I'd go for tiller every time. The more modern designs might well suit you better if it's for coastal cruising & they're much better for close quarters manoeuvrability in marinas, etc...
 
PS, A Moody 31 might do you height-wise; not sure what the headroom is, but a friend who is over 6' can stand up in the saloon. The length of the berths is probably more of a problem; few boats provide berths much more than 6' long.

No, I'm NOT selling one!
 
Smallest boat I know that has a cabin capable of taking a 6+ footer is the Stag 28. One of which I own although I'm only 5ft 9in. Well within your price range but they don't come on the market too often.
 
full standing headroom is over rated

if you organise your boat by having the galley under the htach then you have full standing headroom where you need it

when you are cooking

the rest of the time you do not need it

down below you are lieing down or sitting down

I have been living with less than full standing headroom for six years while doing KTL

who needs it?

makes a small boat very ugly and makes a shed load of windage

yours

Dylan 6 foot
 
There's a nice sounding Sadler 32 for sale in Whitby at your budget, probably get it for less. I was seriously considering it but my requirements changed.
Lots of kit with it and a great trusted design.
http://sadler.apolloduck.com/display.phtml?aid=258121
Also agree tillers are the way to go on this size yacht.
As well as reaching all the controls and folding away in the evening you can tuck yourself under the sprayhood in inclement weather.
Also a boon for knowing EXACTLY which way your rudder is pointing.
 
One of the advantages of a tiller is that you can steer with your leg, elbow, crutch or whatever and still have two hands free to manage the sails or mobile phone without having to engage an autopilot. A tiller autopilot will usually involve an arm across the cockpit, but this needn't be intrusive. Those working out of sight tend to be pricy.

Any boat used for single-handing should have self-tailing winches and all running gear needs to be in good working order. S/T winches are worth about half a crew member in themselves, and hang the cost.
 
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