Maximum Boat Size

[Eric Sea Frog]

Commodores,

What do you think is the longer sailboat I could skip on my own? I don't mind occasional or long-lasting mates, but if ever find meself alone, I wouldn't get stranded ashore for ever.
Would you see a one-mast design ? 10 meters ? 12 ?
I ask for the larger because I want to be confortable.

I could ask for the moon, too :rolleyes:

Eric

[gert]

I suspect if you throw enough money at a boat in electronics, power winches, auto pilot etc there's probably no limit.

[ishmael]

Or...Chichester circled the globe with none of that, in 66-67, aboard Gypsy Moth, a 16.5 meter ketch. Look for some photos; not a he-man, though a singular one.

10 to 12 meters sounds about right.

[ 10-25-2002, 06:01 PM: Message edited by: ishmael ]

[htom]

If you want big and single-handing, you need more than one stick, and if you're serious about big, you might need more than two. LFH's Marco Polo is a three-masted schooner, and supposedly able to be single-handed (or at least sailed with "one man on watch".)

[Alan D. Hyde]

Sir Francis Chichester had a discussion on this topic in one of his books, Gipsy Moth Circles the Globe, if I've gotten the title right.

Alan

[ACB]

10 to 12 metres. Bigger than that and you need gimmicks, which may not work, or several masts, which means doing the same job twice or thrice. Anyway, anyone can live comfortably in a 10 metre boat.

[ishmael]

Yes, 10 to 12 meters. Listen to me!, HA, I've never owned anything bigger than the boat I have right now, a Drascombe Lugger. But I've thought and talked and read.

I think a 30ish foot, Bermudan cutter rigged, would be ideal for single handing. 'Course, you don't mention your venue. And, of course, the type of design, the volumn and other parameters, are near as important as length.

10 to 12 is big enough to live comfortably, even if you find a sweet vixen along the way, but small enough so a cutter rig is quite managable alone.

A vixen with simple needs. Is that an oxymoron?

Jack

[john welsford]

One of the better known French singlehaders of teh 70s sailed a boat called "Club Med" in one of the TransAtlantic races, she was 237 ft long! The rumor that he had a bicycle to go and check his forward gronicles was unfounded.
On a more serious note, a friend of mine, close to 6 years old and of very slight build, lives aboard a 48 foot gaff ketch and copes fine. he does have a hydraulic powered winch that takes not only anchor tackle but halyards etc as well.
JohnW


Originally posted by Eric Sea Frog:
Commodores,

What do you think is the longer sailboat I could skip on my own? I don't mind occasional or long-lasting mates, but if ever find meself alone, I wouldn't get stranded ashore for ever.
Would you see a one-mast design ? 10 meters ? 12 ?
I ask for the larger because I want to be confortable.

I could ask for the moon, too :rolleyes:

Eric

[Meerkat]

SIX years old? Must be one heck of a kid ;)

[paladin]

More ocean crossings are made on boats 30 feet and under more than any other size.....
A 32 to 36 foot boat similar to a Lyle Hess cutter is extremely comfortable, a 40 footer really nice and mine is in reality about 5 feet longer because I wanted to be able to turn around in the shower without bumping into something or sleeping with lots of room at either end of the bunk. There are no power assisted gadgets on board and I'm 62 years old, one lung, one kidney, damaged pancreas, bad legs and more than one hole in my butt......since repaired. I get out of breath on really bad days but have made 3 circumnavigations and have really slowed down but a young strong lad shouldn't have any trouble. Roller furlung jhelps, lazy jacks, a damn nice anchor yanker and a few other concessions make it nice. :D :D

[B. Burnside]

A vixen with simple needs. Is that an oxymoron?
No.

[ 10-26-2002, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: B. Burnside ]

[Leon Steyns]

paladin,

Nice quote! I'm gonna put that one on my car...

As for the boat size: when reading liveabord stories, they are mostly in the 35' - 40' range and, as commented above, without too much (electrical) gadgetry on board. Water and electricity aren't the best of friends and repair options are limited a few hundred miles out.

Greets, Leon Steyns.

[ 10-26-2002, 03:08 PM: Message edited by: Leon Steyns ]

[Eric Sea Frog]

Thx. I'm in the pic. 10-12 m sans electronics.
And I now have a possible name to christen the boat.
tongue.gif

[ishmael]

Barbara,

Glad to hear that! I only seem to meet the ones who draw the line at no hot, running water. Actually, of late, I haven't been meeting many at all. :( Pooah Jack.

Later.

[Ian McColgin]

It used to be that the upper limit for a singlehander was sail area of the main, but there were wildly different estimates on that depending on the expert's experience with boat and rig types.

In smaller boats, where it's hard to stand in a high sea and work safely, they used to say anywhere from 350 sqft to 500 sqft was the upper limit. As the boat gets larger, you have a more stabile platform and you probably have more mechanical advantage. Those round the world types handle some pretty big sails.

My own rule of thumb is know your own upper limit for your human power when you'ree very tired, stuff is broken, it's midnight in a 50 kt sleet storm.

For me, if the boat's large enough, that's about 750 sqft.

I do not really like cockpit feeds because you gain so much friction with all those turning blocks at the base of the mast and you have huge cockpit clutter, but that still may be best in a small boat. Sadly, many boats with cockpit hallyards manage the reefing system such that it mandates two or more to operate.

I laid out a Cutless (24' MORC sloop) for single handing. Even though it's more line, I do not recommend single line reefing. Have clews and tacks seperate. This is a lot of line - Hallyard, topping lift, down haul, and a total of 6 more lines for reefing - tack and clew for each of three reefs. I put all this on the aft end of the cockpit all leading to 9 cleats on the starboard side of the coach roof. The port side had the spare main, 2 jib and 2 spinaker hallyard as well as the spinaker pole's topping lift and down haul.

Small rig so no need for a winch for the main - people often forget just how wonderful lots of mechanical advantage on the down haul can be.

You can go another route, like with Grana. She's a 20 ton boat but each sail is smallish and she's thus very easy and safe to work.

G'luck

[formerlyknownasprince]

paladin said:
I'm 62 years old, one lung, one kidney, damaged pancreas, bad legs and more than one hole in my butt......since repaired. I get out of breath on really bad days Now - if that's what you get for having a 45 foot boat, I'd suggest something smaller.

Ian tongue.gif