I now own a 25.5 Hunter but I have the bigger boat itch. I would surly like some input on how big is too big to single handle. My wife loves the "condo in the water" but the minute we leave the brakewater at Dana Point she get the "dear in the headlights look" so as far as getting any help, it will be little if any,. My sailing experiance is not great but I do enjoy it and I can handle my boat,maybe not as good a the "old salt" but I do get by. any and all comments will be apreciated. Thanks "MIC"
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Same Start w/ 25.5
My wife and I started out with a 25.5 nine years ago as well. After about four years we got the "two-foot" fever, and ended up moving to a Capri 26 (for the pressure water, roller furling, etc.) - sailed poorly and after six months sold it and moved to a '94 Hunter 30. It was an outstanding boat with excellent room and all the options. We are now in a '97 310 which is also a great boat, handles well and like the 30, gives that "condo at the lake" that we both enjoy. We use ours as a weekend retreat, heading up Friday night and returning Sunday. Unfortunately the fever doesn't seem to stop as our eye is now on the new 356. In any case, the best advice I can give is buy as big as possible - the 30 and 310 are no problem to single hand. Good luck!
My wife and I started out with a 25.5 nine years ago as well. After about four years we got the "two-foot" fever, and ended up moving to a Capri 26 (for the pressure water, roller furling, etc.) - sailed poorly and after six months sold it and moved to a '94 Hunter 30. It was an outstanding boat with excellent room and all the options. We are now in a '97 310 which is also a great boat, handles well and like the 30, gives that "condo at the lake" that we both enjoy. We use ours as a weekend retreat, heading up Friday night and returning Sunday. Unfortunately the fever doesn't seem to stop as our eye is now on the new 356. In any case, the best advice I can give is buy as big as possible - the 30 and 310 are no problem to single hand. Good luck!
As for the "Deer-in-the-headlights" syndrome...
Mic, did you ever consider taking an ASA sailing course with your wife? I guess I speak for many recreational sailors when I say that it's generally the guy who starts off on this adventure, expecting the Mrs. to come along for the ride. Anyway, that was the case with us. Barb came along with me often, but was quite nervous about the boat tipping over and all those "ropes and things" all over the place. Then we signed up for a basic keelboat sailing course together. Took one weekend and was welll worth it for the both of us! I picked up on quite a few techniques, and Barb can now tack & jibe with the best of 'em, and if perchance I may fall overboard, at least she knows HOW to get back and pick me up (well...I have never asked if she WOULD!). Single-handing is do-able, but much more fun (and safer) with four hands! ENJOY...
Mic, did you ever consider taking an ASA sailing course with your wife? I guess I speak for many recreational sailors when I say that it's generally the guy who starts off on this adventure, expecting the Mrs. to come along for the ride. Anyway, that was the case with us. Barb came along with me often, but was quite nervous about the boat tipping over and all those "ropes and things" all over the place. Then we signed up for a basic keelboat sailing course together. Took one weekend and was welll worth it for the both of us! I picked up on quite a few techniques, and Barb can now tack & jibe with the best of 'em, and if perchance I may fall overboard, at least she knows HOW to get back and pick me up (well...I have never asked if she WOULD!). Single-handing is do-able, but much more fun (and safer) with four hands! ENJOY...
Three Rules For Myself
Mic, After sailing mostly day sailors for only one year I bought an H34 last June. Two major considerations were: #1) How big is to big to sail alone with my limited experiance. I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. The problem with the first consideration was: #2) I have a large family (five kids ages 10-21) and wanted them to come along whenever they had time and needed the room to accomadate them. Also I wanted to overnight as much as possible. As it turns out my boat is the perfect size for me. I average getting out about once a week (mid week for me so I don't miss the weekend sports thing with the younger kids) usually for an overnighter from May thru November on the Chesapeake. On about half the sails someone is with me. The other half I'm by myself. My three most important rules for myself are 1)watch the weather, 2)think things thru, and 3)take it slow. I've actully had no problems to date. That's not to say I haven't had some exciting experiances and made some poor decisions. I've learned tons from this site and I'm not embarassed to ask other sailors for advice whenever I need it. There's a good article on www.sailnet.com titled "Size Does Matter" written on 4-6-02. If you go to their website and view previous articles section you'll find it. It might give you a little more insight for making up your mind. Enjoy the search and good luck. Joe Mullee
Mic, After sailing mostly day sailors for only one year I bought an H34 last June. Two major considerations were: #1) How big is to big to sail alone with my limited experiance. I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. The problem with the first consideration was: #2) I have a large family (five kids ages 10-21) and wanted them to come along whenever they had time and needed the room to accomadate them. Also I wanted to overnight as much as possible. As it turns out my boat is the perfect size for me. I average getting out about once a week (mid week for me so I don't miss the weekend sports thing with the younger kids) usually for an overnighter from May thru November on the Chesapeake. On about half the sails someone is with me. The other half I'm by myself. My three most important rules for myself are 1)watch the weather, 2)think things thru, and 3)take it slow. I've actully had no problems to date. That's not to say I haven't had some exciting experiances and made some poor decisions. I've learned tons from this site and I'm not embarassed to ask other sailors for advice whenever I need it. There's a good article on www.sailnet.com titled "Size Does Matter" written on 4-6-02. If you go to their website and view previous articles section you'll find it. It might give you a little more insight for making up your mind. Enjoy the search and good luck. Joe Mullee
How deep are your pockets$$$$
Having made the move to bigger is better thinking I might have reached the time to stop mark. We moved up from a 23 to a 25.5 and now have a 28.5. The jump in cost was a pretty good jump. I had a trailor for my 25.5 and 23. We had know winter storage on the 23 and 25.5. The 28.5 was $600.00 Dock was the same cost. They charge us the same for a 25.5 or a 28.5. We bought some new sails for the 28.5 it had all orginal sails on it needed a Main, 155 and a 108%Jib $6000.00 for UK Tape Drive. I could have gotten Dacron Sails but Having UK Tape Drive on my 25.5 I could not go back to Dacron. The cost jump from a 25.5 to a 28.5 was a jump. I might be able to afford a 35 but the cost jump would be BIG. The dock cost for the summer would go from $800.00 to $1900.00 and the winter storage would go from $500.00 to $900.00. Going up 7 feet in boat length would cost me another $1500.00 a year and that is to just float it and store it with the mast still up. If I wanted it taken down it's another $200.00 down and $200.00 up. The boat it'self cost twice what I paid for my 28.5. I have looked and thought this out and I just can't see why I need something bigger than my 28.5. It is big enough for 4 of us for a weeks vaction and when we race It is easier to find 3 other guys to crew rather than 6 other guys. I would rather have nice well maintained 28.5 with good sails and a boat that I can afford to get in race condition rather than a 35 that I can't. The 28.5 is a great boat is a racer/cruiser design that my wife and I can handle at the dock. I have started a 28.5 group that has about 10 guys on it and we are getting more 28.5 owners all the time. IF you need some input I can post some questions for you on the list and send you the responces. Cliff cliffr@bright.net
Having made the move to bigger is better thinking I might have reached the time to stop mark. We moved up from a 23 to a 25.5 and now have a 28.5. The jump in cost was a pretty good jump. I had a trailor for my 25.5 and 23. We had know winter storage on the 23 and 25.5. The 28.5 was $600.00 Dock was the same cost. They charge us the same for a 25.5 or a 28.5. We bought some new sails for the 28.5 it had all orginal sails on it needed a Main, 155 and a 108%Jib $6000.00 for UK Tape Drive. I could have gotten Dacron Sails but Having UK Tape Drive on my 25.5 I could not go back to Dacron. The cost jump from a 25.5 to a 28.5 was a jump. I might be able to afford a 35 but the cost jump would be BIG. The dock cost for the summer would go from $800.00 to $1900.00 and the winter storage would go from $500.00 to $900.00. Going up 7 feet in boat length would cost me another $1500.00 a year and that is to just float it and store it with the mast still up. If I wanted it taken down it's another $200.00 down and $200.00 up. The boat it'self cost twice what I paid for my 28.5. I have looked and thought this out and I just can't see why I need something bigger than my 28.5. It is big enough for 4 of us for a weeks vaction and when we race It is easier to find 3 other guys to crew rather than 6 other guys. I would rather have nice well maintained 28.5 with good sails and a boat that I can afford to get in race condition rather than a 35 that I can't. The 28.5 is a great boat is a racer/cruiser design that my wife and I can handle at the dock. I have started a 28.5 group that has about 10 guys on it and we are getting more 28.5 owners all the time. IF you need some input I can post some questions for you on the list and send you the responces. Cliff cliffr@bright.net
I agree with Cliff
Unfortunately, my pockets are even shallower than his, which is why I still have my H23. It's big enough for me, and when I do get the hankering for something bigger, I can go bareboat charter somewhere nice with the money I didn't spend on dockage and maintenance for a bigger boat. As far as size and single-handing goes, it's all a matter of the setup. I've single-handed a 40 ft boat, but it had all the lines led to the cockpit and both the jib AND main were roller-furling. Peter H23 "Raven"
Unfortunately, my pockets are even shallower than his, which is why I still have my H23. It's big enough for me, and when I do get the hankering for something bigger, I can go bareboat charter somewhere nice with the money I didn't spend on dockage and maintenance for a bigger boat. As far as size and single-handing goes, it's all a matter of the setup. I've single-handed a 40 ft boat, but it had all the lines led to the cockpit and both the jib AND main were roller-furling. Peter H23 "Raven"
No bigger than a 30
But it all depends on your skills and what you feel comfortable with. I know one guy who has a 50 footer that he solo's all the time. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything over a 30. Maybe a 28 would be a good size for you - you know, two-foot-itis...
LaDonna
But it all depends on your skills and what you feel comfortable with. I know one guy who has a 50 footer that he solo's all the time. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything over a 30. Maybe a 28 would be a good size for you - you know, two-foot-itis...
LaDonna
Singlehanded sailing can be easy
Docking and mooring is hard! if the rig and lines are set up right (easy to handle from the helm and led aft) and you're sailing in reasonably protected areas with common sense, there's not that much difference between sailing a 40 and a 20, IMHO. But get that sucker near a dock or mooring singlehanded and you'll plead for the 20. for that reason alone I agree with LaDonna. Boats over 30' are a very diferrent experience around wood and concrete.
Docking and mooring is hard! if the rig and lines are set up right (easy to handle from the helm and led aft) and you're sailing in reasonably protected areas with common sense, there's not that much difference between sailing a 40 and a 20, IMHO. But get that sucker near a dock or mooring singlehanded and you'll plead for the 20. for that reason alone I agree with LaDonna. Boats over 30' are a very diferrent experience around wood and concrete.
It's all a matter of thinking ahead
I soloed my 28.5 for 7 years and now have soloed my 34 for 2 complete seasons in all kinds of weather. I have set-up the boat to make it easy on myself: rollerfurler with foam luft, auto pilot, all lines to the cockpit. Phil is right: maneuvering in close quarters can be tricky. Practice makes good ! And preparation ahead of time. Set-up your dock and spring lines and lead them close to cockpit on docking side so you can either throw the line or bring the boat alongside and step on the dock. Notice I said step and not run and jump. Haste makes waste. Get your fenders ready while you're still outside of the marina with plenty of room. For me it's a drill that I have practiced so many times that it has become a second nature and that whenever I have guests on board, I have to remember to "offer" to let them help me. But then again, I have also decided to ride it out with sea room rather than come in in a real nasty blow. It is a matter of common sense and one must not be led by the false sense of security that coming in gives. I say go for it and practice doing everything alone, with someone there "just in case" until you get the confidence required to handle it really solo. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Good Luck
I soloed my 28.5 for 7 years and now have soloed my 34 for 2 complete seasons in all kinds of weather. I have set-up the boat to make it easy on myself: rollerfurler with foam luft, auto pilot, all lines to the cockpit. Phil is right: maneuvering in close quarters can be tricky. Practice makes good ! And preparation ahead of time. Set-up your dock and spring lines and lead them close to cockpit on docking side so you can either throw the line or bring the boat alongside and step on the dock. Notice I said step and not run and jump. Haste makes waste. Get your fenders ready while you're still outside of the marina with plenty of room. For me it's a drill that I have practiced so many times that it has become a second nature and that whenever I have guests on board, I have to remember to "offer" to let them help me. But then again, I have also decided to ride it out with sea room rather than come in in a real nasty blow. It is a matter of common sense and one must not be led by the false sense of security that coming in gives. I say go for it and practice doing everything alone, with someone there "just in case" until you get the confidence required to handle it really solo. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Good Luck
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