Small modern boat that can be single handed

A

Altered Reality

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I have owned a 38 ft cruising sailboat for the last 2.5 yrs. I have recently sold it because extend cruising is not fitting my life currently. I single handed the boat mostly over the last year.

I think I want the other end of the spectrum. I think I want a sailboat 20 to 27 ft, trailable, can single hand, more modern design that can plane, ideally have some area to sleep even if uncomfortable.

It seems a seascape 24 fits most of these desires but are there any used boats that have most of these properties which is cheaper and are available?

Interested in your thoughts.

 
kimbottles

kimbottles

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My two kids owned a J-22 together and did use it for occasional "boat camping" along with day sailing and racing.

Fun to sail and a generally good all around boat. Inexpensive too.

(They sold it when I had a new family daysailer built, they decided to borrow my boat instead of owning one themselves.)

 
kevinjones16

kevinjones16

Member
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Seattle
I have a nice Capri 25 I've considered selling. PM me if you're interested. It's set up for offshore adventures. I've sailed it from Seattle to San Francisco.

 
Bull City

Bull City

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North Carolina
kimbottles said:
My two kids owned a J-22 together and did use it for occasional "boat camping" along with day sailing and racing.

Fun to sail and a generally good all around boat. Inexpensive too.

(They sold it when I had a new family daysailer built, they decided to borrow my boat instead of owning one themselves.)
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I would second the J22, with two qualifiers:

1. It's trailerable, but it's got a fin keel and draws 3'11", so it needs a deep-ish ramp, and it takes at least two to raise the mast.

2. In wind above 10 knots, it needs more than one person in crew weight, or a big reef.

This is based on my experience.

 
S

snubber

Member
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Idaho
Not a production boat but the I550. Really. In the summer of 2017 I met a couple from Michigan who were cruising the North Channel of Canada on one. They had bought the I550 the Gougeons' built for the Everglade's Challenge. Lifting centerboard, cuddy cabin large enough for two. The boat was super light and looked like a great performer and an able minimalist cruiser, plus looked easy to tow and ramp launch. They wrote an article about their time in the NC for Small Craft Advisor, I think. Not something I would want to go off-shore in or into big seas, so maybe it doesn't fit your bill. 

Snubs

 
Sail4beer

Sail4beer

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That boat is for sale in The Great Lakes I think for under $8,000.

Yellow boat named Hot Canary. I was looking to buy one before the wife said no. Fast, easy to sail and I think they are being made in fiberglass now. 

 
S

sam_crocker

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Antrim 24 and 27, Tripp 26, pogo 30 (although that is probably not an easy trailerable boat), Flying Tiger 10m, Beneteau made a First 27.7 thats pretty sweet.

I always liked the Elan 21 I think it was, but I don't think they've imported them to NA.

 
S

snubber

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Sail4beer said:
That boat is for sale in The Great Lakes I think for under $8,000.

Yellow boat named Hot Canary. I was looking to buy one before the wife said no. Fast, easy to sail and I think they are being made in fiberglass now. 
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S4Beer. That's the one. They painted the hull blue, renamed her Vivacious, and claimed an all-up weight of around 700 lbs. I watched them scull the hull through an anchorage using a single, long paddle (like a SUP paddle). Thing glided like a canoe on butter. I have tried to paddle my 4 ksb, and I am all-out to get a measly 2 knots. 

 
Crash

Crash

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Altered Reality said:
I have owned a 38 ft cruising sailboat for the last 2.5 yrs. I have recently sold it because extend cruising is not fitting my life currently. I single handed the boat mostly over the last year.

I think I want the other end of the spectrum. I think I want a sailboat 20 to 27 ft, trailable, can single hand, more modern design that can plane, ideally have some area to sleep even if uncomfortable.

It seems a seascape 24 fits most of these desires but are there any used boats that have most of these properties which is cheaper and are available?

Interested in your thoughts.
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While I like the idea, and appreciate where you are coming from, I'm not sure there is much planing going to go on while single-handing.  On a 23 footer like a J/70 or FT 7.5, you've got one guy driving, one guy playing the main (yes, the really good guys can drive and play the main) and one guy flying the chute.  Its a pretty dynamic situation.  You are constantly altering course to keep the wind at the correct angle, and driving around waves, and the main and spin are being constantly trimmed.  So maybe what you mean is can plane, so that when you have a crew, you can plane with it?

Plane at what windspeed/sea state?  There is a reason the J/70, FT 7.5 and Melges 24 (to name a few) don't really have any accommodations....

Seascape (now First) 24 seems a perfect fit.  Tripp 26, Dart, B-25, all might fit the bill. I"m sure there are others...

 
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Airwick

Airwick

Member
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Victoria, BC
You could also consider a Corsair Trimaran F-24/Sprint/F27(older): they are fast, fun, and easy to setup and sail single handed and have basic accommodations...

 
monsoon

monsoon

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kinardly said:
One post and you're qualified to pass judgement on one of this forum's most cherished, and admittedly childish, traditions? This is Anarchy, for God's sake. Fuck you and the boat you rowed in on. 
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San Crocker your comment was offensive.  and I sailed in her a looong time ago.

 
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