What was the biggest boat that you have singlehanded?

[Phil Fill]

GG as others have indicated the problem is docking, not cruising for the most part.

If you can choose a place to dock that has the wind blowing you into the dock, then its a piece of cake.

Being blown away from the dock is more difficult. Generally a quick call on the radio will bring a person or two dockside to grab a line.

Anchoring out in a big boat is cheaper and easier. That can be done every time single handed. Then just take the skiff to shore.

I disagree with long that cruising and anchoring is easier being solo as you have to be constantly on the alert and go. That is why I prefer the dock and seldom anchor as I can relax and take a nap rather than honey/dad/Grandpa can you?

If you watch and time the tide current and wind docking not town much of a pucker factor besides is over in a couple of minutes. Ok, so I been know to kiss the dock a few times.

 

[johnma]

Docking with wind: 32' w/ twin outdrives
Docking without wind 48' Pacemaker w/ twin Cummins

Docking is the only issue.... unless it is single handed in the open ocean a thousand miles from land.... then you better be an expert diesel mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter, navigator, etc
John

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Docking with wind: 32' w/ twin outdrives
Docking without wind 48' Pacemaker w/ twin Cummins

Docking is the only issue.... unless it is single handed in the open ocean a thousand miles from land.... then you better be an expert diesel mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter, navigator, etc
John

Funny you should say. I found this diesel engine course in Maryland and I have been trying to decide if I should sign up now or wait.

 

[Mako]

Funny you should say. I found this diesel engine course in Maryland and I have been trying to decide if I should sign up now or wait.

Very smart thing to do.

Best diesel course I ever took was when I bought my boat and had to tear apart both engines and give them in-frame overhauls (Detroit 6-71Ns).

 

[Phil Fill]

Well, it looks like I win soloing the biggest boat so far by a few feet and tons. I have come to the conclusion I need a SMALLER BOAT!

Luckily we have the 12 ft Livingston and the 19 ft run about.

Take the basic boating required courses first as it will help financing and insurance to buy the dang boat. I would wait until you know what engines the boat has, and then have a diesel mechanic go through them and be there when he does to ask questions. I have a diesel mechanic check the engine each year and each year I am having to more and more of the general maintenance.

 

[alormaria]

Funny you should say. I found this diesel engine course in Maryland and I have been trying to decide if I should sign up now or wait.

"Education is good" Faber College

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Very smart thing to do.

Best diesel course I ever took was when I bought my boat and had to tear apart both engines and give them in-frame overhauls (Detroit 6-71Ns).

Holy crap. Were you a mechanic by trade?

 

[johnma]

"Education is good" Faber College
__________________
Al Johnson
34' Marine Trader
"Angelina"



Faber College!!!

Thats where i got my degree!

D Day

 

[Mako]

Holy crap. Were you a mechanic by trade?

No, Galaxy Girl. I was in my mid-20's and had the guts to do it. Just obtained the detailed manuals and some books and followed them step by step, religiously. Tons of information out there in print. And honestly I was not one of those kids who rebuilt cars when growing up either.

 

[Baker]

Well, it looks like I win soloing the biggest boat so far by a few feet and tons. I have come to the conclusion I need a SMALLER BOAT!

Luckily we have the 12 ft Livingston and the 19 ft run about.

Take the basic boating required courses first as it will help financing and insurance to buy the dang boat. I would wait until you know what engines the boat has, and then have a diesel mechanic go through them and be there when he does to ask questions. I have a diesel mechanic check the engine each year and each year I am having to more and more of the general maintenance.

Not so fast. Read up a few posts...Mako at 65ft...

 

[IslandEagle]

Island Eagle is 60 feet and about 100,000 pounds. She has a single screw and no bowthruster. While I have never taken her out single-handed, I have been out many times with just two of us, and have never had a problem.

Here's a point that is often overlooked.

When you have a small boat, say a 25 footer, you can do pretty well everything using muscle power. If you need to fend off from the dock, you can stick you foot out. Your arms are fine for lifting the anchor.

When you go up to a 35 or 40 footer, your muscles are still sort of useful. In a pinch you could haul the anchor by hand. Two or three dockmates hauling on the lines can get you into a slip.

But when you get you get up to a boat that weighs as much as a house, muscle power doesn't do much. In fact, if you count on using muscle power you will most probably injure yourself.

Instead, you have to make the boat do the work. Using spring lines for docking and undocking. Using current and wind to get you alongside the dock. Becoming very, very proficient at backing and filling. Learning how to use the inertia of the boat -- unlike a small boat, you really can stop and take a few minutes to figure out a complex docking problem and the boat won't blow away like a paper bag. And lord help anyone who tries to use muscle power to move a 100,000 pound weight -- if it's moving away, it will pull you in the drink, and if it's moving towards you, well, imagine your arm or leg run over by the largest bulldozer you have ever seen. Not a nice thought.

What I'm saying here is that handling a bigger boat is not necessarily harder physically, but it's often harder mentally.

The only exception to this that I've noticed is the actual steering. I have manual hydraulic steering, and a rudder that's roughly 3 X 5 feet. It's 8 turns lock-to-lock. The wheel is about 48" tip-to-tip. After 5 minutes backing and filling, your arms are tired!

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[GalaxyGirl]

Island Eagle is 60 feet and about 100,000 pounds. She has a single screw and no bowthruster. While I have never taken her out single-handed, I have been out many times with just two of us, and have never had a problem.

Here's a point that is often overlooked.

When you have a small boat, say a 25 footer, you can do pretty well everything using muscle power. If you need to fend off from the dock, you can stick you foot out. Your arms are fine for lifting the anchor.

When you go up to a 35 or 40 footer, your muscles are still sort of useful. In a pinch you could haul the anchor by hand. Two or three dockmates hauling on the lines can get you into a slip.

But when you get you get up to a boat that weighs as much as a house, muscle power doesn't do much. In fact, if you count on using muscle power you will most probably injure yourself.

Instead, you have to make the boat do the work. Using spring lines for docking and undocking. Using current and wind to get you alongside the dock. Becoming very, very proficient at backing and filling. Learning how to use the inertia of the boat -- unlike a small boat, you really can stop and take a few minutes to figure out a complex docking problem and the boat won't blow away like a paper bag. And lord help anyone who tries to use muscle power to move a 100,000 pound weight -- if it's moving away, it will pull you in the drink, and if it's moving towards you, well, imagine your arm or leg run over by the largest bulldozer you have ever seen. Not a nice thought.

What I'm saying here is that handling a bigger boat is not necessarily harder physically, but it's often harder mentally.

The only exception to this that I've noticed is the actual steering. I have manual hydraulic steering, and a rudder that's roughly 3 X 5 feet. It's 8 turns lock-to-lock. The wheel is about 48" tip-to-tip. After 5 minutes backing and filling, your arms are tired!

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

Intersting point.

 

[Codger2]

After 5 minutes backing and filling, your arms are tired!

Just curious....why would your arms be tired? Most people that I know put the helm hard over to either side and back and fill without moving the helm.

 

[Mako]

Just curious....why would your arms be tired? Most people that I know put the helm hard over to either side and back and fill without moving the helm.

IslandEagle had only a single screw and no bowthruster. His manueverability comes from working basically three tools: (1) large rudder (2) huge prop which creates side slip (3) dockline handling.

My boat was similar to his but had cable steering and a 42 inch wheel and I can sympathize with how tired your arms getting throwing the wheel back and forth.

A humble bow to you Scott. That's real seamanship!

 

[maxhopper502]

Just curious....why would your arms be tired? Most people that I know put the helm hard over to either side and back and fill without moving the helm.

I only started doing this recently.
Didn't know if it was a correct technique or not but i found the rudder position in reverse made little to no difference so I thought why bother.
much much easier, quicker and safer as you just have one thing to do, shift from fwd to reverse.

 

[psneeld]

Backing and filling may require flopping the rudder in some situations when the rudder becomes more effective than the propwalk.

 

[IslandEagle]

Just curious....why would your arms be tired? Most people that I know put the helm hard over to either side and back and fill without moving the helm.

You're right, and I probably don't have to... habit, I guess.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[IslandEagle]

My boat was similar to his but had cable steering and a 42 inch wheel and I can sympathize with how tired your arms getting throwing the wheel back and forth.

When I bought the boat it had mechanical steering through a series of shafts, universals (6!), right-angle drives (5!!!) and sprockets. It was incredibly stiff, and had no rudder angle indicator. Upgrading to hydraulic was definitely a major improvement. Do you still have the cable steering?

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[IslandEagle]

Backing and filling may require flopping the rudder in some situations when the rudder becomes more effective than the propwalk.

I have zero propwalk, the 50 foot long keel sees to that. But as soon as I start making way in reverse, the rudder definitely does have some effect.

One thing that interesting is that by far the best way to steer in reverse is to use forward thrust. This method was taught to me by Tad Roberts, and it works like this: if you are making way astern and you want to turn the stern to port, you put the rudder hard over to starboard and give a blip of forward. This will kick the stern to port. Using this technique you can easily counter crosswinds if you have to back down a long channel. I was a bit nervous the first time I tried, but it works like a charm.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[Codger2]

You're right, and I probably don't have to... habit, I guess.

I know all about habits...I quit smoking real cigarettes last december and am still groping for my lighter. (I now puff on the E-Cigs and love it!)

 

[markpierce]

Find having a rudder indicator quite handy!

 

[IslandEagle]

Find having a rudder indicator quite handy!

Notice the exact same one front and centre:

 

[Jonza]

Biggest I´ve done was a Ferretti 880 RPH due to two selfinflicted seasick deckies, mooring stern-to in Palma Royal Yacht Club - not so pretty, but no scratches (thank god for aftdeck controls) Poured myself a double Scotch after that adventure, pondering over what the insurance guys thoughts would have been had it not gone well..

 

[Codger2]

Notice the exact same one front and centre:

Are any of the plethra of binoculars I see, stabilized?

 

[IslandEagle]

Are any of the plethra of binoculars I see, stabilized?

Nope. I keep one set with the diopter set for my glasses and the other set for no glasses, and the small set is for the kids.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[Mako]

When I bought the boat it had mechanical steering through a series of shafts, universals (6!), right-angle drives (5!!!) and sprockets. It was incredibly stiff, and had no rudder angle indicator. Upgrading to hydraulic was definitely a major improvement. Do you still have the cable steering?

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

I have sold the boat but I never gave any thought to changing the steering. I really liked the mechanical steering. It wasn't as stiff as what yours sounds like but I had an aft pilothouse, not fore like yours, so the run was shorter. Steering was extremely reliable. Over a 40 year period I know of no failures at all, and the boat sailed from the East Coast to Australia and back. It was galvanized cable, greased and there was never a threat of slipping off the quadrants or anything. My steering wheel's king spoke never slipped (like hydraulics would) and the rudder angle indicator was a simple cable with a ball on it. Dead nuts accurate and reliable.

 

[nemier]

Hi,
I single hand our Nordhavn 62, which is actually 69' LOA and 78 tons fully loaded. She has hydraulic 25HP (10") bow & stern thrusters, and turns out to be the easiest vessel I've had to maneuver. My 36' sailboat and 50' twin screw go-fast boat were harder to finesse around the dock. I work at sea, and it seems the bigger the boat, the easier the vessel is to handle - but only because they are set up that way. So,,,,what I've come to realize is that LOA really has nothing to do with it, it all depends how the boat is set-up.

 

[psneeld]

Hi,
I single hand our Nordhavn 62, which is actually 69' LOA and 78 tons fully loaded. She has hydraulic 25HP (10") bow & stern thrusters, and turns out to be the easiest vessel I've had to maneuver. My 36' sailboat and 50' twin screw go-fast boat were harder to finesse around the dock. I work at sea, and it seems the bigger the boat, the easier the vessel is to handle - but only because they are set up that way. So,,,,what I've come to realize is that LOA really has nothing to do with it, it all depends how the boat is set-up.

Absolutely...as I posted in post #4
"size matters less than talent, equipment, destinations and routes plus what schedule you are willing to keep/break."

plus the bigger they are...and the less hands or equipment you have...you are only a fool to take them into places they don't belong under certain prevailing conditions or at all.

 

[Jonza]

Hi,
I single hand our Nordhavn 62, which is actually 69' LOA and 78 tons fully loaded. She has hydraulic 25HP (10") bow & stern thrusters, and turns out to be the easiest vessel I've had to maneuver. My 36' sailboat and 50' twin screw go-fast boat were harder to finesse around the dock. I work at sea, and it seems the bigger the boat, the easier the vessel is to handle - but only because they are set up that way. So,,,,what I've come to realize is that LOA really has nothing to do with it, it all depends how the boat is set-up.

Good news on my behalf! I´m aiming at a 55-70 footer trawler to singlehand and as You said, whence it´s set up correctly ( and hopefully dependently) things should be just fine - I always tend to do most docking "chores" myself anyway. Good selfinsurance boost!!

 

[Mako]

Skills versus Equipment

This is an excellent thread but IMO I think it is better to emphasize boat handling skills (seamanship) over sophisticated equipment.

I knew a Seattle tug captain who would put his 100' tug wherever it needed to be. It was swinging a 16' prop and had no thrusters or anything. He used the sterns "prop walk" to his advantage. Of course he did have deckhands to toss a spring line, but there is a point to learn here.

I think if Jonza or GalaxyGirl found themselves in a 70' single diesel trawler, deep in the draft without too much windage, with nothing more than a good bow thruster, then they would (with practice) be self-sufficient in docking in probably 95% of the situations they would find themselves in. The other 5% might be times where it's better to either anchor out and wait for heavy weather to subside, or perhaps radio the dockmaster for some assistance.

A heavy trawler doesn't drift too fast so there would be time to race down to the bow and toss a few lines before heading back to the bridge.