Yacht for solo trip to Hawaii?

I did some work on a 43ft French boat that had been single handed from France to Cairns , Australia and went on to complete a circumnavigation.

I have a good friend that is an accomplished sailor, and he passed on his love to his two sons. One of the two sons has done Hawaii to Seattle single handed on two separate occasions, once on a 32-foot double ender.

You may have better luck asking your question on a site devoted more heavily to sailing rather than powered vessels.

Looks like most of the entrants in the most recent Single-handed Transpac were on the small side, although there are a couple 40-footers there:

http://sfbaysss.org/shtp/racers/

I'm pretty sure that in years past some of the Santa Cruz 50s did the race and that Bill Lee took Merlin (68' ULDB) solo at least once. It's more a matter of your sailing skill than "what's the best." In the good old days, Eric Taberly sailed one of his maxi-yachts in the OSTAR - single-handed trans-atlantic race, but he was exceptional.

There are also other considerations.
Where to put the boat after arrival? There are limitations.
The boat is in Hawaii. - Now what? Delivering it back? Shipping it back? Several if not most of the small ones go on a trailer, which goes on a car transport. Shipping a trailer is easier than shipping a boat. - But still a significant part of the budget.

For singlehanded offshore racing look to France.
Mini 6.5
Figaro
Class 40
IMOCA 60
Complexity and requirements obviously increase with size.

The current benchmark in successfull single handed "short course" offshore racing is Loïck Peyron. Won the Route du Rhum 2014 on Solo Banque Populaire VII, a 103ft trimaran.

I'm having trouble understanding this thread. The replies seem to address competitive sailing, but the OP is simply asking if he can make the trip on a larger boat than he finds on the videos. My guess is that he only finds videos of smaller boats making the crossing because it's more of a noteworthy adventure in a small boat. Many boats of all sizes stop in Hawaii. So I think his answer is that you can make the trip on anything you feel comfortable single-handing. Please note however, I do not consider solo cruising safe for many reasons that have been covered in other threads on single-handing. That's definitely not to say it can't be done; just that you can expect very little help if you have a heart attack when you're out there alone. Also, on that route you're likely to be cruising in shipping lanes. So sleep with one eye open.

Yes, bigger is better when it comes to big water, but anything can sink. You're also more likely to carry more emergency supplies if you have room to store them. With that said though I think the smallest boat to sail solo across the Atlantic was about 8'. There's a lot of big boats as well as small sitting on the bottom of the oceans. To be safe you main considerations are the boat's construction (regardless of size), and being aware of your surroundings (weather and other traffic). I don't care how big your boat. The ocean can always get bigger (with the possible exceptions of air craft carriers and such).
If you'd like to read of a harrowing tale of a Pacific sinking look into the story of the Essex. It was the true story genesis for Moby Dick, complete with cannibalism.

Let's combine a couple of threads, build a 75' Center Console and put three Gas Turbines in her...and rock and roll. Wait...put three 7's on either side of the Gas Turbines.

But on a more serious note, the larger the better. If your seriously considering a solo crossing (reading SAIL doesn't qualify you). I would do it in a Motor Sailer or a Trawler with a Sail. That way if you get demasted in a storm, you'll still have power. You're going to be sailing into the wind the whole trip, so your tacking and navigational skills will have to be top notch. Just curious now...why would you want to Solo to Hawaii?

On trawlers that sail is a steadying sail, used as a stabilizer, not for propulsion. Now I'm sure Brian will take me to task for this, but motor sailors are the worst of both worlds. They're not efficient as a trawler, and they're slow as a sailboat. And very few sailboats other than day-sailors wouldn't have a motor of some sort as a backup, but most won't have a lot of range, maybe a few hundred miles. Fuel weighs a lot and slows a sail boat down.

Crewed yachts sunk with all hands lost:

http://www.pbo.co.uk/news/cheeki-rafiki-tragedy-was-structural-failure-to-blame-799

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/18/the-nina-disappearance_n_4806713.html

Solo Sailors lost

http://bernews.com/2014/03/1968-ocean-crossing-in-12-foot-sea-egg/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Plant

Doesn't matter if you are with a bunch of others or by yourself, when your numbers up it is up.

Hi,

Yes, generally bigger is better, it depends on the boat that you are comfortable being alone in for extended periods and least favorable condition.

You have to consider two things, normal operation, and emergency situations. You have to be confident that you have what it takes to run the boat in knowledge, mental preparedness and at least the minimum gear, tools, equipment and supplies. Since you mentioned backpacking, you can't, even if some people do, you can't be at work and say I'll leave now and head to take on the Appalachian or the Pacific Crest with only your EDC! You know better that it takes the right preparation and set of gear to do so. This is what you should do for your current quest.

A guy back in 2007, tried to cross the Tasman Sea aboard a kayak! Almost done it if not for a unfortunate accident that broke his safety canopy up leading to his death about 30 nautical miles only short of his finish line. Anything can be done, just prepare your self right to have the odds to your favor. If your gonna get injured you're gonna get injured no matter what you try, same goes for the least and worst, when its time its time.

Go out on boats that you like the looks of, check and see how the space works for you, go out to sea, and ask to be let to handle the boat alone, (If it is equipped to be single handled), then you will know what type of boat and size you think you want and go for it. After that, take it step by step, spending more time on board during a mix of conditions and waters. You will know by then when you are ready and it will be just a natural occurrence. There are some videos on U-Toob about a group of young guys, (1 bloke, 2 gals), who bought a boat, (nice rhyme!), down in Ft. Lauderdale just because the price was right and the boat was floating! They are still living around the Carib. if I'm correct. Maybe if you put me in their shoes, I won't make it past day one, but my point is; different things work for different people, just be prepared and smart about your endeavor.

Wish you all the best and hope to see the dream up and catching wind.

Cheers.

So true.

The other side of the coin: (Just one example because my memory is getting blurry!)

18 year old girl on a 38' ketch finished a circumnavigation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Dekker

Funny you should mention Kayaks in the Tasman, there have been a number of people beaten by that stretch of water and two who made it. A son many years after his father.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10258010/Tasman-a-cruel-sea-for-kayakers

This crossing is on my bucket list and since I first looked into it, I kept on wondering who, in their right mind, would do it on a Kayak?! But then, I personally have done few things in my boating life that will make others say the same about me! To me, if it doesn't endanger other's life and property, I would do it after some thought and consideration.

In boating, like when prepping your carry for a hike; you build your "What if..." list, then give each item a rank on a scale system of "likely-hood-of-occurrence", then you look into what you need to prepare and train for before going on the voyage, what you monitor and look for while underway, and how to tackle the problem or emergency if it was to take place. The difference at sea is the room and window for improvising under certain conditions is so limited, in the woods, if you didn't pack a warm enough sleeping bag or forgot your pad, you can make do with few leaves or bury some coals to sleep over, (On the right kind of land!), but at sea, one thing can lead to MANY others, so better prepping and timely actions can ensure your safety or seal your fate. (Watch Robert Redford's, All is Lost, a nice movie to watch even if for many sailors it is rubbish.)

As I said before, take it step by step and the natural progression of your sailing experience will have you saying midway to Hawaii "Heck! I'm doin' it! (With a big grin.) Thousands have done it safely over the years and in times where there were no technology like today. Especially a community like this one, carrying vast knowledge and hands-on experience.

Enjoy.

Cheers.

Other than having a death wish...I'd start out with doing a 24 hour trip. Being out on the Ocean away from land in the middle of the night is a bit disconcerting. You can't see the waves, you have no point of reference. You kind of remind me of that Kennedy kid who along with two female passengers flew straight into the Ocean, at night, killing all three. Seems that he took one hour of classroom time about flying on instruments, and figured he could do it. I've done a lot of crazy things in a boat, but even with the hours I've amassed, I wouldn't do a solo crossing for all the Tea in China. One of my favorite sayings is "You can't fix stupid."

I wouldn't go anywhere solo, let alone cross an ocean. For safety reasons alone. There is no way you can stand a safe watch solo. Even with 2 people it's very difficult. Then if you have a mechanical issue or rough seas, forget it.