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New to Yachting...almost :)

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by lightspeed72, Sep 16, 2012.

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  1. lightspeed72, Sep 16, 2012
    #1
    lightspeed72

    lightspeed72 New Member

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    Hi Folks,

    Great to have this forum of avid boaters and seafaring folk. I hope to be able to participate in this dynamic forum.

    I have always loved beautiful yachts and I have just started my Canadian marine operator's course. The very first and basic one. For all intents and purposes, I am what you would call a newbie and a fresh one at that.

    My hope is to have enough proficiency to be able to solo captain a yacht myself. I would like to go away in the summers to quiet coves and bays to enjoy the solitude (without crew hanging around) and yet have a yacht big enough to feel comfortable in.

    My question to all you savvy more experienced fellows is, what is the largest recommend size of motor yacht can a captain handle on his own. From all I have gathered, it seems like 50ft is about the max. My yacht of choice is the Princess 52.

    Any feedback would be welcomed and thanks in advance.

    Cheers!
  2. AlfredZ, Sep 16, 2012
    #2
    AlfredZ

    AlfredZ Senior Member

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    Hi there,

    How "Solo" are your dreams? No family or friends to help with lines, cleaning, cooking, etc.? If so, then anything between 28 and 40 feet would be okay in my opinion. If you will have extra hands, then depending on the boat type, you can go up towards 80 feet or maybe 75 feet as a max.

    The other point is, what type of boating you are looking for? A 52' Princess will not let you sleep comfortably at anchor for example. Other boat types would have more internal space for longer trips provisions and what not. What am trying to say is, make sure the boat you want fits your boating style, not only the look you desire but the performance you NEED!

    Princess yachts are great sport cruisers, made for speed, so at lower speeds they don't, like any other sport cruiser, act so stable, if this is what you are looking for then Princess it is!

    Another important issue when running "solo" is the arrangement and equipment, remember that you will be in charge of the engines, tanks, generator(s), water maker, fire suppression and monitoring system, telecom and radio, and weather and Navigation equipment, etc. So your setup should be easy in handling every thing in worse cases and conditions, a small thing like accessing the engine room from inside the boat rather than the cockpit would make your life easier and less stressful if you needed to do so in storm conditions. If you boat enough you will meet weather face to face sometime in your life, so you should not let your boat down! ;)

    Best of luck and have fun boating.

    Cheers,
    Alfred
  3. Pascal, Sep 16, 2012
    #3
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I m not sure why a Princess 52 will not let you sleep comfortably? Its not a huge boat but certainly comfortable for long week ends

    As to single handling, size is not the primary factor. Deck and helm layout are.

    The ideal boat for that is a heavier 50 to 60' pilot house. The lower helm and side doors give you instant access to the most critical lines, your springs. Heavier means it will not be affected by wind as much as a little boat

    What I find the most tricky to single hand are the smallish flybridge boats since by the time you get down from the FB to secure your spring, the boat may have been blown too far away...

    Another critical thing in single handling, and it s true for any size boat, is too realize that you will be alone if the proverbial smelly stuff hits the fan. This means be able to make the right go/no go decision. If you primarily plan on spending time close to shore,inland etc it s not much of a issue but still something to be aware off

    Having friends or family on board isn't much use if they Are not as trained as you are.
  4. AlfredZ, Sep 16, 2012
    #4
    AlfredZ

    AlfredZ Senior Member

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    Note to self: Click on "Post Quick Reply" before going somewhere else! :$

    Hi there again,

    My comment regarding night sleep "at anchor" is because of the fact that sport cruisers bob like corks while anchoring, sure enough Princess is better than others, yet it is a characteristic of sport cruisers.

    Another advantage of the Princess 52 would be the walk-around deck with railing and starboard door to the helm, like Pascal mentioned this is important for single handed boating, unlike lets say a Sport Fishing boat where the helm is on the fly bridge meaning longer time to reach and handle docking lines.

    Deckhands need not be as trained or experienced as the pilot, and doing things like holding a line or tying it, releasing an anchor chain stopper, setting the anchor, etc. as per the orders of the skipper does not require them to have the same training as him, it would be great if they do but it is not a requirement. In my book, family and friends enjoy the boating experience and would love to help the skipper doing the small things which for them are big, many boaters out there learnt boating at an early age just hanging around "Pa" and "Ma"! and many around the world are known as "Cruising Couples", so again, I see family and friends should be engaged in the fun they are having to a certain extent. That is just how I see it!

    Cheers,
    Alfred
  5. Pascal, Sep 16, 2012
    #5
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I think the bobbing motion is a non issue if you anchor in fairly protected waters. Maybe it depends on where you are, but on the east coast, bahamas and carib findng sheltered no bobbing anchorage is pretty easy. Rolling can be an issue in the bahamas and Carib but a lower boat will roll less than FB MY.

    One issue I didn't mention and which is probably more important (at least to some) is the location of the master. Some smaller boats have the master at the bow which can be a bad location to sleep due to chine slap and anchor rode noise

    As to deck hands, my point wasn't about routine operations including docking and anchoring as this can be easily addressed with minimal preparation. The concern is more having someone qualified to stand watch, handle communications in an emergency, when you are down below handling a problem. If your crew isn't trained,you may as well be alone
  6. Beau, Sep 16, 2012
    #6
    Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Are you guys helping light speed or just
    B***ching. No reply necessary