Largest boat couple can handle

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Quoting Dirty Harry (roughly) "Is this your lucky day?" It is apparently pretty difficult to make such judgements at long removes from the actual plastering effort. There have been some good ferro hulls built. There have been a lot more that failed the test.

But shucks, it's only a quarter million bucks...

Jim

They can be Xray'ed to detect any corrosion in the mesh and cracks but for a quarter million there's bound to be better candidates.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

They can be Xray'ed to detect any corrosion in the mesh and cracks but for a quarter million there's bound to be better candidates.

Doing an overall xray inspection of such a large hull would be pretty damn expensive and spot checking would not be very satisfying... and the xray would not reveal poor cement strength (I think).

Jim

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Networker

But if we did get a larger boat, say an oyster 65 or swan 70, why can’t a couple alone handle it? Reefing in a storm with electric winches and autopilot, what are we missing?

Back to the original question.......

I would ask myself, how large a boat can I or my significant other reasonably handle ALONE. If one of you is sick or injured, what then?

That is where I draw the line.

[Don C L]

There was a boat in the local yard a few years back. From the toe rail up she was beautiful, but the ferro hull had almost completely shed all the cement from the rusted rebar out. She sat in the yard for a long time while the owner tried to figure out what to do with her. I know it may not be fair to judge all ferros by that one example, but it left an indelible impression on me.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Doing an overall xray inspection of such a large hull would be pretty damn expensive and spot checking would not be very satisfying... and the xray would not reveal poor cement strength (I think).

Jim

It's only areas of apparent damage which are done to ensure that there has not been water penetration and consequent corrosion of the rebar or mesh.

Cement has very little tensile strength and a ferro boat is basically a steel boat with cement plastered over all the holes to stop water ingress, the cement serves no structural purpose.

Going fundamentalist on the OP's original question: With the full engine room automation modern ships have, a couple could manage a 300,000 ton ore ship from Port Hedland to China these days.

[Fore and Aft]

RaymondR if we're going down that route then you even don't need to handle the ship. Your biggest issue is going to be not drinking too many G & Ts at sunset.
Cheers
https://maritime-executive.com/article/china-reports-first-autonomous-containership-entered-service

[Stewie12]

My wife and I handled an 86 footer on our own. Handling is not the problem maintenance is as that is a lot of work.

[Whisper 2]

A bit of a daft question when you give no details of your experience, competency, and what you want to do with the boat?

[boatingisbetter]

My wife and I purchased our first boat in 1995. It was an Oyster 46. We hired people to train us and learned to sail it ourselves. Eventually we got older and added a bow thruster. Now T 70 and 75 yrs old we decided it is too much for us. And will soon selling it. But it was a great ride in the meantime. I think we could have gone slightly larger. But this boat was difficult enough to fit under the bridges at the available marina slips. If I had it to do over. I would have gone slightly smaller.

[chef2sail]

Originally Posted by Networker

Hi, knowing the community and what the default answer will be, may I ask what is the largest boat a couple can handle, and what prevents a couple from handling a larger boat then they can handle.

The default answer will be, “if you don’t know, don’t buy that boat”. Since I know that’s an unhelpful answer, please keep it to yourself, I’m trying to learn.

But if we did get a larger boat, say an oyster 65 or swan 70, why can’t a couple alone handle it? Reefing in a storm with electric winches and autopilot, what are we missing?

Yes I know of that German couple that died 2 years ago in too big a boat and why, but what else is missing? We know how to do smaller boats but what don’t we know? That’s what I’d love to learn.

Yes maybe in ideal conditions, but how often does that

Suppose the electricity fails. To big a boat for a couple

[SV Coronado]

Originally Posted by Networker

We were looking at an Oyster 62, current owner uses crew, but I was thinking maybe we could handle it. Owner doesn’t recommend it. We’re 3 years into sailing, so not experts, but feel we are becoming competent.

I think you answered your own question! I have friends that sailboats in the >50' range as a couple with no problem. BUT, they both have lots of experience. I have a feeling you will find it very difficult to get insurance on a vessel that size with only three years of experience.

Why do you want such a large boat for 2.5 people? If it's simply space, look into getting a mid-40' catamaran. It will give you lots of living space in a vessel that's easier for a couple to manage.

[clakiep]

For a well equiped boat there is no practical size limit for a couple to handle - as long as all the equipment - winches and windlass - work. But when coming into a harbour or marina and to manouver her into a slip things change : better anker outside, go ashore in your dinghy and gather some helping hands.

Capt. Claus

[Cat-a-tonic]

Check out the Ultim trimarans racing in the Arkea Ultim Callenge Brest being sailed single handed round the world at the moment. Up to 32 metres (105 ft) long. Looks like an upper limit to me!

[capn ken]

Originally Posted by Networker

Hi, knowing the community and what the default answer will be, may I ask what is the largest boat a couple can handle, and what prevents a couple from handling a larger boat then they can handle.

The default answer will be, “if you don’t know, don’t buy that boat”. Since I know that’s an unhelpful answer, please keep it to yourself, I’m trying to learn.

But if we did get a larger boat, say an oyster 65 or swan 70, why can’t a couple alone handle it? Reefing in a storm with electric winches and autopilot, what are we missing?

Yes I know of that German couple that died 2 years ago in too big a boat and why, but what else is missing? We know how to do smaller boats but what don’t we know? That’s what I’d love to learn.

watch the movie dead calm

[CaptJimFrei]

Originally Posted by Networker

But if we did get a larger boat, say an oyster 65 or swan 70, why can’t a couple alone handle it? Reefing in a storm with electric winches and autopilot, what are we missing?

Why the heck would two people need a 65 or 70 footer? A 40 ft would meet your needs and be much easier to sail, dock, maintain etc for a couple.