Live Aboard MacroEconomics: A Case Study

 

WAYWARD earning her keep

As you live your life aboard a vessel, be aware of the sea of life on which it floats and on which it moves forward.

— Ian Gardner (as remembered)

Whatever floats your boat!

-- Sailorspeak

Live Aboard MacroEconomics: A Case Study

LUTRA, the boat we're currently building, offers an as-of-today set of numbers to puzzle over.

Numbers, of course, are slippery li'l devils. What counts in or out? Round up or down? Will the future hold the course? Nonetheless, it's worth a look! Here, I'll take a bird's eye look at up-front dollar costs of our live-aboard vessel relative to rent. 

So LUTRA. Our labor is 'free' (ha!). Time is probably about 6 months of steady, optimal workdays... spread across a year and a quarter in our actual context. Let's say 3000 person-hours (2 persons x 8 hours/day x 180 days, rounded up). The time investment itself hurts less than time lost cruising at large!

When all the dust settles, we arrive at two figures for her out-of-pocket cost. For building site, construction and materials of the hull and furnishings, around $5K is pretty close. Mind you, this is still semi-remote, so costs are high. That's the easy part.

Where it gets complicated is in evaluating outfit, gear and copper we're carrying forward from WAYWARD (and earlier boats!). 

WAYWARD's copper plate was originally a whopping $10K in 2014 dollars. We figure that it paid for itself in about 5 years, saving a rugged alternative finish (e.g., fiberglass/resin), anti-fouling paint, haul-outs and associated costs, repairs, on-board insurance, etc.. After 10 years aboard WW, we used half of it and her chine angles for LUTRA.  Each half is worth around $4K as #2 scrap in 2025 dollars defraying the original outlay.

Similar calculations go for anchors, chain and rode, a pile of fasteners, piano hinges, coms, nav lights and other gear.

So... um.... I'm going to say $1K for these components. Neither replacement value nor market value, but a nod toward what might have been an expensive heap if it hadn't already paid for itself. 

That brings LUTRA's up-front dollar cost to ~$6K.

We're building in our home port of Tenakee, Alaska. Currently, property is well out of our reach. Rents are running around $1K/month for a studio-ish space, utilities included. IF you can find one open. There are only a handful and chronically occupied.  In a larger town, such as Juneau or Sitka, low-end rents average $2K - $2.5K/month, utilities NOT generally included. Tight there, too, but there're generally more openings coming and going.

So let's start with our local $1K/month. That's $12K per year. LUTRA's build is paid off in 6 months at large, a little more when tied to the dock. If we live-aboard for 10 years, we clear 'savings' - in dollars not spent - of more than $100K in village rent, ~$200K in town rent!

Cash money, unfortunately, doesn't grow on trees. 

Tenakee labor is compensated at $18 - $25/hour. It's not exactly 40 hour work weeks, so can also stretch wider over time. But let's say 200 person-hours ($5K x 1 person-hour/$25) to earn the $5K cash outlay for LUTRA. Let's add to that our 3K person-hours for construction and round up for a conservative 3.5K person-hours.

Still, it's easy to see that 10 years of rent would require at least 4K person-hours at present rates.

So... well, well!... looks like we save time, too, even when calculating the bare rental alternative to living aboard. An even better dollar deal if we had bought a vessel, rather than DIY.

That being said, while DIY construction plays a role in all this there are middle grounds.

Buying a modest fixer-upper and DIY from there will (most likely) drop your time investment considerably, and quite possibly your layout costs, so give that a good look.

But the big money is in living aboard! Sail away from the dock if you can.

***

In reality, all of this is vastly more complicated. We don't begin to examine, here, the costs of gainful employment (commutes, clothing, peer outings, etc. inherent in the alternative). We haven't calculated equity and resale value vs. zero for rentals. We don't know how to count our time entangled in town while building. We haven't considered costs of maintenance and repair. We don't know how to evaluate what we learn while building, and how that pro-rates over the years. We don't know if we'll get that 10 years ahead, much less the 20 or so we have fair reason to hope for.

We keep in mind that, at the end of ten years, we still own our vessel  / home ; it's just another rent-due month for the alternative.

I started this post musing in print. I'm pleased to see that the numbers appear to crunch in our favor in both money (I was pretty sure) and time (surprise!). My sense is that, given a simple, low-overhead lifestyle, living aboard and sailing remote, the numbers tilt even further in our favor.

So don't let a little thing like money stop ya!

Rigged for Success: LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms

 

MUSTELID's LOM Main and Ljungstrom Foresail

Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.

-- Rumi

Rigged for Success: 
    LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms

I'd like to share a suite of ideas toward a family of lesser known rigs for smaller vessels that I think show a great deal of promise. Part historical, part convergent evolution, part innovation, the result is a simple but versatile, robust rig that can be DIYed at low cost.

Leg o' Mutton (LOM) Sails

This tasty moniker simply means a triangular sail. They're commonly used for headsails (jibs, staysails, etc.), mains (often called Bermudan sails) and drivers (small sails set far aft).

Ljungstrom Rig (2 x LOM)

Ljungstrom Rig uses a pair of LOMs, joined along their luffs and set on a free-standing, rotating mast. No booms were used to avoid troublesome impacts with crew.

This configuration works similar to twin head sails off the wind. From a beam reach on up, the sails are doubled over to one side and sheeted as one.

Pros:

• Light, inexpensive spares and gear.
• Quick set/reef, roller un/furling via the mast.
• Sailing off-wind, one side can be jibed for 'instant' 50% reef.
• Sail area aloft catches higher, upper wind-flows.
• Low Center of Effort (CE).
• Twin sails tend to center down the wind.
• Potential for hands-free operation.
• Sail steering is straightforward (haul to the side you wish to sail).
• UV resistant fabric along luff and foot eliminate sail covers.
• Boomstrike is eliminated.

Cons:

• Lack of a boom makes spreading sail difficult (especially on narrow hulls).
• No clew outhaul or vang options.

One more con I'll mention... compared to stayed, headsail LOM rigs, there is no gain from slot effect. I don't list it, however, as stayed vs. unstayed rigs generate their own lengthy pro/con lists which don't add much to this discussion.

Adding a Boom

The addition of a boom set under a loose-footed LOM allows spreading, a clew out-haul and vang, addressing the main cons.

Interestingly, this approach was taken by both the Sea Pearl 21 (adventurously sailed by Stephen and Ginny Ladd, among others), and is marketed as Holopuni Quick-Rig (by Holopuni Canoes). Convergent evolution?

Both of these designs lead their clew outhauls via track along the top of the boom and sheets to the end of the boom. When the sail is reefed, the upward pull of the clew at mid-boom is resisted by the end positioned on the mast and the downward pull of the sheets at boom's end. 

As a sail's belly is blown full, pulling the clew strongly toward the tack, the boom resists in compression. If it is deflected from straight by the perpendicular pull of the clew between mast and sheet lands, that strength plummets. Usual solution? A heavy boom or one made with exotic materials.

Hmm.

What if we oppose sheet and clew tensions by having them meet at the same point? They cancel out, unloading the mid-boom! The clew outhaul - led to boom's end, then turned back toward the mast to the clew completes the picture. A rope grommet - travelling along the boom - is the perfect attachment point... simple, cheap and DIY.

Principle parts of the rigging...
This platform and 'collar' are primitive but functional

How We Go About It

Rotating Mast and Gear

In our small-ish boats, we went with a thumb-sized dowel protruding from the rounded bottom of the mast. This is inserted into a hole in its step - a fixed plate of thick HMD (cutting board plastic). This secures the foot but it allows it to rotate with very little friction. The upper partners are simply a loose-fit, fixed square around the mast. The distance between step and partners should be between 10% (minimum) and 15+% (healthy) of the mast's overall length for adequate cantilever.

A gate can swivel open to free one face for raising/lowering or close and lock to contain it. 'Box' sides at the step hold the foot in place for lowering. A pin led through one side and into a corresponding hole in the lower mast prevents rotation against high winds or rock and roll.

Each boom requires an arrangement that fixes their height above the partners, yet allows the mast to rotate independently. 

Our solution is a platform affixed to the mast with a collar from boom's mast end, around the mast, set above the platform... the collar is not so loose as to slip below the platform, but not so tight as to grip the mast.

Booms

Booms can be quite light, subject to sea trials. 

Each has a rope grommet loosely fit around them (it shouldn't bind when pulled at a flat angle). 

We fix a pinch cleat for the clew outhaul at the boom's mast end, pinch horn down (10deg) toward the distal end. This allows the line to ride over the non-pinch horn (up and toward the mast), under control hands-free as it pays out while furling.

A ring seized to the distal end of the boom turns the outhaul back toward the grommet.

The outhaul leads from its cleat, through the grommet (helps control a slack outhaul) to the turning ring, and back to the grommet. We fix it to the grommet's upper side, allowing a tail which is tied to the clew. We prefer little play between clew and grommet.

The sheet is fixed to the grommet's lower side and led to deck level. A turning device (multiple or travelling for an improved lead?) leads it toward a clear, handy to the crew. We prefer enough friction on the cleat to hold in steady wind but ease in heavy gusts... no lock hitch.

Sails

We used light nylon fabric to build flat-cut sails. These are responsive, and furl neatly around the slightly tapered masts. They are stretchy enough to take on some belly (camber) when full of wind.

Downside is that camber can't be flattened easily in high winds. But reefing is so easy, we can reduce power that way.

For 2xLOMs we screwed the webbed luffs to the mast, but are now considering a pocket for easier installation and removal. Others have found that a simple lanyard from tack to mast is sufficient for furling.

Handling the Ljungstrom

We set the Ljungstrom sail well forward, where it can pull us bow down the wind. 

We don't typically vang our sails to flatten them. Instead, we vary the sheet leads and/or reef a little more than we might. This avoids extra gear, handling and the heavier booms required. Personal call, however. 

Furled Set Up

When furled, the sail is snugly wrapped around the mast. The boom(s), if any, are vertical. Sheets are left slack and hanging. One clew outhaul is marline-hitched once or twice along the mast, securing all the bits, then made fast at its pinch cleat (low).


Setting Sail

Unhitch the outhaul, then refasten to its cleat. Uncoil sheets and lead aft to their cleats. Both outhaul and sheets will go slack as the sail is unrolled. Unpin mast if locked.

Depending on wind, you might wish to round up. For downwind departures, you may have to work in stages, trimming sheets as you go.

Unroll the sail by rotating the mast (we prefer 'righty-tighty; lefty-loosey' as standard... we do this by hand, but various rope windings are possible).

Once unfurled as far as desired, haul the outhaul(s) for the curve you wish, then make fast. Trim sheets and fall off to heading. Backing sail is easy and effective. If you wish to open the sails, do so.

On the Wind

Here the sails are overlapped and are sheeted as one (outer one generally the focus of our attention). They handle pretty much as any boomed LOM.

Off the Wind

Sailing off the wind, the sail is typically balanced like a delta kite. All things being equal, it want s to hold the bow centered downwind. More belly is often a good trade-off against more area.

To steer using sail, haul the sheet on the side toward which you wish to turn (easy, now!). This shortens its force vector and directs it to that side. The opposite sail, now relatively stronger and with a longer lever-arm, works to rotate the hull that-away. Like the reins of a horse!

In a heavy gust, you have a 50% reef at hand. You can jibe one sail (lapping one over the other) or let it fly (this can be harder to retrieve... get a wide angle). But if this comes up, consider roller reefing ASAP. Consider that, in high winds, you don't have to set them wing and wing... they sail well as one.

Odd Situations

If a sudden squall has invited letting both sails fly (they're trailing down the wind from the bow), calmly roller reef until you can bring them in and under control.

If such a situation has reversed their usual sides, don't panic... just hand the sheets around the mast, or refasten them for a fair lead and carry on. The sails won't care.

The whole mast, sails and all, can be furled, hitched up and let over as a sea-anchor.

All in All

We found these LOM/Ljungstrom + Quick-Rig Booms to be simple, cheap, versatile and powerful. Each piece is DIY-able from scavenged materials. Nothing about them couldn't be made in the field, at a pinch.

The lightness of the spars is a BIG advantage, especially as we age. The masts should be manageable for as long as we're likely to be able to row.

In researching the history of the rig, the few who have used it are soberly impressed by its virtues. It is not the fastest rig out there, but its no slouch, and pays its way with easy handling and quick reefing.

I'm hoping to see more of these on the water in the coming years!

Full Ljungstrom / Reefed LOM
Sprit-Boomed LOM Aft

References

Sea Pearl 21 Review by Josh Colvin

About Holopuni Canoes by Nick Beck

Rigging MUSTELID and MUSTELID Voyage by Anke and Dave

LUTRA Update: Building Blues and Bloom

 

A Work in Progress

Rome wasn't built in a day.

-- Old saying

LUTRA Update: Building Blues and Bloom

There are two things I yammer on about:

1. Small is beautiful.  - E.F. Schumacher
2. Curves and angles add to building time and effort.  - Me

Yeesh. I should listen to myself.

We're just rounding the one year mark on what we'd estimated to be a four month project. Six months if the stars mis-aligned.

A winter build - now approaching another? -  interrupted work with deep-freezing spells and general hypothermia, leaving us staring stupidly at simple tasks. Weather - exceptionally cool/cold and wet stretched from that winter, through spring to latish July, bringing mildew in its train. A series of guests (whom we thoroughly enjoyed) brought a warm spell that ended promptly with their last departure. Back to hypothermia. Our short-handed community has needs with few to step up. Our own life has chores that can't be indefinitely deferred.

It adds up to a blues riff.

But one step in front of the other. The structure is complete and we're building and tacking on gear (hatches, tabernacles, bow rollers, cleats, rails, rudder/tiller, etc.). In a week or two - barring further issues - we'll start the simple interior, then windows, then launch. we're hoping for 2025.

So we persist. We dream of returning to life at large among the islands.

We bloom.

*****

It's a challenge taking photos from point blank!

Rowing Cockpit from Forward
Longitudinal Seat/Lockers between Self-Bailing Decks
Main Tabernacle at Main Bulkhead

Rowing Cockpit from aft

Longitudinal seat lockers to Leanbank/Fo'c'stle Hatch

Fore and Main Tabernacles visible

Hitchhiker's Guide to Wooden Boats: Review

 

Margo St-Finch singing her Tide's Going Out

I almost look at it as being a little bit religious;

putting yourself out to the world and saying,

What do you have for me?

Where am I going to go?

-- Ryan Hashagen

Hitchhiker's Guide to Wooden Boats: A Review of Sorts

Every now and again we stumble upon a story that we relate to on some deep level, for reasons hard to identify, much less to express. 

This little film - presented by Northwest Maritime of Port Townsend, WA - is the story of a young couple's weekend adventure by land (camper van and bicycles) and sea (in HA!, a lovingly restored Bolger GLOUCESTER GULL).

Turns out, Ryan lived for a time afloat in Eagle Harbor, where we took our first steps in life aboard. HA! may even have originally been our friends' dory... the one which inspired our own. We surely have friends in common.

Turns out, Margot is a lover- and writer of sea-shanties, among her other artistic pursuits. Her Tide's Going Out was born with the patina of... well... je n'sais pas quoi. But it carries us out on its ebb.

Turns out it's a joyous adventure on the scale of Wind in the Willows, but shared by a couple obviously in love.

There. You see? These descriptions express nothing of why this one is worth your while. The best I can do is recommend that you invest a half-hour of your time to watch. To find out for yourself if it speaks to you.

If you're anything like us, you'll find yourself reviewing it on occasion, to lift your spirits in troubled times.

Natural Navigators

 

Seems kinda simpler on the water!

From Crowd Motion Patterns, Dupont etc al. (2017)

Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of [their] mind comes through [their] movements.

- Maria Montessori

Natural Navigators

Line of sight navigation - lines of position, ranges, transits, relative bearings - is the simplest kind of look-see reckoning. No numbers, calculations or algebra! Given fixed visible points and rough angles, we can tell where we are on the water. With a second glance, we can tell if we're advancing, clearing or if another vessel will pass ahead or behind.

Simple.

Yet many struggle with the concepts involved. Many feel that such skills are beyond them. That there is something mystical or arcane in their ways.

I won't go into the details as they're well documented elsewhere. Rather, I'd like to point out that we use these skills daily without giving them the least conscious thought. We're ALL navigators from our early infancy!

Come with me for a walk in the park?

We're walking along a path bordered by green grass. We encounter others strolling along. Occasionally, we overtake a group going the same direction, and pass through with nods and 'hellos'. We see a vendor's stand to one side and pull off for ice-cream.

Lovely.

Of course, we've been navigating the whole time. We've not overstepped the path to tread the grass. We've tended to the right as have those coming towards us. We've threaded a 'fleet' of slower folks without bumping. We cleared the corner to the vendor's 'cove' and entered.

We do this every day. We walk toward our destinations. We walk through doors rather than crash into the walls on either side, coming and going. We assess and adjust our course and pace, relative to others in motion.

The only difference that makes navigation on the water feel uncanny is that we aren't generally providing the physical impetus of our own motion. Wind and water move us along as we sit and admire the view. But line of sight navigation remains the same. We adjust our course and speed according to what we observe, just as we do ashore.

It ain't magic!

 

Tulle + TBIII + Paint: A Promising Sheathing Combo

 

Save that Veil...
It's Tulle!

Because, in your dreams, every detail matters.

- Wedding Veil Ad Copy

Tulle + TBIII + Paint: A Promising Sheathing Combo

In our endless search for cheaper solutions to common problems, we seem to be closing in on a minimum. Specifically, in regards to a plywood sheathing system.

Previous posts - More Than One Way to Sheath a Boat and Deck Sheathing: Alternatives to Fiberglass and Plastic Resins - explored alternatives we've tried. Our state-of-the-art is woven acrylic fabric (sometimes sold as 'Dynel') providing a matrix for TiteBond III water-based (but 'proof') glue.

Problem is, formerly cheap acrylic went from about $5 to $25 per yard (yikes!) over the last ten years.

So we hunted around. Synthetic fabrics of every stripe were durn expensive, and we were reduced to collecting second-hand sheets (not a bad option, but take a lot of piecework).

And there was Tulle (bridal veil material)! We found some made of polyester that covered the horizontal decks of our new boat with plenty to double it on high-wear areas. All for about $1 per yard (less in quantity) through Amazon. TiteBond III is still cheap as paint.

Tulle wets down well, and the drying TBIII first layer has little problem pulling it flat (but help it along creases by spreading flat). It conforms well to tight-radius exterior and interior edges. With two coats of TBIII and topcoat of paint, the result is a moderately textured surface over a thick, reinforced film of hard-set glue protected from UV by paint.

So Tulle looks good as an inexpensive alternative to other synthetic fabrics. Time will tell... the gold standard is about 15 years.

Watch this space!

Our Application Procedure:

1. Prep surface (smooth and tack-free)
2. Pre-cut Tulle to fit
3. Wet down Tulle with water (soaks the wood under)
4. Immediately brush TiteBond III (ample, but don't sweat it)
5. Let dry (will draw down Tulle for initial bond)
6. Lightly sand sharp points, edges or ridges, if any and tack
7. Apply second coat of TBIII (ample, but brush out to preserve weave)
8. Let dry
9. Prime while still 'green' (within 24hrs)
10. Topcoat

One cool aspect is that, with judicious selection of products and a warm, breezy day, starting with a prepared deck we can (theoretically) manage five coats (2xTB, 1x primer, and 2x topcoat) in one long summer day. And much of that is kicking back and watching it dry.

Cheap AND efficient!

Musings on Design for Solo Sailors

Capucine Trochet single-handing TARA TARA

The only way to see true reality is in solitude. One of the tragedies of human existence is that reality cannot be shared. What's real to you may not be to someone else.

― From A Steady Trade: A Boyhood at Sea by Tristan Jones

Musings on Design for Solo Sailors

As an adherent of the Buddy System, I look askance on solo, live-aboard cruising. That being said, many things - including simple inclination - can set us on a solitary course. Not just for the moment, but as a way of life. So it bears thinking about.

Sailing solo asks much more of us, and we need more from our vessels. What follows are my personal thoughts. They hardly amount to advice, much less any kind of yagotta. I offer them for your consideration.

To me, there is a big difference between ocean sailing and inshore that bears on a solo sailor’s needs. While offshore sailing has its own challenges, inshore has most of those plus constraints from proximal shorelines, rocks and reefs, highly variable wind and currents, and generally higher traffic. There are no inshore weeks of balanced sail and helm with little more than lookout duty for the single-hander. Inshore sailing is much more active.

A motor is a help, and at its best, goes a long way toward standing in for crew. It allows planned moves in mostly predictable time. The energy it consumes saves some of that drawn from our own, limited budget. Still, engines have their own costs, and sometimes fail or run through their own available energy. For the lone sailor, I would recommend considering it as an option rather than a codependency.

IMHO, the biggest threat to the single-hander is fatigue.

When sailing alone, there is no other to relieve the watch. To prepare food or drink. To lend a hand. To give a second assessment. To offer courage and moral support. We must guard our strength and sieze the opportunity to rest.

The second is hypothermia. Being in the wind means calories are blown to lee and gone. We can’t be relieved to go below and warm up. Even putting on extra clothing takes an extended moment away from the helm. Good clothing, put on ahead of need is essential, but also can be hard to manage, with sudden downturns of conditions or opportunity putting us in peril. Worse, hypothermia is insidious, dulling the mind and impairing decision by easy-to-miss degrees. As solo sailors, there is no other to note its symptoms. We must be alert to its signs and stay ahead of its advance.

These considerations and others can be helped by good design.

So what would I look for in a vessel that I can manage alone, actively sailing by day and anchoring by night, year-round? Here’s a wish list:

• Small Size - Small affords the best strength-to-boat ratio, both in terms of my own and the vessel’s. A smaller vessel has less mass, momentum, leverages and surface area reducing the stressor forces involved. At the same time, its greater mass-to-stressor ratio increases its relative strength. My required effort is reduced, both in terms of manipulating my vessel and onboard mechanics. Gear (e.g., anchors) and outfit (e.g. rig) are much smaller and lighter at every turn. Small is beautiful! (- E.F. Shumacher).

• Seakindly Motion - Easy motion with reduced, or at least smoothed (damped), roll, pitch and yaw, and lower angles of heel (stability) help keep fatigue down. These are primarily due to hull features, but weight distribution also plays a role.
  
  

• Ultra Shoal Draft - Every inch we shave from the hull opens options for shelter. When single handing near rope’s end, the ability to duck out of conditions can mean life or death. The simple ability to ground our vessel in a hard chance, in wading-depth water and its resourcesn in reach, saves a desperate swim ashore with the only the shirts on our backs
  
  

• Simple, Robust Everything - Single handers, even more than other sailors, are vulnerable to gear failure. A situation that arises is met by one person, rather than a team… when SHTF, we can only do so much alone. Simple, robust gear reduces risk of failure, and eases both assessment and subsequent address. If a quick fix is all that can be managed in a crisis, simple systems are more easily patched with a wider range of options. Redundancy increases safety-in-depth, and helps scale down crises.
  
  

• Handy, Balanced Rig - A rig that is easy to set, strike and balance are essential to the inshore single-hander. Time and energy are precious, rationed and not to be squandered on involved procedures. A balanced rig eases any self-steering system, freeing us from the helm and reducing the adrenaline rush when they are overwhelmed. Easy reefing with a good range of options reduces fatigue from transitions and sailing over- or under powered.
  
  A bonus is a rig that can be raised and lowered completely, if not by hand, then by easy, on-board, mechanical means (e.g., Thames Barge Rig, scaled down). This lets us reduce windage, especially at anchor, for better sleep.
  
  Consider Junk Ketch Rig for excellent reef and balance control. Not as easiliy lowered as some, however.
  
  

• ‘Efficient’ Human Propulsion - The ability to move through calms at an easy pace gets us into and out of harbor for both shelter and sleep. Options include oars, sculls and the Doi PowerFin. Pedal units are also possible, but much less simple. These need to be accomodated, not only by a design, but in terms of use and stowage.
  
  A hull’s shape determines how efficient - how easily driven - it is through water. Generally speaking, more slender, shallow hulls are more slippery, as are curvy ones. Retractable lateral resistance (consider off-centerboards for simplicity) can be cleared from the water when rowing or sailing offwind to reduce drag.
  
  Since rowing is upright, while sailing into the wind is often heeled, design constraints look for a balance according to priority.
  
  

• Interior Handling (Steering, Sail, Propulsion) - The ability to steer and manage sail and oar from within shelter is, I think, a huge advantage. We are far less exposed to the elements, less encumbered by gear (think foulies and PFDs), our galley is near at hand without the need to transition from deck. Eliminating the need for a cockpit potentially shrinks the boat.
  
  To my knowledge, this approach was pioneered for single-handing by ‘Blondie’ Hassler (JESTER and others) and extended by Phil Bolger (BIRDWATCHER and others), Sven Yrvind and Matt Layden.
  
  

• A Comfortable Interior - Inside the vessel is our ‘hole in the weather’. There should be a comfortable, warm, dry place to sit and sleep and cook. If an intimate guest is to be accommodated, they’ll need the same. If these areas overlap, they should transition smoothly, without much time or effort.
  
  Consider a simple, dedicated galley arrangements handy to the helm. At a minimum, space for pre-prepared food storage + thermos.
  
  

• Ample Carrying Capacity - The ability to carry plenty for any given leg of a voyage, including enough for unforeseen delays, takes pressure off any crew. Lone sailors are especially vulnerable if forced to press on for lack of provisions. Our safety margins are narrower to begin with… a forced march can quickly use up what’s left.
  
  
  

All these points work together to enhance and extend our physical ease, resilience and reach while reducing exposure and fatigue. Some, however, work at odds with one another. We seek a dynamic balance to meet expected conditions, leaning this way or that according to where and how we intend to sail.

Every vessel is a compromise, and these are no exception. The single sailor, even more than is generally true for two or more, must put themselves first and foremost among the vessels’ priorities. Exchanging ergonomics for lesser priorities (speed, windward excellence, size, etc.) is a fail-dangerouser bargain. Safety margins are vital, and trading them away is a poor bargain.

So there’s a set of criteria that I’d look for. 

If it were me. 

Which I hope it never is.

*

*

*

Here are some current live-aboard, cruising solo sailors I admire and  from whom I’ve distilled the above approaches. The word that pops to (my) mind as the common denominator of these sailors is discipline… each has harnessed their energies and passions to surmount the challenges of singe-handing to forge a joyous lifestyle.

Note that, while some inshore sailing is part of any cruiser’s voyage, all I know of are passage based. In other words, close inshore risks are the exception, rather than the rule, and therefore are more easily managed.

***

Matt Layden - Matt is a a designer / builder / sailor who solos long and deep -  with more coastal inshore sailing than most. A minimalist, he expemplifies the smallest end of the scale, down to his SAND FLEA(!)

His PARADOX and others hit all the points above. His approach is affirmed by the many versions built and sailed by ‘mature’ soloists.

***

Sven Yrvind - Another pioneer of the small, robust, handy school, Sven has been sailing the course for scores of years. His approaches have kept him actively sailing well into his 80s!

He’s another whose designs merit close study. His rigs, are particularly handy and versatile.

***

Holly Martin - Holly is a hands-on cruiser, circumnavigating in GEKGO, fixer-upper she transformed into a capable, cruising home. She’s pragmatic, inventive and ‘chill’.

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Kiana Weitzel - Kiana is soloing a larger Wharram catamaran, learning as she goes from near scratch. She provides a good look at simple sailing with the advantages (and some disadvantages) of a larger footprint.

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Shemaya Laurel - While not strictly speaking a live-aboard, Shemaya is a coastal sailor (considerable inshore sailing) for extended periods. In her case, fatigue and exposure are of particular concern, and she casually demonstrates how far preparation and pacing can take us.

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Yann Quenet - Yann is on his second circumnavigation in his 5 meter BALUCHON! He’s another who makes the very small end of the scale look both practical and inviting!

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Here are some designs that I think would either make good single-handers along the lines above or provide inspiration for them. They’re not by any means a definitive list, but serve as illustrations. Each have features to consider, if not copy!:

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Matt Layen’s PARADOX, showing the well-thought-out approach to a successful and compact cruiser. He sets a high bar! Not clearly shown here are his chine runners… fixed flanges running along about ⅓ of the chine providing enhanced lateral resistance (no keel or boards to handle and no extra draft!).

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BOB is a doodle of mine, inspired by Matt Layden’s PARADOX. It’s the simplest to build and gets the most interior on a given footprint. It won’t be as slippery as some others, but is exceptionally stable under sail, relative to its size. It would be my choice given how I roll.

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Phil Bolger’s BIRDWATCHER (and his enhanced BIRDWATCHER II) are another high water mark. The cabin is see-through and watertight, making this hull self rescuing from inside after a full knock-down!

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OLLIE is an early sketch toward John Harris’ thoughts on adapting Phil Bolger’s DOVEKIE. Note the small, aft cockpit with a dodger bar to set up a sheltered station. Rowing can be done from inside.

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FAERING CRUISER is another by John Harris. This one is exceptionally slippery making it easy to drive under sail and oar. Accomodations are accordingly scant for a live-aboard (a cockpit shelter helps), but a minimilist could do well with this one.

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Godfrey Stephens’ adaptation of Bill Short’s SAN FRANSICO BAY PELICAN. Lots of accomodation on a small footprint, these are surprisingly able sailors in rough water.

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EGRET by Ralph Monroe manages to be a small 29ft, and coud be scaled down if desired. As was, she earned her legendary reputation delivering mail year round in wild, Gulf Stream waters. Early proof that hard chines can produce a slippery, seaworthy hull.

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Fritz Koschmann aboard his Howard Chapelle designed Scow in SE Alaska.

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BALUCHON on it’s first circumnavigation.

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James Wharram’s well proven TIKI 21 and 26… lots of single-hander footprint in a small package. A large deck tent expands living space at anchor.

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MUSTELID is another of my designs… it’s in reach of single handing as is, though I’d shorten the forward cockpit for one rowing station and switch to ketch rig. Inside handling can be arranged. The mast-furled Leg O’ Mutton sails with Holopuni Quick-Rig inspired booms turned out to be fantastically simple and easy to handle (we later learned that SEAPEARL canoes offered a similar rig).