It really depends on your (and your crew’s) skills and comfort level. People have crossed oceans in all kinds of craft, like Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa log raft, and the guy who did a trans-Atlantic in a modified dingy, etc. Ask yourself: What size/experience level is my crew? Will I ever want to singlehand a crossing? How many creature comforts do I need for sanity? What kind of weather, conditions, etc. will I plan to sail in?
Am I missing something? Alone usually means alone, no crew. Few 50′ ft. boats can be single handed, in fact I don’t know of any. A Carver, 45 ft. or any motor yacht that size, would not have the range. You are basically limited to sail for practical reasons, and that means something in the 30 to 40ft. size.
I’m no sea sailor, a lake sailor here. So this is NOT advice, but here are a few comments: Would depend on many factors, not simply the length of the boat. If one is comfortable in relatively small spaces, a Flicka 20 or Contessa 26 in very good condition and rightly set up for it, has proved up for the task for some experienced sailors. And it goes up from there. The real question is to pick a blue water designed boat in excellent condition and well rigged and provisioned for the task (not a costal cruiser type, and certainly not a protected waters cruiser or day sailor). There are many boats of all these categories.
Often question you are asking is one that a beginner asks.
Once you have sailed for a few years, you will likely have learned enough that the question will not need to be asked.
If you are a beginner sailor, a better question might be what sort of boat should I ‘learn’ to sail on. The answer is often “the one you will sail on the most” in the waters you have immediately available to you to sail on. A smaller tiller steered sailboat will give a better feel for sailing, when learning and you will be more able to learn correctly in the beginning.
Crossing oceans is something that is best done once one has years of sailing under their belt, in a variety of different weather conditions, having many, many, many (as in thousands of) miles of sailing practice under their belts.
The question then is where is the water ‘close to me’ where I can begin to learn to sail and get the years of practice and training? What are those waters like? Ocean, river, lake, or sound? What kind of boat would be appropriate for those waters?
Many new sailors begin to sail with no boat at all!
They do this by joining a sailing club and making friends and crewing on various boats. Sail club members often race and need crew, many will train a very willing rank beginner gladly enough.
Sailing lessons will also get you sailing quick enough.
OK, good luck.
I can’t tell you how many hours of sheerest joy (and maybe a few of rank terror) I have had sailing.
A grand thing to me…
PS: There is a book titled something to the effect of “20 sailboats to take you anywhere” that might be of help after you have had a few years of sailing under your belt if you are indeed a beginner as I suspect.
A 45 ft Carver,should do nicely for that trip
It really depends on your (and your crew’s) skills and comfort level. People have crossed oceans in all kinds of craft, like Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa log raft, and the guy who did a trans-Atlantic in a modified dingy, etc. Ask yourself: What size/experience level is my crew? Will I ever want to singlehand a crossing? How many creature comforts do I need for sanity? What kind of weather, conditions, etc. will I plan to sail in?
Am I missing something? Alone usually means alone, no crew. Few 50′ ft. boats can be single handed, in fact I don’t know of any. A Carver, 45 ft. or any motor yacht that size, would not have the range. You are basically limited to sail for practical reasons, and that means something in the 30 to 40ft. size.
Tania Aebi sailed around the world solo in a Contessa 26 when she was 18 / 19 years old. That might be a good choice.
Check out the book in the source link below for other models. If you click on “look inside” you can view the sailboat makes in the table of contents.
I’m no sea sailor, a lake sailor here. So this is NOT advice, but here are a few comments: Would depend on many factors, not simply the length of the boat. If one is comfortable in relatively small spaces, a Flicka 20 or Contessa 26 in very good condition and rightly set up for it, has proved up for the task for some experienced sailors. And it goes up from there. The real question is to pick a blue water designed boat in excellent condition and well rigged and provisioned for the task (not a costal cruiser type, and certainly not a protected waters cruiser or day sailor). There are many boats of all these categories.
Often question you are asking is one that a beginner asks.
Once you have sailed for a few years, you will likely have learned enough that the question will not need to be asked.
If you are a beginner sailor, a better question might be what sort of boat should I ‘learn’ to sail on. The answer is often “the one you will sail on the most” in the waters you have immediately available to you to sail on. A smaller tiller steered sailboat will give a better feel for sailing, when learning and you will be more able to learn correctly in the beginning.
Crossing oceans is something that is best done once one has years of sailing under their belt, in a variety of different weather conditions, having many, many, many (as in thousands of) miles of sailing practice under their belts.
The question then is where is the water ‘close to me’ where I can begin to learn to sail and get the years of practice and training? What are those waters like? Ocean, river, lake, or sound? What kind of boat would be appropriate for those waters?
Many new sailors begin to sail with no boat at all!
They do this by joining a sailing club and making friends and crewing on various boats. Sail club members often race and need crew, many will train a very willing rank beginner gladly enough.
Sailing lessons will also get you sailing quick enough.
OK, good luck.
I can’t tell you how many hours of sheerest joy (and maybe a few of rank terror) I have had sailing.
A grand thing to me…
PS: There is a book titled something to the effect of “20 sailboats to take you anywhere” that might be of help after you have had a few years of sailing under your belt if you are indeed a beginner as I suspect.
Ol Bill