[TallGuy]

I searched these forums for a while, but I couldn't find a "Boats for Tall People" thread. Am I wrong in assuming that anything with adequate headroom for me is going to require two or more people to sail? Almost all the boats I've been on have been coastal cruising types, so I don't know much about bluewater-capable craft. I know that I could find a boat that I could sail up and down the coast; I see headroom mentioned occasionally in ads, so I know that such boats exist, and I'm not that tall.

If 30 feet is the ideal length for liveaboard solo sailing, then there must be some boats that tall guys can live in, and at least some of those must be robust enough to consider taking across an ocean. Which ones are they? Is it really impossible to sail, say, a 36 footer by yourself? Most of the boats I've read about that mention ample headroom are on the larger side.

So, is there a boat in particular that I should be looking for? Or should I just cultivate a slouch? Perhaps I should try to marry someone who also wants to sail across the Pacific? Advice, please.

 

[CharlieCobra]

My old boat is 40' LOA and I sail it single handed just fine. I'm also 6-4.

 

[roline]

Yes you are currently dreaming, but your dreams can be realized.
GO to a couple boat shows and crawl through all the boats, lay down in the berths, check out the heads............. For the very serious, Caliber and Island Packets have nice features but I kinda liked the Morgan Catalina 44, even had washer dryer and work shop. But just like our attraction to the opposite sex, we each have / find a unique attraction to different boats.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I'm also 6'4" & the best boat I've found for safety at sea, room below deck & value is the Westsail 32, a proven Colin Archer design if you like the traditional style.

 

[WanderingStar]

I'm 6'5", and I sail. All boats are compromise. My ketch has about 6'4" headroom, at 39' on deck. I singlehand her more often than not. Winches help, a divided rig (smaller sails) helps. Practice and thinking ahead helps most of all. I still need a taller boat, but I doubt that will happen.

 

[casioqv]

I'm also 6'2, and I have full standing height in a pop-top Catalina 25 fixed keel with the top up. My Catalina 22 swing keel doesn't have full standing height, but I think it will be fairly simple for me to modify the top with telescoping poles so that it does.

You shouldn't use the pop-top when sailing in anything but light air, but I don't find the desire to stand fully upright in the cabin while sailing in rough seas either.

I guess this is sort-of irrelevant in the context of liveaboards that can sail around the world...

 

[Valiente]

I'm just short of six-one, and the only place I have to watch it in my 33 footer is the head.

Gentlemen sit, anyway!

Our new boat has seven feet of headroom in the saloon...I think my wife wants to put in shelving!

 

[Volkhard]

Your dream will come true!

Tallguy:
I don't know about 30' being the ideal length for Solo liveaboard but I think that's a personal choice. I can only speak from my experience on my Island Packet 37 who serves me very well. I am 6'2" as well and people were laughing at me, when (on boat shows) after examining the cockpit and deck layout, my first look was in the head. I don't like to shower bend over or sitting down showering and that did eliminate quite some boats for me.

In regard to blue water cruising IMHO up to a certain size bigger is actually better and will give you (everything else the same) a more seaworthy and more sea-kindly boat. When I stepped up from a nice 30ft Hunter (bought strictly for coastal cruising) to my IP 37 I couldn't believe the huge difference. 15 to 20kts winds are now pure fun and have not been before.

I am contemplating to take my IP across oceans in 2 years when I retire, unless I exchange her bevore for a moderate size catamaran I am thinking about as well.

While I would like to sail with crew/companion I am setting everything up to be able to single-hand. I haven't crossed oceans yet but cruising Tampa Bay to Key West direct or being offshore about 150 miles in the Atlantic when I sailed from Florida to the Chesapeake this summer have been pure bliss.

I am sure you will find a good boat that fits you well both in size, style and handling. There are many folks out there single-handling moderate boats (35' to 40') and I have heart about a guy who does it on a 46' boat. I think it's about your personal comfort-zone, your skills and your expectations. I sail my IP 37 almost every weekend, and most the time solo or with non-sailing friends (much harder the singlehanding ).
I have a lot of fun solo on my 37' boat but I guess I would be a bit uncomfortable on something much larger than 40'.

I don't know where you live, but should it be somewhere close to Annapolis, please by any means join me one day and observe on a "singlehanded" day sail.

Good luck!

 

[DrB]

I'm 6' 6"

and I fit easily in my Pearson 10M, although the the brochure as 6' 1-1/2". I can't go much further than mid salon without ducking a little. The v-berth is a little tight, but I fit in all the berths.

I wouldn't take it across the ocean, but it can easily handle some bluewater conditions.

It's easy to singlehand.

DrB

 

[Omatako]

So you can see, a lot of short folks like you go sailing. I am 6'5"

 

[byr0n]

Isn't this is why they invented "Tall Ships"?
fyi, 6'3" on a cal29 - certainly going to cross an ocean or two in it.

 

[aerie]

I singlehand my Beneteau 42cc, and I'm a woman. You do have to plan ahead, and have the boat set up for singlehanding. A reliable autopilot is #1, handheld radio or remote mic at the helm is #2.

 

[mitiempo]

The interior is a personal choice as to amenities and the size of them - shower, head. etc. But as far as sailing is concerned size shouldn't be an issue. With today's equipment any boat can be set up for singlehanding. Lines led aft with good clutches, good winches, and lazyjacks all make this fairly easy. In some ways the larger boat is easier to sail alone as the platform is more stable and the way forward along the sidedecks is clearer. You do have to think ahead a bit more and furling a main on a larger boat is a bit more work but that should really be the only real differences on a larger boat. Anchoring is done with a windlass on most cruisers above 30' or thereabouts so that isn't much different.
Steve and Linda Dashew sailed a 77' boat called Beowolf around the world by themselves and that included spinnaker setting and dousing - yes they are very seasoned and spinnaker setting on a 77' boat requires a LOT of thinking ahead but it can be done. Their production run of 56'to 64' Sundeers were almost all crewed by couples and several circumnavigated. Their custom boats up to 78' were also mostly sailed by couples. When a couple sail offshore you are really singlehanding on 2 different shifts. Chuck Paine's Apogee 50' design has been sailed solo by some as well. I think many could sail a boat upto 45' or so with the right rigging quite easily. Of course the maintenance budget and other costs are a lot higher and I think that is one reason why cruisers tend toward smaller boats - as I have moving from a 35' boat a few years ago to a 27' currently. But if that lottery draws my number it would be somewhere between 40' and 50'.
Brian

 

[kmusbach]

I'm also 6'2 and we have a 38" Kady Krogen Cutter. It has about 6'4" of headroom plus a queen size master berth that I sleep very comfortabaly on.

 

[RealityCheck]

6'2" is not tall....

I'm 6'2" and that is not at all unusual for most North American Sailors.

I know several similar height sailors that have crossed the Atlantic in boats smaller than 30'.

I've had a 26 that was very comfortable.

It is all in what you want and can afford. Most boats interior centerline heights are comfortable to us short 6' 2ers...

 

[rickanlisa]

just to pipe in i'm 6'8 and live on a tanzer 8.5 i can stand underneath the companionway hatch with no prob. but any where else on the boat i have to stoop over not to bad though biggest problem i have is hitting my head on the handrail in the cabin

 

[sailingdog]

I'd point out that a proper berth that you can stretch out in comfort on is far more important than standing headroom, since most of the time you're down below in a boat, you'll be sitting down, but if you don't have a berth that you can sleep comfortably in, you're screwed.

 

[zeehag]

my formosa can be single handed and is designed by wm garden who was 6'4---the interior has that much headroom...and the master berth is same ---so are the pilot berths...long enough for a 6'4 to sleep in comfort....just is a bit on the older boat side--which i like ...... wide decks to walk and a quadrant mounted simrad auto pilot...was single handed from san francisco to san diego....by a boat virgin.......

 

[Lookin4Freedom]

I'm 6'3" and I started to feel the same way about trying to voyage in a small boat. However, boats do exist with headroom, if we look carefully enough. I recently shocked the wife by showing her an Out Island 33'. Compared to the Catalina 30, Sabre 28, Pearson 30 she's seen and been on, it was HUGE. So beamy, but I easily stood and moved around in the boat too -- first boat I've been on that I could stand freely in. Gives me hope for finding seaworthy boats that have that kind of headroom. I will note the Good Old boat list (Atom Voyages | Voyages Aboard the Sailboat Atom - Good Old Boats List - choosing a small voyaging sailboat) does show a couple candidates for taller folks. Especially the Vancouver 27/28. He claims 6' 4" headroom.

 

[whigmaleerie]

My dad sails my ohlson 38' hes 6'4 and doesnt have any great problems, the boats great and ideal for single handed very well manered sea boat!!!!!!!!!!!!