One boatshow when I was standing inside a very nice 45 foot boat, just me and
the salesman who didn't have a clew whether I wanted to spend $12 or $12
million, I made casual mention to the fact that I wanted to singlehand a boat,
and had some serious thoughts of doing so offshore. The salesman (who gets
paid more commission for selling me more boat) immediately told me that I
didn't want a boat that size, and I should be looking for something under 38
feet, maaaaaaaaybe 40 feet at the outside. He said I just wouldn't like a
larger boat sailing offshore, as a larger boat is one hell of a lot more
physical effort. I made quick note of this, for I am stronger than most guys
(at the time I was lifting heavy weights for exercise).

For some period of time afterwards, I took care to ask brokers one after
another to recommend a size boat for me, knowing only what I wanted to do, even
as I mentioned my athletic background. Virtually to the man, to the woman,
every broker told me 38 feet was my upper limit, maaaaaaaybe 40 feet if I
watched the weather, but if they personally were going to go offshore
singlehanded 34 feet was probably better, for 34 feet was not too big to handle
without eccessive effort and still had some room to live in once you got to an
anchorage. Strictly for passagemaking, something even smaller might be better,
assuming the boat was up to the effort as a passagemaker.

As I started doing crewing on boats (some clown -- who it turns out was
terrified of bluewater herself, though she had done a fair amount -- convinced
me I needed more offshore experience. She was wrong.), I noticed in short order
that sailors needing crew had boats over 40 feet long, and boats in anchorages
having come from distant places without extra crew were the smaller boats.
Indeed, one guy I know personally circled the Atlantic (starting north to
Ireland in late fall one year) in a 27 foot boat with a Honda outboard and 12
gallons of fuel (later 19 once he got to Europe). Note that the boat had a
wind vane, weather cloths, a wood fired heater, excellent sails and an Origo
stove. Prior, he had taken that same boat out the St Lawrence, down the coast
to the Caribbean and then returned north, saying it was too goddem hot in the
Caribbean.

Not long ago an American grandmother in her 50's finished a solo
circumnavigation in a 31 foot Southern Cross. About 10 years ago a 79
great-grandmother crossed solo from Newfoundland to Ireland in a 30 foot boat.
(The USCG wouldn't let her depart from a US port, so she sailed first to Nwfl
and then on to Europe) When she got to Ireland, a young reporter asked her if
she realized that not only was she the oldest woman to solo cross the North
Atlantic, but she was also the oldest person. The sailor said, no she didn't
know that and she didn't care. One of her sons and two of her grandchildren
sailed the boat back.