For decades, shorthanded cruisers have easily managed boats in the 40- to 50-foot range, but two things have contributed to a sudden growth in shorthanding. First, new technology, from engines to electronics, is allowing shorthanders to cruise farther, safer and easier. Second, the growth in adventure travel—partly as a result of the Covid pandemic—is encouraging more twosomes to cast off, knowing they won’t have to give up home-type amenities or careers (with Starlink on board).

What are the main considerations for joining the shorthanded-cruiser community? Here are the key factors.

The Yacht

The starting point, of course, is choosing the yacht. Many vessels are touted as being cruising yachts when they are best suited for weekend overnighting. Filtering out the hype is your first task: Look for things like top speed (you don’t need it); fuel- and water-tank sizes for range (get lots of both, unless you have a watermaker); and general livability for long-duration voyages.

For many boaters, wide, protected side decks are key to shorthanding. And, having the flybridge extend the full beam over the side decks, says Jeff Druek, CEO of Outer Reef Yachts, “gives the skipper superior viewing down the side of the boat for easy and confident docking.”

Watertight doors on each side of the pilothouse (or a single door, ideally next to the helm) allow the skipper to lend a hand or see what’s going on. Stairs down from the bridge should be gentle and well-railed because you’ll always be in a hurry. For easy access to and from docks, I look for inward-folding boarding doors in the bulwarks. They let you step ashore without clambering over the rail to handle dock lines, and they lessen the chance of getting ripped off by strangers coming aboard.

All of the above are important, but any yacht will also need to be tailored to your shorthanded needs. Let’s look at outfitting.

Thrusters

Even with a twin-engine setup, the need for bow and stern thrusters is near the top of the list. For boats smaller than 50 feet, the most likely standard (or refit) equipment is battery-powered thrusters, which are limited in how long they can run without overheating. For that reason, many boaters look to hydraulic power.

“Hydraulic bow and stern thrusters make for ease of handling, and having proportional thruster controls allows the captain to set and hold thrust against a dock to secure lines shorthanded,” Druek says.

Tom Cutter, a retired emergency-room doctor somewhere in the Pacific with his wife, Peggy, aboard Sabre, their 55-foot steel trawler, says he opted for hydraulic thrusters “because I’d had electrics and sometimes they just ran out of punch.” Like Druek, he says he loves the proportional thruster control: “I can pin the boat to a dock and then have time to get all the lines settled.”

Handheld controls

Being able to wander the decks is a huge benefit when docking or anchoring. There are multiple choices for WiFi-enabled or plug-in handheld controls that allow a skipper to walk with complete control of the engine throttle and shifters, as well as the thrusters. This way, the skipper can be where he has the best view. He can even lend a hand when needed. Wireless remotes don’t require any major modifications to the yacht—the top brands use OEM electronics to patch into the engine, thrusters and windlass—while wired remotes require plugs at the appropriate places.

Multiple Control Stations

With today’s modern electronic engine controls, your builder can install engine and thruster controls at multiple locations around the yacht. Normal positions include a station on each side of the cockpit and on each wing of the flybridge (so the skipper can look straight down while docking). Yachts with a Portuguese bridge can have foldout controls to get the skipper out of the pilothouse when maneuvering. A set of controls aft on the bridge deck is invaluable when backing into a Med-style mooring.

Handrails

“Whatever your builder has already planned for hand and grab rails, double them,” says Jeff Merrill, whose Jeff Merrill Yacht Sales specializes in cruising trawlers. “When you’re running, you won’t often be leaving the helm, but when you do, you need to have plenty of rails for safety.”

Communications

It’s late-afternoon theater for boaters anchored in a cove to observe the shouting of latecomers trying to anchor or pick up a mooring. I recall seeing one woman who, after a long berating for failing to grab the mooring, turned to her husband on the bridge and said, “Fine. You know it all? Do it yourself.” Upon which she dove overboard and swam to the beachfront pub.

Nick Ivanoff, cruising with his wife, Robin, aboard their Outer Reef 610 Silver Skye, says, “The most important piece of equipment we acquired was a very good set of wireless intercom headsets.”

Several well-known companies make Bluetooth-equipped headsets for marine use. Look for several features. First, no wires, meaning the headsets are self-contained rather than being wired to a belt pack. Multiplex allows several people to use the headsets simultaneously. Voice activation is essential, and the headsets should be water-resistant.

Deck Safety

Adding sturdy padeyes to the deck at locations from bow to stern lets you clip the safety lanyard from a lifejacket or harness into a jackline that runs around the deck. This makes on-deck movement safe, without feeling hindered.

Pilot Berth

With just two people aboard, the watch system is automatically set for on- or off-watch. The off-watch person needs to catch a few winks, but going all the way to the stateroom isn’t easy, and it doesn’t make the off-watch person readily available if needed. Stretching out on a salon couch or a settee in the pilothouse? Not comfy or secure at all.

A dedicated pilot berth above and abaft the settee allows the off-watch person to nap in comfort while still being available in an instant. Adding high sides to the berth makes it secure in rough seas, and a curtain can darken it for night running. “Don’t leave home without a pilot berth,” Cutter says.

Night Vision

One of the most precious senses you have at sea is your vision, but too many yachts (even cruising yachts) insist on installing bright white lighting throughout the vessel. The military has long known that red light improves your night vision, whether you’re going on deck or ducking into the galley for a soda. Your builder (or a marine electrician) can install combination lights so you can leave a few red lights on in the salon without blinding the skipper.

Warping Winch and Cleats

Warping winches have become one of the most popular boatbuilder upgrades. Several boat owners told me that with these features, they could easily muscle in a spring line against wind and current.

A warping winch (with a roller hawse) can turn you into a powerhouse when it comes to handling dock lines, or even shortening up a tender tow line. Having a warping winch with a sturdy cleat on each corner of the stern is the minimum. Having a vertical capstan winch forward also helps with anchoring or bow dock lines.

When it comes to cleats, there’s never enough. Aside from the usual bow and stern cleats, which should be properly installed for great strength and sized to handle towing (or being towed), you’ll want several spring line cleats on each rail for flexibility.

Closed-circuit TV

“A must,” Cutter says. “I have three CC cameras in the engine room so I can look at both engines and the genset while keeping an eye on things in general. I also have two CC cameras tucked under the cockpit overhang looking aft at the corners of the stern, which adds to my information when backing or docking. Last, I have a forward-facing CC on the mast, which I use when at anchor or at night, just to keep an eye on the anchor gear. All of these can be watched from screens in the pilothouse, salon and master stateroom.”

Tenders

The launching and retrieval of a tender can affect your enjoyment of faraway places. If you can’t launch easily, you won’t launch very often, so make the process easy.

A hydraulic transom platform that lowers to launch the tender is usually straightforward, but with a couple of caveats. Launching is easy, as the tender just floats off. Retrieving, not so much, as you must jockey the tender to rest on the chocks on the platform. Having a wired or wireless control for the platform makes wrestling the tender into position much easier.

A davit can lift the tender to an upper deck. Again, having the controls in your hand can help to position it correctly.

Shorthanded cruising may seem intimidating and even scary at first, but with a proper yacht plus the right equipment and practice, it can be a grand adventure. 

This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue.