What Is a Sloop Sailboat?
A sloop rigged sailing boat is one with a single mast. A sloop sailboat normally has one headsail in front of the boat mast and one mainsail aft behind the mast. This is one of the most common rigged sailboats on the water today, with a fore and aft rig, with the Bermuda rig favored by most sailors. With the Bermuda rig, there is a mainsail on the boom aft of the mast, with a head-sail (a jib or genoa) forward of the mast. This single mast style sailing vessel is favored by racers due to its success while sailing upwind.
Due to the expansive sail area of the two large sails, they are often able to gain quite a bit of speed; however, when you get into larger sloop rigged sailing yachts, they can be a little harder to control due to this large sail area. Let’s explore the main aspects of sloop sail boats for sale now.
What Is the Difference Between a Ship Sloop and a Brig Sloop?
We now know that a sloop is a sailing vessel with a single mast and a fore and aft rigged sails. A brig on the other than, has two masts and both with square rigged sails.
Can You Sleep on a Sloop Boat?
Yes, you can definitely sleep onboard a sloop rigged sailing boat! As with any boat or yacht, the number of people you’ll be able to comfortably sleep will depend on the size of the sailing vessel. Unless you have a small day sailer, your sailing boat will come with cabins – whether you are onboard a single mast sloop rigged sailing boat, or a double masted yawl, there will be various cabin configurations.
Can You Sail a Sloop Solo?
Yes, sloops are often favored by those who want to sail solo. With a simple single mast, and a fore and aft rig, there is less sail area for one person to manage, versus a double masted yawl for example.
However, if we are moving into sloop rigged sailing yachts 79ft and over, the sail area becomes larger and less easy to manage. Not only this, but many will require a small yacht crew on yachts around 80ft. You’ll likely want, at a minimum, a captain and stewardess/chef. As your yacht grows in size, so too will your crew.
How Much Would It Cost to Buy a Sloop?
You will see a lot of small, entry level sloop rigged boats for sale for as little as $10,000. These will have basic accommodation, if any, and be around 20 – 30ft in length. On the other side of this spectrum, you will find sloop sailing yachts for sale for upward of $15 million so it’s important to know what kind of boat for sale you’re looking for and what will fit inside your budget.
A few things that will affect the overall price of sloop boats for sale include:
- Length
- Age
- Condition
- Builder
What Is a Good Size Sloop?
The right size sloop for you will look different for someone else with different goals. Do you want to mostly sail single-handedly? Do you want to race? Do you want to take your Bermuda rig sloop around the world? We know the single mast and a fore and aft rig style boat is easier to handle solo, but is that your goal? If you want to sail yourself, but also bring some family or friends on board for overnight stays, you’ll want to look for a sloop sailboat at least 30ft in length.
However, if your goal is to sail across the ocean, or race in some of the big superyacht regattas, you should start your search for sailboats for sale around 80ft and up.
