Well, I’ve been an single-handed owner for 8 years and I haven’t had a situation that gave me more issue than other boats I’ve owned, and it has only been other’s concerned comments that provoked me to add cleats here and there. In the PNW, where floating docks are more common, perhaps it would be more critical. For the most part, I step outsde the pilothouse and either loop a spring line over a piling or drop it on a dock cleat, then to the upper deck cleat next to the pilothouse door amidships. Easy.
Re: Mango Mama, the stabilizers are pneumatic units, much faster reacting and deeper in the water. The owner had to deepen the keel by about 6” or so to protect from an accidental grounding of the fins on their down stroke, so the draft is now 3’8”. Extending the keel may have had an effect on rudder response, so he also modified the rudder to the articulating design. He recently retired the Volvo TAMD 31 100HP and refit a 4LH-HTE Yanmar at 140 HP. It’s surely one of the very best examples out there.
Re Hull 99: Thanks for your first hand review, Phil (Hey Jude) of your sea trial some years ago. The photos of 99 look as if work has been done, especially to the deck. 99 should have a few differences, including the larger 1 1/8” rails, shallower galley cabinets and some altered interior sole construction which reportedly made for increased headroom but squeezed the machinery space a bit. I never understood this considering that there was already 7’ headroom in the galley, shower and head. The last 10 or so units were allegedly built by the Jonson Yard in Taiwan instead of the traditional Chen Hwa.
Larry, almost never have a problem docking. The big rudder makes for easy manuvering . We,ve cruised ours going on 12 years thrusterless but feel the urge one day to add one. For now a 100’ long dock line on the bow works for us and prudent management of wind direction and strength.
