Days Off/Hand Flying
Freewings -
The limit is...no less than 11 days at work. That means available to fly. Put another way, it is spelled out as this: no more than 16 days off at home (or wherever) plus 3 days travel. That adds up to 19 days free from work, leaving 11 days for work in a 30 day month. It's up to you how you use your days.
As for hand-flying - it is allowed, and even required on your check ride. That being said, I don't think there is a lot of hand flying. Training is mostly aimed at flying for a couple thousand feet, then autopilot until established on final. That's what I see anyway.
James