There is a pretty lively discussion going on over at the Wooden Boat forum on Engineless sailing and cruising in the thread Sailing With No Engine?. These types of discussions come up occasionally on various forums but this one has stayed pretty focused on choosing whether or not to have an engine on a sailboat on why or why not.
Some threads on other forums have quickly diverged into discussions on auxiliary propulsion systems, outboards etc. But this Wooden Boat forum thread has pretty much come down to safety with some seemingly believing that it is unsafe and discourteous to sail engineless and other believing that with proper skill, patience and seamanship it is completely safe.
Having read through and participated in the 200 plus post Wooden Boat forum thread I am curious what others think. So I added a poll concerning the safety of sailing engineless to the sidebar of this blog.
I would greatly appreciate it y'all would take the time to vote.
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5 comments:
Although I'm not sure what anyone else would have to do with my choice as to whether to use an auxillary or not, I would say I need to have some minimal power available because of 2 things. The often maddenly light Chesapeake conditions when I've just "had enough" and the demands of time on my often impromptu sails.
A British Seagull on a 32' sloop is pretty minimal but pushes us in a calm. In any wind or sea you have to sail. To get from the mooring to the dock when I don't feel like messing with the motor I use a carbon sculling oar from a racing shell and an oarlock mounted on the toerail. A single oar can get me around but no matter how hard I row, I can not exceed about 2 knots. And with a minimum of effort can get about 1.5 kts. A narrow range!
Bill,
As with everything, "it depends."
For me, this question needs to be separated into day-sailing vs. blue water cruising.
For day-sailing and short coastal trips it's definitely "inspiring", as long as the skipper is skilled enough to avoid being discourteous.
For extended cruising, for example crossing an ocean, I tend to think it's unsafe.
However, I also think a lot of the people who are "pro" engine-less are really just "anti" gas engines.
They're loud, smelly, expensive, etc. And they don't fit with the whole "back to nature" /environmentally friendly aspect of sailing.
I've looked into electric motor systems that could function just as well in most situations.
The batteries are the bottleneck, but you can currently get 4-8 hours of propulsion at 2-3 knots with current solutions. The batteries charge via a combination of solar and the prop turning while under sail or while riding down waves.
Over time as battery technology evolves, it will become even more attractive.
I think that there are many viable and rewarding choices in boating and that no single choice is the right or correct one. The sole reason that I posted this poll is that sometimes there is a tendency to define engineless sailing as unsafe to justify another choice (ie sailing with an engine).
I personally have no issues with anyone choosing a different approach to boating then my own.
It's all good.
Cheers, Bill
Jack of All Trades,
Perhaps your are right and there are enginless sailors who sail engineless because of their dislike for combustion engines. But that is not why I choose to sail without an engine.
For me it is the love of sailing. Every time that I am on a sailboat with an engine running, I am constantly looking for wind ripples hoping to find a breath of air so we can sail again.
On a sailboat I am never in a hurry to get some place, I am in a hurry to be sailing.
In addition, the parts of sailing that are replaced by motoring are often my favorites. Casting off and picking up moorings and sailing in and out bays.
It's the love of sailing for me not a hated of engines (although I am a minor EV enthusiast).
Cheers,
Bill
Sailing offshore I like to leave the engine off - crossing the Atlantic takes a while, so an extra day of so makes no real difference and the reduction of risk (mechanical failure, fire etc) you get by not motoring is nice - good to know you can do without but nice to know it's there when there's a ship bearing down on you in a calm.
Daysailing I'd sail everywhere if I could, but beating up a very crowed river against a spring tide? - in the old days the fishermen would anchor and wait but they don't have to be in the office on Monday.
Best I can do is my small cat boat - I threw the outboard away, it sails almost everywhere (including in reverse off the club pomtoon) and rows nicely when there's no wind.
good discussion
Max
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