Motor Sailing Dos and Don'ts

[theway]

Im just trying to gather some knowledge and experience from those with it. Motor sailing defined here as using the motor on a sailboat while also using the at least one sail - for faster speed or beter fuel economy, etc.

Im going up the ICW and like to get the genoa out whenever possible. Any tips would be nice to start a conversation about this. If there is already a thread please let me know.

thanks
austin

[gettinthere]

I've only read of this, no personal experience with the following...

If your boat hull flexes under sail, that can create a misalignment in the engine/trans/shaft/strut system and lead to excessive wear.

How much flex? I couldn't say. A test I read in the same article said to run a line across the boat in a few places and have these lines tight when the boat is at rest. Then go sailing and see if the lines are sagging. If the lines sag very much, your hull is flexing. That flex MIGHT cause the alignment issues I mentioned.

[Lancerbye]

I motorsail alot since our winds in the Gulf Islands can be light and fickle. I have never experienced the hull flexing to the point of misaligning the engine. I am using a motorsailer that is fairly heavy. Maybe that has something to do with it. It also takes a lot of wind on a beam reach to get the boat to heel a bit. At that point I can shut the engine off because it would not be of any benefit.

[Charlie]

I've done motorsailing on three different types of boats over some nasty conditions all told maybe 4000 nm and have never had a problem with alignment. This sounds like an over protective boat owner too me.

[Get-a-Life]

We too do a lot of motor sailing here in the Southern regions.

At the moment we own a racer cruiser and have never heard of a single boat in the Cruising Yacht Club having an "alignment problem."

I can say however, that quite a few years ago I read an interesting article titled "1 + 1 = 3" the gist of the article was if you were motoring at 1 knot or sailing at 1 knot, combining the two propulsion sytems together would give you 3 knots.

I can certainly say that this may not hold up mathematically correct, but it would not be far wrong.

If conditions are too boisterous, we often motor sail with only a small headsail out and no main.

Works for us.

Ken

[David_Old_Jersey]

I dunno about tips, but motorsailing allows you to head straight towards a destination (without any of that tiresome zig zagging). Plus having some sail up provides some steadying effect.

BTW I have never heard of the hull flex thing - sounds simply like a poorly built boat.

[Pete7]

If you don't mind changing tack everytime the canal goes round a corner, then why not. Is the genoa high cut and can you see under it? if not it might be a pain having to constantly bob about to ensure nothing is creeping up on you on the blind side. The main sail might be therefore be better.

If your feeling brave, pop the spinnaker up, that should frighten the life out of anyone coming towards you

Pete

[skipmac]

I have motorsailed a lot going to the islands from S Florida since everything is upwind from here. I think the 1 + 1 = 3 is a good way to put it and close to accurate. Only difference, going upwind motorsailing I always used the main. It will stay filled a lot closer to the wind than a jib. Called it the M&M rig (main and motor for a candy assed sailor too lazy to tack).

Motorsailing with the wind aft of the beam didn't work as well for me. In light winds you would leave the wind behind and the sail would not contribute anything or even stay filled.

Never heard the full flexing thing either.

[Lancerbye]

Originally Posted by Pete7

If you don't mind changing tack everytime the canal goes round a corner, then why not. Is the genoa high cut and can you see under it? if not it might be a pain having to constantly bob about to ensure nothing is creeping up on you on the blind side. The main sail might be therefore be better.

If your feeling brave, pop the spinnaker up, that should frighten the life out of anyone coming towards you

Pete

LMAO Presents a very funny mental picture.

[sww914]

I've done it to slow down the rolling when there's no wind. If the wind picks up don't forget what you're doing and clean your deck hardware off with a bad jibe.
That's only funny when it happens to other people.

[boasun]

Motorsailing is fine for those who wish to do it.
It would be better for other captains if the motorsailor is flying the cone with the apex down. That way there would be no confusion on that HE IS A POWER DRIVEN VESSEL WITH HIS SAILS UP. This day signal is of prime importance in crossing situations and so forth.

[acheron]

Cheating!

[Lancerbye]

Welcome aboard. Acheron. Not cheating. Using available resources.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by boasun

Motorsailing is fine for those who wish to do it.
It would be better for other captains if the motorsailor is flying the cone with the apex down. That way there would be no confusion on that HE IS A POWER DRIVEN VESSEL WITH HIS SAILS UP. This day signal is of prime importance in crossing situations and so forth.

I know this is the proper way to do things but has anyone ever seen one of these. In 30 years I have never raised a cone, seen a cone, or heard of anyone raising a cone. It makes sense.

[Lancerbye]

Originally Posted by Charlie

I know this is the proper way to do things but has anyone ever seen one of these. In 30 years I have never raised a cone, seen a cone, or heard of anyone raising a cone. It makes sense.

I saw one once. I think he was a newbie. lol