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Old 17-02-2015, 09:09   #46
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

What if there is no wind?

I'm living on the water and sailed engineless for a couple weeks recently due to engine repairs. Sailed to anchor one day in very light winds, taking a couple of hours to go a mile to a protected spot for an overnight wind direction and speed change.

Pretty sure the anchor hardly set at all. Until the weather arived and 30 knots saw me drag 60 feet before the anchor set.

Anything I could have done to help that situation? It was a bit unsettling with no engine available.
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Old 17-02-2015, 09:22   #47
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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Originally Posted by four winds View Post
What if there is no wind?

I'm living on the water and sailed engineless for a couple weeks recently due to engine repairs. Sailed to anchor one day in very light winds, taking a couple of hours to go a mile to a protected spot for an overnight wind direction and speed change.

Pretty sure the anchor hardly set at all. Until the weather arived and 30 knots saw me drag 60 feet before the anchor set.

Anything I could have done to help that situation? It was a bit unsettling with no engine available.
What type anchor? How much heavy chain? How much scope?

And we do have a stronger tide up here and there are 4 per day as compared to your 2 if I remember correctly so it could be tougher there.
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Old 17-02-2015, 09:50   #48
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

It also hasn't been mentioned that someone can steal the outboard quite easily, seems a big issue in the bahamas apparently.

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Originally Posted by denverd0n View Post
I don't think anyone else has addressed this issue, so I will...

Resale value. Were I looking to buy a boat that was designed to have an inboard engine, I would want one with an inboard engine. Yes, you'll save a lot of money by mounting an outboard right now, but you will also lose a lot of money when the time comes to sell the boat.

That may not matter right now, but it is something to be aware of.
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Old 17-02-2015, 10:07   #49
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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Originally Posted by Yogiyo42 View Post
I recently bought a Pearson 323 without an inboard engine. I have read extensively about the drawbacks of having an outboard engine on a sailboat. However, money is tight and I cannot afford the $6k-$10k to install an inboard engine.

I am in Palm Beach trying to prep my boat for an open ended (probably a year) sail around the Caribbean. I am considering buying a new(ish) 9.9 hp outboard to mount on the transom. I understand that this makes things more difficult without having an engine to charge my batteries.

My idea is to use the outboard only to navigate in and out of marinas. Time is not an issue so I don't think I need to be concerned about beating into the wind for extensive periods of time.

I am considering wind and solar to supply my meager battery requirements. I really only need power for running lights, vhf, charging electronics (phone, handheld vhf, etc.) I don't have a refrigerator, windlass, autopilot, or any other power suckers.

Am I being cheap and/or stupid? Any thoughts, advice or musings are appreciated. Thanks.
Here's my advice.

I don't know how much money you have to spend, but there have been a few threads on converting to an electric motor. You need batteries anyways, you were planning on solar panels anyways, and it's always a good idea to have a generator.

You could buy a used Honda 3000 for about $1200. Follow the advice in the electric conversion threads and get the motor and speed controller for cheap. Solar is dropping in price, I've seen a lot of panels down as low as 60 cents per watt. Figure out the cheapest way to get as much battery power as you can afford.

When you need to motor a little bit out of a slip, just run the motor off of the batteries while the solar panels assist. If you need to go farther, fire up the Honda gen and let it run the battery charger which, along with the solar power and the battery reserve, should get you a pretty good distance as long as you aren't trying to break speed records.

The electric motor is silent, much smaller, easier to throttle, it doesn't need to idle, easier shifting directions and the space normally taken up by fuel tanks can be used for batteries. Not to mention much lower maintenance, no injectors, fuel filters, injection pump, oil changes, exhaust leaks, through hulls for exhaust and cooling water, no worries about bad diesel.
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Old 17-02-2015, 11:47   #50
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

As an option, save up a little more money and adapt a Kabota engine. Or find a gear-head friend and rebuild your present engine. I put a 6 cyl. Cummins engine in a boat with new ZF transmission for under 5 grand. That's engine, mounts, trans adapter, trans cooler, ect. It can be done.
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Old 17-02-2015, 14:41   #51
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

Quote:
Originally Posted by thomm225 View Post
What type anchor? How much heavy chain? How much scope?

And we do have a stronger tide up here and there are 4 per day as compared to your 2 if I remember correctly so it could be tougher there.
Yes, tidal range is barely one foot here. So tidal current in the open bay that day was slow I would guess.

That day, CQR and rode was 30 feet of chain and three strand at 5:1. BTW, I did leave the main up for some time until the front was almost on me. But it hung limp the whole time

I now have Manson Supreme on all chain G3. Oversized G3 as well. I do upgrades as I can with my limited financial resourses. This one was top of the list for a while now.

I've sailed to and off anchor many times. In and out of my previous marina many times. All with a working engine. In anticipation of the day those skills would be needed due to engine problems. Sure glad I did because both have occured now.

I still consider myself a newbie though. And not sure how to know if the anchor is set without backing down with the engine.

So my question was a best practices question, not best hardware.

BTW, those days without an engine were very enjoyable in a way. Sublime even. Could have fixed the engine days sooner than I did.
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Old 17-02-2015, 15:42   #52
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

Yep, I didn't have an engine on my first 4 sailboats all catamarans and the last 2 bought new at Keysailing on Pensacola Beach.

If it gets too bad out there, you can just dock the thing and go get hammered at Flora-Bama and sleep on the Beach!
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Old 17-02-2015, 15:58   #53
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yogiyo42 View Post
I recently bought a Pearson 323 without an inboard engine. I have read extensively about the drawbacks of having an outboard engine on a sailboat. However, money is tight and I cannot afford the $6k-$10k to install an inboard engine.

I am in Palm Beach trying to prep my boat for an open ended (probably a year) sail around the Caribbean. I am considering buying a new(ish) 9.9 hp outboard to mount on the transom. I understand that this makes things more difficult without having an engine to charge my batteries.

My idea is to use the outboard only to navigate in and out of marinas. Time is not an issue so I don't think I need to be concerned about beating into the wind for extensive periods of time.

I am considering wind and solar to supply my meager battery requirements. I really only need power for running lights, vhf, charging electronics (phone, handheld vhf, etc.) I don't have a refrigerator, windlass, autopilot, or any other power suckers.

Am I being cheap and/or stupid? Any thoughts, advice or musings are appreciated. Thanks.
I had posted several things about my preferences of OBs. If money is the problem? Go with a cheap OB until you get a diesel going. A good 4 stroke OB outboard will put a real dent in your wallet.
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Old 17-02-2015, 16:21   #54
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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I had posted several things about my preferences of OBs. If money is the problem? Go with a cheap OB until you get a diesel going. A good 4 stroke OB outboard will put a real dent in your wallet.
Yeah, like $1,500-$2,000 not quite the same as having a new diesel installed.

These folks sailed across the Atlantic with only an outboard for power.

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Old 17-02-2015, 16:50   #55
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

i am considering removing my Atomic 4 for either electric or OB. It runs fine but wife would feel better having no gasoline down below. I priced a new Beta 16 and was quoted near $8000. So that really is out of the question.... The OB seems like the way to go

The boat below is a Pearson trition, met them in Oriental before they crossed to the Azores. 6hp OB did them just fine. They said they had a british seagull 2 or 3hp that they transited the cape cod canal in. Obviously it can and has been done.
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Old 17-02-2015, 16:57   #56
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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i am considering removing my Atomic 4 for either electric or OB. It runs fine but wife would feel better having no gasoline down below. ......... .
Aren't outboards usually gasoline powered? So wouldn't you still heed to haul and handle gasoline?

A properly installed and maintained gasoline engine boat is pretty safe. Not as safe as diesel but still pretty safe.
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Old 17-02-2015, 17:17   #57
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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Aren't outboards usually gasoline powered? So wouldn't you still heed to haul and handle gasoline?

A properly installed and maintained gasoline engine boat is pretty safe. Not as safe as diesel but still pretty safe.
The space the engine takes up, and the fact that there would be no gasoline down below. We have never had any fuel smell or close calls, although changing the fuel filter in the engines does stink up the boat, but for some reason my wife fears it. It sorta like why I feel better with a full keel boat, just gives me a warm fuzzy.

We would still handle fuel with the OB but it would be on deck out in the open and in smaller quantities. My A4 uses right at or a smidge over a gallon an hour.
just as a comparison, OB to inboard, I have sailed with Thomm225 before and his Bristol with OB can keep up with my Alberg 30 with A4. My atomic was rebuilt by Moyer in 2008 and starts everytime and is in good running order.
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Old 17-02-2015, 17:27   #58
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yogiyo42 View Post
I recently bought a Pearson 323 without an inboard engine. I have read extensively about the drawbacks of having an outboard engine on a sailboat. However, money is tight and I cannot afford the $6k-$10k to install an inboard engine.

I am in Palm Beach trying to prep my boat for an open ended (probably a year) sail around the Caribbean. I am considering buying a new(ish) 9.9 hp outboard to mount on the transom. I understand that this makes things more difficult without having an engine to charge my batteries.

My idea is to use the outboard only to navigate in and out of marinas. Time is not an issue so I don't think I need to be concerned about beating into the wind for extensive periods of time.

I am considering wind and solar to supply my meager battery requirements. I really only need power for running lights, vhf, charging electronics (phone, handheld vhf, etc.) I don't have a refrigerator, windlass, autopilot, or any other power suckers.

Am I being cheap and/or stupid? Any thoughts, advice or musings are appreciated. Thanks.
Sounds like a plan. The Pardey's used an oar.

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Old 17-02-2015, 17:31   #59
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

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The space the engine takes up, and the fact that there would be no gasoline down below. We have never had any fuel smell or close calls, although changing the fuel filter in the engines does stink up the boat, but for some reason my wife fears it. It sorta like why I feel better with a full keel boat, just gives me a warm fuzzy.

We would still handle fuel with the OB but it would be on deck out in the open and in smaller quantities. My A4 uses right at or a smidge over a gallon an hour.
just as a comparison, OB to inboard, I have sailed with Thomm225 before and his Bristol with OB can keep up with my Alberg 30 with A4. My atomic was rebuilt by Moyer in 2008 and starts everytime and is in good running order.
I think you will find it takes as much fuel to move the boat the same speed with an outboard.

But if you seriously want to try it, leave the engine in place and just hang the outboard and give it a month or two. My bet is, you'll go back to the internal engine. Your wife is getting worked up over nothing.
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Old 17-02-2015, 18:15   #60
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Re: Am I being cheap and/or stupid?

Lots of advantages to an OB. Everything, motor, shaft, prop is all in one package. Can stand it on your deck when performing maintenance. Can carry it off for repairs. Late model OB's are super fuel efficient, our 35' boat is pushed along drinking 1.1 L/hr (@ 3 knots & 6hp Tohatsu). It can still dig an anchor in. I think you'll find power to burn with a 10hp on 32' boat.

The disadvantages are luxury issues, don't need remote control, as boats move so slowly there's time to do everything, including stepping back and fiddling with the throttle. The only minus is cavitation in a seaway, but that doesn't have to matter as it's a SAIL boat after all. Some people cruise permanently with an OB hanging off the transom using it just as you propose.

(Also my better half is asthmatic, and wouldn't tolerate an engine in the living area)
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