Cruising Without a Motor...

[CapSud]

My diesel died, i got a used one that died too after only 6 hours. so i installed an electric 25 hp motor 48 volts with 8 leads batteries. My boat is a ketch, 37 feet, 12,5 tons and i can run the motor for about 1 hour at 3 knots... enough to get in or out of there, but not in big winds.

I miss the real power of a diesel

The batteries could be change for much better ones so i could get 5 or 6 hours, but i am not that rich. The whole system have cost me about $2,000.

I like very much for some resons and i fear it very much for some others.

Few days ago i was 7 miles in front of the port i wanted to enter, no wind, and little drift wrong way... So I started the generator to charge the batteries and done a little mile, and done it again and again... finally, diesel comes cheaper sometimes.

If i can get my hands on some 10,000$ i will get real good batteries and sure appreciate the silence and the clean of the electric motor

[FamilyVan]

I've been mulling the idea of going engineless on my my next boat, but I don't think I'll do it. I'll go with a small efficient outboard or diesel for docking or canals instead.

An introspective observation I've made is, as I spend more and more time around yacht clubs and cruisers I've become less and less of a sailor. I was disappointed in myself when I reviewed my log recently to learn I had sailed only 1 mile for every 3 motored and had probably spent more time wrenching on my 50hp motor than I had actually sailing.

I've made a commitment to myself to get a much smaller boat with better sailing characteristics and less reliance on the motor, but I don't think I'll go engineless.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Polux]

I knew a guy that circumnavigated without an engine (back in the 80's).

I had sailed in several occasions without an engine or more accurately with a broken engine for considerable distances. The last time was just a week ago when I brought the boat back to Corfu on an almost windless day.

Basically it is a completely different mind set, sometimes being just stopped on the water waiting for wind. Also on most cases a different management of energy on board (unless one has a very efficient solar system or an hidrogenerator) that means on most cases no refrigerator.

I like the feeling even if I am too lazy to do it except when I have to