Engine-less Cruising

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I like having an engine in my sailboat that can cruise at 7 knots if I so feel like it. And I will run it and motor whenever I feel like it and don't care what others think of it.

And that is all there is to a silly argument!

Why is it someone from the "go expensive, go complicated and go when you're old" set get upset over threads about.. cruising simply?

Why do they care?

[JPA Cate]

If they've been cruisiing a long time, and anchor in crowded anchorages, they do not trust newbies to have the skills to sail in and off the hook properly, or anchor properly, so they want to protect their own interests. That's one reason they care. We oldies "know" the youngies haven't had the practice we've had. Many, many people who have taken up sailing since the advent of reasonably powerful sailboat auxiliary engines have not bothered to ever practice skills under sail alone...EVER!

I think it's possible that the young have rarely really wanted to take in the wisdom of older people, regardless of experience.

We might get farther with the practice it concept if we stressed the sense of pleasure it brings, and the sense of competence -- and the fun! -- but that would be giving away secrets!

Ann

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Many, many people who have taken up sailing since the advent of reasonably powerful sailboat auxiliary engines have not bothered to ever practice skills under sail alone...EVER!

I think it's possible that the young have rarely really wanted to take in the wisdom of older people, regardless of experience.

The same can be said of people who took up sailing after the arrival of cheap GPS and electronic charts...

And many of them aren't young... they took up sailing after retirement, the first boat was big and the first offshore adventure was a rally...

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

Why is it someone from the "go expensive, go complicated and go when you're old" set get upset over threads about.. cruising simply?

Why do they care?

Talk about someone in search of a reason to take a cheap shot. You have any other people you are stalking on the forum?

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Talk about someone in search of a reason to take a cheap shot. You have any other people you are stalking on the forum?

huh?
One post and stalking now?
You're a piece of work.

I'm wondering about this forum, the conga line that inevitably lines up to tear down, for example the $500/m threads, and pretty well anything to do with cheap/simple. Not just this one where the OP just asked about how they do engineless sailing.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

... I'm wondering about this forum, the conga line that inevitably lines up to tear down, for example the $500/m threads, and pretty well anything to do with cheap/simple. Not just this one where the OP just asked about how they do engineless sailing.

Gotta agree with that. I vaguely recall a thread about washing clothes by hand and before ya could get to a rinse, someone was offering a link to an electric washer/dryer.

When Indy was running "his" $500/mo thread he referenced a physicist friend who'd circumnavigated engineless, and he took the route less traveled around the capes. There's a guy too busy to get on the net, I guess, but that's a sailor I'd like to talk to at the pub. I am buying, sir, if you're out there.

[valhalla360]

Bashing seems to be an equal oppurtunity sport.

There are lots of posts suggesting the $2000+/month crowd is somehow ruining cruising.

As long as it doesn't turn nasty, I think a little back and forth debate is good. I'm sure a lot of folks get scared off thinking cruising is about dumpster diving for repair parts (Hey, I've pulled a few things out myself and we are no where close to the $500/m crowd) while living in a puddle of sweat because no self respecting cruiser would have AC or god forbid a generator to run it.

A little back and forth lets them know that it's OK to choose thier "correct" way to cruise.

[wellin]

I can see a sailor buying the perfect boat with a diesel back up motor and a full pilothouse and good heater because in the PNW the wind is not reiable but the rain is. So the gulf 32 might be perfect. And then the power boater buys the perfect boat. Must have a full pilothouse with good heater and sails just for backup when/if the engine has a problem and ends up with a.... gulf 32.

Guess what im saying is "were all in the same boat".

Sent from my SCH-I415 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

....
I'm wondering about this forum, the conga line that inevitably lines up to tear down, for example the $500/m threads, and pretty well anything to do with cheap/simple. Not just this one where the OP just asked about how they do engineless sailing.

Amen, brutha!

Sometimes this forum can feel to me a bit like the high altar of a topaz-encrusted temple to the gilden godheads of conspicuous consumption.

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by Coops

All those guys on battleships etc are called sailors are they not?

Coops.

In the U.S. Navy they are called "seamen"! (Or, is it "semen"? It's been a long time since I was one.)

[captain58sailin]

The whole point behind cruising in your own boat is; you go as you see fit. Why anyone would concern themselves with another's opinion regarding how, when, what, is beyond me. There is nothing wrong with dragging your clothes in a net bag behind your boat to get them clean, unless you leave them too long, they wear out pretty quickly. Nor do I have a problem with someone who has a washer aboard. Though I have a gen set, because I am a tight fella, I will only use it when absolutely needed. So I am installing large solar panels and LED lighting. What difference that could make to anyone else is a mystery to me. Engine - less cruising is an inexpensive way to go, it does carry some limitations, which could be viewed as opportunities as well. Depending on your mind set. It is not practical for me, but I know the value of being able to manage my vessel under sail sans engine, should the bloody thing fail. As a seafarer it behooves one to be skilled in all aspects of your world, if you are not, then you are a disadvantage when problems crop up, which is a certainty. Things have changed greatly since I started voyaging back when dinos roamed the earth, and in some ways things are still the same.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

The same can be said of people who took up sailing after the arrival of cheap GPS and electronic charts...


SNIP

Guess I am glad I have expensive GPS then.

[Capt Rottnest]

Looks like the reason people are going engineless is by necessity, broken engine, no cash to fix it etc. No principle or religion involved. One cruiser I followed circumnavigated engineless only because he ran out of money building her, didn't want to wait another year. Built a yuloh and left.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

So those folks who have motor vessel/trawler are automatically having an inferior experience?

I "graduated" from two decades of sailing (on sailboats with auxiliary engine, and enjoyed/appreciated the experience). Despite now totally dependent on an engine, I continue to enjoy boating.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Guess I am glad I have expensive GPS then.

Expensive is , I guess, a relative term... the first one I worked with was said to have cost $50,000 and was as big as a small suitcase .... the last one I bought ( as an option with my AIS) cost $5