Sailing or Cheating/Motorsailing?

[farm sail]

If I can make a knot through the water and a cleen tack I am pretty happy. Less than that I skull. I do have a small diesel auxiliary in reserve for safety. I have burned less than 5gal since I bought her 8 months ago and most of that was in the beginning as I was learning how to sail. I am not good enough to sail into a slip or dock yet but routinely sail on and off my mooring and anchor. I figure if there is not enough wind to sail at least there is not much to skull against. Since I have not yet given myself over to the sea completely and keeppa landluber life I am sure there will be times I have to motor back so I can make it to work on Monday or perhaps call in sick, what could I claim to have, the sea flu or maybe the boatpox...

[donradcliffe]

We went out last Sunday in the Santa Cruz 27 without a motor. Waves were breaking almost all the way across the harbor entrance in the big sets. Going out we had a good breeze, and made it out fine, but the power boat behind us got completely airborne going over the next wave. Coming back in, the wind died just outside the harbor. We slatted for 15 minutes and the wind came in light in the opposite direction. We waited for a lull in the waves and got in OK, but a breaking set came in just behind us.

The SC 27 is a fine sailing boat, but if we had had a motor we would have used it.

[Blue Crab]

I grew up sailing without an engine. I sure like having one now though.

[a64pilot]

Curious,
Those that say the almost never motor, how do you keep your batteries up?
Large Solar?

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Curious,
Those that say the almost never motor, how do you keep your batteries up?
Large Solar?

Heh. They plug back in.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Curious,
Those that say the almost never motor, how do you keep your batteries up?
Large Solar?

Run a noisy, stinky generator for hours? (especially in crowded anchorages)

[Travis McGee]

My thoughts have evolved as I've gotten older. Now I'm happy to motorsail anytime my speed is under 4 knots, when I can use some battery charging anyway. This fits a gunkholing schedule perfectly. Out on the ocean with plenty of wind (usually) I'm about 90% sails-only.

[a64pilot]

I wasn't trying got be cute, one way I assume is to forego most electric "stuff" no auto pilot, no refrigeration etc.

I thought I could get by with enough Solar, but am being told you can't, that it takes more hours to get a bank back full than there hours of usable daylight. If that's true then you have to have something to supplement Solar, or just buy lots of batteries, frequently.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by StuM

Run a noisy, stinky generator for hours? (especially in crowded anchorages)

I prefer solar too, but realistically, I can barely hear our genset from our cockpit and can't hear our generator when it's running from about 50' away from our boat, and how much "stinky" pollution can a genset cause when it's basically a 5hp engine burning mere cups of fuel per hour? Unless you're anchored directly downwind and very close to our boat, you'd never be able to tell whether it is running or not. The same is true of most small boat gensets. Of course there are times when it's inappropriate or rude to run one, but most of the time you won't even be aware even if you're our closest neighbor in the anchorage.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I prefer solar too, but realistically, I can barely hear our genset from our cockpit and can't hear our generator when it's running from about 50' away from our boat, and how much "stinky" pollution can a genset cause when it's basically a 5hp engine burning mere cups of fuel per hour? Unless you're anchored directly downwind and very close to our boat, you'd never be able to tell whether it is running or not. The same is true of most small boat gensets. Of course there are times when it's inappropriate or rude to run one, but most of the time you won't even be aware even if you're our closest neighbor in the anchorage.

A great deal depends on what kind of genset and how it is installed.

A light duty genset -- one or two cylinders, high speed (3000 or 3600 RPM) can be a very unpleasant banshee, even in a sound enclosure. It's not just the volume of sound, but the shrill tone, which can be very disturbing.

A heavy duty low speed genset (3 or 4 cylinders, 1500 or 1800 RPM) is an entirely different kettle of fish. Ours, a 6.5kW Kohler with 1000cc, 3 cylinder Yanmar, is installed in a sound enclosure which itself is inside a sound-proofed engine room. It is completely inaudible from outside the boat -- you will never know it is running. There's not even a water sound because it has a water separator and below the waterline water discharge. It is barely audible even inside the boat -- and sounds much like dishwasher running, not disturbing at all.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I prefer solar too, but realistically, I can barely hear our genset from our cockpit and can't hear our generator when it's running from about 50' away from our boat, and how much "stinky" pollution can a genset cause when it's basically a 5hp engine burning mere cups of fuel per hour? Unless you're anchored directly downwind and very close to our boat, you'd never be able to tell whether it is running or not. The same is true of most small boat gensets. Of course there are times when it's inappropriate or rude to run one, but most of the time you won't even be aware even if you're our closest neighbor in the anchorage.

At 5HP, I assume it is a built in diesel genset. No real problem with those, it's those portable 1-2KVA petrol thingies that people sit out in the open to top up their batteries that are annoying.

[farm sail]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Curious,
Those that say the almost never motor, how do you keep your batteries up?
Large Solar?

just one 60 watt pannel and one rv battery is more than enough for me right now. I have minimal electrical demands, just VHF, flasher ( depth sounder ) and nav lights. if I get in a pinch I am able to hand crank my engine if I run the battery down