Why Do Inexperienced People, with No Knowledge, Offer Advice ?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Bash

I rebut that!

Oops. Maybe you were right.

All humor aside, there are often times when I enter into a discussion only because I've seen bad advise being proffered, and I want to let the OP know that that there are other opinions out there.

And I have been thankful for that.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

The good thing about getting advise on forums, there's always someone to rebut, which gives the questioner the opportunity to think about the answers and then make an educated decision within their own capacity, knowing their own circumstance. Which may not have been fully represented to start with.

Rebut, clarify, elaborate -- Take it from a relatively inexperienced sailor -- it's ALL helpful.

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I did not say I was moving at hull speed under those circumstances.

No. what you said was "Until that 13 went belly up it moved the boat at near hull speed if not against a current." If the engine moves the boat at "near hull speed" in slack water it will also move the boat at "near hull speed" against a current.

What you actually said implies that somehow an adverse current reduces your speed through the water. I'm sure it was careless phrasing on your part rather than a misunderstanding of the principles involved, it is quite common to run into people who clearly misunderstand the effect of a current on boat speed: no effect on speed through the water, linear effect on speed over ground.

Your main point, of course, was that it didn't make sense to upgrade to a 30HP engine. I agree completely. If you were satisfied with the 13HP's performance you will see some, but not much improvement going to a 20HP and a 30HP will likely yield little or no noticeable improvement over the 20.

Fabbian

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I'm thrilled to have more than 13. 13 moved me close to hull speed in ideal conditions. I need to be able to handle a storm, get away from a lee shore, etc.

No question that the extra horsepower will help you in adverse conditions. I'm curious about the effect on fuel consumption. After you've had enough experience with the new engine perhaps you could comment on that. If you used to run the 13 close to its maximum RPM in order to reach the speed you wanted and can now run the 20 at a slower speed, I would expect to see some improvement in fuel economy. Do you have a feel for how fuel usage has been affected?

Fabbian

[John A]

game, set, match!