It is always interesting to read a discussion like this one.
We are recent converts to the dark side having purchased an American Tug 395 just this year.
Before this boat my wife and I sailed a
Sabre 386, previous
boats included an Able Whistler 32 and before that a Bianca 27. We have done 3 double handed
Newport to
Bermuda races, we’ve each been between the
Bahamas and
Canada numerous times and my wife has 2 Atlantic crossings and a Pacific crossing on 40 ‘and 50’ sailboats.
We might have made the jump to
power earlier if not for my wife holding out.
After a replacement shoulder surgery, she finally relented and we jumped.
In my simple little world, I sum up the differences this way...
For long distance, ocean cruising I like sail. There is something wonderful about the cadence of sailing when you finally get in the groove.
If you live in a place like Downeast
Maine and essentially just do a lot of local cruising, a sailboat is a lovely way to go. The many bays offer flat, protected
water with a prevailing southwest
wind to rely on. Sailboats are always at their best in those conditions and the sailing is delightful.
If like us, you live on the coast of RI and
cruise longer distances, sailboats begin to become more tiresome. Getting to Block Island from
Newport in a 20
knot southwest
wind is not much fun. You end up heading out early before the wind comes up and motoring to just get there.
Our
Sabre was a great sailing boat, she could sail inside of 30 degrees apparent and she was a fairly quick cruising boat. We could sail to Block under those conditions and we sometimes did but... we mostly turned on the
motor and pushed.
When sailing to
Maine, it was always a 20 something hour slog with the engine running the entire time. It was always about the
destination and getting
dogs ashore in “reasonable” time...
Did I mention that sailboats are not always the best powerboat designs?
Our Sabre under
power at 6 knots made more
noise than our American Tug does at 12 knots!
At 6.5 knots the sailboat was running at about 2700 rpm’s and burning about 1.5 gallons an hour. At 6 plus knots our Tug uses about 1.7 gallons per hour.
If we drop to 5 knots we are using less than 1 gallons per hour! Of course we don’t spend much time at 5 knots.
Our Tug is by ABYC standards about 1 foot longer than the Sabre 386 we owned. In terms of living space it literally feels like it is 3 times the size. When we came back from a 6 week
cruise on the sailboat I was always ready to get off of the boat. We spent 6 months aboard our American Tug this year and it was awesome!
No, we will not take our Tug to
Bermuda but, we will cruise to the
Bahamas. We will take her down the
ICW next year and intend to do some of the Great Loop in the years following.
Block Island in 20 knots is easy now, especially if you use some speed to utilize the form stability the semi-planing
hull has. Yes it burns
fuel at 12 to 14 knots and it is getting loud but you are there quicker than you know it so the “misery” is short lived.
We look at the transition as a new chapter in life and we both love it!
Bruce