Katie, congratulations on having not only a dream, but also a boat! Lot’s of good advice and differing opinions here. But you will have to decide which of it applies to you. One thing, though; if you wait until you think everything is perfect and everyone agrees you and your boat are completely ready, you will likely never go.
Keep in mind that when you leave, you will only be going down the
ICW to the next town! There are cities,
marinas,
boatyards and all manner of civilization all along the way. And you will be
learning and fixing and preparing your boat all the way to
Lake Worth or
Key West. And then you can step it up by heading to the
Bahamas. Still not the end of the Earth.
Have you ever been a waitress or bar maid? With those skills you can get a job anywhere to refill your cruising boat kitty. There are probably thousands of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the
ICW.
And consider taking a friend with you. Everything is scarier alone.
My 2 cents worth on your engine: An outboard hung on the transom of a sailboat, especially a 34 footer, is not the best way to go. But it is not without it’s own advantages. Chief among them is the relative cost and ease of replacing it if needed. If you decide to keep the outboard, you will need to become a better sailor. You have a boat known for sailing well. So learn to sail it well.
Motoring against strong currents,
wind, and steep waves was not an option for Columbus. And it will not be an option for you. You will have to learn to predict tides and currents and
wind and seas and
work with them rather than against them. You will wait till conditions favor your direction of travel. Or decide to travel in the direction conditions favor!
Your
motor will be for moving around in
marinas, quiet
anchorages and motoring in calm no wind situations. You’ll have to learn the limitations of your boat and plan ahead.
But, I think you may have the wrong outboard
motor. Could your motor be a Johnson 28 SPL? I’m unaware of a 28sp. And i’m fairly certain Johnson didn’t make the 28 in a sailboat model. It would be called a Sailmaster, most likely. And it would have a decal of a sailboat on the cowl. If it’s the original cowl! I could be wrong. If it is a 28 SPL, it’s a great motor. But not for your boat. It is geared and propped for a light weight, high speed planing
hull . Not a 15,000 lb sailboat going 5 knots. On your boat it will begin to cavitate at half throttle, or perhaps not even turn up to half it’s rated
RPM at full throttle. And it weighs about 125 lbs, which is too heavy for you to
lift it off or back on.
If you decide to stay with an outboard, I think you should
trade your 28 for a purpose designed sailboat motor. Like the Johnson 8 or 9.9 Sailmaster. or other similar style in another brand. It will come with a longer shaft length to put your prop deeper in the
water. And it will be geared lower and have a larger diameter lower
pitch prop designed for moving heavy loads at low speed. And if you buy an older one in good condition, it will only weigh about 80 lbs. Still damn heavy, but better than 125!
Most importantly, it will work better. perhaps you can even find someone who will let you try theirs and help you make the swap.
Beware the newer ones with more bells and whistles. Yes, they have
electric starters, high output alternators and some are 4 strokes. But they weigh as much or more than your
current motor. They also cost more.
Speaking of costs, I bet you can sell your present motor for more than an 8 or 9.9 sail master will cost. Maybe 3 x as much.
But you can do better still. If you are committed to using an outboard, and your inboard is in fact a dead player… yank it! Call it blasphemy if you want, but I say take it and all its assorted attachments right out. The motor,
transmission, shaft and prop, thru hulls, valves and hoses, shaft log, controls and
cables,
exhaust system, wires, mounts, gauge panel, the works. It’s hundreds of pounds of dead weight taking up space you could use for
storage. Then put the whole oily, rusty mess up
for sale. Believe me, someone will buy it!
You can clean out your
fuel tank and install a proper gasoline outboard fuel system including a spin on type fuel filter/
water separator, new USCG approved for ethanol fuels fuel line and squeeze bulb, new fittings and a blower fan. And don’t forget the 40 year old O-ring in the fuel filler cap. This is a much nicer system to live with than the usual plastic tank in the
cockpit so often seen in outboard powered boats. Just be sure NOTHING
leaks, or KABOOM! The vast majority of boats around the globe run on gas, and most of them do not blow up. Especially since your motor is no longer in the boat.
And if some boatyard sage says, “well I would NEVER sail in a gasoline engined boat, it’s UNSAFE!” Just ask them if they have
propane on board, or plastic jerry cans full of gasoline for the
dinghy lashed on deck….…. In fact, your boat may have been originally equipped with an Atomic Four running, yep, gasoline!
Your boat will experience a net weight loss in the back end and likely sail better. Even with the motor on the transom. And here is where the outboard option really starts looking better. You also get to
plug up three holes in your
hull that can potentially sink your boat; the
cooling water intake, the prop shaft, and the
exhaust outlet. And you get decreased
maintenance and
repair expenses. The
trade off is motoring
power. And maybe some
battery charging capability. Your choice,
Captain.
I bet your local community college offers an outboard motor
repair course. Take the first one you can get into. It will help you tremendously in
shopping for a replacement motor. And sooner or later save you a bunch of money when something goes wrong with whatever you have. If there’s even a
mechanic around to pay.
Good luck, and don’t wait till you’re old to have a life
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