Motorsailer for voyaging, power/sail 60/40 vs 40/60

[Jim Cate]

You are more experienced, would you think more sail area here is a good thing without adding much complexity?

It is for me, but that does not mean it is best for you. I still enjoy the act of sailing and if not pressed by a schedule or other outside factors, prefer to sail slowly (yes, at less than 4 or even 3 knots) than to motor. As evidenced by earlier posts, not all agree with that point of view! Several have suggested that most if not all cruisers motor much of the time, even in boats that could well be sailing in the extant conditions, and we've all seen this happening. None of these observations should drive your decisions, for only you know how you prefer to spend your time on board.

BTW, I can appreciate the idea of a pilot house design in an area where it is hot and rainy, and where the costs of an air conditioner and its operation are bearable... not unreasonable at all! Nor is it unreasonable down here in Tasmania where it is often cold and rainy... replace a/c with diesel heaters! But having a pilot house does not mean that a boat can't sail very well indeed. Looking at some of Steve Dashew's designs or some Van de Stadts should demonstrate this idea... and Steve's in particular motor well in addition.

So many factors... all hard to evaluate before you have sailed and cruised enough to understand your own priorities. What you have heard here is a collection of personal preferences, each valid for their owner. But the buck stops with you, no matter what we say, so listen to your gut and try to temper it with the "wisdom" that we offer you, remembering that the internet tends to amplify minor factors at times and that we all are anonymous screen names, not responsible for our statements in court or face to face!!

good luck with your decisions. I hope you end up with the boat of your dreams!

Jim

[Wckoek]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

It is for me, but that does not mean it is best for you. I still enjoy the act of sailing and if not pressed by a schedule or other outside factors, prefer to sail slowly (yes, at less than 4 or even 3 knots) than to motor. As evidenced by earlier posts, not all agree with that point of view! Several have suggested that most if not all cruisers motor much of the time, even in boats that could well be sailing in the extant conditions, and we've all seen this happening. None of these observations should drive your decisions, for only you know how you prefer to spend your time on board.

BTW, I can appreciate the idea of a pilot house design in an area where it is hot and rainy, and where the costs of an air conditioner and its operation are bearable... not unreasonable at all! Nor is it unreasonable down here in Tasmania where it is often cold and rainy... replace a/c with diesel heaters! But having a pilot house does not mean that a boat can't sail very well indeed. Looking at some of Steve Dashew's designs or some Van de Stadts should demonstrate this idea... and Steve's in particular motor well in addition.

So many factors... all hard to evaluate before you have sailed and cruised enough to understand your own priorities. What you have heard here is a collection of personal preferences, each valid for their owner. But the buck stops with you, no matter what we say, so listen to your gut and try to temper it with the "wisdom" that we offer you, remembering that the internet tends to amplify minor factors at times and that we all are anonymous screen names, not responsible for our statements in court or face to face!!

good luck with your decisions. I hope you end up with the boat of your dreams!

Jim

Rather than speed (I guess most sailers here didn't really choose their vessel out of speed), I do have to fit in a certain schedule, to have it more predictable rather than fast.
I guess I have an idea myself.

[daletournier]

It's easy for modern yachts to be good sailboats and good motor sailors. The auxiliary engine really isn't an auxiliary engine anymore, it's one of two ways to power the boat.. Mine has the yanmar 4jh3-te, 75hp turbo its a serious engine not something I consider only designed to just get me into port or of the hook , yet my boat is an excellent sailboat that is easily driven. With 320 liters of fuel, 700-800nm of motoring is possible, convert one of the water tanks and you could add 500 nm to that range and still have 600liters of water left. This is very easy as many of us have watermakers now thus huge water tanks aren't always nessacary.

I've got a mate here at the moment on his Lagoon 450, 1100 liters of fuel!!! And despite what some may believe these boats sail quite well specially with the range of light wind sails on continuous furlers that are now available.

I believe that old paradigms regarding sailboats are getting challenged and have been for a long time. You can have the best of both worlds with modern boats. BTW could I claw myself of a lee shore? absolutely BUT that 75hp turbo would be the power of choice pushing me out at 8.5 - 9 knots before the sail would be chosen.

[Captain Scott]

I thought I would chime in here. I repowered and about doubled my horse power on a 32' Monohull many years ago. I was very careful to match the prop with the power so that max rpm would be about 100-200 rpms over my maximum horse power (3000 RPMs I think). At about 3/4 throttle I had reached my full speed. I was still shy of the max fuel efficiency (about 2800 rpm). I could hit that, but the boat just burned a lot more fuel and only achieved about .1 Knots faster. It was great to have going to weather. Waves and wind could be powered through, the only stopper was the hull speed. I also had a factory trained Yanmar tech tell me for longevity, run your engines 20% below maximum throttle at a constant rpm and with proper maintenance they would last 20,000 hours (at least that is what the designer of the Yanmar JH series engines told him).

I have a 47' catamaran. If I am going less than 3 knots and not fishing... on comes a motor (the windward one, which on cat takes away most or all of your weather helm. (= more speed).

[Juho]

Originally Posted by Captain Scott

I thought I would chime in here. I repowered and about doubled my horse power on a 32' Monohull many years ago. I was very careful to match the prop with the power so that max rpm would be about 100-200 rpms over my maximum horse power (3000 RPMs I think). At about 3/4 throttle I had reached my full speed. I was still shy of the max fuel efficiency (about 2800 rpm). I could hit that, but the boat just burned a lot more fuel and only achieved about .1 Knots faster. It was great to have going to weather. Waves and wind could be powered through, the only stopper was the hull speed. I also had a factory trained Yanmar tech tell me for longevity, run your engines 20% below maximum throttle at a constant rpm and with proper maintenance they would last 20,000 hours (at least that is what the designer of the Yanmar JH series engines told him).

I have a 47' catamaran. If I am going less than 3 knots and not fishing... on comes a motor (the windward one, which on cat takes away most or all of your weather helm. (= more speed).

This approach could be good for the OP's scheduled sailing. I have a 32' boat with a sufficient size engine. Since hull speed is the limiting factor anyway, no bigger engine is needed. And if I want to save fuel (or extend range), I turn it to lower RPM.

For both sailing and speed, here's one interesting option (In Time Yachts – Sailjet) . Probably not ideal for the OP though because of range limitations, and possibly seaworthiness too.

[TheThunderbird]

I'd spend time, money and ingenuity on an old boat to convert as to

PH
Heavy duty (small) engine
Tankage
Insulation