Motors

[floater81]

just getting into sailing and i was wondering if anyone
nowadays makes a crossiing of the atlantic without anykind of
motor onboard? would it be considered dangerous or reckless to do so?
or is there a term for people who do this?
thanks

[James S]

Sure folks do it.
But its a bit like flying....flying real easy...its the take off and landing that take the care.
Crossing the Atlantic with no engine is no problem...If you intend on getting into a marina on the other side it may get more difficult.
The marina I keep my boat in doesn't allow entering under sail.

[captainKJ]

there is an engine-less tall sailing ship that works in maine for the summer than goes to the caribbean,,,they tow it in and out with there tender,,,,

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by floater81

is there a term for people who do this?

Idiots.

It has been done. And people will jump on here and tell you its the only real way to do it. But I think those that do are fools. Stupid fools.





Mark

[captainKJ]

there is a license the USCG gives you can get an mate/master of sail or mate/master of auxiliary sail ,,,most people get the auxiliary sail because they are to chicken to sail without an engine,,, it can be done,,people have rowed across the ocean,, many of the sailors in the bahamas and caribbean motor to different ports instead of sailing,,,,a true sailor does not need an engine

[James Baines]

Many, many years ago (1972) when I was younger and much more foolish than I am these days, having just left the navy and having a couple of months with not much to do, for a $5.00 bet, I crossed the pond both ways in a C&C 27 with no engine (And not much of anything else on board, no radio, no chart plotter, no radar, just a 12V battery to drive my masthead lights).
I got the required postcard postmarked and signed by the kind lady Post Mistress at the Shannon harbour Post Office, got some hot food, a couple of days of solid sleep in a dry bed, then headed straight back to Miami to claim my $5.00.
Since others were doing the same thing back in those days, it didn’t seem like a big deal but these days, with all the creature comforts we have all gotten used to, and needing electrical power to drive our radios, radars and chart plotters etc, and, since many if not most harbours don’t allow you to enter under sail, unless you’re a “Tall Ship” with an onshore support crew, an engine is required.
The purists will disagree and I must admit that I’m proud of making my first pond crossing the way that I did but all that said, there is no way I would do it that way again, especially if I have other folks on board.
The overriding consideration has to be safety and an engine adds not just the ability to charge your batteries from time to time, but more importantly, it adds an extra element of safety. I use my engine sparingly, it has to be one of the lowest hours Volvo’s out there but on the odd occasion when I absolutely positively needed it, (And there have been occasions when I did, I’m sure glad it was there for me…James

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum

Boats and ships have done it for hundreds of years...

[floater81]

very cool, that took balls

[Lancerbye]

Welcome aboard. While in Qatar I wanted to rent a sailboat to go out sailing and generally have some fun.The Colgate 26s used to have motors but.... they were all non working so you sailed on and off the mooring buoy. You can do anything you have too if you become desperate enough. I was used to having an engine to do that.

[ausaviator]

Is it for a specific reason that you will go without, eg. cost?

If cost was an issue, even a small outboard strategically attached might suffice for emergencies, keeping in mind that most emergencies tend to happen in 50 knot winds and a small motor won't help much in those conditions!

[WillJacocks]

I am sure there are tow boats in most harbors that will do the honors of hauling you in and out.

[Mark Johnson]

Without an engine:

You can't properly set the anchor and back down firmly, so never really know if it will hold in that thunderstorm that comes in the middle of the night. In soft mud for example, it always "seems" anchored at first. "Only" by backing down "hard", does one realize how soft it is! If it drags, after cleaning it off and trying again, you can leave the engine in reverse for 30 minutes @ low RPMs, wiggle it down to the firm mud below, and THEN back down at an RPM that = the load on your rode from say... 60 knots. (typical wind in a thunderstorm)

Without an engine, you also:
loose it's use as an option for recharging batteries.

If you are becalmed, and a ship or another boat is bearing down on you, you can't quickly get out of the way.

Most inlets, rivers, cuts through a reef, narrow opening harbors, the US ICW, locks, marinas, customs docks, and wide variety of hurricane "hidey holes" are off limits too.

If a storm is coming, and your only shelter is an island 6 hours away but too much to windward, you don't have the option of motorsailing, to point 5 degrees higher.

If the wind dies, and a "daylight" landfall could be made if you could just motor for a few hours, but you don't have one... You get the picture.

Some of the neatest places to anchor are inland, and without an engine, you can't get there. Going engineless is done, but it limits your survival, and comfort options. It is not, IMO, responsible OR smart.

Mark

[doug86]

Originally Posted by floater81

just getting into sailing and i was wondering if anyone
nowadays makes a crossiing of the atlantic without any kind of
motor onboard?

Not many folks do. The Pardeys gained some fame for going engineless; read their book:
Cruising in Seraffyn 25th Anniversary Ed. | Sailing Blog | Lin & Larry Pardey

would it be considered dangerous or reckless to do so?

Foolish perhaps, but not dangerous or reckless in my opinion. Any capable sailor should be able to manage the task. Certainly, anyone considering crossing the Atlantic is already prepared to finish the journey on sail alone, should the auxiliary give it up en route. In fact, I would say that a sailor who relies so much on his motor that he can't get to safe harbor under sail alone is the reckless one...

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Folks go enginless all the time. To me though sitting becalmed off an interesting port for a few days is really no fun. It has happened to many here in the islands. They sail from the west coast of the U. S. and get becalmed a couple days out and bounce around for a few days. Not a great ending to a month's journey.
No doubt you can sail without an engine. It's even easier without all the fuel to contend with and engine maintenance. But, to me it isn't practicle because I truly want to get somewhere after I set off for the destination.
kind regards,