Auxiliary Engine or Not ??

[tontol]

I've bought a Sealine 220 which will mainly be usesd in and around the Solent and i'm debating whether or not to gat a small auxiliary outboard

How many owners of similar sized single engine craft have an auxiliary ?

 

[DoubleVision]

Congratulations on the new boat. I feel for Solent use an out board spare is a good idea. Make sure you get one that will actually push the boat along. I would say you need at least a 10hp long shaft outboard with a fine pitch prop to get you out of trouble. I had a pal with a similar sized boat and he had a 4hp. When he tried it out he said he might as well have used an egg whisk for the use it was. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[gimmesunshine]

trouble is an 8 or 10 will be very heavy to man handle,
see if you can try a few, my 5hp will move my s28 at about 2 knots, useful to get you into deep water but not troll any distance with, also you may find long shaft difficul to stow.
if you can carry an aux though, especially with a little tender

 

[ontheplane]

5hp ish sailpower engine.

You will probably get 4knts or so which should be enough to keep you off the rocks etc until help arrives, just don't expect to get up on the plane with it!

 

[gjgm]

or just join Sea Start.. no hassle getting back in, and if you have the parts, they may well fit them in trying to get you restarted !!

 

[MVP]

We have a 3.3 2-stroke - this is light enough to lug about and use on a small tender.

2 -stroke is good in that it can be stored on its side , without engine oil getting where it shouldn't.

We've about to take delivery of a Quicksilver 640 Weekender - the 3.3 might not get us home, but should be able to keep us out of trouble until help can be summoned.

MVP

 

[tony345]

The issue here is not whether a samll outboard will move your boat on a nice flat calm day- but whether it will be any use against a current with a wind blowing.

In the Solent you can quite often experience 5-6 knot tides on the ebb - couple this with an offshore wind and your 4,5 or even 10hp will be pretty useless on a boat of your size. (I know - I've tried it)

In reality 10hp might just push you across the tide - but to make any real headway in against a tide - you'd need 25hp - and that's too big to manhandle in an emergency.

If you really want a spare outbard - the Tohatsu 9.8hp is probably the best compromise - and you'll just about be able to use it on a 2.6m inflateable.

Best advice for dealing with an engine failure situation is invest in a good second anchor - of a different type to your main anchor, and a lot of rope. Perhaps also a hand held VHF.

 

[Pete7]

[ QUOTE ]
I've bought a Sealine 220 which will mainly be usesd in and around the Solent and i'm debating whether or not to gat a small auxiliary outboard

[/ QUOTE ] We tried a standard shaft length aux (10 hp) on our Sealine 240 but the leg wasn't really long enough so you will need a long shaft or 22" aux.

4hp might be okay on a yacht, but a yacht is a slim slippery shape designed to slide through the water at 5 knots. Your planning craft at the same speed has a flat transom which both creates drag and blocks the water flow to the prop of an aux hence you need a long shaft to get the prop down into clean water. It will also help over come cavitation when you motor into waves, as the bow goes up and down the prop on a standard shaft gets to close to the surface causing air to be trapped around the prop and looses drive.
We managed 3.2 knots with a 5 hp Seagull on a 2 tonne rib but it was flat calm. Long shaft engines are also difficult to store. You might be better with a good anchor and as someone has already mentioned Sea Start if its only the Solent area.
Pete

 

[neale]

My experience is with a 24ft Bayliner.

I have found a 4hp short shaft will happily move the boat around a marina with no wind or tide.

I have tried a 9.9 short shaft 2-stroke and found it was able to push the boat along at around 5knots. I tried it in the Mudway around Rochester and against the current I was able to make slow headway.

The problem will be in any sea other than flat, you will need a long shaft to have any hope of keeping the prop in the water. You will also struggle to bring the bow into any sort of wind with any outboard small enough to be portable.

 

[Nick_H]

For the Solent, a decent anchor (not even sure you need a second anchor) and a Sea Start subscription is the way to go IMO.