Comparative sailing performance of motorsailers

I really like the LM30 and surely the LM range have the most loyal followers - your second hand prices are rock solid.
 
We have an LM 30. In light winds in and around the Solent we often have to motor sail to get to our destination before the tide turns. If we are not in a hurry we raise the Cruising chute and can keep up with a Moody 31. In 10 to 15 knots of wind we easily keep up with the Moody and as the wind increases, the Moody will reef before we have to. Our engine is only 24hp so not that heavy but in cruising form , i.e. full water and diesel tanks (both 200 l ) plus dinghy, two folding kayaks and food she weighs about 6 1/4 tons. Always feels stable and in poor weather, the wheelhouse is a delight. If you are anywhere near Hythe, come and have a look at her.

I have a Mascot 28 (similar to LM) & I agree 100%. Mine performs same. A little slower in light winds-start engine if in a rush & burn less than 2Ltr/hr WOT 28HP VP.
No need to reef til long after the real sailboats have to.
Steer from tiller outside on nice days & from p-house wheel when cold or nasty.
Not a racer-but 6.x kts under sail with a breeze & 6.9 kts @ 2200 RPM 1.5 Ltr/hr
Great cruising boat!
 
In the 40 foot bracket, it is hard to beat the Victory 40 (Trintella 4a) for speed and handing off shore.

We did several days when we averaged on a reach 8.5 knots. Unlike many more modern boats which sail in a series of s bends this was 8.5 kn in a straight line. Our best speed was under spinnaker crossing Poole bay - Lunch laid out in the covered cockpit - the wind rose to a steady 30kn dead aft and she was doing over 10 knots through the flat sea. The autopilot handled it quite happily. We never managed to broach her.

Under engine - with 80HP under the deck you will always get where you are going what ever the weather.

She also came a close second in the RSYC double race from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (absolute placing) - we never put our oilies on all night - blowing 7 to 8s.

To be expected from the pen of Van de Stadt.
 
Reaching at over 9 knots through the water?? I find that hard to believe, unless that is just a peak speed down a wave.

Nope. Flat water, F 4-5 broad reach: regularly over 9 kts. We do have a feathering propeller and as I said, beamy, with flat lines aft ...

...Briez2.jpg
 
34' LWL actually (if you were referring to my earlier post!)

My apologies Arcady I jumped to conclusions, there was a burst of Rasmus 35 owner posts and I mistook you for one of them. With your 34' LWL and flat sections I can easily see how you manage 9knots through the water :)
 
My apologies Arcady I jumped to conclusions, there was a burst of Rasmus 35 owner posts and I mistook you for one of them. With your 34' LWL and flat sections I can easily see how you manage 9knots through the water :)

No apologies needed. I agree, it's unusually fast for a motorsailer. FWIW I may put some details about the design up on your Facebook motorsailer group - just to avoid any further thread drift here!
 
"Sail OK but not brilliantly" is spot on. A heavy displacement Colvic/Fisher type often has too short a main mast because of design and original useage parameters and this most affects windward performance because of the lack of high aspect foils. In reality we can sail at 45 but a switch to 50 has a significant impact on VMG. What the boat and rig can do though is carry a big sail for reaching and running where foil height is much less important, hence we've kept up very nicely with some faster boats with our big chute and reacher sail - you also reef/unreef less often in gusty or changing conditions. The compromises for a Ben/Jen/Bav are blurred, they do a brilliant job of being good enough at most things, the compromises in a heavy displacement motorsailer are more stark - utterly unfussed by heavy weather or motoring or motor sailing to windward instead of slamming and bouncing in an AWB but equally hopeless at beating very close to the wind is just one example. But then it's not just gentlemen who don't go to windward, 99% of families hate it as well.


is it me, but i have no idea on most of the abbreviations used. and i have seamanship 2 / rya level 5 dinghy....
 
The motor sailors we saw had smaller rigs than the same length sailing boats, a Nauticat is an example.

More misinformation. if you knew anything about Nauticats you would know that they do a range of boats, most of which have big rigs and are very powerful sailing boats - even though they have deck saloons.
 
We have an LM 30...in poor weather, the wheelhouse is a delight.

How about on a warm morning at the end of August? Was this you, Actionoptics?

Screenshot_2016-09-02-12-37-03_zps8uavwcjf.png


I wonder, is the helmsman too warm behind the glass there, and gasping for fresh air, or is he simply too tall for the wheelhouse? ;) I love the LM30, one of the boats I dream about. :encouragement:
 
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