Dead engine sailing

[AntarcticPilot]

At most marinas, as others have said, sailing in is verboten, and in the event of engine failure you would be expected to anchor or pick up a mooring outside and the marina would arrange a tow in. The other issue is that there are wind directions in which it would be quite impossible for me to sail to my berth - there isn't room to tack in the aisle between pontoons. I could do it in a dinghy, or maybe even in a small (sub 20') yacht, but not in my 31' Moody. Finally, I currently sail single-handed, and it's quite hard enough getting onto the pontoon single-handed with an engine!

I have sailed onto a pontoon, in quite challenging conditions (the one at the late lamented Cumbrae Watersports Centre) on a very dark night that made judging my position with respect to the ponton very difficult; it took several goes around before my late wife was able to scramble onto the pontoon and get a line fastened!

All that said, I would certainly not treat engine failure at sea as an emergency warranting a call to the CG. I would sail to a place where I was able to anchor, pick up a mooring or even get alongside a pontoon. But I wouldn't consider sailing into a marina.

 

[PhillM]

I haven't but I have planned for it should it ever be needed. I would not sail into a marina for all the reasons mentioned above. However, I would sail alongside an empty or appropriately fendered boat on a HammerHead and lie alongside.

 

[greeny]

I'm both troubled and amused at the regular recycling of 'How do I manage with a dead engine' type threads.
People seem indoctrinated into the belief that that's an Emergency, and that they need Urgent Assistance before it becomes a Tragedy.

Who here has sailed onto a mooring/into a berth/alongside a pontoon or quay? Who hasn't, and would get their twisters in a knick should the need arise? Shouldn't it be a mandatory part of the skillset, just as 'parallel parking' and reversing is with car driving?

If it was, there would not be many "licensed" skippers around. By licensed I mean those who have passed a practical test of skills. BTW, yes I can, given the right conditions, otherwise anchor and wait for the right time.

 

[penfold]

Sailed into and out of Largs and Kip marinas in Loch Longs and Etchells; the latter were the most exciting due to the length. It's better to ask forgiveness afterward and be able to have a drink at the bar than be loitering outside the entrance waiting for a tow having been told no.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Our backup plan would be to sail onto one of the outside moorings. We pickup moorings under sail 3 times a week, on a boat with no engine anyway. Sailing into our berth, I guarantee is impossible to the finest seaman afloat. Through a crowded marina, transit a swing bridge, and 600m up a narrow, shallow channel (30ft, ie 5 ft wider than our boat in sailing config. Come to that, we have to fold to go through the bridge. You can’t fold and sail on a Dragonfly.

 

[Roberto]

There are also places where sudden engine failure would mean a very high risk of losing the boat, or having a serious accident, think swell and calm wind for example; or places that cannot be accessed without engine (with the next one being X00 miles away).
Better take care of the engine imho

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Theres no doubt auxiliary engines have revolutionised the type of sailing we do, and made it safer. Still, it’s good to have a boat that can go along perfectly well without one as much as possible (unless you’re a MoBo of course). And theres a special satisfaction to be had in achieving your goals under sail.

 

[Wansworth]

Theres no doubt auxiliary engines have revolutionised the type of sailing we do, and made it safer. Still, it’s good to have a boat that can go along perfectly well without one as much as possible (unless you’re a MoBo of course). And theres a special satisfaction to be had in achieving your goals under sail.

Having had a boat without engine you need time a collection of anchours and quick means of deployment and sails that canbe raised and lowered quickly and good friction free handling …….and a sculling oar

 

[capnsensible]

Neptune loves to send us character building challenges.....

The cheeky old god of the oceans deep.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Sailed onto the mooring often the summer I was in Falmouth. Only sailed onto a pontoon training for my YM exam. Wasn't asked to do it in the exam. Thought about how and where I would do it if needed at my current marina.

 

[Sandy]

When at King Point in Plymouth I would enter through the 'chasm', knock the engine out of gear and would set myself up to enter the berth after a 90° turn to starboard and two 90° to port passing all the brand new Princess Yacht boats, with just a touch or reverse to stop. Does that qualify?

 

[Concerto]

Many decades ago we were motoring along the canal to Amsterdam and ran out of diesel. Luckily it was a northerly wind, so we started sailing. On the lee shore we saw a barge moored to the bank and called across if he could let us have some diesel. "Yah," came the reply, so quickly did a 360 and sailed alongside the barge.

Last year I was in Strangford Lough, motoring the short distance from Quoile YC to Down Cruising Club when I ran out of diesel. With the light wind I started sailing, but then checked where I could get some fuel. There is no fuel barge, so the next best choice was a pontoon with a garage nearby which via Google I found only two places, the marina at Portaferry or the pontoon at Killyleagh. Having been in Portaferry a few days earlier, that was a non-starter. It would have to be Killyleagh, but they do not accept visitors. As I approached Killyleagh I saw the pontoon was quite short and on the lee side was a dinghy in the way. The windward side had a motorboat tied up with about a boats length spare at the end. It was tricky as I turned from running on to a reach the boat speed increased slightly. I slightly miscalculated and slightly over ran by about 10ft with my bow on the motorboat. No damage done as I had 9 fenders out. More details and a photo of the pontoon are in post #1. Round Britain day 81

Also last year I had the indiginty of having to be towed into Dover Harbour as they would not allow me to sail in. There was a short in a cable that stopped the engine from starting. I could not find it whilst sailing and a marine engineer took nearly 2 hours to find and fix it. Details in post #1 and #7. Round Britain day 127

Sailing on and off a free swinging mooring is easy, a fore and aft mooring slightly more difficult. but have done both many times in the past. It is all about your confidence in slow speed handling of your boat. I should point out the my sails are my primary engine and the diesel is my backup, just like the old sailing ships.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

You need to fit a fuel gauge!

 

[Wansworth]

I have heard of Frenchmen sailing backwards out a marina berth

 

[Sandy]

You need to fit a fuel gauge!

I have just disconnected mine. Its reading is a total work of fiction and my calculations are a far more accurate measure of what is onboard.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I have heard of Frenchmen sailing backwards out a marina berth

It’s no more difficult than forwards unless you’ve got a long keel. We do it at CCYC but an XOD is a bit easier, given that you can stop it, being small, if you get it wrong

 

[benjenbav]

Much as marinas don't want people sailing around in them unnecessarily, I'm sure most would understand people sailing in if they'd lost their engine power, no workboat was available, and they weren't attempting something likely to cause problems or damage, which in turn would depend on the crew's skills and the layout and available spaces in the marina.

That accords with my experience. Many years ago I had an engine fail and sailed back to Chichester marina. On the approach I called them to explain my predicament. I was asked if I was comfortable sailing through the lock. I said yes. They opened the lock for me. I sailed through. They met me inside with a workboat.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

That would be the case at Yarmouth, they’d pick you up beside the ferry berth and tow you to a berth.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

That accords with my experience. Many years ago I had an engine fail and sailed back to Chichester marina. On the approach I called them to explain my predicament. I was asked if I was comfortable sailing through the lock. I said yes. They opened the lock for me. I sailed through. They met me inside with a workboat.

That's a bit different from sailing onto a berth in a marina, which is what some have advocated. I'm sure mine wouldn't mind me sailing onto the fuel berth, which is by the entrance and clear of other boats, and giving me a tow from there, but going further would be risking damage to many other boats.

 

[Poignard]

One thing I have learnt about seamanship, and other things, over the years is not to take advice from people who boast.