Dead engine sailing

[LittleSister]

Such things were certainly done when I did my Coastal Skipper practical some decades ago.

We were able to practice and compare a variety of techniques sailing on and off of pontoons, moorings, and returning to pick up a "MOB' under sail - scandalising the main; sailing on a fine reach holding the mainsheet directly under the boom (i.e. not through the blocks) to instantly bring it in and out to either draw or not; having different sails partly hoisted, and even hauling one or other up and down as we went; backing sails by hand to slow/stop or turn the boat, etc. All great fun and useful subsequently.

 

[capnsensible]

Still are.

 

[jlavery]

Numerous numerous times. Many for practice but some out of necessity.

Two occasions of note jump to mind although there are many more.
One was when the studs holding the gearbox onto the engine on a JSASTC Nicholson 55 broke and I had to sail it into the berth in the little Marina at the US naval academy in Annapolis. (No pressure)
Second of note was when I spent nearly an entire Cowes week sailing on and off the town pontoon in our then 26’ long keeled SCOD. Cowes harbourmaster was aware and very supportive. There were a few interesting moments sailing up the Medina - yachts everywhere. People would just stop right in front of us and several times I’d have to shout, we’ve got no engine and please move. (Sometimes I’d have to add “…and we weigh 4.5 tonnes”)
The harbourmaster would come and give us s push onto the raft of boats we were joining if it was impossible to sail the last few yards.

We sailed our SCOD onto and off moorings and pontoons - more reliable than the engine!

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Did this at 4am last night. Picked up a poly bag while I was preparing the boat . It was very rough outside the marina entrance and the wind was blowing straight in.
Managed to sail her onto the fuel dock after a fashion. Nothing damaged so I’m calling it a win . Dived on the prop this morning after a short sleep. Pulled off the thick poly bag and now back in my berth.
Nice to have done it in anger now. Will definitely do better next time. I was too cautious and didn’t carry enough way for the final turn. Luckily I got the bow close enough to get a line to the confused marinera who despite me explaining over vhf kept giving my instructions to use more power

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I've sailed up to a fuel berth after an embarassing lack of diesel in the tank (twice ) and sailing up to mooring buoys was part of my Yachmaster practical exam many years ago - anchoring, mooring buoy, or a simple quayside approach would not bother me in the slightest ... but ....

Getting into my marina berth where we moor stern-to with a foot or so of clearance either side is not something I would attempt under sail. I'd radio the marina and get their RIB to tow me in - anything else would be irresponsible IMO.

... the other interesting point is that many anchor windlasses on modern AWBs only work with the engine running. Getting the anchor down is OK because you can release the clutch, but getting it up again on any 12m+ boat is a different story.

 

[geem]

... the other interesting point is that many anchor windlasses on modern AWBs only work with the engine running. Getting the anchor down is OK because you can release the clutch, but getting it up again on any 12m+ boat is a different story.
[/QUOTE]
I guess that is because to keep costs down ( or make more profit) they fit the smallest possible battery. If you increase you battery bank capacity, like just about all liveaboards do, you could dispense with the relay and wire the windlass up directly.
This is now ours is configured. We often raise the dinghy up the side of the boat at night with the rope drum on the windlass. No need to start the engine.
In the event of engine loss, it makes lifting the anchor a none issue. We can run the diesel generator to charge the battery whilst lifting the anchor if we were worried about flattening it but this is something we have never needed to do.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I guess that is because to keep costs down ( or make more profit) they fit the smallest possible battery. If you increase you battery bank capacity, like just about all liveaboards do, you could dispense with the relay and wire the windlass up directly.
This is now ours is configured. We often raise the dinghy up the side of the boat at night with the rope drum on the windlass. No need to start the engine.
In the event of engine loss, it makes lifting the anchor a none issue. We can run the diesel generator to charge the battery whilst lifting the anchor if we were worried about flattening it but this is something we have never needed to do.

The windlass often runs from the starter battery/alternator, so to avoid flattening the starter battery, the relay is wired so it only works while the engine is running - and as many windlasses don't have drums any more, their sole purpose in life is just to raise and lower an anchor - which most people do under power ... and so it came to be.

IMO it's a design failure. One of the things you definitely need to be able to do should the engine fail is lower and raise the anchor easily. Finding out the windlass doesn't work the first time your engine konks out comes as a nasty surprise.

So seeing as this thread is about dead engines, it would make sense for anyone who owns a boat to ensure they have a functioning windlass should the engine stop working IMO.

 

[geem]

The windlass often runs from the starter battery/alternator, so to avoid flattening the starter battery, the relay is wired so it only works while the engine is running - and as many windlasses don't have drums any more, their sole purpose in life is just to raise and lower an anchor - which most people do under power ... and so it came to be.

IMO it's a design failure. One of the things you definitely need to be able to do should the engine fail is lower and raise the anchor easily. Finding out the windlass doesn't work the first time your engine konks out comes as a nasty surprise.

So seeing as this thread is about dead engines, it would make sense for anyone who owns a boat to ensure they have a functioning windlass should the engine stop working IMO.

Our windlass now runs from the pair of 100Ah start batteries. I had to remove it from the house bank as this is now lithium. The inrush from the 1700w windlass motor puts the BMs FETS at risk of popping.
The rope drum Iis still a regular thing on Lofrans windlasses. For us it in invaluable. We use it to hoist one of us the mast. Easy and efficient. It lifts the dinghy and engine on deck when we are doing a passage. It probably gets used more for these jobs than lifting the anchor

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Our windlass now runs from the pair of 100Ah start batteries. I had to remove it from the house bank as this is now lithium. The inrush from the 1700w windlass motor puts the BMs FETS at risk of popping.
The rope drum Iis still a regular thing on Lofrans windlasses. For us it in invaluable. We use it to hoist one of us the mast. Easy and efficient. It lifts the dinghy and engine on deck when we are doing a passage. It probably gets used more for these jobs than lifting the anchor

Be careful not to earn a Darwin award like this lot on an Amel 54 in Antigua ...

According to news reports in the Antigua Daily Observer, Lola Khon was hoisting her husband up the mast of a 2006 Amel 54 in Jolly Harbor when she realized something was mechanically wrong. Fearing he was in danger, she tried to stop the equipment when her left hand got caught in the winch. She tried to free her left hand with her right hand, but this also got caught.

Her rescuer, John Algrehn, who came from another boat, lost seven fingers trying to free Khon from the winch. Khon's injuries were more serious. Her left hand was completely severed beneath the elbow and her right hand was crushed.

In April, the newspaper reported that Khon was in Miami being fitted with prosthetics and undergoing surgery and rehabilitation of her right hand. Algrehn was being treated in his home country of Norway. He had the use of his thumbs and the little finger on his left hand, according to the Observer.

 

[geem]

Be careful not to earn a Darwin award like this lot on an Amel 54 in Antigua ...

This is the reason why we use the windlass. No self tail aspect. The line can be slipped on the drum.
A few years ago, friends witnessed a wife lose her fingers in a ST winch, hoisting her husband up the mast. Something we are very careful of using a windlass. It's easy to stand back from the windlass and push the foot switch. Not something cockpit winches routinely have

 

[john_morris_uk]

I knew there was a reason I fitted mast steps….

 

[geem]

I knew there was a reason I fitted mast steps….

We have mast steps. One at the bottom and two at the top. Just a slight problem of about 55ft between them

 

[Wansworth]

This is the reason why we use the windlass. No self tail aspect. The line can be slipped on the drum.
A few years ago, friends witnessed a wife lose her fingers in a ST winch, hoisting her husband up the mast. Something we are very careful of using a windlass. It's easy to stand back from the windlass and push the foot switch. Not something cockpit winches routinely have

We have mast steps. One at the bottom and two at the top. Just a slight problem of about 55ft between them

Mast steps in conjunction with harness and halliard tailed by crew

 

[geem]

Mast steps in conjunction with harness and halliard tailed by crew

We use a harness and bosuns chair on the windlass with second halyard rigged with an ascender fixed on a second line to the harness.
The bosons chair is like a wooden swing seat. It's comfy when working at height. The harness is in case I slip out of the chair. If I am just doing a quick rig inspection I normally just use the harness. I never fan ied steps. Another 50 or 60 holes in the mast didn't seem like a great idea. They snag on stuff as well

 

[Wansworth]

We use a harness and bosuns chair on the windlass with second halyard rigged with an ascender fixed on a second line to the harness.
The bosons chair is like a wooden swing seat. It's comfy when working at height. The harness is in case I slip out of the chair. If I am just doing a quick rig inspection I normally just use the harness. I never fan ied steps. Another 50 or 60 holes in the mast didn't seem like a great idea. They snag on stuff as well

I read of one case of the man suspended by one foot trapped in a mast step……his wife had to get help,further details I don’t recall

 

[rogerthebodger]

We use a harness and bosuns chair on the windlass with second halyard rigged with an ascender fixed on a second line to the harness.
The bosons chair is like a wooden swing seat. It's comfy when working at height. The harness is in case I slip out of the chair. If I am just doing a quick rig inspection I normally just use the harness. I never fan ied steps. Another 50 or 60 holes in the mast didn't seem like a great idea. They snag on stuff as well

I have folding mast steps that reduce the chance of any line catching on then when folded. Alsso having no top bat will not catch a foot an hang ne upside down.

I use a canvas bosuns chait that tend to hold in in the chair and tends to prevent me falling out,

When I go up the mast SWMBO tain the mast winch as I so up climbing the steps so very load on the winch opening the steps as I go up and SWMBO tails the winch as I come down closing the steps as I get to chest level still using my feet on the steps as I cone down.

When I get to the level I am working at I have a strap I attach around the mast so I have 2 hands free.

There ws a story about a sailor who climde the mast and tied hmself at the top of the mast then had a hart attach and died tied at the top of the mast.

His wife had to sail the boat hack to harbour so his body could be retrieved

 

[john_morris_uk]

Mast steps in conjunction with harness and halliard tailed by crew

Mast steps in conjunction with a climbing harness and a halyard tailed by crew.

 

[geem]

I have folding mast steps that reduce the chance of any line catching on then when folded. Alsso having no top bat will not catch a foot an hang ne upside down.

I use a canvas bosuns chait that tend to hold in in the chair and tends to prevent me falling out,

When I go up the mast SWMBO tain the mast winch as I so up climbing the steps so very load on the winch opening the steps as I go up and SWMBO tails the winch as I come down closing the steps as I get to chest level still using my feet on the steps as I cone down.

When I get to the level I am working at I have a strap I attach around the mast so I have 2 hands free.

There ws a story about a sailor who climde the mast and tied hmself at the top of the mast then had a hart attach and died tied at the top of the mast.

His wife had to sail the boat hack to harbour so his body could be retrieved

If you have the nice aluminium folding steps, they have a habit of bouncing open in rough weather. We have one of those at the bottom of the mast. No problem. My pal had them all the way up the mast but the top couple were for ever flicking open in rough weather.

 

[john_morris_uk]

If you have the nice aluminium folding steps, they have a habit of bouncing open in rough weather. We have one of those at the bottom of the mast. No problem. My pal had them all the way up the mast but the top couple were for ever flicking open in rough weather.

We have these: Stainless Steel Folding Mast Step - Marine Scene

They’ve never bounced open yet.

 

[geem]

We have these: Stainless Steel Folding Mast Step - Marine Scene

They’ve never bounced open yet.

Yep, I have the same at the top of the mast. Those ones don't bounce open but they are murder on bare feet