How far would you go without a engine?

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jezjez

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I've got to bring a boat back from Belgium to the UK next weekend that has engine trouble - hopefully it will be fixed. Personally, I'm not keen to cross the north sea without an engine but am I just a lilly-livered landlubber?
How far would the rest of you go? North Sea - Ocean-wide?
Have you done it already?
 
I have just finished reading a book that might encourage you to have a go!

"The Cruise of the Falcon" by E.F.Knight. He describes a cruise of 22 months duration from Southampton to various ports in Souh America and the West Indies including a 5 months cruise up the Parana and Paraguay rivers. His boat was a 42 foot yawl and had no engine, no electronics, no liferaft. The voyage started in 1880.

Later on he made a lengthy cruise through the Dutch canals to the Baltic in a smaller boat, again with no engine.

Despite losing an arm in the South African War he continued sailing [single-handed in both meanings of the word!]
 
Being at sea without an engine would never worry me (exept perhaps crossing the doldrum!) the worst thst can happen is that the trip takes longer so include a few extra supplies. The only problem you have is getting in and out of habour or being set onto a lee shore so plan rout and landfalls conservitevly with an eye to what you would do if the weather is wrong. Take particular note of strong tidal areas, I nearly got stranded on the Bishops off St Davids head once when becalmed up tide. As they rise shear from 40m anchoring was a bit problematic. Speaking of which make sure the ground takle is adequate as you are much more likely to need to anchor at sea while waiting a favourable tide. Have fun and console yourself whith the though that pre 1970 nobody had reliable engines but they still went sailing.
 
Just make sure that there you're not going to be becalmed, and then be rapidly overtaken by a storm. Other than that, an anchor with lots of chain and warps plus a spare.
 
I saw this post and was intrigued to see some of the answers.

Not sure this is the sort of question you should be asking complete strangers who you do not know or have no knowledge of your sailing ability.

My tuppence worth would be that if it is outside your comfort zone and you are not 100% happy dont do it, make sure the engine is 100% reliable first and it will be one less thing to get stressed about.
 
Jon Brickhill has a 93 year old Cornish lugger called Guide Me. As far as I know she has no engine and the original dipping lug rig. He and his family crossed the Atlantic in her in 1992, I heard they had been as far as The Falklands.
 
Here she is.
GuideMe2.jpg
 
Distance isn't a problem - you can circumnagivate the globe without an engine. Deep ocean there's little need for an engine except to charge batteries (or maybe to find wind, if you're in a hurry).

First question is can you get out of wherever you are in Belgium, and get into where you're going without motor? Only you can answer that. Personally I'm happy sailing on & off a swinging mooring or anchorage. But I'd never attempt a marina!

I'd be more concerned about negotiating the shipping lanes. If you're going Belgium to Deben you're meeting a lot of commercial vessels. You need to be certain of getting out their way. If you can guarantee adequate wind, then maybe OK, but an engine gives more options.

It all depends on your own skill & experience, and on your own attitude to risk. Personally, I'd not be comfortable doing it in my current boat. Generally it's something I'd think twice about doing, but be generally OK with if I had to (eg engine packed up en route). But it would be awfully tempting to go for it with the right weather window - if only to be able to boast about it later!

I'd go with NDH's advice - if you ain't comfortable, don't do it! Doesn't matter if a few reckon you're a sissy. (You can bet that if you do, others will accuse you of being reckless - you can't win on these forums!). But the anchor/warp advice sounds good if you do get bold.

Edit: I think in retrospect that this post could be improved by pointing out that you should pierce both ends of the shell before sucking out the contents. It's up to you whether to use a straw; personally, i wouldn't...
 
Hi as long as your sails are servicable and your ground tackle is good and you are a resonable sailor you should be fine,theres plenty of wind about just now so you wont be becalmed,you need to think about how you get to your mooring when you get home,can you sail onto it?
 
Good advice. Actually, I am with NDH and riverrat on this, you make your own call on whether to go or not. We've a swinging mooring so not too much trouble and ostend is relatively eassy to exit.
I have my reservations about the shipping more than anything.
I was just curious to know if others do genuinely go without engines - I know Sir Robin does - but do any other forumites go out themelves without one?
Is there a small hardy band of braves who don't need diesel or is that pretty much in the past?
Don't worry NDH I don't respond to egging from others sitting in their armchairs either!
 
Well the question was how far would _you_ go, not how far should I go.

I spent a year sailing out of the Orwell with an unreliable engine. I knew it was unreliable, so I simply didn't use it at all. If I did not feel comfortable that there was enough wind to manage the tide and Felixstowe, I didn't sail. It was very good practice.
 
If you were happy with this, then I guess you wouldn’t be asking the question. Main concern I’d have is of avoiding the shipping. There was a lot less shipping in “1880” to worry about, and the North sea can get very busy with very large vessels these days. You say you’ve “got to” bring it back next weekend. Would it perhaps be better to sort the engine out first?
 
[ QUOTE ]
... There was a lot less shipping in “1880” to worry about, and the North sea can get very busy with very large vessels these days....

[/ QUOTE ]

There was far more shipping then. Ships may have been smaller but there were many more of them, especially coasting and fishing vessels. None had radar and there were no Traffic Separation Schemes.
 
“There was far more shipping then” – But generally smaller and slower, and the density in the present day shipping lanes can be a real problem if you lose your sailing wind (the wind of course not affected the speed of the other vessels). Why put himself at risk for the sake of engine repairs if he has doubts about the passage anyway?
 
Well.... how dependant will you be on electronics. Will the batteries have enough juice to see you through a crossing if you have to rely on all the gizmos.

Donald
 
How far would YOU go?
I personally don't think I would like to go offshore very far without an engine - the recent trip I am making was simply the trigger for my question - does anyone go sailing without an engine these days? Anyone on the forum, I mean.
 
Actually came back from Tobermory to the Clyde without one, two up. Lots and lots of pilotage and rocks and tides. Boat did have engine, but was inoperable.

Much prefer sailing with an engine. Your able to go striaght to your destination, charge batteries etc, but you dont actually need one.

Donald
;-)
 
I think the questions be pretty well answered.You can sail without an engine when its calm you slow down when theres wind you move.In the right place its a very nice way to sail,plenty of food and drink,a good book , radio or just get on with maintainence knitting new fenders or practicing a wire rope splice(difficult!)

Ive done that but still found myself in shipping routes where the ships were very very big and at times very fast,or drifting in the path to be of a ferry of course i could have anchored in 20m or so to avoid the ferry but it was far better just to start the engine and move out of the way.

Same with shipping thought on the open sea their sooo fast its hard to know what to do if one turns up comeing towards you go about or go on?They just go so fast today if your lacking wind an engins an option rather than just sit there and wait to see how close the ship comes

The north sea is also very busy although i havent crossed it for very many years,so by now it must be really bad.

Why not add an out board then if you need the engine even for mooring leaving port etc and the main engine stops Stuart turner wise then you can use the OB my stuart turner never let me down when i really needed it.

Just dont have a time table that you must be back by a certain time just relax put aboard some cases of good wine perhaps some other things and just enjoy,boats tend to arrive and are much harder at takeing bad weather than the skipper and crew as a rule though the north sea can be a bit bumpy in places

If you have a good forcast and the WX looks good go.There arnt many days of dead flat calm and it should be forcast if a hugh high is to hover over the north sea


I HAD a much better idea!Belgiums a very pleasent contry.As Britins full of nasty foreigners wanting to blow everyone up and make it into a muslim state why not just stay in Belgium!!Spend a while fixing the engin or just drop it over board and fit a good out board,then cruise for a while before heading for the canals in september and the med for a walm comfortable winter?That sounds much better than going back once youve escaped.
 
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