if you can drive a sailing yacht you can drive a motor yacht!!!!

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Iota

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Debate between a friend and myself. He is and always has been a motor yacht person. I am a saling yacht person and always have been.

I reckon that an experienced sailing yachtsman could convert to a motor yacht with a half days tuition from an instructor.

He reckons it would be a start from scratch job.

I reckon a motor yachtsman could convert to sail with about 5 days sea school training

He reckons a lot longer.

thoughts

Iota
 
Depends on the individual, but in general it will take a mobo-er longer to learn sail (assuming no prior knowledge) because he/she needs to learn how to sail (trim sails, reefing, spinnaker handling, etc)
 
I think a sailing yachtsman could handle a basic mobo of max 18ft with a PB1 course over a period of half a day on the water as they would probably already know about tides, bearings etc...

Never tried sailing so can't really comment the other way round, but I know that I havent got a clue what some of the things are that are spoken about on SB are - luff, furl, jib, what? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
er well, where to start !!!!

A sailing boat handles very very differently to a power boat.

I have taught many conversions from sail to power and they are at YM level for sail or above and want to do the conversion, [ less miles you see]

It takes 2 or 3 days for them to get the hang of how the boats moves and the speed you need to navigate at.
 
I reckon that an experienced sailing yachtsman could convert to a motor yacht with a half days tuition from an instructor.
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As well as the usual problem, that a lot of MoBo's sit ON, rather than IN the water like sailboats, thereby having a few more problems with windage/not as much grip etc, surely the variety of engine/drives will need to be considered, as well as heavy displacement/light displacement types.

Most sailboats have only one engine, either on a propshaft or fixed saildrive leg & have a keel to pivot around, etc.

Many sailing yoties, are somewhat rather scathing about the antics of MoBo drivers, without having experienced the sometimes difficulty of parking (particularly in a strong breeze).

Just accept that different skills are sometimes needed.
 
I'd go with Julies thoughts.

All the nav and safety stuff is the same, but the boat handling is quite different. Yachties will have to unlearn some of their tidal stream stuff from a passage planning perspective as mobos go when it's comfortable and when it suits. Generally a yachties can handle heavier seas than a mobo crew due to the better stability. 2 days boat handling and a bit of rethinking passage planning, weather windows and FUEL range.

The other way around takes a more time on boat handling, and more attention to weather and tidal streams for passage planing. If I had the time I'd sail rather that motor.
 
I think the amount of fuel used would put off most sailing folk, we get there quicker but they get there for free, therefore having more cash to spend when they get there! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Sounds like we are both wrong /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif nothing new then

Iota
 
Don't forget that for a lot of time us raggies are motor sailing so we get there late and we still have no money left.
 
A couple of years ago, having sailed for 30+ years, I decided to go mobo. As it happens Julie (Powerskipper) undertook the task of training me.

I had bought a twin engined boat, never having driven such a thing before, and booked two days training. At the end of that, I felt a lot more confident and able. I wasn't the finished article, but you never stop learning do you?

Going the other way, I'd have no idea because, as a boy, I didn't so much learn as just mess around in sailboats.
 
[ QUOTE ]
A sailing boat handles very very differently to a power boat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not all of them, or have you forgotten that a sailing cat handles more like a mobo than a monohull! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
I've been sailing (mostly dinghies) most of my life.
At the sailing club I used to carry out safety boat duties for which I needed a (in those days) a level 4 - I think its now called "Safety Boat"
Virtually every sailor at the club handled the powerboats intuitively and with very little training. Those that had difficulty were the non sailors.

Now then I have to disagree with others on this forum.

My first powerboat was a 51 foot flybridge and the best way to learn for me was to get out and do it. Being a sailor (and particularlt a cat sailor) I understand wind and tide - you particularly need to when you race.

Perhaps the instructors on this forum only see those sailors that havent much experience - they certainly dont see the likes of me.

So IMO - if you sail - you can pick up motorboats easy.

POP
 
The reason that you and your mate have had long discussions about this subject is that you are both right.

Sailing boats and motor boats are different.

Sailing dinghies and cruisers and racing cats and cruising cats are different.

Motor boats... Semi displacement, singles, twins on shafts and twins on outdrives are ALL different and believe it or not a 30' is different to a 40' er.

SO don't be silly you can't generalise, that's why people like Julie are busy. I have owned and sailed or motored all of the above and still have problems in strong cross winds and tight spaces.

So agree to disagree, you won't come up with an answer, only mixed opinion. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
All agreed Hurric (see my post above). I've sailed dinghies to 50 foot sailboats all my life (plus Mirabella V at 19kts!) and I reckon a smart sailor would easily pick up mobo driving (cos, frankly, it's dead easy after a tiny bit of practice), whereas a smart moboer would still have to learn how to set and trim sails ("points of sailing" etc)
 
2 aging yachtmasters of different pursuasions. I think the next debate over a glass will be I will take him out for a day sailing with him doing a lot of the work and suggest the same on his craft, as long as I don't have to pick up the fuel bills!!!!

Interesting views expressed here so thanks to all.

Iota
 
I think if you put the average Raggie on a motorboat, started the engines for him and said drive the boat out of harbour, he probably would without too much mishap. If you put the average Mobo on a yacht, put the sails up and said sail it out of harbour, I think he would be extremely lucky to do so without mishap.

Most Raggies have the advantage of having a motor in their sailboat but Mobos don't generally have sails as well as a motor.
 
[ QUOTE ]
we (mobos) get there quicker

[/ QUOTE ]Hmmm - Speed is not the reason we motor, rather it's living space, comfort, and convienience. Also swmbo finds the accomodation on most yachts a bit claustraphobic and dark compared to the bright space and large windows on our mobo. Personally I prefer sailing, but don't have the time, and frankly now I'm used to the living space offered by mobos.
 
The best bit about sailing is when you turn the engine off.
The best bit about motorboating is when you turn the engines on.
 
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