Know anyone who cruises without an engine ?

[Chiara’s slave]

But AFAIK he didn't go into any harbour at all except the same one he left from - and often got a tow in and out of that. Easy to do without an engine if happy to meander for a couple of months without arriving anywhere or going into any harbour.

Quite. Anchoring and picking up buoys in relative childs play. Coming alongside a pontoon in a harbour with restricted space, and maybe no room to tack is another thing entirely. If our engine fails, we'd pick up a mooring outside, very used to that. Sailing 200m westward in Yarmouth harbour in a 24ft wide boat, I don’t think so!

 

[Wansworth]

Many moons ago I cruised from UK to NZ on my Warsash One Design with no engine. Great fun then not so much now maybe. We do still sail our Saltram Saga 40 onto and off anchor whenever we can as it is satisfying. We do have an engine but sometimes its nice to have some fun sailing when conditions are right.

That must have been a trip

 

[zoidberg]

'Moons ago, three of us took a Rival 34 out of Cardiff Bay, heading for Oban. Within half an hour, the raw water had ceased, engine overheated/mixer bottle melted, and the BIG Easter tide had set west.... We ended up making for Cork, and short-tacked up the Owenboy River sans chart to alongside the Royal Cork YC V-pontoon.
Two of us headed into the club to make our obeisances, to find the 'Admiral' and a bunch of his cronies drinking in the bar.

"What'll you have, lads.... and where are yeez from?" We were the first 'foreign' boat in, that year.

After a minute or two of banter, our attention was drawn to the chalkboard next to the darts 'roundel'. They'd been making book on where we'd run aground!

 

[westernman]

Quite. Anchoring and picking up buoys in relative childs play. Coming alongside a pontoon in a harbour with restricted space, and maybe no room to tack is another thing entirely.

Med-mooring stern to in a full marina is the next level!

 

[dunedin]

Med-mooring stern to in a full marina is the next level!

Well ex dinghy team racers would push out the main boom to back the sail and reverse - but might prove awkward when boom gets stuck round forestay of neighbouring boat ;-)

 

[veshengro]

In my old steel Gaff Cutter with her big wooden rudder and Hydrovane fitted, I didn't have the courage or the skill to go stern first into a Med mooring, she steered astern like a milk crate.. I used to run the Bowsprit in to shorten her length and go in bow first, which made getting ashore or onboard difficult for me but entertaining for onlookers. I very rarely went into Marinas or berths of any sort anyway but when I had too, the heart rate always rocketed...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Med-mooring stern to in a full marina is the next level!

We’d never bother with that, just find a suitable beach.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

A tip from the great John Goode was for a crew member to stand at the bow and hurl a bucket forward and pull the boat along. Never seen it done but a 1950's clang bucket would probably help.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I think Roger Taylor has hung up his carpet slippers now, but his Ming Ming and Ming Ming II did some notable passages without engines.

MingMing still about, and seen sailing briskly in the Fete du Golfe. Cant remember new owners name

 

[newtothis]

MingMing still about, and seen sailing briskly in the Fete du Golfe. Cant remember new owners name

And as far as I know, Roger still has Ming Ming II. But he indicated in his latest book that that voyage would be his last long haul trip. Suspect both boats will be around for a long time; he seemed to make them pretty bulletproof.

 

[B27]

Back in the early 80s, the RYA's Seamanship Foundation ran two fleets of Hunter 23ft cruising boats around the Solent and West Country.
I sailed on them a few times.
Without engines, we managed to visit lots of places in a week and generally return to where we were meant to be.

There was sometimes an element of manual propulsion involved.
The boats were small enough to move by main force if needed.
The boats actually sailed very well and the youngsters sailing them were dinghy sailors who could keep them moving in lighter air and cope with a bit of breeze.

In the 90s, I did a bit of dinghy sailing including some 'cruising' or camping, and I raced some of the Solent one-designs, which sometimes carried an outboard but often didn't.

So I've always taken the view that engines are not essential.

I bought my first cruising boat in the late 90s. The engine was a noisy vibrating unpleasant thing, but knowing you could get home when the wind dropped and hence get to work on Monday was a big bonus.
Our cheap, up-harbour mooring would not have been viable without.

These days you'd be quite restricted if you could only use anchorages and buoys you could sail on and off of. Most boats are bigger and often not adequately crewed to short tack up a river efficiently, or to handle sails while picking up a mooring etc. Places are more crowded.

Is it me, or is the weather less reliable?

I think there are very few cruising boat ownership scenarios where you wouldn't get much better value out of a boat with an engine. Even if it's only a small outboard on a 20-25ft boat.
We find enough restrictions to our sailing without the constraint of 'no engine'.

 

[Supertramp]

Interesting question.

In 1980 I cruised with 3 others for a month on a Loch Long one design (21ft, sort of like a mini Dragon). Camped ashore at night. No engine, 2 paddles. On reflection, we only got from Oban, up Loch Sunart and back. But we were storm bound for a week in Loch Drumbie (try tacking out the entrance!). Very careful planning of tides. We also managed with a fisherman's anchor on chain and rope. Never thought twice about it, but realised there were times and places we couldn't go.

Now, with a larger yacht and plenty of diesel power the restrictions are still there but they're different. I certainly feel safer today!

 

[capnsensible]

A tip from the great John Goode was for a crew member to stand at the bow and hurl a bucket forward and pull the boat along. Never seen it done but a 1950's clang bucket would probably help.

I had some mentoring from him and he taught me stacks about thinking unconventionally and sailing slowly. Awesome bloke. I got pushed well beyond what I thought I could do!

 

[Wansworth]

Thefirst job I had was teaching sailing at the then Bosham sea school,backin 1970……an adult couple where mildly put out as I suggested sailing was quite easy but it was all the other stuff that came with time,they thought pay ing for a weekend sailing would set them up

 

[jlavery]

Thefirst job I had was teaching sailing at the then Bosham sea school,backin 1970……an adult couple where mildly put out as I suggested sailing was quite easy but it was all the other stuff that came with time,they thought pay ing for a weekend sailing would set them up

Fred Drift alert.

My 1st job was driving the launches at Bosham aged 16 (so 1980). Last year I was offered some work as a relief Bosham Ferry driver.

My observation was that in 42 years, I'd progressed precisely nowhere. I would be back cycling to Bosham to drive a boat!

 

[zoidberg]

....On reflection, we only got from Oban, up Loch Sunart and back. But we were storm bound for a week in Loch Drumbie (try tacking out the entrance!).

Who would want to go anywhere else than Loch na Droma Bhuidhe, if it's wild outside, unless heading for the 'Tobers pub?

"Loch na Droma Buidhe is commonly referred to as Loch Drambuie or Loch Drumbuie. This is often one of the busiest anchorages on the west coast in summer..."

 

[Supertramp]

Who would want to go anywhere else than Loch na Droma Bhuidhe, if it's wild outside, unless heading for the 'Tobers pub?

"Loch na Droma Buidhe is commonly referred to as Loch Drambuie or Loch Drumbuie. This is often one of the busiest anchorages on the west coast in summer..."

We were camped ashore with midges for company and rations running low. First and last time I tried nettle soup. Not sure I want to go back to these places unless it's well out of the busy season.

I also recall several boats dragging anchors in weed, something I wouldn't want to deal with if there was no engine.

 

[Minerva]

Who would want to go anywhere else than Loch na Droma Bhuidhe, if it's wild outside, unless heading for the 'Tobers pub?

"Loch na Droma Buidhe is commonly referred to as Loch Drambuie or Loch Drumbuie. This is often one of the busiest anchorages on the west coast in summer..."

It was pretty crowded last night right enough.

There was 6 boats in! Still at being 3/4nm long and 1/3nm wide; we just about got some swinging room.

 

[dunedin]

It was pretty crowded last night right enough.

There was 6 boats in! Still at being 3/4nm long and 1/3nm wide; we just about got some swinging room.

But the vast majority of Loch Drumbuie is too deep for convenient anchoring - over 15m (and up to 38m) other than a thin strip round the edges plus the Eastern end - which isn’t ideal in strong Westerlies. It’s one of these places where I think its evocative name and reputation exceeds its quality as an anchorage (along with Puilldobhrain and Tinkers Hole).
(But I am delighted if everybody else thinks it is wonderful and goes there, keeping the better locations empty)

 

[B27]

I had some mentoring from him and he taught me stacks about thinking unconventionally and sailing slowly. Awesome bloke. I got pushed well beyond what I thought I could do!

Some people are great sailors
Some people are great at teaching what they know.
A few can do both well.

....

I also recall several boats dragging anchors in weed, something I wouldn't want to deal with if there was no engine.

It's not so hard to do, if your boat has adequate crew, and it's small enough.
Not having an engine is just another constraint which restricts how much boat you can handle.

You can handle more boat with less crew still if you add e.g. a bowthruster.

Generally, unless you are racing, or sailing some historic classic, I don't think there is anything admirable or clever about sailing without an engine.
Having an engine and not using it much is a different matter.