"motor sailing" what's that all about?

[elton]

Came back from a 4 day sail with an old mate a few days ago, but this has been niggling since I got home, so I had to ask.

Won't mention the type of boat for fear of identifying him. Suffice to say it was a 32ft, eminently capable sail boat. He had the engine running with sails up for all but a couple of hours out of 40 or 50. To my mind the engine is for getting off the mooring, or for dead calm conditions. The whole point of sailing is the peace and tranquillity and just harnessing the power of the elements. The engine drone was driving me nuts. The tell-tales were flapping around all over the place, so I wondered whether the sails were actually slowing us down. Whatever, I couldn't see the point in having the sails up, other than for show. He said it saved fuel, but I very much doubt it.

Thoughts?

 

[Uricanejack]

Can't explain the logic I don't get it either.
I have seen several mentions of motor sailing. As a recognised technique on hear and in magazine. For strong winds.
Which seams a lot like motoring.
I sometimes motor with my main up because I'm to lazy to take it down.
When sheeted hard I think it steadies the boat. actual drive not much. Fuel saving nil. & Ussualy little or no wind. or right on the nose and I have a deadline.
If engine is running you ain't saving fuel.
When I'm sailing I am saving fuel. I don't burn much any way so saving fuel is not a goal. Sailing is.

 

[bignick]

I'm pretty sure it would have saved more fuel if the donkey had been turned off...
Nick

 

[sailgoodthefaultless]

did a charter last September different start finish bodrum to fethiye
ended motoring a lot.
had not been to bay of fethiye for years, beautiful. could have spent a week there sailing all day going short distance slowly. skipper wanted to do lots of miles, which we did, mainly on engine on the big slogs.
if wind don't serve change the plan if you can, if you want certainty buy a boat with no sails and twonking big engine(s)

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

The moment the engine is switched off that is when sailing starts, in my opinion. I use sails and engine together only when I have the wind on the nose and I am in a rush to get to the mooring before I run out of water. I don't like the engine noise

 

[Tranona]

Sounds like you were not motorsailing, but motoring with the sails set. Using a combination of sails and motor can be a good technique in certain conditions, particularly if there are adverse conditions or meeting a tidal gate where the additional speed or finer course possible can make a significant difference to passage times.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Needed to make time yesterday. Broad reach. Light air. 4.5 kts under sail. 6.0 kts under sail and 1200 rpm. If no sail or main strapped in would have been 6kts at 2400 rpm. Fortunately though the breeze filled in after an hour.

 

[onesea]

The moment the engine is switched off that is when sailing starts, in my opinion. I use sails and engine together only when I have the wind on the nose and I am in a rush to get to the mooring before I run out of water. I don't like the engine noise

+1
There are times where you have to but then I consider my passage planning was not good enough...

If I have to listen to an engine I want to be paid for it...

 

[Zagato]

From East Cowes to Lymington in nasty conditions. The boat was bucking over the short steep waves under sail so I tried the motor as well and it helped the motion a lot. Cowes can be horrible can't it

 

[Malabar]

This reflects modern attitudes to cruising - and indeed life today: must make the targets; must get there as quickly as possible etc. If you haven't made Cherbourg on Monday, Guernsey on Tuesday; St Malo on Wednesday etc the cruise is a failure! When engines, if fitted at all, could just about push you into harbour in a flat calm, motor sailing was not an option and we learned to enjoy the philosophy of "let's see where the wind takes us". Progress? Not sure.

 

[capnsensible]

Yesterday I completed a 72 mile passage in a 36 foot yacht. Without tactical use of the engine and having started at 0400 (yuk) we would not have made it to our home port until the early hours of this morning rather than bar debrief at around 2000. That includes a number of hours beating with 2 reefs in, such was the variations in the weather.

That, for me, is what motor sailing is all about!

 

[dylanwinter]

it is generally to be avoided

although on the Trent last week I did find that with the outboard on tickover I could tack down river with the ebb - even though there was bugger all wind

without then engine I could not get the bow to go round

it was better than motoring at a third revs and i could just about hear the birds

but generally the hateful engine is turned off asap

other bits of this thread remind me about why I prefer sailing my own boat rather than being a passenger/crew on another man's yacht

I really do like calling the shots and not havingto consider if all the other people aboard want a shower, use a proper loo, need more sun tan cream etc etc

and if I feel like stopping.... or pushing on then the only person I have to consider is myself

afternoon kip.... of course sire drop the hook here

evening sail .... of course sir.... off we go

4 am start... no probs

lie in..... up to me

you can be more flexible with passage planning

D

 

[BruceDanforth]

I will do it esp. when I need to get back to the marina before the gate goes up - to avoid spending a tide on the river.

 

[Iain C]

I'll do it if I need to get somewhere and the speed starts dropping below 3kts. Usually on a Sunday if I have a foul tide looming and a long drive home. But I'd much rather reach for the kite or cruising chute any day!

The only prolonged motorsailing I have ever done was in 30kts on the nose from Brighton to the Solent...it made the difference between basically getting nowhere, and making progress. I can make about 20 degrees off the wind with the donkey running.

But I'll only ever motorsail with just the main up and sheeted hard...it's "motoring with the main up" and the engine pulling hard...chugging along just over tickover with all sails up is just plain wrong IMHO!

 

[Seajet]

I have crossed the Channel several times in F1-2 where the sails and engine gave a good crossing time; under sail only I'd still be there, and the sails did aid progress a lot ( fine reach ) - they also aid stability and make the boat much more visible.

However with my 5hp outboard in a well on a 22' boat, I ain't going to get far punching into strong waves & wind, where sails do the trick as the designer Oliver Lee had in mind.

 

[JimC]

Why the oft-repeated contempt for people who choose to use their engines when they could be sailing e.g. "if he wants to motor should have bought a motor boat"?. My boat has two alternative sources of power and I'll use whichever suits my needs and inclination. If I don't feel like heeling over and pulling ropes and just want to chug along enjoying the view then that's what I'll do and you "purists" can think what you like of me.

 

[SamanthaTabs]

Sailing is peaceful and the sounds of the water are lovely. There are occasions when you just want to get there so motor sail. Hey at least those of us with the flappy things (sails my dear friends..) have the option of listening to engines or not . Currently sailing, quite rare in this part of the med!

 

[elton]

Why the oft-repeated contempt for people who choose to use their engines when they could be sailing e.g. "if he wants to motor should have bought a motor boat"?. My boat has two alternative sources of power and I'll use whichever suits my needs and inclination. If I don't feel like heeling over and pulling ropes and just want to chug along enjoying the view then that's what I'll do and you "purists" can think what you like of me.

We were heeled at 45 degrees much of the time, and a lot of rope pulling got done I can tell you. We had an argument in the pub later (2:1 against me) about whether we got there any faster with the engine running. Their arguments didn't convince me. My question remained unanswered: if the tell-tales were flapping around all over the place, was the sail adding anything to our forward speed, or was it in fact hindering the engine?

 

[JimC]

I wasn't responding to your original posting so much as to some of the later posters, and to a tendency I've noticed on other threads to decry anyone who dares to use his engine when he could be using wind power alone.

 

[johnalison]

We were heeled at 45 degrees much of the time, and a lot of rope pulling got done I can tell you. We had an argument in the pub later (2:1 against me) about whether we got there any faster with the engine running. Their arguments didn't convince me. My question remained unanswered: if the tell-tales were flapping around all over the place, was the sail adding anything to our forward speed, or was it in fact hindering the engine?

My engine gives a maximum heeling angle of 15 degrees, so I hope your skipper's engine was getting some lubrication, sometimes a problem when motor-sailing in anything of a blow.