"motor sailing" what's that all about?

[webcraft]

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A lot of smartarses and Solent sailors on this thread IMO who have little experience of real world passage making.

Motor-sailing can sometimes be the ONLY way to get to an upwind destination in heavy weather - said destination can be unachievable by sail OR engine alone.

Alternatively, in light airs motor-sailing may add a knot or more to the speed available under engine alone.

Tidal gates require passage planning . . .

- W

 

[onesea]

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A lot of smartarses and Solent sailors on this thread IMO who have little experience of real world passage making.

Motor-sailing can sometimes be the ONLY way to get to an upwind destination in heavy weather - said destination can be unachievable by sail OR engine alone.

Alternatively, in light airs motor-sailing may add a knot or more to the speed available under engine alone.

Tidal gates require passage planning . . .

- W

I think you are missing the point... I know and I think most who have posted agree that there are times when motor sailing is a use full tool, it can often be the fastest, best or possibly only (if you cannot wait) way to make a passage for one of a thousand reasons..

Just some of us choose not to put ourselves in that situation, unless we absolutely have to....

For some of us listening to an engine makes the day unpleasant so would not choose that route. Each to own.

 

[Rivers & creeks]

I like being on the water, I prefer sailing but I like motor sailing a lot more than being at work.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Ignoring the various 'holier than thou' arguments, the answer to the OP is that the skipper was motor sailing, but not doing it very well.

Just because the engine is on, the required laminar flow over the sails is still required for maximum efficiency. I know that this can't be achieved at the leech of the main, so 50% flying of the tell tales is a good rule of thumb espoused by some.

I like sailing but I am not such a purist that when trying to get somewhere in a hurry I don't burn some diesel on occasions. In flat calm I will often motor with the mainsail up but pulled hard into the centre line. The only thing it's doing is reducing the rolling.

If there is the hint of a breeze it is definitely more efficient to motor at an angle to the wind that will get the main to set. As soon as there is enough wind for the genoa to fill as well then the engine often goes off.

We all have our own ideas, but if the boat speed starts reading 2 knots or so we sometime run out of patience. Bear in mind that our boat weighs nearly 12 tonnes and is not over canvased for her size. As others have said, its our boat and our time on the water. Sometimes we are happy to drift and sometimes we want to make progress.

PS our engine is EXTREMELY quiet and you sometimes have to look at the rev counter to see if its running.

 

[mikeinkwazi]

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A lot of smartarses and Solent sailors on this thread IMO who have little experience of real world passage making.

Motor-sailing can sometimes be the ONLY way to get to an upwind destination in heavy weather - said destination can be unachievable by sail OR engine alone.

Alternatively, in light airs motor-sailing may add a knot or more to the speed available under engine alone.

Tidal gates require passage planning . . .

- W

I agree! When I had my 36ft Trimaran I would motorsail in light winds. Under motor (20HP outboard) 5kts. Under sail in the same conditions, 3knts. Under both, 7Knts! PS I made around 10,000 miles in that boat, mostly under sail, so not a solent type!

 

[Tintin]

Just some of us choose not to put ourselves in that situation, unless we absolutely have to....

Well done. I choose to cock it up all the time. Thank god for engines and fenders.

. Paper charts? Pah. I spit in the eye of your old fashioned good seamanship ways as i zoom in on my colour touch screen plotter.

Vhf dsc? Pah. I spit in the eye of your antiquated line of sight comms. 3g for me every time as i sail my great voyages in sight of land.

Engine? Pah. I have a pair of sweeps i bought off Popeye of this parish. I have removed my new fangled engine to make room for more batteries.

Back to reality, the condescending way some people write about their hair shirt boating leaves no doubt in my mind why younger people and wives don't like sailing. Apparently you have to go thru all sort of privations or you are not a proper sailor.

Being gently whisked along by a breeze, hearing the gentle slosh of the bow wave is all well and good, but after a long passage i do like to get tied up or anchored in time for a good meal and a shower, and i am amazed at Onesea's ability to plan far in advance to not use his motor: i am sure a job at the met office beckons

 

[Nicholas123]

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?

Nuts.If that was what sailing was about for me I would'nt bother.

 

[onesea]

i am amazed at Onesea's ability to plan far in advance to not use his motor:

I did not say I do not motor, I do when I have to but if I have to I do not enjoy. The simple answer is I spend allot of time not going very far...

I could plan to go further and do some times, but if forecast means motoring is on the cards I will go for plan B. Does not mean I do not spend allot of time afloat I just do it at the speed the wind dictates and in the direction the winds and tides dictate.

Each to there own, I work in a world of noise and engines. One of the reasons I sail is to escape that.

 

[capnsensible]

Well I sailed across to Ceuta in N Africa today from Gib. Used the engine for an hour, sailed the rest. Suited us for exactly what we wanted to achieve!

 

[Daydream believer]

Having done a few long passages, biscay plus round uk & in spite of my efforts the actual time motoring made a large percentage of the time. Read any round uk or similar cruising notes & they suggest up to 25% or more time motoring

 

[Ripster]

Blimey, I thought it was OK to use the combination of the engine and sail as you thought fit to make best passage and depending on conditions and preferences. Two means of propulsion, two options to make passage.

 

[EuanMcKenzie]

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.

+1

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I have noticed recently, that a few people have been motor sailing with a reefed furling genoa sheeted midships .

This would seem to make sense because of the cleaner air. Anyone tried it ?

One downside of motor sailing with just the main is the weather helm. Particularly on port tack with a right handed prop.

 

[Jamesuk]

Motor sailing I have been told is like giving your body more butter when you have high cholesterol.

 

[Searush]

Motor sailing I have been told is like giving your body more butter when you have high cholesterol.

do you believe every thing you are told?

Cos I can't accept that motor-sailing is injurious to my health, in fact, used judiciously to get into a drying harbour before it dries, or around one of the dozens of headland tide races where I sail, it has a positively beneficial effect on my (& my family's) well-being & health.

The childish prejudices expressed on these fora say far more about the poster than the reality.

 

[JimC]

do you believe every thing you are told?

Cos I can't accept that motor-sailing is injurious to my health, in fact, used judiciously to get into a drying harbour before it dries, or around one of the dozens of headland tide races where I sail, it has a positively beneficial effect on my (& my family's) well-being & health.

The childish prejudices expressed on these fora say far more about the poster than the reality.

+1

 

[Tintin]

I thought about some of the nonsense on this thread as i motorsailed across the channel and thru chenal du four the other day.

 

[Nicholas123]

I thought about some of the nonsense on this thread as i motorsailed across the channel and thru chenal du four the other day.

That's alright as long as you learn to sail for when the engine brakes down

 

[Coaster]

That's alright as long as you learn to sail for when the engine brakes down

How strange.

Haven't found any brakes on my boat yet.

I generally rely on the engine for stopping quickly in harbours.

The one I use for lots of motorsailing.

 

[Tintin]

That's alright as long as you learn to sail for when the engine brakes down

Ha ha. It does. Often. But in this case motorsailing was the diff between 28 hrs at 4knots and many more at miles and lower speed, missing the tidal gate etc. Which i suppose is ok for you solent chaps but not so good when very shorthanded. Btw when did you last sail onto your marina berth?