probably an observation that can't be answered

[Third mate]

I have been thinking for sometime about Mobo's and Yacht's and the different attitudes to each.
Be warned I am an avid sailor who loves mobo's so slightly insane to some members of this forum.

I have picked one Mobo and one Yacht. A Hardy 50 and an Oyster 46 as both strike me as very capable sea going vessel's.

First observation.. In a F5 rising F6-7 the hardy heads for home (If not alreay there) the oyster just reduces sail and carries on. Why ?

Second.. You want to keep your boat in the Med. The hardy goes by road/dry ship. The oyster sails there. Why?

Yes I have discounted the sail vs Fuel argument as surely both craft should be as capable at sea as the other or not ????

Is it a question of attitude by the sailor (suicidal Tendencies) Mobo Skipper (sensible or chicken).

As a general observation I have always thought that as a sailor it was more about the journey that the destination, while the reverse was true about the Mobo.
Only because the sailor is less in control of their motive power, whereas the Mobo goes directly past go and collects £200, so to speak.

To try and get a balanced view this is also posted on yachting scuttlebutt

Andy

 

[kashurst]

I find that sailing yachts are more comfortable when it gets properly windy. They don't roll around when set up well and they start to pick up speed and its good fun/hard work.

Motor boats without stabilizers are not at all comfortable when it gets rough.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Well both boats are going somewhere, just the Hardy can get there faster, but of course the Oyster has a much greater potential range.
Horses for courses.

 

[omega2]

We sit out fishing from our mobo, if it gets really snotty we stay were we are at anchor (unless time is pressing) and always amazed to see sailors go by without any fuss or bother, at least from our point of view, if we were moving through the same conditions there would be water breaking over the prow or transom, or lots of broken pots and gear to fix. Sail boats are definately more sea kindly IMHO.

 

[neale]

Second.. You want to keep your boat in the Med. The hardy goes by road/dry ship. The oyster sails there. Why?
Andy

You can't discount fuel i'm afraid. At around 1nm per gallon (or less for your Hardy example) it simply makes sense to send it by road. Unless of course the trip there is part of the adventure.

I guess it's also a lot easier to prep a MOBO for road transport. No sticky up bits to take down.

 

[Third mate]

You can't discount fuel i'm afraid. At around 1nm per gallon (or less for your Hardy example) it simply makes sense to send it by road. Unless of course the trip there is part of the adventure.

I guess it's also a lot easier to prep a MOBO for road transport. No sticky up bits to take down.

My apologies. I was leaning more towards relative reasons why Mobo's seem to avoid bad weather where sailors keep plugging away when both are in well found vessels

 

[neale]

My apologies. I was leaning more towards relative reasons why Mobo's seem to avoid bad weather where sailors keep plugging away when both are in well found vessels

I understand that, but I was responding specifically to the bit about getting a boat to the Med.

 

[guernseyman]

Smallish mobos are uncomfortable, and may have to slow down, in rough conditions while a boat sailing through it will be relatively comfortable and maintain its speed.

 

[Robin]

Sailing boats don't go directly into the wind and the waves simply because they can't unless they are motoring in which case they are a motorboat. A sailboat bashing and crashing into headwinds and seas is horrible, just as it would be in a mobo. Maybe mobos should tack upwind more to lessen the bash and crash!

Speed is a big factor perhaps. I was in Cherbourg once when a very nice Fairey Marine Huntsman set off back for the Solent, yet returned within an hour. I asked why he had returned and he said the seas were coming right over the boat, yet it was only about F4, so I asked what speed he was doing and he said '25kts, don't want to go below that'.

 

[Firefly625]

My apologies. I was leaning more towards relative reasons why Mobo's seem to avoid bad weather where sailors keep plugging away when both are in well found vessels

I have sailed many thousands of miles, but never all at once! The longest passages i have made would be from northern Brittany to Hamble or from Holland to Hamble and to be honest I've never much looked forward to them, it was just a means to an end, getting from A to B. I do much prefer shorter trips whether by sail or in my mobo. One of the significant differences is when you are underway. Certainly in my sailing life (a few decades worth) sailing round the south coast for any distance would often involve a meal underway & probably a cup of tea or coffee or a beer and we would pass the time enjoying the sail. That is certainly what happens in my folks boat even now, but then it does take them almost 3 hours to get from Hamble to Yarmouth for example and they have a Contest 46 so a pretty similar boat to the Oyster. In a Mobo life is different when you are underway, the idea of going below to make sandwiches or boil the kettle for cuppa is just never a reality, well certainly not in my boat. If I was planning a 5 hour trip, say from hamble to Dartmouth then we would ensure we had a thermos of coffee & botles of water and sandwiches ready prepared and easily available but that is because at our cruising speed of 17knots life becomes a little more difficult to move around, give me a sailing boat healing at 30 degress anyday. But we are where we want to be far quicker, but certainly not as comfortably, I grant you that.... not sure I have answered anything

 

[GinjaNinja]

This is a really good question, as I have often wondered why 2 boats can withstand such differences in weather.

So to add to this, if you used a MoBo as a Yacht in as much as, not head on into wind etc, could you stay out in worse weather, and of course slow down to 5-7 knts. (I understand there would be a fuel cost associated to this), or is it the keel's on a Yacht that make that difference.

Thanks

 

[piratos]

Is it a question of attitude by the sailor (suicidal Tendencies) Mobo Skipper (sensible or chicken).
Andy

Well, I beleive there are some MOBOs around that would also continue, and not only the Nordhavens or alikes, but remember that the Mobos are outnumbered by ...8 or 9 times by the Sailingboats, so obviously you will more often see Sailingyacht being 'offshore' than Mobos, and even a boat like the Hardy has a limited fuel capacity, which must make him more cautious.

I also beleive there are plenty sailingboats heading for the port each evening.

One thing that I very often notice is that when it gets rough, even big sailingboats strip the sails, start engine and head home....


Best regards

 

[Firefly625]

Well, I beleive there are some MOBOs around that would also continue, and not only the Nordhavens or alikes, but remember that the Mobos are outnumbered by ...8 or 9 times by the Sailingboats, so obviously you will more often see Sailingyacht being 'offshore' than Mobos, and even a boat like the Hardy has a limited fuel capacity, which must make him more cautious.

I also beleive there are plenty sailingboats heading for the port each evening.

One thing that I very often notice is that when it gets rough, even big sailingboats strip the sails, start engine and head home....


Best regards

indeed, most sailors that I know are the fair weather types, cruise extensively, but not in all weathers. I have seen a steady 55 knots in the channel, gusting (or should I say howling) 65knts, but that day I did think I would die... The only other boat we saw that day was dismasted, and we ended up doing a mayday relay... So this is the real dangers that we put ourselves in for the sake of our hobby.... i don't bloody think so!
Lets face it almost all raggies and Mobo owners do what we do for pleasure. It is pleasurable to sail in a anything upto a F6, and even F7 or perhaps even a F8 if seas have not built up and the wind is coming from the right direction. But in a Mobo it becomes unpleasant far quicker even in the size of boat the OP suggests, so IMO that is the answer..

 

[Davy_S]

Lets try and put it another way, I enjoy both sail and power, power can withstand rough seas as long as the engine keeps working, examples are trawlers and lifeboats plus pilot boats.
Given the worst case example, you are miles out at sea in like for like, yacht 30 ft power 30ft, your engine goes duff, you have no drogues or para anchors. Which would you rather be in? me, the yacht, shut up shop and take the punishment, mobo will roll over, yacht should right itself. That would be my choice if I had to chose.