Sailing without an engine

[Iliade]

I used a sweep as auxiliary power for a brief period. It worked when there was no wind but forget butting anything.

It is actually a rather pleasant method of locomotion and mostly a lot less stressful than owning an unreliable engine. Plus I do like the idea of a (saltwater) bath aboard ;0)

 

[RupertW]

Giving and accepting tows is all part of sailing. I've been on both ends of the string many times.

Have you? Gosh, I have never been asked for a tow and have never needed one. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a sailing boat been towed into harbour except on RNLI telly.

Where do you sail?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I've been doing it around The Solent for the last three years, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I did carry an outboard for the first few months, but I'm now happy just to take as long as it does. The best sail of this year was coming back to Hamble from lunch on the grass at Buckler's Hard against a big ebb and very light North Easterly. It took five hours in glorious late September sunshine, but I now know exactly how close in I can cross Lepe Spit, and entertained plenty of beach walkers with our forwards and backwards progress against the current. Best bit for me was that it was the daughter steering and her helming and general boat-handling improved almost infinitely.

I've had tows from fellow competitors and committee boats a few times, but only once from 'strangers', a young couple in a (I think it was) Hunter Horizon who probably regretted their offer amid the Hamble ebb...

The only HM that was a little anti was Yarmouth, but they now know that I'm not a reckless idiot and are very welcoming.

 

[DownWest]

Close friend sailed his 13 ton gaff ketch from Falmouth to Portimão single handed without an engine, non stop, mainly because he was worried about entering places of refuge down wind without the option of getting out if things turned out tricky. He also had no self steering or electrics, or internal fitout. 10 days without any proper rest. Lets just call it 'character building', not for me..
Back in the day, we always sailed on and off our mooring (27ft). The OB was only used when the wind didn't blow. We did tow a gaggle of Dragons back when the wind failed at Medway Week.

 

[TernVI]

Have you? Gosh, I have never been asked for a tow and have never needed one. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a sailing boat been towed into harbour except on RNLI telly.

Where do you sail?

Have sailed here and there.
Racing things like Dragons and Etchells, a tow against the tide after the race is often welcome and appreciated.
With my yacht, I towed two x boats back East after Cowes week the other year.
Been towed into LA (LittleAmpton) in a dinghy.
Towed a 6 metre into Fowey.

Any harbour where there's racing, esp evening racing when the wind often dies, and a bit of tide, it's the way of the world.

 

[vyv_cox]

I generally agree with you, but Charlie Stock did manage decades of coastal sailing far and wide every weekend without an engine, and said only once (or was it twice?) he didn't get his boat home on time.

But hardly a cruising yacht, a 16 ft centre board dinghy doesn't really compare. In all the years I raced dinghies I never needed an engine.

 

[LittleSister]

But hardly a cruising yacht, a 16 ft centre board dinghy doesn't really compare. In all the years I raced dinghies I never needed an engine.

16 foot and a centre-boarder, based on a dinghy hull, but very much a cruising yacht. His extensive cruising, clocking up way more miles each year than most much bigger yachts, was a world away from dinghy racing.

 

[ashtead]

I've been doing it around The Solent for the last three years, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I did carry an outboard for the first few months, but I'm now happy just to take as long as it does. The best sail of this year was coming back to Hamble from lunch on the grass at Buckler's Hard against a big ebb and very light North Easterly. It took five hours in glorious late September sunshine, but I now know exactly how close in I can cross Lepe Spit, and entertained plenty of beach walkers with our forwards and backwards progress against the current. Best bit for me was that it was the daughter steering and her helming and general boat-handling improved almost infinitely.

I've had tows from fellow competitors and committee boats a few times, but only once from 'strangers', a young couple in a (I think it was) Hunter Horizon who probably regretted their offer amid the Hamble ebb...

The only HM that was a little anti was Yarmouth, but they now know that I'm not a reckless idiot and are very welcoming.

You might not find the volunteers of the Portsmouth QHM that welcoming though.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

You might not find the volunteers of the Portsmouth QHM that welcoming though.

I'd accept that as a challenge and rely on my wit and charm on the 'phone/vhf beforehand - if I actually wanted to go there....

 

[Topcat47]

The RYA young Skippers used to sail Hunter Duets without engines. I saw some really impressive close quarters boat handling by them in the distant past. Picking up a buoy is not hugely difficult and I've often sailed alongside a midstream pontoon for practise. I doubt very much if they'd be able to manoeuvre in a modern marina tho'; I know I couldn't.

 

[johnalison]

Have you? Gosh, I have never been asked for a tow and have never needed one. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a sailing boat been towed into harbour except on RNLI telly.

Where do you sail?

Fairly often, in places from the West Country to the Baltic, for a variety of reasons, often own ropes round the prop. The last time I think I was towed, other than planned occasions within the marina, was in 1978, when I flattened the battery of my Dolphin and a friend was nearby, hand starting being possible but tiresome in a seaway.

 

[DownWest]

There is a sailing school in La Rochelle that has a fleet of engineless 30 ft cruiser/racers. We were the other side of the il d'Aix and the mother ship came past towing three. Offered us a tow too, but we were happy to row for a bit untill the wind returned. I have an OB in a well, but leave it at home when at sea, with the fairing plug in place, partly because in the event of a capsize, the low level of the well top would make bailing tricky.

 

[Kelpie]

The amount of engineless sailing we do had decreased as our boat has got bigger.
Started with a Wayfarer, never carried an engine.
Moved up to a 27ft Vega. Routinely sailed on and off moorings, anchor, and a few times pontoons when the conditions allowed.
On our 33ftr we still sailed on and off moorings and anchor, but after moving up to 39ft we seem to have lost our nerve a bit. Maybe we should get back in the habit...

 

[RJJ]

It would seem to depend where you go. I am.pretty decent at sailing on/off moorings or anchor. I struggle to imagine sailing into a finger pontoon. If you pick your destinations accordingly, and aren't in a hurry, it sounds a lovely way to get around.

 

[johnalison]

It would seem to depend where you go. I am.pretty decent at sailing on/off moorings or anchor. I struggle to imagine sailing into a finger pontoon. If you pick your destinations accordingly, and aren't in a hurry, it sounds a lovely way to get around.

I watched a Swedish chap bring a cruiser, maybe 30ft, into a small yacht harbour single-handed. I wondered how he was going to get into his box mooring. He got the boat to lie across the entrance and tied up loosely. He sorted himself out for a while and then manhandled the boat into the box, presumably the way he always does it.

 

[Zagato]

Many Nordic Folkboats (designed without an engine) and IF Boats are sailed on and off their moorings. Most have outboards on brackets that are hard or impossible to reach to control. Tord Sunden frowned upon the use of an outboard. He did however design the IF Boat with a small engine well for a Seagull sized engine.

 

[Dan Tribe]

Looks like interesting series, ta.
Though having cruised with a rubbish engine which sometimes might work - never again!!
Choice is much better .

For years I sailed my Stella with a Stuart Turner, which is worse than no engine because I always thought that it MIGHT start. It would never start when you really needed it.
It had a pet name which I can't repeat here.

 

[GHA]

For years I sailed my Stella with a Stuart Turner, which is worse than no engine because I always thought that it MIGHT start. It would never start when you really needed it.
It had a pet name which I can't repeat here.

Certainly keeps you on your toes though... even now with a beta which starts just by looking at the key... every time - genoa ready to deploy in an instant, anchor ready to drop in an instant. These thinks stick in your mind..

 

[Stemar]

Quite possible,sailing ships,barges etc waited in the Downs for the wind to go East of south to get down channel.

And getting out of Biscay could be, well, interesting on a square rigger when the southwesterlies blow for weeks at a time. Or any other boat without an engine if the wind and sea state conspire against you. For too many only made it out in a box. Some will doubtless accuse me of having no soul, and they may be right but, in these days of reliable engines, and crowded marinas and anchorages, not having one strikes me as irresponsible.

 

[doug748]

It would seem to depend where you go. I am.pretty decent at sailing on/off moorings or anchor. I struggle to imagine sailing into a finger pontoon. If you pick your destinations accordingly, and aren't in a hurry, it sounds a lovely way to get around.

Indeed.

I used to make a point of sailing off and on, only giving up a swinging mooring last year. It was really a matter of hating to put a 20hp engine on for 30 seconds.
Typical day sail would be to sail off, anchor somewhere under sail downwind, pull the anchor up later, sail away and back on the mooring. It is not hard at all provided you know the area, the tides, and the wind and tide are moderate. It helps to have a tiller, a smallish boat, low topsides and reasonable displacement........................I might not be so cocky with a Pogo 12.5
The upside is that you become pretty blase about sailing at close quarters, which can be your undoing of course
The only time I recall sailing alongside was on the outside of Mayflower Marina Plymouth, which is a fair bet as it's 100m long and deserted.

These things always sound a bit flash, even arrogant but it's just that many people don't have the leisure to give it a go and marina berthing chips away at the chances to give it a shot.

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