Sailing without an engine

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

He sails everywhere across oceans ; in and out anchorages in a wooden gaffer without an engine.

 

[capnsensible]

A skill, I think that's being eroded away. A shame, it's really satisfying. Or really annoying if you are sailing yet another yacht that's had an engine breakdown.........?

 

[newtothis]

A skill, I think that's being eroded away. A shame, it's really satisfying. Or really annoying if you are sailing yet another yacht that's had an engine breakdown.........?

I like his videos, but it's a Southern Cross 31, not a wooden boat. And there's nothing naffer than a plastic gaffer
And as for his pronunciation of Lanza-wrote ?

 

[GHA]

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

 

[vyv_cox]

Sailing across oceans is all very well, very few of us would use an engine well out at sea. It's the close-quarter stuff that raises the problems. Perhaps one of the more renowned engineless vessels was Iolaire, owned by Don Street. I remember a piece in YM, by Dick Durham I think, recounting a trip from the Solent (I think) to Limehouse marina on the Thames. On several occasions they had to ask other vessels to tow them into ports on route but despite this hit various obstacles in entrances, including the lock gates at Limehouse. I would have been mortified to behave in such a way but apparently he just laughed it off.

 

[Zagato]

It has been interesting watching Roger Barnes Dinghy videos. He doesn't like taking a tow out of pride but has gratefully accepted on occasion. One account explains that the towing boats usually go too fast and he has no control once in tow. Heated words and a bit of swearing were exchanged in one tow he mentioned soon after the incident. He says you are at the mercy of who is towing you and you need to make sure you can let go the towing rope from your towed boat. I think just have a small outboard Roger under the seats for the few times you may need it, it saves everyone a lot of bother and tension. He said boats come up to him quite often to see if he is OK and needs a tow. An engine would probably have saved him from calling the lifeboat twice also. Having had Drascombes I wouldn,t choose to limit my sailing plans and experiences by simply not slinging a small outboard on the back to counteract tides, weather, etc. He used to own quite a pretty wood 25plus foot yacht, I don,t know what it was... speculating from snippets, I presume he got divorced and that went!

 

[Trident]

An engine is an essential for a catamaran if you ever want to go in to modern marinas but apart from that...

When we learned to sail (on our first cat ) we made ourselves learn to sail on and off pontoons, moorings, back wind sails to anchor, rope the boat around - none of which would have been in an RYA course for beginners (I think) but it seems very sensible to us (having never sailed before but having read of lot by Lin and Larry Pardy who did all their sailing engineless )

A dead engine due to diesel bug proved a little worrying but no real problem but we do get weird looks from people at times when maintaining the skill who see shocked that you can sail alongside a pontoon or dig an anchor under sail. Politeness dictates these are not to be done in tight anchorages or busy pontoons; its not fair to worry others

 

[RupertW]

What was that old joke about the most famous engineless voyagers?

“There are two types of serious ocean sailors . Those who have towed the Pardeys into harbour and those who have towed them out”

 

[TernVI]

What was that old joke about the most famous engineless voyagers?

“There are two types of serious ocean sailors . Those who have towed the Pardeys into harbour and those who have towed them out”

Giving and accepting tows is all part of sailing. I've been on both ends of the string many times.
Being engineless is fine for a small racing boat, or once you get offshore, but it's not great for a day sailing cruiser or anyone else under time constraints.

As well as the close-quarters handling under sail, I think many people no longer learn how to sail in light airs, they give up very easily when the wind drops and/or becomes variable.

 

[johnalison]

All sailors should have a week sailing an engineless boat on the Broads. It is very liberating as well as educational. You can never say with certainty where you will be spending the next night.

 

[Wansworth]

Having sailed a engineless sloop along the Galician coast my observations are at least three anchours with some chain but mainly rope kept on reels ready to row out without getting tangled up,a fifteen sculling oar indispensable and great attention to how the sails go up and down,reduce friction as much as possible.A small dinghy that you can scull and row is a great help........even so it’s much less nerve racking entering with a reliable engine in small unknown ports with lots of rocks?

 

[Poignard]

All sailors should have a week sailing an engineless boat on the Broads. It is very liberating as well as educational. You can never say with certainty where you will be spending the next night.

Most likely on the mud!

 

[chrisedwards]

A two - masted junk rig set on a long keel is the perfect combination for sailing without an engine.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Sometimes, as a challenge and for a laugh, I have picked up a mooring and sailed off a mooring with just the sails only. I could maneuver the boat in tight spots under sails but not getting in and out a marina. Personally, I prefer an engine and a bow thruster anytime.

 

[Laminar Flow]

What was that old joke about the most famous engineless voyagers?

“There are two types of serious ocean sailors . Those who have towed the Pardeys into harbour and those who have towed them out”

The Pardeys did later, on Talessin, toss out their bathtub and installed an engine. I understand they could be rather demanding and insistent when needing a tow.

Many ports, marinas and canal transits do not permit access or passage under sail either. As much as I could not imagine going to sea without sails, I would not fancy the limitations of not having an engine.

I have beach cruised a small, engineless 15' gaffer with kids. Assuredly, there is equal pressure to suddenly move on when the wind is 'right', as it is for other folk to stay within their time constraints by using the engine, especially when cruising in a tidal area with strong currents and restricted passages.

 

[Leighb]

Sometimes, as a challenge and for a laugh, I have picked up a mooring and sailed off a mooring with just the sails only. I could maneuver the boat in tight spots under sails but not getting in and out a marina. Personally, I prefer an engine and a bow thruster anytime.

When we had the One Design, 20ft keelboat, we virtually always sailed her on and off the mooring. We did have an outboard to deploy in case of total wind failure and once towed 3 others of the class back to the club against the tide. It a skill that was satisfying, but I’m afraid that once we moved up to a cruiser in a marina berth we virtually always used the engine for picking up moorings, anchoring etc.

 

[LittleSister]

Being engineless is fine for a small racing boat, or once you get offshore, but it's not great for a day sailing cruiser or anyone else under time constraints.

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.

 

[johnalison]

I have seen the odd Frenchman or Swede sail into or out of a marina, but it is not something I think I would recommend, though I have done it once with a failed engine, not counting a return to a waiting pontoon with a prop problem. Sailing on and off a mooring would be pretty routine for many owners, I would have thought, and something we often did. I also used to raft onto anchored boats under sail regularly and am still on speaking terms with the recipients.

I'm not sure that I would sail around the world without an engine, that is, if I felt like sailing around the world at all. The point, though, is that if you can't sail up to or off a mooring or berth as an exercise you could be well and truly stuck if you are forced to do it.

 

[Zagato]

I used to see a fella sail his Falmouth work boat out of Mylor Creek most days. Great skill, a tranquil joy to watch with the mornings coffee in hand.

Think I read about a ship taking two weeks to sail out of Lyme Bay back in the day!

 

[Wansworth]

I used to see a fella sail his Falmouth work boat out of Mylor Creek most days. Great skill, a tranquil joy to watch with the mornings coffee in hand.

Think I read about a ship taking two weeks to sail out of Lyme Bay back in the day!

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